Saxton B. Little’s Comments (group member since Apr 30, 2011)

Saxton B. Little’s comments from the Saxton B. Library Reads - Columbia, CT group.

Some interesting points here. I do follow the awards but read few of the winners. I do like thrillers and psychological mysteries as well as dysfunctional family stories (not all of course) so do tend to at least note the winners in those categories.

Whether it's helpful to take the time to post some of these lists I'm not certain.

It's hard to know what people/patrons respond too.

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "I find it impressive how few of these award winners appeal to me."

Do you read horror? If so, what authors would you recommend?

The 2012 Bram Stoker Horror Awards This award is given as described on the associations page "for superior achievement in horror literature. Named in honor of the author of the seminal horror novel Dracula, the Stokers are presented for superior writing in eight categories including traditional fiction of various lengths, poetry, and non-fiction. In addition, HWA presents an annual Lifetime Achievement Award to a living person who has made significant contributions to the writing of Horror and Dark Fantasy over the course of a lifetime."

I used to read lots of horror but rarely do anymore. I am not in the know on any of these titles. How about you?



Quick list...
Novel: The Drowning Girl by Caitlín R. Kiernan (Roc)
First novel: Life Rage by L.L. Soares (Nightscape Press)
YA novel: Flesh & Bone by Jonathan Maberry (S&S)
Graphic novel: Witch Hunts: A Graphic History of the Burning Times by Rocky Wood and Lisa Morton (McFarland and Co.)
Long Fiction: The Blue Heron by Gene O'Neill (Dark Regions Press)
Short Fiction: "Magdala Amygdala" by Lucy Snyder (Dark Faith: Invocations, Apex Book Company)
Anthology: Shadow Show, edited by Mort Castle and Sam Weller (HarperCollins)
Collection (tie): New Moon on the Water by Mort Castle (Dark Regions Press);
Black Dahlia and White Rose: Stories by Joyce Carol Oates (Ecco)
Nonfiction: Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween by Lisa Morton (Reaktion Books)
Poetry: Vampires, Zombies & Wanton Souls by Marge Simon (Elektrik Milk Bath Press)
Screenplay: The Cabin in the Woods by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard (Mutant Enemy Productions, Lionsgate)

Women's Prize for Fiction Announced

The Winner was A.M Homes for her book May We Be Forgiven

Formerly known as The Orange Prize this award is awarded as described:

"Launched in 1996, the Prize is awarded annually and celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in women’s writing from throughout the world. The winner receives a cheque for £30,000 and a limited edition bronze known as a ‘Bessie’, created by the artist Grizel Niven. Both are anonymously endowed."

And yet another to add to my list of books to read. Has anyone read this?

The winners of 2013 Agatha Awards. Named for Agatha Christie they titles must fill specific guidelines to be considered:

"The Agatha Awards honor the "traditional mystery." That is to say, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie as well as others. For our purposes, the genre is loosely defined as mysteries that:

•contain no explicit sex
•contain no excessive gore or gratuitous violence
Materials generally classified as "hard-boiled" are not appropriate. "

I'm always amazed at the titles I've missed.

Here's a list of this year's winners.
Best Novel: The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
Best First Novel: Lowcountry Boil by Susan M. Boyer
Best Non-Fiction: Books to Die For by John Connolly and Declan Burke, editors
Best Short Story: "Mischief in Mesopotamia" (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine) by Dana Cameron
Best Children's/Young Adult's Novel: The Haunted Lighthouse by Penny Warner
Best Historical: Dandy Gilver and an Unsuitable Day for Murder by Catriona McPherson
Grant: Florida Is Burning by Sarah E. Bewley
Grant: Trite but True by Cynthia M. Sabelhaus

2013 Agatha Nominees

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "I'm glad such an award exists - if I read mysteries, these are the ones I'd choose."
Me too but I think I got this one wrong and will correct when I get a moment. Still the titles listed are good ones. I'm going to delete the post (I thought I had) and try again :)

Titles for consideration were announced for The 2013 Agatha Nominees. Named for Agatha Christie they titles must fill specific guidelines to be considered:

"The Agatha Awards honor the "traditional mystery." That is to say, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie as well as others. For our purposes, the genre is loosely defined as mysteries that:

•contain no explicit sex
•contain no excessive gore or gratuitous violence
Materials generally classified as "hard-boiled" are not appropriate. "

I'm always amazed at the titles I've missed.

The *Edgars - were announced yesterday at You can see the winners and nominees here:

my link text

Dennis Lehane's Live by Night was the winner for Best novel. I read this and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and though I liked "Live", I loved "Gone". Don't know about the others in that category.

As usual I am way behind and can find all kinds of books to add to my reading list from these nominees and award winners.

How about you? Any favorites here?

*The Edgars are given by The Mystery Writers of America for "An Edgar Award is for the best work in various categories of the mystery field involving writing."

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "Oh sure I can google it, and I guess if I care enough I'll have to since the cut'n'paste or whatever SBL did didn't work.

I was just thinking it'd be nice to have a handy one-sentence summary by o..."
So sorry Cheryl, Added the explanation of The Women's Prize for Fiction to the original post. I didn't suggest you just google it. I took your comment to heart and did add a brief explanation with the cookbook awards. :)

I'm happy to have you keeping me on my toes...

