National Book Award Nominees
The nominees for the titular award (2008) have been announced. Winners will be announced Nov. 19th.
Fiction:
- The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon
- Telex from Cuba by Rachel Kushner
- Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen
- Home by Marilynne Robinson
- The End by Salvatore Scibona
Non Fiction:
- The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals by Jane Meyer
- This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust
- The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon Reed
- Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives by Jim Sheeler
- The Suicide Index: Putting My Father’s Death in Order by Joan Wickersham
I’ve read zero of the books nominated, but I did buy Home for my my mom. She says it’s very good.
Omnivoracious has a complete list (including Poetry and Young People’s Literature) of the nominees and their current Amazon sale rank. The Big surprise in fiction seems to be The End. I may need to check out The Lazarus Project though, based solely on this snippet of the Amazon review: “the novel will remind readers of many great books before it–Ragtime, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Everything Is Illuminated…”
I’ve also been told that The Dark Side is very good by a trusted source.
Awards, Books, To Checkout | Tim | 
October 16, 2008 7:22 am
2 Comments
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By Dr J, October 16, 2008 @ 11:16 pm
Like Jane Mayer, author of The Dark Side, Tim keeps the identity of his sources close to the vest.
I’ve read it and have avoided posting because even thinking about it raises my blood pressure.
Here’s what you need to know about this book: its subtitle is How the War on Terror Became a War on American Ideals. And this subtitle absolutely describes the content of the book.
There are two possibilities. Either someone will manage to discredit every single one of the charges Mayer makes (and substantiates beyond any of my doubts) against Bush and Cheney and their constitution-torturing regime, or our kids will indict ALL OF US for war crimes. Those are the only two alternatives. Because the charges are out there and the proof is right before our noses. We can choose to ignore it, but it’s still right there.
In short, this is an extremely important book.
95 days to go.
By Beth, October 20, 2008 @ 6:37 am
Whew! I felt bad for not having read any on the list — but if you haven’t read them, I feel a bit better.