National Book Month

It’s time to celebrate National Book Month! Schools and libraries around the country are participating in the value of books. The best way to support National Book Month is by reading. Opening a book and seeing what those pages hold…word combinations that have meaning, depth and beauty. As a reader, they can guide us, inform, and tantalize, bringing our senses to a new awareness of other realms, imagination, and creativity. “Curling up with a good book,” my aunt would always say while devouring page upon page of a delicious read especially during the snowy months of the year.

Originally sponsored by the National Book Foundation, National Book Month is an important event with many areas celebrating books by having book festivals. This week in particular is Teen Read Week sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association ( YALSA). Teen Read Week encourages teenagers to pick up a book and read. The John Newberry Medal and Honor Books are awarded annually to children’s literature. This year’s winner is Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool.

The National Book Awards (NBA) began in 1950 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. This award honored writers given by fellow writers and marked the beginning recognition of excellence in literature. The literary community came together through The American Book Publisher’s Council, The Book Manufacturers’ Institute and The American Booksellers’ Association. The awards recognize merit in the categories of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Having undergone many changes throughout its history, the NBA now includes the additional category of Young People’s Literature.

 And with these words I expect to find my readers—reading beyond my blog—with some of my recommended reads:

Young Adult:   “Hoot” by Carl Hiaasen

Fiction:   “The Reader” by Bernhard Schlink, “Like Water for Chocolate” Laura Esquivel, “The Waterworks” by E. L. Doctorow

Non-Fiction: “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot

Historical:   “Wicked Philadelphia” by Thomas H. Keels

Self-Help:   “Overcoming Life’s Disappointments” by Harold S. Kushner

Literary Magazine: Apiary and Painted Bride

Short Story: “The Gilded Six-Bits” by Zora Neals Hurston and “Roman Fever” by Edith Wharton

 The National Book Awards for this year’s finalists are:

 FICTION

Andrew Krivak, “The Sojourn
Tea Obreht, “The Tiger’s Wife
Julie Otsuka, “The Buddha in the Attic
Edith Pearlman, “Binocular Vision
Jesmyn Ward, “Salvage the Bones

NONFICTION:

Deborah Baker, “The Convert
Mary Gabriel, “Love and Capital
Stephen Greenblatt, “Swerve: How the World Became Modern
Manning Marable, “Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention
Lauren Redniss, “Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout

POETRY:

Nikky Finney, “Head Off & Split
Yusef Komunyakaa, “The Chameleon Couch
Carl Phillips, “Double Shadow
Adrienne Rich, “Tonight No Poetry Will Serve: Poems 2007-2010
Bruce Smith, “Devotions

YOUNG PEOPLE’S LITERATURE:

Franny Billingsley, “Chime
Debby Dahl Edwardson, “My Name Is Not Easy
Thanhha Lai, “Inside Out and Back Again
Albert Marrin, “Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy
Lauren Myracle, “Shine
Gary D. Schmidt, “Okay for Now