2016 - Possible Contenders

[Megan]

I'm excited to see the recognition for A Brief History of Seven Killings, and I'm intrigued most by The Chimes and The Year of the Runaways. The latter hasn't any reviews on either Goodreads or Amazon US yet--talk about flying under the radar! (Edit: Though now I see that's because it's not out in the US until March 2016. *waits patiently*)

[Lljones]

I started The Green Road, but put it aside after 30 pages or so. I just couldn't get any momentum going...which is strange, because this is very much in my wheelhouse - Irish, family saga, female author. I'll try again someday.

I have beside me, fresh from the library, The Shore, The Sellout, The Fishermen, and Loving Day. Starting with The Shore...let's see how many I get through in three weeks (it is baseball season, after all.)

[Holly]

Lljones wrote: "I started The Green Road, but put it aside after 30 pages or so. I just couldn't get any momentum going...which is strange, because this is very much in my wheelhouse - Irish, fami..."

It's baseball season?

/Tigers fan

[Janet]

I've read A Little Lifeand A Brief History of Seven Killings. Brief History was really hard work but so rewarding. I'd like to see Marlon James get it but since I've read so few of the nominees have no basis for comparison.

[Sherri]

I'm listening to A Spool of Blue Thread right now, and was pleasantly surprised to see Anne Tyler made the list. If you plan to read this one, you might enjoy the audio.

[C]

Can someone post a link to John's list of books I don't have to subscribe to? I think the Twitter link worked last time? Thanks

[Sherri]

C wrote: "Can someone post a link to John's list of books I don't have to subscribe to? I think the Twitter link worked last time? Thanks"

I'm sorry about that - I posted the original link. I got the link from a Twitter post, but I should have just copied the link straight from the post. I also can't find the original tweet. I'll look again later today, or you can look at tweets from @biblioracle for the past few days. It's a lot to go through though. If I see it again,

[Ed]

Here is a direct (??) link to the Warner piece. I had a lot of trouble accessing the piece as well without them wanting me to subscribe or create a login.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifesty...


If that doesn't work here is the list:

Green on Blue - Elliott Ackerman
The Unfortunates - Sophie McManus
Book of Numbers - Joshua Cohen
The Sellout - Paul Beatty
The Hand That Feeds You - AJ Rich
Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy - Judd Apatow (non-fiction)
The Sympathizer - Viet Thanh Nguyen

[C]

Ed wrote: "Here is a direct (??) link to the Warner piece. I had a lot of trouble accessing the piece as well without them wanting me to subscribe or create a login.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifesty......"

Yes, I'm still having the same problem with that link. But the list you included will do. Thank you!

[Sherri]

C wrote: "Ed wrote: "Here is a direct (??) link to the Warner piece. I had a lot of trouble accessing the piece as well without them wanting me to subscribe or create a login.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/..."

Thanks Ed. The piece wasn't exactly a list of best of books. It was his emotional reaction to the books. If I remember right, he was underwhelmed by Book of Numbers. I remember he spoke highly of The Hand that Feeds You.

[Ed]

HI Sherri,

You are correct! Was hoping the link would work (seems to for me at least)... but all the books were positive "emotional reactions" to the books w/ the exception of 'Book of Numbers' -- he also added he would have added including Loving Day by Mat Johnson but was out of space.

Love that phrase "emotional reaction" -- even with books I don't like and/or make me mad or depressed, I think an emotional reaction is better than no/lack of a reaction!

[Lark]

I think we need a "Quirky Outlier that Might Just Make The List" thread, after reading The American People: Volume 1: Search for My Heart: A Novel by Larry Kramer. Wow, I hated it, but it reminded me of another book I hate, Midnight's Children.

[Tiffany]

Can I make a confession? I finished A Little Life a month or so ago, and I think I may be the only person in the universe that didn't like it. I am, though, hoping it makes the tournament because I'd love to see it analyzed by the judges and commentators.

