Your Favorite Book Awards

[vivaldirules]

If you had absolutely nothing to read today and were looking for an award-winning book to buy, what book award(s) would you look at? The Sony website conveniently lists the ebooks they have for sale that were either winners or nominees for 240 book awards - The Hugo, Nebula, Pulitzer, PEN/Faulkner, Bookman, Newbery Medal, etc. If you don't already have a favorite award, how would you decide which is most likely to award books that would most positively affect you?

[HarryT]

I'd go for the Hugo, because I know it's almost certainly going to be something I'll enjoy.

The "mainstream" book awards - the Booker prize, for example - seem to always go the "highbrow art" books which I wouldn't read in a million years .

[astra]

None.

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'd go for the Hugo, because I know it's almost certainly going to be something I'll enjoy.

The "mainstream" book awards - the Booker prize, for example - seem to always go the "highbrow art" books which I wouldn't read in a million years .

You see, I don't mind the Booker prize, because its books aren't always completely highbrow (and I promise I am not biased by the fact that the only two people to have one twice are Australian ). Peter Carey, J.M.Coetzee (thought I'd just pop them in first ), Margaret Atwood, Graham Swift, Roddy Doyle (my favourite), Thomas Keneally, Salman Rushdie...all of them are fairly easy reading in that they don't delve into Gravity's Rainbow-like difficulty. Hell, even Iris Murdoch's The Sea, The Sea is quite approachable (if, for me, unlikable).

I still think Roddy Doyle deserved the Booker in 1991 for The Van, which would have made him the first two-times winner.

I agree though...I'm far more likely to enjoy a Hugo than a Booker.

Cheers,
Marc

[JSWolf]

I don't go for books just because they have an award or were nominated. I've read some nominated/awarded books that I didn't like. I just pick books I think I might like.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

and I promise I am not biased by the fact that the only two people to have one twice are Australian ). Peter Carey, J.M.Coetzee (thought I'd just pop them in first ),

I thought the Booker was restricted to British and Irish authors? Or were these Australians who also held British nationality, or something like that?

[tompe]

I usually read the novels nominated for the Clarke award and the Hugo award each year and the Clarke-books are usually much better. Reading these books is a good way to find new authors and also at science fiction conventions a lot of people have read the award nominated books.

I have also heard that the World Fantasy award is a good award.

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I thought the Booker was restricted to British and Irish authors? Or were these Australians who also held British nationality, or something like that?

"Who is eligible for the prize?

Any full-length novel, written by a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland and published this year, is eligible for the prize. The novel must be an original work in English (not a translation) and must not be self-published."

(http://www.themanbookerprize.com/prize/about/faqs)

Cheers,
Marc

[HarryT]

I've not heard of the Clarke award. Where's it awarded, and who selects it?

[HarryT]

Thanks Marc - I hadn't realised it was open to the entire Commonwealth!

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I've not heard of the Clarke award. Where's it awarded, and who selects it?

It is a juryied award and on the web site it is described as "The Arthur C. Clarke Award is the UK’s premier prize for science fiction literature. " See

http://www.clarkeaward.com/

The selection of short listed books are usually much more interesting then the Hugo award which is a popularity contest. But this year I though the Hugo nominated books was better... I usually try to read the Clarke award nominated books since I go to Eastercons (British National Science Fiction Convention) and they have a panel discussing the books and guessing who will win.

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Thanks Marc - I hadn't realised it was open to the entire Commonwealth!

Yes, and despite my personal rejection of constitutional monarchy, it is that "commonwealth" that probably gives me some affection towards the Prize too.

For the sake of transparency, I should point out that Coetzee won both of his prizes before moving to Australia or becoming an Australian citizen (he was in South Africa and South African at both times).

Cheers,
Marc

[wallcraft]

Two that have not been mentioned are the Crime Writers' Association Awards (Silver and Gold Daggers) and the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Awards. These are worth a look if you like these genres.

[wayspooled]

Usually I go for the Hugo nominees, Edgar nominees and the Pulitzer nominees for general fiction, history, biography and general non-fiction. I don't necessarily buy them because of the awards, but I look to see if they sound interesting.

[DanT]

I like to check the EPPIE awards since it's all independant small ebooks publisher moslyl if not all DRM-free. It's slanted toward romance.

PS. Many of those publisher have archaic rudimentary webshop with no bookshelf, download once only and your responsable for your backup. So it's a good idea to check if fictionwise or other place it they have a copy of the books.