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TOB 2020 Shortlist
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Kip
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Jan 23, 2021 04:11PM
Deacon King Kong carrying the warmth and love we all deserve. It could go far just on that alone. Fortunately, it’s also maybe the best the of the lot.
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Kip wrote: "Deacon King Kong carrying the warmth and love we all deserve. It could go far just on that alone. Fortunately, it’s also maybe the best the of the lot."Yup - it's the one I'm rooting for.
Lee wrote: "I found Piranesi, well, not exactly cheery, but quirky and mysterious, which is at least not depressing,.."Yeah, but we were definitely left with a feeling of longing for a better world at the end, don't you think?
Tim wrote: "Yeah, but we were definitely left with a feeling of longing for a better world at the end, don't you think?"To some extent, yes, (view spoiler)
Lee wrote: "You could call it seeing the spark of the divine in all people, if you are religious. I'd say it was an optimistic ending"Totally agree.
Lee, maybe you could edit your post to include a spoiler tag since you're dropping some spoilers!
Bretnie wrote: "Lee, maybe you could edit your post to include a spoiler tag since you're dropping some spoilers!"Oh, ok. Sorry.
Ok -- so far I've read 11 of the 18, and I've already read two books I wouldn't otherwise have read that I really liked -- Piranesi and We Ride Upon Sticks. I liked Piranesi so much that it almost comes up to the level of Deacon King Kong in my mind, and I even gave it the same 5 stars. But two more different books it would be hard to find. I have Red Pill, The Down Days,
and Memorial here at home -- the last I actually "bought" with a B&N gift card because the waiting lists were so long at the libraries and I didn't think I'd get it in time. The other 4 are in my Holds queues and I'm hoping to get them some time in February. So I'm right on target. But to be going in with 3 strong favorites and not be hating anything yet is a plus.
I agree on the calls for a less depressing lineup, but at least I've had more five-star reads this year than the previous two. I have three left: Red Pill, Leave the World Behind, and Tender is the Flesh5 stars:
Sharks in the Time of Saviors
Transcendent Kingdom
The Vanishing Half
Telephone
Luster
4 stars:
Breasts and Eggs
Deacon King Kong
Memorial
Piranesi
A Children's Bible
3 stars:
We Ride Upon Sticks
Shuggie Bain
The Resisters
The Down Days
I'm leaving Interior Chinatown out of the ranking since I plan to reread it in print.
Wow I’ve now read 13 of the 18 books. This will be the year I am a completist. Of course that’s because I’m not working or traveling or seeing many people. Good and bad. So far my favorites are Leave the World Behind and Red Pill. This surprises me because I’ve been making fun of all the dystopian and doom and gloom novels. But these 2 were just so damn vivid and terrifying and captivating that they win! Following close behind are Deacon King Kong, Piranesi, Shuggie Bain, and The Vanishing Half. Only 5 to go.
Shouldn't we get a bracket sometime soon?
As others have stated, I too will be a completist for the first time this year. Almost finished with Breasts and Eggs on audio, and in the middle of A Children's Bible, and that will just leave me with Shuggie, Telephone, The Down Days and The Resisters to read in February. I've actually really enjoyed the shortlist this year; every other year I've come across at least one or two "stoppers" on the list--a book I just can't get into no matter how hard I try. But this year all the books I've read so far have been at least interesting enough for me to finish, and I've greatly enjoyed quite a few--namely, Sharks in the Time of Saviors, Transcendent Kingdom, Deacon King Kong, Memorial, and We Ride Upon Sticks.
Heather wrote: "As others have stated, I too will be a completist for the first time this year. Almost finished with Breasts and Eggs on audio, and in the middle of A Children's Bible, and that will just leave me ..."I strongly recommend not reading Shuggie Bain and Telephone back to back.
Any idea on when the bracket comes out?
The brackets came out January 27 last year. Since I’ve emailed to harass every step of the way this year, I feel a bit guilty about asking when the brackets will be released.
I messaged them on facebook last night, hopefully we'll hear something in the next few days.
I'm down to 2 books....feels great. I have Breasts & Eggs and The Down Days left to read.
I'm about to start Piranesi and Memorial and then I'll just have Telephone
Bracket is up! I’ll aim to have the bracket competition doc ready to go in a day this time! https://themorningnews.org/p/here-are...
I laughed OUT LOUD for a FULL MINUTE when I saw the first/top left match up. I cannot wait to read that judgement.
For some reason I had been bucketing Tender> with the play-ins, forgetting that the “weird” entry nearly always hits first Round against a heavy hitter. Shoot, I was planning on being a completist minus the play-in’s and Tender was #1 on my list to skip. How much do I really want to justify that completist sticker!?
I'm sad that Deacon King Kong and Interior Chinatown are on the same side of the bracket; but oh those wily ToB organizers knocking out one of the heavy hitters and leaving it only Zombie hopes.
Interesting! The only matchup that I anticipate being a heartbreak either way is Transcendent Kingdom + We Ride Upon Sticks. Loved both of those.
