The American Booksellers Association announced the winners of the Indie Choice Book Awards. The ABA described the new awards last February, then named the nominees (and automatic honor award winners) in March. Members of the ABA, largely booksellers, vote on the winners. I find this award particularly useful because the very same people I trust to guide me to great reads chose the winners. And here they are:
Best Indie Buzz Book (Fiction): The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. Claire loved this book and I’m looking forward reading it this summer. It certainly creates a buzz, I’ve heard several people talking about it and more than one bookseller recommending it.
Best Conversation Starter (Nonfiction): The Wordy Shipmates,by Sarah Vowell. I always enjoy Sarah Vowell’s work on This American Life and NPR; this book is on my must read list.
Best Author Discovery: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski. No surprise here, given its Oprah and Stephen King backing. My husband enjoyed the book. But, in my crowd, there was far more discussion over another nominee, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, so be sure to add it to your reading list.
Best Indie Young Adult Buzz Book (Fiction): The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman. I had this book yesterday at lunch with Claire and she raved about it, along with pretty much all of Gaiman’s books. Claire mentioned that The Graveyard Book was inspired by The Jungle Book, the homage is even in the title. My 12 year-old is reading her way through this entire category of nominees and her favorite, thus far, is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Her copy is being passed around by all of her friends.
Best New Picture Book Honor Books: Bats at the Library, by Brian Lies. As I said in the nominees post, my kids are too old for these books so I’m not familiar with them anymore. I’m sure Bats at the Library is lovely, the website looks great, but I rooted for The Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen, I enjoy dropping by her blog, Jumping The Candlestick.
Most Engaging Author: Sherman Alexie author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I’ll be looking for him in the Los Angeles area, in fact I’ll check the listings for the LA Times Book Festival next weekend, he must be quite an experience to beat out both of Michael Chabon and David Sedaris. Although look at his picture, he appears to be lots of fun!
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