CHALLENGE: Book Awards III Update

I finished my third Book Awards Challenge this month. The challenge was to read 5 books that had won 5 different awards. Here are the books I read to complete the challenge:

• Commonwealth - The Slap by Christian Tsiolkas
  
• Orange Prize (New Author) - The Lizard Cage by Karen Connolly
  
• Pulitzer Prize - A Death in the Family by James Agee
  
• Giller Prize - Clara Callen by Richard B Wright
  
• Printz - How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Favorite book of the challenge:
The Lizard Cage and Clara Callen were my favorite, the kind I told everyone I met who reads that they should read. Both written by Canadians btw.

Least favorite book of the challenge:
A Death in the Family really didn't resonate with me. Lots of people love it, but it was blah for me.

New authors discovered in this challenge:
All were new to me in this challenge. I liked all (except the Agee) and would read others by these new authors.

What I learned:
That even though Michelle makes it harder each time, I still manage to finish. And I have every hope of completing the next version, set to begin in February, 2010. The list of books I meant to read, and never got to includes:

Newbery Award -The Wheel on the School
IMPAC Dublin - Man Gone Down
Orange Prize - Small Islands
Booker Prize - How Late it Was, How Late; The True History of the Kelly Gang; Vernon God Little
Giller Prize - The Time In Between; Barney's Version
Pulitzer - Foreign Affair; The Bridge of San Luis Rey

Thanks for hosting again Michelle, see you next year!

BOOK: How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff, 194 pages

Book Awards III Challenge: Printz Award 2005; YA Dystopian

I don't get nearly enough credit in life for the things I manage not to say. page 77

This book just broke my heart. Daisy had such a strong, unique voice, with an ability to tell much without details. It's about a girl with anorexia, but she never really talked about it, but it drove the plot in some ways, without being at all obvious, or an important book about anorexia. It's about family and love and how you don't get to chose who you love or what makes a family. It's also about the heartbreak of war, and how it tears people and countries apart.

We couldn't go on. We went on. Staying alive is what we did to pass the time. page 155

I really liked the style of writing. Daisy used Random Capitals, like a modern day Emily Dickison, to highlight Important Ideas. She also rambles on and on, but then throws in some important little observation. I like her cousins, with their weird connectedness, and how Daisy felt like she had come home the minute she set foot in the house. There is an inappropriate relationship with Daisy and her cousin, that may be unsettling for some readers, but it happened, and I didn't have a problem with it and it isn't graphicly described. They had an instant connection (not like on The Bachelor, a real one) and while she knew it wasn't quite right, the lack of parents around after the vague war broke out made decision making among the teenagers suspect.

I was thinking of approaching my old school next time I was in New York and telling them to replace the unit on Media Communications with one on How to Survive Half Dead in the Wild Without Much in the Way of Hope. page 155

There is war, and an occupation, but not many details were ever given about who or why, and it never really matters, because when it affects the life of the citizens, why they don't have food, or who killed the neighbours doesn't really matter. In the end, it was all about love and belonging for Daisy.

also reviewed at:
nymeth at things mean a lot
tanabata at in spring it is the dawn
3m at 1morechapter.com
terri at tip of the iceberg
jenny at jennysbooks

BOOK: The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas, 482 pages

Book Award III Challenge: Commonwealth Writers' Prize, 2009

At a suburban barbecue, a man slaps child who is not his own.... says the cover, and it certainly enticed me into the world of suburban, modern Melbourne with this interesting cast of characters. The structure of the novel itself was more like eight short stories, as eight different characters take turns with their story (not in first person though). I say eight short stories because the focus shifts dramatically as the narration changes, and in different chapters the 'slap' has varying degrees of effect. In some ways, the slap isn't even that important, it just provides the plot point to connect the characters over the course of the year.

The characters are very real, very flawed, and no one is a hero. Extra marital affairs abound, (with some pretty descriptive passages, a caution for those who don't enjoy that), lots of drug use, bad decisions, and prejudices against immigrants. I quite enjoyed the look into Australian life, the ties between family, the loyalty among friends. This would be a fun book for a book group as everyone would have different opinions as to who was wrong or right in many different situations.

BOOK: A Death in the Family by James Agee

A Death in the Family by James Agee, 310 pages

Book Awards III: Pulitzer 1957; Southern Reading Challenge: Tennessee

Before I read this book, I thought the story would follow the months after the death of the father of a young family in 1915 Tennessee. It turns out that it follows the family in the couple of days before and after the death of Jay. This was only a problem in that those three days of shock were magnified and examined minutely. I've had to spend some time analysing the book to find why it didn't work for me.

