PNBA Book Award Winners (2006-2014)

Since 1965 the PNBA [accessed 1/7/14] has presented annual awards to recognize excellence in writing from the Pacific Northwest. Rather than soliciting nominations for specific categories, we simply require that the author and/or illustrator reside within the PNBA region (Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Montana, Idaho and British Columbia), and that the book be published within the current calendar year. In addition, nominations may be submitted for special awards honoring efforts in publishing, illustration or for a body of work. Special awards are determined at the discretion of PNBA's Awards Committee.

2014 Pacific Northwest Book Awards Winners:

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (Viking)
The Mushroom Hunters: On the Trail of an Underground America by Langdon Cook (Ballantine)
We Live in Water: Stories by Jess Walter (Harper Perennial)
Anatomy of Melancholy and Other Poems by Robert Wrigley (Penguin Books)
Dream Animals: A Bedtime Journey by Emily Winfield Martin (Random House)
The Great War: July 1, 1916: The First Day of the Battle of the Somme by Joe Sacco (Norton)

2013 Winners:
Blasphemy by Sherman Alexie (Grove)
The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison (Algonquin Books)
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (Reagan Arthur Books)
On the Spectrum of Possible Deaths by Lucia Perillo (Copper Canyon Press)
Wild by Cheryl Strayed (Knopf)
Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson (Grove)

2012 Winners:
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (Ecco)
Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle by Thor Hanson (Basic Books)
Habibi by Craig Thompson (Pantheon)
The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch (Hawthorne Books)
West of Here by Jonathan Evison (Algonquin Books)
Shards by Ismet Prcic (Black Cat)

2011 Winners:
The Lonely Polygamist: A Novel by Brady Udall (Norton)
Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes (Atlantic Monthly/El León Literary Arts)
Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr (Scribner)
River House: A Memoir by Sarahlee Lawrence (Tin House Books)

2011 Shortlist
The Atlas of Love by Laurie Frankel (St. Martin's)
The Clearing by Heather Davis (Graphia Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
A Common Pornography: A Memoir by Kevin Sampsell (Harper Perennial)
The Fences Between Us by Kirby Larson (Scholastic Press)
Footnotes in Gaza by Joe Sacco 
Heartbroke Bay: A Novel by Lynn D'Urso (Berkley)
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride (Holt)
The Lakotas and the Black Hills: The Struggle for Sacred Ground by Jeffrey Ostler (Viking)
Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin (Harper Perennial)
The Lonely Polygamist: A Novel by Brady Udall --Winner!
Mariposa Road: The First Butterfly Big Year by Robert Michael Pyle (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes  --Winner!
Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr  --Winner!
Nashville Chrome by Rick Bass (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
River House: A Memoir by Sarahlee Lawrence  --Winner!
Shell Games: Rogues, Smugglers, and the Hunt for Nature's Bounty by Craig Welch (Morrow)
Test Ride on the Sunnyland Bus: A Daughter's Civil Rights Journey by Ana Maria Spagna
What We Are: A Novel by Peter Nathaniel Malae (Grove Press)
Work Song by Ivan Doig (Riverhead)

PNBA 2010 Book Award Winners
Winners of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association's 2010 Book Awards, which were selected from more than 200 nominated titles by Northwest authors and published in 2009, are:

The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt & the Fire that Saved America by Timothy Egan
The Collector: David Douglas and the Natural History of the Northwest by Jack Nisbet
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (Tor)
The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha (Broadway)
All in a Day by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Nikki McClure

2009 Book Awards:
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

William Stafford Memorial Poetry Award
Selected Poems: 1970-2005 by Floyd Skloot

Lifetime Achievement Award
The Good Dog, Carl series by Alexandra Day

Wild Beauty: Photographs of the Columbia River Gorge, 1867-1957 by Terry Toedtemeier

American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon by Steven Rinella

Dave Boling. Guernica

2008 Award Winners:

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson

Dancing with Rose: Finding Life in the Land of Alzheimer's by Lauren Kessler

Returning to Earth by Jim Harrison

The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle

Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff

2007 Award Winners
Long Journey: Contemporary Northwest Poets by David Biespiel
Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
God Laughs and Plays by David James Duncan
Gemini Summer by Iain Lawrence
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time
Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

2006 Award Winners:
Six titles have won the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association's 40th annual Book Awards, which recognize "exceptional books written by Northwest authors." The association's award committee of independent booksellers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska selected the titles. The winners will be celebrated at a banquet Friday, March 17, at the PNBA's spring trade show in Seattle.

