Oscars, Shmoscars

Those of us who don't often get out to the movies, and who have impossibly long Netflix queues, might find ourselves completely out of the loop when Oscar time comes around. So when finalists for the National Book Critics Circle awards were recently announced, I felt a small glimmer of hope. Perhaps at this awards ceremony there will be someone to root for! What have you read on the list, and what did you think? Which books will/should win? Are there other books you think should have made the list? And most importantly, what will the finalists wear on their walk down the red carpet? (There is a red carpet and paparazzi... right?)

A few observations: noticing (without judgment, just noticing) Jennifer Egan is the only woman on the fiction list. Enjoyed Freedom with all its challenges (review), and have been wanting to read A Visit From The Goon Squad and Skippy Dies (gave both as gifts this holiday season - sis, what did you think?) David Grossman's book has been getting rave reviews - he was featured in a very interesting article in The New Yorker this past Fall. And though I've said it before, I'll say it again - The Warmth of Other Suns is outstanding, nice to see it there. So many other potentially interesting books on the list, & looking forward to learning more about them. So much to read, so little time.....

In the top categories:

Fiction
Jennifer Egan, A Visit From The Goon Squad, Knopf
Jonathan Franzen. Freedom. Farrar, Straus And Giroux.
David Grossman, To The End Of The Land. Translated by Jessica Cohen. Knopf.
Hans Keilson.Comedy In A Minor Key. Translated by Damion Searls. Farrar, Straus And Giroux
Paul Murray. Skippy Dies. Faber & Faber.


Biography
Sarah Bakewell. How To Live, Or A Life Of Montaigne. Other Press
Selina Hastings. The Secret Lives Of Somerset Maugham: A Biography. Random House.
Yunte Huang. Charlie Chan: The Untold Story Of The Honorable Detective And His Rendezvous With American History. Norton.
Thomas Powers. The Killing Of Crazy Horse. Knopf.
Tom Segev. Simon Wiesenthal: The Lives And Legends. Translated by Ronnie Hope. Doubleday

Autobiography
Kai Bird, Crossing Mandelbaum Gate Coming of Age Between the Arabs and Israelis, 1956-1978, Scribner
David Dow, The Autobiography of an Execution, Twelve
Christopher Hitchens Hitch-22: A Memoir, Twelve
Rahna Reiko Rizzuto, Hiroshima in the Morning, Feminst Press
Patti Smith, Just Kids, Ecco
Darin Strauss, Half a Life, McSweeney’s

Awards will be presented in March at a ceremony at The New School in New York, and if there really is a red carpet, I'm picturing Jonathan Franzen in a conservative-yet-stylish literary-chic tux, Paul Murray in something indie and edgy, and Jennifer Egan in something feminine and glamorous, but not frivolous. Will Patti Smith wear a gown, or arrive in her best black leather?

Resources:

• For a complete list of categories and finalists click here
• For excerpts from the finalists list click here
• For additional links to articles/interviews about/from some of the other authors check out Book Buzz-Links of Interest on the right of the bookspersonally.blogspot.com page

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