Welcome to Litsy!

And the final NBA longlist is out, fiction! I really don‘t know what to think about it, since I thought All Fours was absolute garbage, but I‘m so happy to see James and My Friends, as I thought both were terrific. I‘ve also read Martyr, which I didn‘t love, but I know a lot of people did. I‘m curious to dive into the other six.

Today‘s National Book Award longlist is the one I was most excited for: Nonfiction. I‘ve read Knife but none of the rest of these. I‘m a little disappointed to see neither the superb Challenger nor anything related to Gaza on here, but am looking forward to digging into this list.

It‘s here, it‘s here, my favorite week of the year! The National Book Awards longlists are being released this week. First up is translated literature! I‘ve only even heard of one of these and am a little annoyed that one won‘t be released until after the awards in November. 🙄 But I‘m excited to dig into this list! The list for young people‘s books is also out today.

The 2023 National Book Award winners are in! These are the 3 categories I have been following. The fiction and translated winners are both my second choices, so I‘m pretty pleased with those. And the nonfiction choice is an excellent book. Now I get to start waiting for next year‘s lists! 😂

Congrats to all the 2022 National Book Award winners! I read and didn‘t love the YA winner, but I‘m not unhappy with any of these choices. The best part? Four of the five are women! 🥳

Today‘s the big day! These are the 5 finalists for the National Book Award for fiction. I enjoyed the top 3, thought the Mathews was ok, and hated the Jones. My vote goes to Hajji Hotak, but I‘d be happy to see any of the top 3 win.

Today‘s the big day! These are the 5 finalists in nonfiction for the National Book Award and all are good books, well worth reading. My favorite two are the top two and my vote goes to George Floyd, which is phenomenal. But, frankly, I won‘t be unhappy with any of these winning.

And the grand paboo of this lists is up, fiction! I‘m mystified, as I haven‘t even heard of most of these! Not sure if I love that or if it drives me crazy. I do own one of these, and I‘m certainly looking forward to researching the rest!

The nonfiction list is out! This is the one I was most excited for and frankly…I‘m a bit underwhelmed. I‘ve read South to America, and it was good, but I‘m frustrated to see a book on here about Ted Kennedy when I‘ve read two absolutely amazing nonfiction books recently, An Immense World and Eating to Extinction, that are not here. What gives, NBA committee?

I know many of you follow the Booker closely, but I‘ve found the NBA lists usually hew closer to my taste. I get super excited to see the lists every year, especially for fiction, nonfiction, and translated lit. The list reveals started today, with TL up first! I tried the Tokarczuk a few months ago and it wasn‘t for me, and I have The Employees and Scattered. Of the others, I‘m most excited for Jawbone. I can‘t wait for NF tomorrow!

I have finished reading the 2021 NBA fiction longlist and starred the five books I would have put on the shortlist (the five upper ones are the actual shortlist). If I could pick 6, Abundance would be in there as well. I think Matrix would be my winner, but I‘m delighted Hell of a Book won. I have no idea what Zorrie and The Souvenir Museum are doing on this list. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Enjoying watching the National Book Awards live on YouTube. Anyone else watching?

(Photo is the library in Hardwick, Vermont)

Yeah ! More good books! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

https://www.nationalbook.org/national-book-awards/submissions/

A lot of fascinating books on the National Book Award finalists lists. My TBR just got a lot longer.

https://www.npr.org/2019/10/08/768004308/here-are-the-finalists-for-the-2019-nat...

So starting this year there will be a 5th category for translated literature!? I'm excited for this and also nervous for the tbr damage it will inflict.

If you‘re like me, you haven‘t heard a lot about the author Jincy Willett. This is the second book of hers that I‘ve read, and my overwhelming advice to you is READ THE OTHER ONE. I absolutely loved Amy Falls Down. This one was still quirky with dark humor but it lacked the heart of the other one. I don‘t really recommend it, especially as your introduction to this original and creative writer.

No voting for me! I haven‘t read a single 2017 book. 😐

Also, add me on GoodReads, Littens!
/lovemegara

5/10 on the national book awards non-fiction longlist. Half there!