So Shuggie and Telephone are going head to head in the first round, I feel sorry for that judge.
Very exciting! Should I assume the play-in judgement will be posted on the 7th? I still need to read Red Pill (and Tender is the Flesh, ugh). I'm glad my friend Gabino is judging the play-in round instead of the first regular round. He loves horror, so I was nervous he'd like Tender, and if he chose that over Deacon he'd make a lot of enemies. ;) I'm guessing I'll prefer Red Pill out of that round based on the description and since the other two didn't do much for me. I won't be torn about too many of these matchups: Obviously Deacon for the first one, slight preference for Memorial, definitely Transcendent Kingdom, moderate preference for Luster (although I'd still like to reread Chinatown), definitely Telephone, slight preference for Breasts and Eggs, most likely a preference for Vanishing Half, and I haven't read Leave the World Behind yet, but I really love Sharks.
Thanks for putting the spreadsheet together, Amy! I'm excited to send a book to the best guesser in the group. And now I'll need to think about whether my prediction should be what I want to see, or what is more likely to unfold here...
This might be the first year none of my favorites are up against each other! Although I haven't read Breasts and Eggs yet (come on library!), so that could change?
Interior Chinatown facing Luster in the first round will be a no win situation for me. Two of my favorites going at it in the first round makes me sad.
I am trying to destroy my TBR so hitting ToB a little less hard this year, I have read 8 and plan to hit 10, fortunately I have hit 1 book in every matchup, so maybe this will all work out!
I still have to read Down Days and Breasts and Eggs but I feel confident saying neither of those will win The Tournament. Now watch those crazy judges make a liar out of me.I'm rooting for Shuggie, although I also loved Deacon, Sharks & Red Pill. I would be happy for any of those to take it.
Janet wrote: "I still have to read Down Days and Breasts and Eggs but I feel confident saying neither of those will win The Tournament. Now watch those crazy judges make a liar out of me.I'm rooting for Shuggi..."
I would be shocked if Down Days came close to winning, but less so for Breasts and Eggs. It includes subjects that are pretty unique, so it provides that, "this is something new" refreshing feeling.
I think my list of, "I'd be happy of one of these wins" includes Sharks, Luster, Transcendent Kingdom, Deacon, Telephone, and Vanishing Half. Maybe even Breasts and Eggs. It's possible I'll also add Red Pill to this list after reading it. Not terrible odds!
I actually quite liked The Down Days, but I agree it hasn't got much chance of winning, or even making it out of the play-in round (although the other two are among the 6 I haven't read yet, so maybe I'm wrong). I'd be delighted to see Deacon King Kong or Piranesi win, and happy enough with We Ride Upon Sticks or Transcendent Kingdom. I'd also be ok with Leave the World Behind winning, even though I didn't love it, simply because I always have a place in my heart for fellow Oberlin graduates. I still have Telephone, Memorial, Breasts and Eggs, and Interior Chinatown to go besides Red Pill and The Resisters, so I may add to that list as time goes by. I'm off to read the Luster thread to figure out what people loved about it. I didn't exactly hate it, but so far it's the only book of the bunch where I can say it simply wasn't for me.
Amy wrote: "For some reason I had been bucketing Tender> with the play-ins, forgetting that the “weird” entry nearly always hits first Round against a heavy hitter. Shoot, I was planning on being a completist ..."Tender is short. You could easily skim it - kind of like watching a horror movie with your hands covering your eyes and peeking through your fingers.
I agree though that thematically it would work better with The Down Days and The Resisters in the play-in round.
Amanda wrote: "So Shuggie and Telephone are going head to head in the first round, I feel sorry for that judge."Right???? Like getting your heart physically torn away from your body, and then shoved down your throat so it can be torn away again. (I couldn't even stand to read more than a third of Shuggie.)
Assuming Red Pill wins (I may be wrong, but it seems the strongest Play In to me), seeing it up against The Vanishing Half will be hard. I'm also not looking forward to Luster vs. Interior Chinatown (loved Luster, but think IC will win), Piranesi vs. Breasts and Eggs (no idea which will win but I liked them both very much), and Leave the World Behind vs. Sharks.
But for some reason I'm not having the visceral reaction to these that I had last year, where just seeing one of the quadrants made me feel a sense of mourning. I don't know if my lack of a reaction is because these books didn't penetrate me in the same way, or if my connection to books in general has been weaker this year. (It may also be because I've done more of these as audio this year, since it now seems like the only way I can guarantee getting through a book without being distracted by life. It's easier to be only half there if you're just listening.) I appreciated so many of these books, this was a strong year, but I don't think there was anything I fell in love with in the same way I adored all the bottom left quadrant last year, and Milkman, Exit West, White Tears, Version Control, Underground Railroad, etc., etc...
Janet wrote: "I still have to read Down Days and Breasts and Eggs but I feel confident saying neither of those will win The Tournament. Now watch those crazy judges make a liar out of me.I'm rooting for Shuggi..."
