Booker Awards Announced

The longlist for theMan Booker Prize  was just announced in London. Hilary Mantel is one of the 12 authors, for Bring up the Bodies, her followup to the 2009 Booker winner, Wolf Hall. The second in a planned trilogy, Bring up the Bodies is already a best seller in the US.

The award seems to have a strong impact on sales in the United States.  It is not surprising to find past winners on the best sellers lists.   The award has long history of recognizing good books. Prize organizers note that from the very beginning of what was originally called the Booker Prize there was just one criterion - the prize would be for 'the best novel in the opinion of the judges.  And 42 years later that is still a key sentence in the rules.

The award is open to citizens of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. Of the twelve writers just announced, nine are British, one Indian, one South African and one Malaysian. Not all titles are currently available in this country.  Available titles in the US are:



Soon to be available at Mark Twain Library Nacropolis by Jeet Thayil

Available at Library - Bringing up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

Available at Library Skios by Michael Frayn

Available at Library  The Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Pin Me!

Why not link to our special Pinterest page which highlights our adult summer reading club members' submitted reviews.  A quick look shows that  Redding readers read from many different genres.  And, WOW, can they write some terrific reviews.  

As of today, we've pinned 61 reviews in just 3 weeks.  Want to join the club and see your title pinned? Submit a review online or in person at the library.  All reviews are eligible for our weekly raffles. 

Best Reads

The Mark Twain Library staff has compiled a handy list of the best recent fiction and non-fiction.  The titles were chosen from among those that received starred reviews in among other sources Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews.

Like all lists, there are always some afterthoughts.   Here are two more great summer reads.

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter 

Funny, campy and so very touching.  Effortlessly weeds its way from an tiny Italian coastline town in the 1960's to the present.   What do the famed actor Richard Burton and and a small village hotel owner have in common.  Read and enjoy.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Marriage can be a real killer. The author  takes that statement to a dark place in this fast paced work about a marriage gone terribly wrong.  One reveiw source thought it was a  mix of sharp-edged wit with deliciously chilling prose"  and " a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn."

Short Reads for Summer

Looking for a good read that is not too long?  The Mark Twain Library has compiled a list of books under 200 pages.  The titles range from the classic to the currently popular.  These books are great to take to Topstone, relax by a pool or read on vacation. And, the teen in your life might enjoy their brevity if other summer activities are keeping them too busy to read longer books.  While the list contains a great number of titles, staff would love to hear about other titles that are short and sweet. We'll update the list and include your suggestions.

Don't forget to submit your review of any of these titles in our Summer Reading Raffle for adult readers to be eligible for prizes.  Submit your review online or at the library.