The National Book Foundation, which has presented the National Book Awards since 1950, has announced its 10-title longlists of nominees for its awards for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry and Young People's Literature. These lists are an excellent resource for readers on the lookout for something good to read.
The Fiction list includes some new and forthcoming titles we've heard good things about such as Station Eleven, a more meditative take on the collapse of civilization than your typical dystopian fare; Wolf in White Van, the fiction debut by the leader of the indie band Mountain Goats; and Jane Smiley's farm family saga Some Luck (October). The list also includes some titles that we featured on our Best Books of 2014...So Far list back in June, including the wonderful, old-fashioned WWII thriller All the Light We Cannot See.
The Nonfiction list features an array of serious work, many focused on history and current events. Standouts on the list include Roz Chast's funny yet heartbreaking graphic memoir Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? (which also made our mid-year Best of list) and the forthcoming new book by Walter Isaacson, The Innovators: How A Group Of Hackers, Geniuses, And Geeks Created The Digital Revolution, the follow-up to his acclaimed Steve Jobs biography.
The Poetry list includes the latest by established poets such as Louise Gluck and Fanny Howe, as well as several by lesser known but highly esteemed poets. The nominee which has probably received the most attention so far is Edward Hirsch's Gabriel, an elegy for the poet's son.
Last but far from least, the Young People's Literature list is a mix of books for young children and teens. We're excited to see inclusion of The Port Chicago 50, an excellent book that focuses on a historical disaster at Port Chicago, California; the memoir in verse Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson; and The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson, an excellent suggestion for fans of John Green's novels. The full list is well worth checking out, as there's something for just about every taste.
Congratulations to all the nominees. We look forward to spending some time with these books.
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