2024 TOB Shortlist

[Karen]

I only have 4 left: The Captain and Tenille, Chain Gang, and Monstrilio, which I started and am *loving*. (I lied. I also have Brainwyrms but I plan to skip it, so maybe my bumper sticker will have an asterisk...) but Monstrilio - this is not a book I ever would have picked up and am so happy to be reading it. Well done, TOB.

[Risa]

Not sure Powells has any of our ToB books in their used books section, but, just in case (and/or in case there are some non-ToB books for which you've been yearning), they are having a site-wide used books sale - 25% off with the code LOVED - until midnight tomorrow. https://www.powells.com/used

[Audra]

I have 3.5 left! Brain, Monstrillo, and I'm half way done one of The Captain and Tenille. FINISH THE SHORTIE!

[Peggy]

I am also pleased about how much I am liking Monstrilio. I was worried I wouldn't have any ToB "discoveries" this year, but here it is, thankfully. I hope it sticks the landing.

[Kyle]

That's why I'll never quit the TOB - for all the 3-star snoozers I find, there's a 5-star brilliant read lurking somewhere in that shortlist. And it will undoubtedly lose.

[Elizabeth]

I'm on to Monstrilio next, and it'll probably be my last book. So far only Heaven and Earth and The Guest have been 5 stars, and I'll be rooting hard for Heaven and Earth.

[Karin]

Kyle wrote: "That's why I'll never quit the TOB - for all the 3-star snoozers I find, there's a 5-star brilliant read lurking somewhere in that shortlist. And it will undoubtedly lose."

I could've written this exact sentence about the NBA fiction awards.

[Kyle]

After reading both Dayswork and the Auburn Conference, I picked up Typee in a used bookstore. Will probably not read Moby-Dick any time soon but I could still dig into some Melville soon.

[Phyllis]

Kyle, I bought Typee at the same time it for the same reason.

[Karen]

Please report back on Typee. Is it more accessible than Moby Dick? Do I just need to yield to MD or is it not for everyone? So many writers I love say it is brilliant and yet…

[Karin]

I wonder if Moby-Dick might be best read on the serial reader app?

[Kim]

The Serial app is how I have been reading it. So far, so good. It may take me a couple of months if I stick to the one issue per day, but I’ll get there eventually!

[Karen]

Ohh, such a good idea. Will try - Thanks!

[Jaylynny]

Long-time lurker; infrequent poster. I salute all of you completists. I gave up needing to be one the year I read about that kid digging his eyeball out of his head during a water polo game :)

[C]

Jaylynny wrote: "Long-time lurker; infrequent poster. I salute all of you completists. I gave up needing to be one the year I read about that kid digging his eyeball out of his head during a water polo game :)"

Prove that my memory is this good.... was that 'A Brave Man Seven Storeys Tall' ?!?! I don't even remember that part... If so, that was a LOONNNGG time ago that you gave up on being a completeist! But Welcome, Jaylynny!

[Risa]

It was the cannibalism novel that permanently cured me of the need to be a completist. So, thanks for that, “Tender is the Flesh”.

[Elizabeth]

For me it was A Brief History of Seven Killings. I know it's a masterpiece and I tried! But for me it was too long, too many characters, too much repetition of the same day, and too much patois.

[Janet]

Ditto for me Risa re: Tender is the Flesh. Now I follow my instincts because only I know my tolerances.

[Jaylynny]

C wrote: "Jaylynny wrote: "Long-time lurker; infrequent poster. I salute all of you completists. I gave up needing to be one the year I read about that kid digging his eyeball out of his head during a water ..."

Yes, it was long ago. I still read probably 80% of the finalists. But I often now read some of the books after the match commentary. That's worked well for me.

[C]

Jaylynny wrote: "C wrote: "Jaylynny wrote: "Long-time lurker; infrequent poster. I salute all of you completists. I gave up needing to be one the year I read about that kid digging his eyeball out of his head durin..."