[Jan]

Tiffany, there was a very thoughtful review of ALL on The Millions recently where the reviewer said it left her cold. I think, like An Untamed State last year, it would have a sizable contingent of haters.

[Drew]

Tiffany wrote: "Can I make a confession? I finished A Little Life a month or so ago, and I think I may be the only person in the universe that didn't like it. I am, though, hoping it makes the to..."

You are not alone, Tiffany. I didn't hate it but I didn't like it either. It just made me scream "too much!" I know Untamed State made a lot of people feel that way. (Thanks, Jan, for the reminder.)

[Sherri]

Here's the text from the John Warner list I mentioned. I'm not sure why, but I was able to get to the article today without being blocked for subscription to the Chicago Tribune.

Those of you who know me or this column know that I would never write a "best" books list.

But I have read a lot of wonderful (and some not as wonderful) books this year, and if I don't share some of what's happened to me as I read these books, I'm afraid the thoughts will be lost forever.

The questions of good or bad, better or best, have always seemed silly to me. Instead, as I reflect on my reading, what I'm left with is my emotional response to those books I've encountered in the first half of this year.

Maybe some of these emotional responses will make sense to others as well.

"Green on Blue" by Elliot Ackerman: Deep sadness, and appreciation. The sadness comes from experiencing the story of Aziz, a native Afghani villager conscripted by circumstance into joining a militia in a complicated alliance with U.S. forces. I rooted so hard for Aziz to escape the worst parts of his fate. But I appreciated Ackerman's willingness to tell us the truth about the cost of these wars to the people who live inside them.

"The Unfortunates" by Sophie McManus: I felt gratitude because I read this terrific book based on a single review by Ron Charles of the Washington Post. Printers Row Journal excepted, most major papers are shedding book coverage. We still need critics to help us figure out what's worth reading.


"Book of Numbers" by Joshua Cohen: Disappointment. Speaking of critics, it seems as though since the passing of David Foster Wallace, they've been thirsting for the arrival of the next Great White Male Genius. Cohen is the latest to be held up for appreciation like the arrival of Simba in "The Lion King," but for me, this novel lacked the fundamental empathy that was the beating heart of DFW's work. Cohen's talent is obvious, but anointing any writer a genius so early in his or her career doesn't do anyone any favors.

"The Sellout" by Paul Beatty: Consistently and thoroughly amused. As funny as a Richard Pryor routine. As serious as a James Baldwin essay. If I believed in best-books lists, this would lead it.



"The Hand That Feeds You" by A.J. Rich: Utterly captivated. A psychological thriller that I could find faults with, but it was so involving I'm at risk of turning in this column late because I couldn't put it down.

"Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy" by Judd Apatow: I felt inspired after reading this book because the interviews Apatow conducted with the leading figures in comedy of the last 50-plus years is really an extended exploration of what it means to practice a vocation (making people laugh). No matter how high or low these figures go, they return to what's most important to them. This book contains better advice for living a fulfilled life than any 10 self-help books combined.



"The Sympathizer" by Viet Thanh Nguyen: Stunned, amazed, impressed. So skillfully and brilliantly executed that I cannot believe this is a first novel. (I should add jealous to my emotions.) Upends our notions of the Vietnam novel by centering it around the story of an undercover revolutionary living among his enemy. It has a plot twist that's genuinely surprising — and it's funny as well. Still don't know how he did that.

There's another half-dozen books I'd like to mention, including "Loving Day" by Mat Johnson and "On the Move" by Oliver Sacks, but I'm out of space this week.

[Tiffany]

Drew wrote: "Tiffany wrote: "Can I make a confession? I finished A Little Life a month or so ago, and I think I may be the only person in the universe that didn't like it. I am, though, hoping..."

"Too much" was exactly how I felt. It wasn't so much that I couldn't take it emotionally, it is that I thought the story would have been stronger with less abuse. At some point I just became incredulous, which made me disconnect from the characters. On the other hand, I had no problem with An Untamed State. Go figure.