The Language of Baklava: A Memoir by Diana Abu-Jaber of Portland, Ore., and Miami, Fla.
Rogue River Journal: A Winter Alone by John Daniel of Elmira, Ore.
The Highest Tide: A Novel by Jim Lynch of Olympia, Wash.
How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets by Garth Stein of Seattle, Wash.
William Stafford Memorial Poetry Award: Approximately Paradise by Floyd Skloot of Amity, Ore.

Children's Book Award: Hotel Deep: Light Verse from Dark Water by Kurt Cyrus of Eugene, Ore.

Independent Booksellers Choice Awards

New Prize: Independent Booksellers Choice Awards
From Shelf-Awareness accessed 3/5/11

In announcing the debut of the 2011 Independent Booksellers Choice awards, sponsor Melville House Publishing noted that the prize was created because "indie booksellers know books best. They are the people who guide readers past the flavor-of-the-moment titles to the hidden gems. No Amazon algorithm recommendation or Oprah book club pick can compete with your local bookseller when he or she says, 'You might not have heard of it, but this book is going to blow your mind.' "

To celebrate this partnership between indie booksellers and indie publishers, booksellers will vote for their favorite indie press books published in 2010, regardless of category. Five winners of the grand prize--featured displays in participating stores--will be named during the Book Expo America convention in May.

"It’s the ultimate shelf-talker," said Melville House publisher Dennis Johnson. "Rather than give a prize to an author or a publisher or a translator, we wanted to do something that really boosted the eco-system we live in. With any luck, we can get some deserving titles to sell a few more copies, which is good for the store, good for the publisher, and good for the authors and translators. It lets all of us not only keep doing what we do, but thrive."

"It’s a terrific idea," added Elaine Petrocelli, whose Book Passage bookstores in the San Francisco Bay area will be participating. She is pleased her entire staff "will have the pleasure of nominating books we love and giving recognition to great books from independent presses."

Other bookstores on board for the project include the Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, Wash.; Skylight Books, Los Angeles, Calif.; and St. Mark’s Bookshop, New York City. Only staff members of independent stores will be eligible to vote, though anyone is welcome to follow discussion about the nominees on the project’s website, booksellerschoiceaward.com. Ideas for a better name for the prize are being sought as well, since "Independent Booksellers Choice Award doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue."

Voting began 3/1/11. A longlist of 25 titles will be announced on April 1, followed by the shortlist a month later.

B&N Discover Great New Writers (2005,2008-10)

2010  The finalists for Barnes & Noble's 2010 Discover Great New Writers Awards are:
Fiction
Kim Echlin for The Disappeared (Black Cat) --Winner!
Nic Pizzolatto for Galveston (Scribner)
Eric Puchner for Model Home (Scribner)

Nonfiction
David R. Dow for The Autobiography of an Execution (Twelve) --Winner!
Siddhartha Mukherjee for The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer (Scribner)
Rebecca Skloot for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Crown)

2009  The finalists for Barnes & Noble's 2009 Discover Great New Writers Awards are:
Fiction                      
Barb Johnson for More of This World or Maybe Another (HarperPerennial)  
Victor Lodato for Mathilda Savitch (FSG)              
C.E. Morgan for All the Living (FSG)

Nonfiction
Dave Cullen for Columbine (Twelve)
Toby Lester for The Fourth Part of the World: The Race to the Ends of the Earth, and the Epic Story of the Map that Gave America Its Name (Twelve)
Neil White for In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Memoir (Morrow)

2008 - The winners of the 16th annual (2008) Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Awards:
Fiction
* Winner: The Well and the Mine by Gin Phillips
* Second-place honors: The Book of Getting Even by Benjamin Taylor
* Third-place honors: Sway by Zachary Lazar

Nonfiction
* Winner: Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
* Second-place honors: The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner, Dad read this, called it "superficial"
* Third-place honors: Blue Sky July by Nia Wyn

2005 - Awards: B/N Discover Great New Writers;
Fiction
* Kitty Fitzgerald for Pigtopia
* Uzodinma Iweala for Beasts of No Nation
* Catherine Tudish for Tenney's Landing

Nonfiction
* Louise Brown, for The Dancing Girls of Lahore
* Nathaniel Fick, for One Bullet Away
* Martin Moran, for The Tricky Part

SIBA: Southern Indie Book Awards (1999-2010)