International Association of Cookbook Professional Awards have been announced.

Considered the gold standard among cookbook awards, IACP’s Cookbook Awards have been presented for more than 25 years to promote quality and creativity in writing and publishing and to expand the public’s awareness of culinary literature.

I always think we have so many cookbooks and yet we have only three of these:
Jerusalem: A Cookbook
The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
Yes, Chef: A Memoir

And to complicate things, it was The Orange Prize for years but now became The Women's Prize for Fiction so I edited my blunder above. It's a UK Prize...

Here's the description from their website:

"Launched in 1996, the Prize is awarded annually and celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in women’s writing from throughout the world. The winner receives a cheque for £30,000 and a limited edition bronze known as a ‘Bessie’, created by the artist Grizel Niven. Both are anonymously endowed."

Women's Prize for Fiction (formerly Orange Award) were announced today.

"Launched in 1996, the Prize is awarded annually and celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in women’s writing from throughout the world. The winner receives a cheque for £30,000 and a limited edition bronze known as a ‘Bessie’, created by the artist Grizel Niven. Both are anonymously endowed."

Life After Life
Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Flight Behavior
Bring Up the Bodies
NW
May We Be Forgiven

Are you cheering for any particular book?

The 2013 Pulitzer Prize Winners have been announced. Many will be pleased that The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson has been deemed worthy of a fiction prize this year. I haven't read it but have had it in my radar for a long time. I just can't seem to find the time. Some of my GR friends has loved it, others loathed it. Any advice?

Browse through the list and see if any of your favorites made the cut.

How did I forget this new award.

The American Library Association (ALA) is proud to announce the first recipients of the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction.

This is a new award, first given June 2012.

Fiction - The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright
Non-Fiction - Catherine the Great by Robert K. Massie

Can't wait to see who wins this year.

Browsing and dipping...lots of times it's travel that catches my eye. Recently Cooks, clowns and Cowboyswhich has some great ideas of things to do if you just happen to be somewhere at the right time. Ok, I've been on elephants in Thailand, went to the Peking Opera in China but haven't taken a pole dancing lesson in Vegas :) but what really intrigued me was Wing Walking on a biplane in Britain. "Fell the wind and adrenalin whip through you with every dive and 'loop the loop' as you wing walk on top of a biplane." Now that's exciting! CarolK

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "Even though I am an avid reader, and a feminist, I do not notice, or care, what the gender of the author is. I have seen this topic before and have not been compelled by it yet. Until I see bette..."

Great attitude!

The Women's Prize for Fiction (formerly The Orange Prize) Longlist for 2013 has been announced. There was speculation whether Gillian Flynn's popular novel Gone Girl would make the list and it did. No one seemed to be surprised that Hillary Mankell's Bringing up the Bodies made the cut though some feel she's won enough prizes. That could be a topic in itself. I've heard of approx. half and have read a few but certainly not all. Time to get reading once again. The list follows below but if you want to see the books with covers visit
Huffington Post - Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2013




Kitty Aldridge A Trick I Learned From Dead Men

Kate Atkinson Life After Life

Ros Barber The Marlowe Papers

Shani Boianjiu The People of Forever are Not Afraid

Gillian FlynnGone Girl

Sheila Heti How Should A Person Be?

AM Homes May We Be Forgiven

Barbara Kingsolver Flight Behaviour

Deborah Copaken Kogan The Red Book

Hilary Mantel Bring Up the Bodies

Bonnie Nadzam Lamb

Emily Perkins The Forrests

Michèle Roberts Ignorance

Francesca Segal The Innocents

Maria Semple Where’d You Go, Bernadette

Elif Shafak Honour

Zadie Smith NW

ML Stedman The Light Between Oceans

Carrie Tiffany Mateship with Birds

G Willow Wilson Alif the Unseen

Over the years I've found some great reading lists at AbeBooks in their Avid Reader section. See the current list here:
Madness of Mental Illness Explored Through Books

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "I always have a book going for short bits, in addition to the one(s) that I'm reading in more sustained sessions over fewer days. They're usually poetry, trivia, something like that.

Currently ..."

I like the idea of "short bits" but mine are less intellectual than yours. I save magazines, cereal boxes, junk mail and stuff like that for those bit times :). Actually, I'm with you. I call these type of books "dipping in" and I'll read professional books, Chicken Soup for the Soul, etc. I've got a few at home and I'll add some browsing reads in a day or two.

This past Wednesday, Ann Kingman of Books On The Nightstand raised the topic of 2012 VIDA COUNT. VIDA's mission states "VIDA seeks to explore critical and cultural perceptions of writing by women through meaningful conversation and the exchange of ideas among existing and emerging literary communities." Each year they do a count of men vs. women in the book reviews. VIDA maintains that women get short-shifted by the publications and males get more press.

I would agree with BOTNS that the issue is more complicated and less black and white than a determined effort by publications, reviewers and publishers to not give women their due. Yet, you've got to wonder. At Saxton B. we make a great effort to purchase an blend of genres, fiction and non-fiction and representation from both sexes. We are fortunate to have a generous donation from First Selectwoman Carmen Vance that is geared to purchasing women's literature and issues.

Do you have any thoughts on this interesting topic? Do you feel women get no respect in the book world?