[[deleted user]]

I just finished All This Life: A Novel, by Joshua Mohr, and I think it would be a good choice for the tournament. The reviews are mixed, but I liked it. Has anyone else in the group read it, and what did you think of it?

[Heather]

I did, and I really didn't like it. I can't even articulate why it didn't work for me, except to say it just rang false. I didn't really believe any of the characters.

[Lark]

Another interesting list of fall fiction:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by...

[Ellen]

Oh, my god. My list is already two pages long...but I'm going to have to add most of those. Damn.

[Juniper]

Poingu wrote: "Another interesting list of fall fiction:..."

i am looking forward to Undermajordomo Minor, by Patrick deWitt, so very glad to see it's launching in the US at the same time as the canadian release. :)

given deWitt was a ToB champ in 2012 for The Sisters Brothers... i wonder if they will be more or less open to his new on? (or, more generally, if past contenders land on the ToB radar more easily?)

[Lark]

Ellen wrote: "Oh, my god. My list is already two pages long...but I'm going to have to add most of those. Damn."

I feel the same way. Also that I somehow want to make a dent in translated novels since this year Ferrante was in the round of 16 an Erpenbeck's "end of Days" made the long list. Not sure if anyone in this thread has linked to this list of fiction in translation yet:

http://www.typographicalera.com/the-2...

[Juniper]

has anyone read Fishbowl: A Novel, by Bradley Somer? i only just learned about it because parnassus books (Ann Patchett's store in nashville) has noted it as their favourite read of the year, so far. no one i know has read it yet, so i thought i would ask here. :)

[Lljones]

Jennifer wrote: "has anyone read Fishbowl: A Novel...

I love Parnassus Books, and Ann Patchett. This sounds...curious, but I think I'll read first another book revolving around an apartment building and its "unlikely collection of humans": Infinite Home.

ToB irregular Drew posted a review on his raging biblioholism blog recently.

[Jen]

Poingu wrote: "Ellen wrote: "Oh, my god. My list is already two pages long...but I'm going to have to add most of those. Damn."

I feel the same way. Also that I somehow want to make a dent in translated novels..."

This website is wonderful!

[Lark]

Jen wrote: "Poingu wrote: "Ellen wrote: "Oh, my god. My list is already two pages long...but I'm going to have to add most of those. Damn."

I feel the same way. Also that I somehow want to make a dent in tr..."

Jen I'm glad you liked it. I liked the way I could sort by original language especially. Even though I don't end up reading everything I like to have the choice and to know what is being published...a lot of these will not make either my library or my local bookstore.

[Deborah]

Poingu wrote: "Ellen wrote: "Oh, my god. My list is already two pages long...but I'm going to have to add most of those. Damn."

I feel the same way. Also that I somehow want to make a dent in translated novels..."

Ooh, thanks for this link! I read a lot of fiction in translation and have quite a few of the books on this list, but clearly my usual sources for recommendations have been less than comprehensive.

If you want to read more translated fiction but have trouble finding the books, several of the publishers of such fiction make at least some of their books available to read or download immediately (without having to get publisher approval first) on NetGalley and Edelweiss.

[Deborah]

Jennifer wrote: "has anyone read Fishbowl: A Novel, by Bradley Somer? i only just learned about it because parnassus books (Ann Patchett's store in nashville) has n..."

I hadn't heard of this book before, but I'm going to the Parnassus Books Reader's Retreat in September (jumping up and down in excitement), so maybe I'll be able to get a copy there.

[Juniper]

@ lljones and @ deborah -- i so wish i lived close enough to visit parnassus books in person. i have debated a road trip just for the purpose. i will admit a love of ann patchett, and bit of patchett envy, for both her writing skills and as a book shop owner. :)

[Lljones]

I've been following Ann Patchett a long time, love all her books, but then I finally heard a few radio interviews and read her book of essays, This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, and fell in love with her as a person, too. Can't wait for her next one!

