Feeling the post-Tournament of Books blues? Drop by Jacket Copy for more literary competition. Earlier this week, Jacket Copy asked for the best Los Angeles books. After a myriad of tweets and messages, a runoff was devised. Through Monday everyone has the opportunity to vote for the best LA book in three different categories.
Round One lists authors with multiple books nominated, everyone votes for the best book by each author. For Joan Didion I chose The White Album and for Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep. Other multiple book authors include Fitch, Fante, Connelly, and Ellroy. No need to choose between the authors, just the best of each writer’s LA books.
Round Two asks for the best non-fiction book and the biggies are included: City of Quartz, Cadillac Desert, and Helter Skelter. My choice was the memoir Holy Land by D.J. Waldie.
Round Three pits the blockbuster books against one another. How can anyone choose between Vidal’s Myra Breckinrigde, Fitzgerald’s The Love of the Last Tycoon, Mosley’s Devil in a Blue Dress and The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West? Luckily, I didn’t have to try because for me the one book about LA that everyone should read is The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle.
The polling remains open until Monday at noon, then the winners will face off against each other. Cast your vote!
Claire
Kim