I'm the same! I don't intend to read ALL the ToB books, but most will do. I also like keeping track of how many total. Right now I'm at having read 146/340 of the ToB shortlist books since 2005 and I'm wavering on if it should be a goal this year (or not) to try to get to 170 books which would make me to the half way point! Only 24 to go! Which is astounding to me, as most of the years I have only read a handful of shortlist books, so I'm not sure how I am almost at half. Must be the later years of the ToB stepping up, as I read most of those books.

[Kip]

Does anyone by chance have a fully updated spreadsheet with all of the longlist and shortlist books since 2005?

[BitterAndMurky]

There is a "Wall of Champions" on the ToB website:

https://www.tournamentofbooks.com/about

[BitterAndMurky]

And the archive:

https://themorningnews.org/tob/

[Kip]

Thanks, I supposed I was more hoping someone had already done this in google sheets to save me the typing, I have a longlist spreadsheet from someone in this group that stretched from 2010 to 2022 and I was being a bit lazy but also recognizing that there are nerds in this group who might be ahead of me.

[C]

Elizabeth wrote: "I’m know I’m being stupid, but I’ve added merch to my cart and can't find the link to the cart on my screen. Can anyone help?"

I see a little cart icon on the bottom right of my laptop screen once I add something to my cart. Does that help? Maybe add a new thing to your cart just to see it pop up? Then you can remove it when you get to the cart page?

[Elizabeth]

C wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "I’m know I’m being stupid, but I’ve added merch to my cart and can't find the link to the cart on my screen. Can anyone help?"

I see a little cart icon on the bottom right of my ..."

Thanks! I found it after posting...I just wasn't looking at the bottom of the screen, and it's small so with my bad eyes I completely missed it. I usually expect the cart at the top.

[Audra]

new merch! I love the covers and I bought a mug last year. I certainly do not need any tshirts like for the rest of my life. Same can kinda be said about the mug but I may need to get it anyway and part with another. I use last years mug all the time.

[Zachary]

I love the cover story t-shirts. I wear last year's version all of the time. I'm not sure I love enough of these books to justify purchasing this year's, but I'm thinking about it.

I'm reading Shamshine in slow motion. It's incredible world building. It's maybe only world building. I'm waiting for anything to happen in this world, but I'm halfway through and determined to finish.

I'm glad to see so many people were pleasantly surprised by Dayswork. I'm going to be the dissenting voice in search of others and say that it could not have annoyed me more if it set me on fire.

[Risa]

My thoughts exactly on the cover story t-shirts. Such a beautiful concept and design, and ... most of this year's books (with a handful of notable exceptions) underwhelmed me, so I'm not yet sure on the purchase. I will, however, buy the 20th anniversary shirt. Though I was a later arrival to the ToB scene than many of you, I do love a milestone celebration. :-)

[Elizabeth]

I’m not going to read any more of the shortlist, but decided to rank those I have read, in order of decreasing preference:
Heaven and Earth
The Guest (a surprise for me!)
Blackouts
Monstrilio
The Librarianist
The Bee Sting
Open Throat
Big Swiss
The Lost Journals (DNF)
Chain Gang All Stars (DNF)

I’m happy that for most of my favorites it seems to be a pretty clear choice, aside from the play-ins. (And if the judges don’t agree, well they’re just wrong. 😉)

[Kip]

Elizabeth wrote: "(And if the judges don’t agree, well they’re just wrong. 😉)"

Preach

[Audra]

Zachary wrote: I'm glad to see so many people were pleasantly surprised by Dayswork. I'm going to be the dissenting voice in search of others and say that it could not have annoyed me more if it set me on fire.


I will HAPPILY go up in flames with you.

[Risa]

Elizabeth wrote: "I’m not going to read any more of the shortlist, but decided to rank those I have read, in order of decreasing preference:
Heaven and Earth
The Guest (a surprise for me!)
Blackouts
Monstrilio
The L..."


Mine are similar. This year's personal favorites:

H&EGS
The Guest
The Bee Sting
Blackouts
Open Throat

Happy to have read, but I wouldn't put in the top tier:

American Mermaid (because it made me laugh)
The Librarianist (though aspects of the construction, and certainly the ending, were awkward)

....

Everything Else.

