Man Booker Finalists
Today’s news is all about lists–short lists, fantasy lists, and celebrity lists. Browsing them will leave you with some suggestions of what to read (and what NOT to read).
- The Man Booker short list was announced yesterday, and some big names were notoriously absent. Both David Mitchell and Christos Tsiolkas failed to make the final six–Mitchell has been short listed twice before, and his exclusion came as a shock to many who favored him as a front runner. The following authors did make the short list, though many of their books aren’t yet out in the U.S.: Peter Carey, Emma Donoghue, Damon Galgut, Howard Jacobson, Andrea Levy, and Tom McCarthy. The Guardian and Jacket Copy have more details.
- Fantasy fans should check out Omnivoracious for its list of “The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year So Far.” Fantasy and SF guru Jeff VanderMeer discusses several books he considers the most intriguing of 2010, and he points out that many are debut novels: “A kind of sea-change has occurred, with the majority of the best work coming from relatively new voices rather than established writers.” Who knows? This list may introduce you to your new favorite author.
- And just for fun, the Millions blogger Lydia Kiesling has compiled a list of novels written by celebrities. That’s right, novels, not just multi-million-dollar memoirs (though some do strike a suspicious resemblance to the celeb’s actual life). You’ve probably heard of Lauren Conrad’s L.A. Candy series, but did you know that Jimmy Buffett, Ethan Hawke, and Steve Martin have also published fiction? Check out the blog for the extensive list and snarky commentary.
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