Monday, January 16, 2017

THE TOURNAMENT OF BOOKS 2017

Happy New Year all!  It is going to be a while before I get around to reading my first book qualifying for the 2017 Back to the Classics Challenge because I am trying to read as many books from the 2017 Tournament of Books shortlist as possible . 

I have been following the TOB since 2013. I found out about it when the blogger Citizen Reader mentioned Wil Wheaton’s judgment in favor of The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt. I admit, I was mostly intrigued at the time by the name of Wil Wheaton. While I loathe Wesley Crusher, I am a big Star Trek fan (but I don’t know if I am a trekker or a trekkie, the distinction is lost on me, so maybe neither) and I bear the actor no ill-will for the terrible Gary-Stu he played as a child in the 1990s.  

But I digress.  For those of you unfamiliar with the TOB, it is set up like NBA play off brackets and takes place in March just like the play offs. The entire thing happens online. The judges (usually writers themselves) read the two books from their assigned bracket and determine which one will move forward. Color commentary is then provided by the TOB organizers, although there are also occasionally guest commentators.  Then there are the comments from the peanut gallery, ie the bookternet. And that’s where it can get bloody! But usually in a good way. I don’t comment. I can use the excuse that since I am on the west coast, once I am off work and ready to rumble, everyone else is in bed. But really it is because I don't feel sharp enough to keep up with the crowd - and they are razor sharp. Next to the fabulous commentary, I love the access to the transparency of the judgments. Unlike other “legit” book prizes (the Pulitzer, the Booker, the Nobel, etc.) I get to read exactly why the judge chose one book over another, which is always interesting.

So below is a list of the shortlist with notations on which ones I have already read and which ones I can readily get from the library.  Will a little luck I will be able to have at least 10 of the books under my belt come March so I can follow along better.  

Have any of you read any of these or are they on your radar? Do any of you follow the TOB? 


No
TOB 2017 SHORTLIST
AVAILABLE?
1
All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
READ
2
The Throwback Special by Chris Bachelder *
LIBRARY
3
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
LIBRARY
4
Moonglow by Michael Chabon
READING CURRENTLY
5
Sudden Death by Álvaro Enrigue *
READ
6
We Love You, Charlie Freeman by Kaitlyn Greenidge

7
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
LIBRARY
8
The Nix by Nathan Hill
LIBRARY
9
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
READ
10
High Dive by Jonathan Lee
LIBRARY
11
Sweet Lamb of Heaven by Lydia Millet
LIBRARY
12
The Sport of Kings by C. E. Morgan*

13
Version Control by Dexter Palmer
LIBRARY
14
Grief Is the Thing With Feathers by Max Porter

15
Mister Monkey by Francine Prose

16
My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
READ
17
Black Wave by Michelle Tea

18
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
READ
*play in round

11 comments:

  1. This is the first I've heard of the tournament, but it sounds fun. I'll have to keep an eye on it.

    I've only read The Vegetarian, which I enjoyed (although, I thought it was a bit overrated). Quite a few of these are on my to-read list, though.

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    1. Thanks for the comment Rob! Yeah, the Vegetarian got a lot of love on BookTube. I had heard so much about it I almost felt like I had already read it.

      One thing I appreciate about following the TOB is that it makes me get to those newly published books right away rather than letting them languish on my TBR.

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  2. I've been vaguely aware of this, but never took the time to understand how it worked. Now, I'm in! I plan to read at least a couple of the selections before March, hopefully! Sounds like fun. Just joined the GoodReads group.

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    1. Thanks for the comment Jane! It is a lot of fun to follow along and it is even more of a nail biter when I have read some of the books and have some skin in the game (so to speak).

      The goodreads group is also great because they read new releases in the hopes that they will make next years' list and there is a lot of great discussion there too.

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  3. The only two I've really heard anything about is Whitehead's Underground Railroad and My Name is Lucy Barton by Strout. Don't know anything about the other books on this list, but the Tournament of Books sounds like a lot of fun. Hope you're able to get them all read in time. :)

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    1. Thanks for the comment Lark and for the gook luck wishes...I will need it to get all that read in a short amount of time!

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  4. You inspired me to read a few in the 2017 tournament, so I just started We Love You, Charlie Freeman, and I also will try to get to My Name is Lucy Barton, The Mothers, The Sport of Kings, Homegoing, and The Underground Railroad. We'll see how many I can get to before end of March, however!

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    1. Great! I just started We Love You, Charlie Freeman too! I think I am going to actually manage to read 16 of the 18 before the TOB, which is a personal best for me. And be sure to check out the actual tournament at the Morning News website, because that transparency in the judging and the varying opinions is what makes it interesting to follow.

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  5. I haven't been able to carve out the time and I have lost my speed reading skills to get anything more read this month. :(
    I keep thinking I will bail on Moonglow but I havent' and it's been days since I picked up High Dive - I'm not even to page 100 yet! ugh. I'm late returning Sport of Kings to the library and since it is on 14 day loan, my fines will be higher. I do hope I get The Nix read before March 8 but TSoK is doubtful. So close.

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    1. I just finished TSoK and found it very slow going...so many words!

      But never fear, you still have three weeks to read! You can do it. :)

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