[Lyndsey]

Deborah wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "has anyone read Fishbowl: A Novel, by Bradley Somer? i only just learned about it because parnassus books (Ann Patchett's store in..."

Please report back to us about about your experience at the Reader's Retreat. It's on my bucket list. :)

[Juniper]

Lljones wrote: "I've been following Ann Patchett a long time, love all her books, but then I finally heard a few radio interviews and read her book of essays, This is the Story of a Happy Marriage,..."

same -- i have been following patchett for a long time too, and came to her, initially, through lucy grealy's book Autobiography of a Face. i also read This is the Story of a Happy Marriage and it was one of my favourite reads of 2014. i have held off reading a couple of patchett's novels (Run and Taft)... just so i have new stories to come to and don't run out too soon. i have really enjoyed all of her books so much!! :)

[Lark]

Has anyone read Jesse Ball's new novel, A Cure for Suicide? It's on the TOB "books to watch" list that they posted at the end of the tournament but I haven't heard much about it.

[Janet]

Poingu wrote: "Has anyone read Jesse Ball's new novel, A Cure for Suicide? It's on the TOB "books to watch" list that they posted at the end of the tournament but I haven't heard much about it."

I borrowed the e-book from my library but I don't think I'm going to get to it before it expires. May have to re-request.

[Jan]

Now here's a list: Independent booksellers on the Fall books they're most looking forward to. Some on the list are nonfiction. I haven't had a chance to go through it yet, but did not the love for Purity from Parnassus Books. Anyone care to predict whether that will be in the ToB?

http://lithub.com/the-great-bookselle...

[Jason]

I apologize that this is going to sound like an ad. The app TuneIn just opened a premium service that includes 40,000 audiobooks for streaming for $7.99/month. I was skeptical so I signed up for the free 30-day trial and started searching the library expecting a limited list of genre books and back list crud I would never want to read.

I am happy to report that almost every new book I looked up was available including several mentioned here like After Birth, The Shore, Delicious Foods, A God in Ruins, Adam Johnson's new book Fortune Smiles, Fates and Furies. And some of the biggest non-fiction books too like Between the World and Me, H is for Hawk, and Modern Romance.

I have no idea how they can give us all these audiobooks for so little money, but I'm going to listen to as many as I can during the free 30 days and decide whether to pay for premium.

http://tunein.com/

[Sherri]

Jason wrote: "I apologize that this is going to sound like an ad. The app TuneIn just opened a premium service that includes 40,000 audiobooks for streaming for $7.99/month. I was skeptical so I signed up for th..."

Thanks for posting this! I'm going to try it too.

[Karen Michele]

Jason wrote: "I apologize that this is going to sound like an ad. The app TuneIn just opened a premium service that includes 40,000 audiobooks for streaming for $7.99/month. I was skeptical so I signed up for th..."

I'm listening to Delicious Foods on it right now, thanks!

[Jason]

If you find any gems in there, let us know. They make it impossible to browse. You have to have a specific book in mind if you are going to find anything.

[Janet]

Jason wrote: "I apologize that this is going to sound like an ad. The app TuneIn just opened a premium service that includes 40,000 audiobooks for streaming for $7.99/month. I was skeptical so I signed up for th..."

Thanks for the tip. I may drop Scribd and pick them up. What concerns me though is if the "all you can consume" model does not work for Scribd will TuneIn find it unsustainable also?

[Ellen]

Since I'm still mixing last year's books that I never got to and this year's books, I can't definitively say what I'd like to see in the ToB yet, but A Little Life DID blow me away (as did, of course, People in the Trees, but in a totally different way). Heartbreaking, yes -- although I totally concur with the credibility issues that some of the rest of you have had. I also read A God in Ruins and preferred it to Life After Life, mostly because it was written as well as LAL but didn't shove any gimmicks down my throat. My biggest issue with it was that WITHOUT the gimmicks, Atkinson's obvious Byatt influence was unmistakable. Now, I love me some Byatt, but God in Ruins just seemed to be slavishly imitating her style and even her characters, especially from The Children's Book, which I found draggy and bloated.