In making my TOB predictions, I often feel like I should be like George Costanza in that Seinfeld episode where he does the opposite of what he would normally do and is wildly successful. LOL My instincts are almost always wrong when I try and guess the bracket outcomes.
Elizabeth wrote: "Amanda wrote: "So Shuggie and Telephone are going head to head in the first round, I feel sorry for that judge."Right???? Like getting your heart physically torn away from your body, and then sho..."
I also DNFd Shuggie. I got to chapter 6 and realized I do not have it in me to finish. Telephone also ripped my heart out, but I didn't mind as much. The underlying premise of the book is so inventive that I can live with the sadness.
I don't have any clear cut favorites this year. I have 3 more books left to read and the play-ins. I have not actively hated any of the books either. Not like last year when I could go on forever about how bad Normal People was.
O-kay! Your bracket prediction worksheet is ready HERE & it's open for business! I'll freeze everyone's predictions Mar 7th before the tourney starts & meanwhile reach out to Andrew for some swag for the winner!Also created a thread to track the bracket competition and gripe about our picks dropping out too early. Thread HERE
Amy wrote: "O-kay! Your bracket prediction worksheet is ready HERE & it's open for business! I'll freeze everyone's predictions Mar 7th before the tourney starts & meanwhile reach out to Andrew for some swag f..."Thanks so much, as always, for all your hard work, Amy! <3
Amy wrote: "O-kay! Your bracket prediction worksheet is ready HERE & it's open for business! I'll freeze everyone's predictions Mar 7th before the tourney starts & meanwhile reach out to Andrew for some swag f..."You have Red Pill vs. Sharks instead of Leave the World Behind, although i would be fine if we left that book behind.
Kip wrote: "Amy wrote: "O-kay! Your bracket prediction worksheet is ready HERE & it's open for business! I'll freeze everyone's predictions Mar 7th before the tourney starts & meanwhile reach out to Andrew for..."yes I did! thanks! they messed me up putting the play-in winner in Round 7, it's always been in Round 8.
Fixed
Hi there! I'm new to this group, but I have followed the ToB for at least a decade. This is my first attempt at completion and my first foray into the commentariat. Be gentle.To give you an idea of my tastes:
Loved it
Deacon King Kong
Interior Chinatown
Piranesi
Sharks in the Time of Saviors
Liked it
Leave the World Behind
Telephone
Transcendent Kingdom
The Vanishing Half
Meh
Breasts and Eggs
A Children's Bible
Luster
Memorial
DNF
Tender is the Flesh
We Ride Upon Sticks
Not even the Rooster could induce me to read this:
Shuggie Bain
I intend to read Red Pill because I loved White Tears but I'm not going to bother with the other two playins.
Welcome, Karen! And we are a very gentle crew. I'll be especially gentle because my two favorites (so far, but I'm not anticipating any change) are on your "Loved It" list, Deacon King Kong and Piranesi.
I do disagree with you on We Ride Upon Sticks, Karen, but your top 4 are currently mine as well. (Maybe add Transcendent Kingdom.)
Welcome, Karen! Glad you're joining in.I'd bump Luster to Loved and Breasts and Eggs to Liked, but I do agree with the rest!
Karen wrote: "Hi there! I'm new to this group, but I have followed the ToB for at least a decade. This is my first attempt at completion and my first foray into the commentariat. Be gentle.To give you an idea ..."
Now I have to ask, why would you not read Shuggie Bain?
Yes, I also disagree about We Ride Upon Sticks -- it's my third favorite after Deacon King Kong and Piranesi. But we can still be friends.
Janet wrote: Now I have to ask, why would you not read Shuggie Bain?."It seems like every 10 years or so there is a buzzed-about novel about alcoholism and child abuse set in Ireland and I don't need to read any more of those. It may be a great book, I just can't deal right now with all of that.
Ellen wrote: " on your "Loved It" list, Deacon King Kong and Piranesi..."Those are my two favorites, too.
Well, IMHO, Karen, you didn't miss much. To me, that's exactly what it was -- it didn't feel like it was adding anything new to the genre, certainly. I was surprised once I'd read it by all the positive attention it received. I felt the same way, incidentally, about My Dark Vanessa -- that it covered well-trodden ground about ITS unpleasant subject and didn't uncover anything new that made it so laudable. It's so funny about Deacon King Kong and Piranesi -- I can't imagine two more different books! It just goes to show that there isn't a "type" of book that I'm necessarily drawn to, that it has to do with what grabs me and what doesn't. And they both grabbed me, in very different ways.
Ellen wrote: "It's so funny about Deacon King Kong and Piranesi -- I can't imagine two more different books! "I dunno, I feel like, say, Tender is the Flesh and We Ride Upon Sticks are even more different (or at least equally different). At least both DKK and Piranesi have humor!
Tournament of Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The House in the Cerulean Sea (other topics)My Dark Vanessa (other topics)
The Down Days (other topics)
Piranesi (other topics)
The Down Days (other topics)
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