Wednesday, January 3, 2018

THE TOURNAMENT OF BOOKS 2018


What, I am posting twice in one week? UNHEARD OF. But the Tournament of Books 2018 Shortlist was announced today! If you are curious about the Tournament and how it functions, here is the TOB link, As you can see in the list I have made below of the 18 shortlisted titles, I have already read 11, which is a personal best.   I think have a good chance at managing to read the remaining 7 titles in time for the judging on March 7, 2018, which I have never achieved before. We'll see 😀.

   No.          Title                                        Author                                    Available?
1
The Animators
Kayla Rae Whitaker
READ
2
The Book of Joan
Lidia Yuknavitch
LIBRARY
3
Dear Cyborgs
Eugene Lim

4
The End of Eddy
Édouard Louis
READ
5
Exit West
Mohsin Hamid
READ
6
Fever Dream
Samanta Schweblin
READ
7
Goodbye, Vitamin
Rachel Khong
READ
8
Idaho
Emily Ruskovich
READ
9
The Idiot
Elif Batuman
READ
10
Lincoln in the Bardo
George Saunders
READ
11
Lucky Boy
Shanthi Sekaran
LIBRARY
12
Manhattan Beach
Jennifer Egan
 READ
13
Pachinko
Min Jin Lee
LIBRARY
14
Savage Theories
Pola Oloixarac

15
Sing, Unburied, Sing
Jesmyn Ward
READ
16
So Much Blue
Percival Everett

17
Stephen Florida
Gabe Habash
LIBRARY
18
White Tears
Hari Kunzru
READ

While the Back to the Classics Challenge helps me read those older books I have always been meaning to get to, the Tournament of Books helps me keep abreast of current releases and as well as some way off the radar books. 

Of those yet unread, I am most looking forward to getting to Pachinko, a multi-generational saga about Koreans in Japan and The Book of Joan, an apocalyptic re-telling of the Joan of Arc story.  


Of those I have already read, my favorite is hands down, The Idiot. But I would say this book is one of those books where you either get its humor or you don't; like A Confederacy of Dunces (which I hated, BTW). 

What about you dear readers?  Have you read any of these or do you want to read any of them?


9 comments:

  1. ah, too bad I can't mail you So Much Blue! I ebooked it. Or can I?
    Congrats on the 11! YOU CAN DO IT!
    I am so peachy-proud-pleased that the only books from the long list that I was able to read were also shortlisted. Yay me.
    SO, I need you to tell me which book to vote zombie for!

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    1. Thanks for the comment Care! Zombie White Tears. I want this to win. My fav was obviously The Idiot but I think White Tears has a broader appeal and can make it to the TOP!

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    2. I'm starting White Tears this weekend. I am 20% into Manhattan Beach and am liking it a lot.

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  2. I haven't read any of these but wtg you for a personal best xxx

    Lainy http://www.alwaysreading.net

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    1. Thanks for the comment Lainy! I appreciate the support! :D

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  3. I'm with you--this is the way I read more contemporary fiction! I am most interested in Idaho and Manhattan Beach and Lincoln in the Bardo. I'm still surprised that The Leavers didn't make the short list--I loved it. I might have to put Pachinko on the list--I do like multi-gen stories.df

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    1. Thanks for the comment Jane! I am currently reading Pachinko and liking it a lot so far! I would be curious to hear what you think of Idaho. It had some beautiful prose but I had trouble with the character motivation. So it didn't work for me but I know others really connected with it.

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  4. Wow, you've already read so many of these! I've typically read too few books when the shortlisted books to even consider attempting getting to them all, but it seems like a really fun idea.

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    1. Thanks for the comment DoingDewey! I just got lucky with my shortlist guesses this year!

      Following the TOB is very fun because of the transparency of the judging. I don't know anything else that is like it!

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