Read Delicious Foods and Preparation for the Next Life. Meh on both.

I am now finally reading Sharma's Family Life and am kind of blown away, but I'm only 1/4 of the way through. How did this not end up in the ToB when, say, Wittgenstein Jr. did?

Also, Jennifer, this made me wonder: "i have been following patchett for a long time too, and came to her, initially, through lucy grealy's book Autobiography of a Face." Ann Patchett never appears in Grealey's book. When Truth and Beauty came out, I went and re-read Autobiography of a Face, since I was pretty sure this was the case, and it made me very skeptical of Patchett's story, frankly, and left me with a bad taste in my mouth about Ann Patchett generally.

[Topher]

Ellen wrote: ""i have been following patchett for a long time too, and came to her, initially, through lucy grealy's book Autobiography of a Face." Ann Patchett never appears in Grealey's book. When Truth and Beauty came out, I went and re-read Autobiography of a Face, since I was pretty sure this was the case, and it made me very skeptical of Patchett's story, frankly, and left me with a bad taste in my mouth about Ann Patchett generally.

What, exactly are you claiming here? If you're saying they weren't friends, you're way off.

[Juniper]

Ellen wrote: "Also, Jennifer, this made me wonder:.."

i probably should have worded this better, i meant that i became aware of the friendship between patchett and grealey during the time i was reading grealey's autobiography. there wasn't anything specifically in the book that pointed me to patchett, rather there were other things i read tangentially that made me curious to read patchett's work. personally, i don't think patchett's exclusion from grealey's book means anything. but i am sorry that you have a 'bad taste in your mouth' about patchett. i would encourage you to read her though, and give her a chance.

[Ellen]

The funny thing is that I do! I don't always like her books, but I thought Run was terrific.

I have no basis to know if they were friends or not. But Grealey actually mentions many support people -- particularly her siblings, and one sister specifically if I remember correctly (it's a long time ago) and never Patchett, so there just seemed to be a disconnect.

[Juniper]

Ellen wrote: "The funny thing is that I do! I don't always like her books, but I thought Run was terrific.

well that's cool! Run is one of the two from her i have not yet read. it's funny how we take away a sense of a person, through reading their work, without ever knowing them. it's interesting, too, what people choose to share or focus on in writing autobiographies. i certainly came away, after reading both memoirs, feeling that their friendship was an unusual one. but i did feel patchett truly loved grealey and deeply mourned her death.

[Lljones]

Truth & Beauty is a memoir of a friendship. Grealy's book is an autobiography of a face. Her dedication reads, "For my friends, whom I love", but she names only a few. The majority of the book is focused on her childhood and young adulthood and her medical history. She mentions by name the doctors and nurses who treated her more often than she does her own family members. Patchett's absence would be notable if Grealy had devoted more of her book to her life and friends from college onward; only the last 25 pages or so discuss her college years, and only two (male) friends are named.

Patchett took some hits about the book, especially the timing of the publication, but the reality of the relationship between Patchett and Grealy just cannot be questioned.

Suellen Grealy, Lucy's younger sister, attests to the friendship, while also accusing Patchett of hijacking her grief in an article in The Guardian in 2004. To me, Suellen comes across as jealous of both Lucy and Ann, and a bit childish.

See what Ann has to say about it here.

(And though not really relavent to this discussion, you must read Ann's article in The Atlantic about Truth & Beauty and censorship.)

[Juniper]

thanks for all of that, lljones! :)

[Ellen]

Yes, thanks, lljones. And -- I apologize for misspelling Grealy's name.

[Juniper]

Ellen wrote: "Yes, thanks, lljones. And -- I apologize for misspelling Grealy's name."

oh, goodness! i did the same. *hangs head* :/