Agee died before this book was published. From the Note on this Book - How much polishing or re-writing he might have done is impossible to guess, for he was a tireless and painstaking writer. The editors inserted two scenes at the end of parts I and II, which to me, didn't add much to the story, a little background to the characters.

I really wanted to like this book and thought I would, but it just didn't seem to match the way brain likes to read. The sentences ran on and on, and there were page-long paragraphs and every little detail was excruciatingly described. I understand that this effect was meant to illustrate the effects of grief and the way that time would slow down, but holy hannah, it was painful to read. Add to that the thought processes of a confused six year old boy and I was ready to throw the book. I kept reading and I did like the third section the best but it wasn't enough to salvage the book for me.

For example, the analysis of feelings was so in depth, and exacting, it didn't read true to me. Or maybe just too obvious. Catherine is a three year old girl - Catherine felt more virtuous and less troubled than she had for some time, for she had watched Rufus being scolded, all to himself, and it more than wiped out her unhappiness at his telling her to come along when of course she was coming and he had no right even if she wasn't. page 263 More virtuous?


He could see his mother's face while she told them about it and hear her voice, over and over, and silently, over and over, while he looked around the sitting room and through the window into the street, words repeated themselves (page 239).

That quote there summed up the whole book for me. Over and over, the same words repeated themselves.

Other reviews, much more glowing than mine:
laura at musings
michelle at onemorechapter

If I missed your review, let me know and I'll add you.

BOOK: The Lizard Cage by Karen Connelly

The Lizard Cage by Karen Connelly, 510 pages

Orange July: Winner, New Author 2007; Book Awards III; 3rd Canadian Book Challenge; Reading Around the World: Burma

It's a political book, a spiritual book, and a horrific look at life inside a Burmese jail.

The first third of the book follows Teza, the Songbird, jailed for opposing the military government of Myanmar. (Note to self - learn more about Burma, the coups, the people, the Peace Prize won by that woman.) Teza and his Buddhist life profoundly affect several people in the prison, including one of the jailers, Chit Naing, and an orphan, Little Brother, living in the jail. The last two thirds becomes very intense as everyone has to make difficult decisions. I found it a difficult book to read and had to take several breaks, but it was so worth it to finish it, and by about halfway through, I knew I was going to love it.

It reminded me of A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, just in the way that it was epic in scope and showed the beautiful humanity that can exist, or rather must emerge, amidst terrible violence and brutal conditions. It makes me wonder what quality it is inside some people that causes them to inspire caring and elevates the people around them. And why it is that other people hate that quality and will do what they can to smash it out, but they never can, further infuriating them.

Overall, an excellent if difficult book.

BOOK: Clara Callen by Richard B Wright

Clara Callen by Richard B Wright, 415 pages

Book Awards III: Giller, 2001; 3rd Canadian Book Challenge; themed reading challenge: epistolary books

Dear Clara,
I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading your journals and letters from those four years during the 1930s. You provided a nice overview of events during the Depression, just as background, as well as what life might be like for a single lady living alone in small town Ontario. But more importantly, you showed the struggle to find personal happiness and our place in this world.

I liked your voice, and your mistakes, and your dignity in the face of difficulties. Your loving but realistic relationship with your sister, the big time radio actress living in New York City. I hope more readers discover your wonderful story.

In appreciation,
raidergirl3

CHALLENGE: Book Awards Challenge 3

Rules: from

1. Read 5 books from 5 different awards during July 1, 2009 through December 1, 2009.


2. Overlaps with other challenges are permitted.


3. Choices don't have to be posted right away, and lists may be changed at any time.


4. 'Award winners' is loosely defined; make the challenge fit your needs.


5. SIGN UP using Mr. Linky below -- please use a SPECIFIC post link.


6. If you'd like to be a contributor on this blog, email me at 3m.michelle at gmail and reference your blog address if you have one. (I must have your email address, so comments to this post won't work.)


7. Have fun reading!

Of course I'll join in. The actual books to be determined later, starting with some possibilities:


the ones I read:
Commonwealth - The Slap
Orange Prize (New Author) - The Lizard Cage
Pulitzer Prize - A Death in the Family
Giller Prize - Clara Callen
Printz - How I Live Now

maybe next time:

• Newbery Award -The Wheel on the School, The Graveyard Book
• IMPAC Dublin - Man Gone Down
  
• Orange Prize - Small Islands,
  
• Pulitzer Prize - Lonesome Dove
  
• Booker Prize - How Late it Was, How Late; Vernon God Little
  
• Giller Prize - The Time in Between