[issybird]

Not surprisingly, I think my nomination, The Golden Bowl, surpasses the others, especially for the quality of its prose. I think the story has more heft than the other Jamesian nomination, The Wings of the Dove.

I've read 16 of the books, a percentage that will drop precipitously as the century advances. One of the unreads, The Riddle of the Sands, is already on my shortlist, so I'll try to get to it before the voting closes.

I have a soft spot for the hilarious Diaries of Adam and Eve and would be glad to see it win. Several of the others are also old favorites, but don't quite reach the threshold of "best." In some cases, the authors would make a best list with another book, especially Thomas Mann. I loved Buddenbrooks the first time I read it, but found it quite the slog the second time around. I prefer Jack London's nonfiction to his fiction and I've never warmed up to Forster, who is a good read of the second-rate variety in my books. The kidlit is all lovely, but kidlit is never going to make it past the post for me in this kind of poll.