Many of this year's shortlist books were either too gory/violent or too lacking in plot for my personal taste. (And, as a general matter, my preference is not to repeat in the ToB books that were already discussed in Camp ToB.)

But, I look forward to seeing what the proponents of these other books say about why novels that didn't fully work for me appealed to them.

Here's to another year of learning and growth. :-)

[Lauren]

Is anyone able to update the bracket predictions spreadsheet from last year so we can get our guesses in before the tournament starts? :)

[Phyllis]

@Lauren, I’ll try to do it tomorrow or Sunday, unless someone else wants to handle it.

[Lauren]

That would be wonderful, Phyllis. Thank you!

[Ellen]

Oh, I forgot to come in last week to say I'd finished, and I'm here to say there was nothing remarkable or that stood out to me. I had already read Heaven and Earth Grocery Store coming in to the shortlist, and it remains my only 5* read from the list. In second -- a fairly distant 2nd -- is Monstrilio. And I could take or leave the rest. Chain Gang All-Stars is at the bottom of the list for me. And I guess if I had to choose between the three play-in books? I'd choose Auburn Conference. I guess. But they were all pretty meh.

[Phyllis]

Hurrah for you, Ellen, for sturdying through the whole list. This year seemed harder to do them all than in most years.

[Elizabeth]

Congrats, Ellen!

I think next year they should just choose the shortlist from our 2025 Contenders thread. Just saying.

[Kyle]

Sad to see people disrespecting the time-honored tradition of the Morning News people putting 100+ book titles up on the wall, covering their eyes, and throwing a dart in the wall's general direction

[C]

Posting my review of 'Lost Journals of Sacajewea' I noticed it is $2.99 at the moment, if you haven't gotten to it yet! It was WORK but admirable.

[Bryn]

I’ve got 2 left to read. I read the first 60 pages of Sacajawea yesterday. Thanks everyone for encouraging me! I don’t understand so many words but I’m going to finish. Then my last book is Brainwyrms. Trying to keep an open mind. Who’s excited for the upcoming tournament?

[Lauren]

Elizabeth wrote: "Congrats, Ellen!

I think next year they should just choose the shortlist from our 2025 Contenders thread. Just saying."

Do we already have this thread up? I can't find it.

[C]

Lauren wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "Congrats, Ellen!

I think next year they should just choose the shortlist from our 2025 Contenders thread. Just saying."

Do we already have this thread up? I can't find it."

Here you go Lauren -- just created it!
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[Lauren]

C wrote: "Lauren wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "Congrats, Ellen!

I think next year they should just choose the shortlist from our 2025 Contenders thread. Just saying."

Do we already have this thread up? I can't..."

Thank you! Is there also a discussion thread?

[Kyle]

Can anyone sell me on "American Mermaid"? I have it out from the library but I'm really not hyped to read it... when I could be getting through my teetering TBR pile.

[Phyllis]

@Kyle I am not the greatest advocate for American Mermaid, though lots of people are big fans of it over on its own discussion page, but I will say that it is a fast read and so you will be that much closer to being a completist when the tournament rolls around.

[Kyle]

I know I'm not going to complete - haven't been able to track down Boys Weekend or Library and have no desire to try Brainwyrms. I think I'll just send it back, and if it ends up winning, I can always pick it up again.

[Theresa]

RE: American Mermaids. The story left me a bit meh but there were some very funny/insightful/quotable observations about teenagers (the MC is an ex-high school teacher) and about Hollywood people.

One quote I copied down: “I had no experience of teenagers when I started teaching. At first I was scared of them. I still am. I love them, too, how bad they are at all the normally easy things of life like saying your name to a stranger or drinking a drink without making noise or remembering to bring even a single piece of paper to a class that needs paper every day…the heat of humane blood and the cycles of sleep and wake, hunger and thirst, are too close to the surface and seeping out.”

If that’s the kind of writing you like there are a lot of great nuggets like that.

[Zachary]

American Mermaid actually made me laugh, which is rare with books. There's no chance it wins this tournament, but it's one of the few that I'm really glad I picked up (that I wasn't planning to read already.)