You’ve probably already seen the list, but have you started to make reading plans?
Here’s the announcement (it’s bookishly funny) and then you can buy the books at a discount from Powell’s (because who can resist shopping indie, let alone at a discount).
Patrick deWitt, The Sisters Brothers
Chad Harbach, The Art of Fielding
Téa Obreht, The Tiger’s Wife
Michael Ondaatje, The Cat’s Table
Karen Russell, Swamplandia!
Nathacha Appanah, The Last Brother
Donald Ray Pollock, Devil All the Time
Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending
Jeffrey Eugenides, The Marriage Plot
Alan Hollinghurst, Stranger’s Child
Ann Patchett, State of Wonder
Haruki Murakami, 1Q84
Teju Cole, Open City
Helen DeWitt, Lightning Rods
Jesmyn Ward, Salvage the Bones
Kate Zambreno, Green Girl
I’m new to this, but I happen to have read 5 of the 16 books already.
Whether I get much further, I’m not sure, but I have The Last Brother sitting here (mainly because Graywolf publishes such awesome books).
Do you follow TMN Tournament? What have you read?
What would you recommend? Which intrigue you?
The T of B is totally new to me but I find it exciting that I have read The Tiger’s Wife and The Marriage Plot. I tried Swamplandia but had to return it to the library before I finished it. I have a copy of The Cat’s Table so perhaps I should get into that right away. I have been thinking I would like to try The Sense of an Ending. Perhaps also The Art of Fielding and The Last Brother.
I just started listening to Open City on audio yesterday and am absolutely swept away by the narrator’s tale. I can’t yet articulate what is so compelling about the tale, but I kept looking for chores to do…and, trust me, that *never* happens! I think you’ll love the Ondaatje novel, BTW. Let me know if you’re going to start into The Last Brother as I have a copy but haven’t yet begun.
I don’t actively follow the ToB, but I’m always interested in seeing who wins. I’ve read (make that attempted!) 9 of the books and from what I’ve read I think The Art of Fielding will walk it. From those I haven’t read I’m interested in reading Open City, but look forward to seeing what you make of the others – i suspect you’ll enjoy The Last Brother.
I’m guessing that means you weren’t fond of The Last Brother, Jackie? Heh. I wouldn’t be sorry to see Harbach’s novel gain more attention; I did think it quite well done, and the characters are still quite fresh in my mind months later.
I really really love the ToB! The commentary for each match is always so lively and colorful, and generally they highlight a good balance of books that I already wanted to read with books that I hadn’t heard of, and really, I’m always a fan of anything that turns me on to new books. That said, I don’t make it my mission to read every single one of the books that are up for the prize because not all of them appeal, and the year I tried to read all of the books, I found myself plowing through some duds. This year I’ve only read one of the books (State of Wonder), though I did try another one (The Stranger’s Child) but didn’t care for it, so I’m not off to a great start… but there are a bunch I’d still like to try.
I’ll be interested to see which ones you chase down, Steph. I am interested in the more immediately recognizable books (e.g. Murakami, Eugenides), but I’m really interested in the books of which I’d not taken note before the list. I haven’t looked to this list before as a source of new books, but it might well become a favourite as it is for you.
I saw the list, too, and have The Last Brother on my reading pile as well (it was one I brought home from the library that I didn’t include in my post–I have too many out to list at the moment…). I won’t be able to read the whole list but I do have to check out all the books! I have Stranger’s Child sitting on my desk at work (too big to drag home today as I already had Four to check out and stuff into my bookbag…ahem). There are several I’m curious about but I have so many other little projects going on I’m not sure which I can actually manage. Then out of curiosity I had to see when the Orange list comes out (March)–not that I ever read all those books, but it’s fun to collect them anyway. The Edgar list for mysteries is out…’tis the season…or the start of the award season anyway. Maybe I’ll see which books make it after they begin to whittle things down a bit.
“so many other little projects”
Oh, isn’t that the truth. Nothing like a new reading year to get the reading piles a-risin’! Though I wasn’t especially keen on The Stranger’s Child initially, I heard him read/speak locally last autumn, and I became much more interested. Like you, I want to peek at them all, at least!