Award season is in full swing in Hollywood with glamorous gowns and inarticulate acceptance speeches, but the lists of prize winning books for the year is adding to my reading list. The latest announcement from the National Book Critic’s Award has The Goldfinch at the top of the list that I gave gold stars (my review), and inspired me to find Tartt’s first acclaimed book – The Secret History – a dark murder mystery which I am reading now. Ruth Ozeki’s A Tale for the Time Being stays with me, not only for my affinity with news from the Japan tsunami but also for its haunting reminder of how difficult finding one’s “place” can be (my review).
Need a few more books to add to your pile?
The 2013 National Book Critic’s Award Finalists for Fiction:
- The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
- A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
- Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie
- Someone by Alice McDermott
- The Infatuations by Javier Marias
And Nonfiction:
- Going Clear by Lawrence Wright (the church of Scientology)
- The Unwinding by George Packer (American institutions)
- Whitey Bulger: America’s Most Wanted Gangster and the Manhunt That Brought Him to Justice by Kevin Cullen and Shelley Murphy
- Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sherri Fink
- Thank You for Your Service by David Finkel
The No Charge Book Bunch 
Looks like I’m going to have to give in and read The Goldfinch. I’ve resisted because I was NOT a fan of The Secret History, but I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews about Goldfinch. If you and the Natl Book Critics like it, it’s worth a try!
It is. I had the same trepidation (mostly because it’s so long) Takes a while to get into it and it takes a commitment to get through it. Glad to hear you were not a fan of The Secret History. I had high expectations but am finding it too dark and convoluted.