2011 info from SIBA Book Awards, accessed 2/28/11

The 2011 SIBA Book Award Long List:
Fiction:
Bloodroot Amy Greene (Random House)
Bone Appetit Carolyn Haines (Minotaur)
Burning Bright Ron Rash (Ecco)
Circle of Lies Alan Douglas (Forge)
Cirtus County John Brandon (McSweeney's)
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter Tom Franklin (Morrow)
The Day of Small Things Vicki Lane (Dell)
Delta Blues Carolyn Haines (Perseus)
The Devil Amongst the Lawyers Sharyn McCrumb (St. Martin's Press)
Diablero Toby Tate (Nightbird Publishing)
The Eden Hunter Skip Horack (PGW)
The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival Ken Wheaton (Kensington)
Florida Gothic Stories Vicki Hendricks (Kitsune Books)
I Still Dream About You Fannie Flagg (Random House)
In the Company of Others Jan Karon (Viking Books)
Killer of Crying Deer William Orem (Kitsune Books)
The Lies We Told Diane Chamberlain (Mira)
Love, Charleston Beth Webb Hart (Thomas Nelson)
Magnolia Wednesdays Wendy Wax (Penguin)
The Mailbox Marybeth Whalen (David C. Cook)
Miss Julia Renews Her Vows Ann Ross (Viking)
My Only Sunshine Lou Dischler (Hub City Press)
On Folly Beach Karen White (NAL)
Requiem by Fire Wayne Caldwell (Random House)
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt Beth Hoffman (Penguin)
She-Rain Michael Cogdill (Morgan James)
This Is Just Exactly Like You Drew Perry (Penguin)

Poetry
Angles of Approach Holly Iglesias (White Pine Press)
Bottle Tree Jennifer Horne (Wordtech)
Checking Out Tim Peeler (Hub City Press)
The Circus Poems Alex Grant (Lorimer Press)
Coffeehouse Meditations Nina Romano (Kitsune Books)
Eliza: The New Orleans Years Dede Wilson (Main Street Rag)
Home Nancy Dillingham (March Street Press)
House of Branches Janisse Ray (Wind Publications)
Living Above the Frost Line Nancy Simpson (Carolina Wren Press)
Multiverse Michael Smith (BlazeVox)
Naming the Constellations John York (Spring Street Editions)
Paper House Jessie Carty (Folded Word Press)
Red Lily, poems Isabel Zuber (Press 53)
Restoring Sacred Art Joseph Bathanti (Star Cloud Press)

Nonfiction
27 Views of Hillsborough Michael Malone (Eno Publishing)
As The Scyamore Grows Jennie Helderman (Summers Bridgewater Press)
The Blueberry Years: A Memoir of Farm and Family Jim Minick (Thomas Dunne)
Carry the Rock Jay Jennings (MPS)
Creative Is a Verb Patti Digh (Skirt!)
Death of a Pinehurst Princess Steve Bouser (History Press)
Don't Quit Your Day Job Sonny Brewer (Perseus)
The Fall of the House of Zeus Curtis Wilkes (Crown)
Honest Eating: How to Love Food,Love Yourself & Love Life Jane McClaren (
If Trouble Don't Kill Me Ralph Berrier, Jr (Crown)
In The Garden With Billy: Lessons About Life, Love, & Tomatoes Renea Winchester
Look Up Asheville: an Architectural Journey Laura Hope-Gill
Mississippi: State of Blues Ken Murphy
Spies of Mississippi Rick Bowers (National Geographic)
They Came to Nashville Marshall Chapman (Vanderbilt)
Thriving After Divorce Tonja Weimer (Simon & Schuster)
Will Jesus Buy Me a Doublewide Karen Zacharias (Zondervan)
Year of Our Lord T.R. Pearson (Mockingbird)

Children
Dave the Potter Laban Carrick Hill (Little, Brown)
Mockingbird Kathryn Erskine (Philomel)
Penny Dreadful Laurel Snyder (Random House)
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes Eric Litwin (HarperCollins)
The Red Umbrella Christina Gonzalez (Knopf)
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda Tom Angleberger
Turtle in Paradise Jennifer Holm (Random House)
Twelve Days of Christmas in South Carolina Melinda Long

Young Adult
Cookie & Me Mary Jane Ryals (Kitsune Books)
Countdown Deborah Wiles (Scholastic)
Leaving Gees Bend Irene Latham (Penguin)
The Secret Child Marti Healy (Design Group Press)
Somebody Everybody Listens To Suzanne Supplee (Penguin)
Zora and Me Victoria Bond

Cooking
Eat Your Yard Nan Chase (Gibb Smith)
The Food, Folklore, and Art of Lowcountry Cooking Joseph Earl Dabney (Cumberland House)
Greek Revival Cooking Patricia Moore-Pastides (USC Press)
Southern My Way Gena Knox (Fire & Flavor)
Too Hot in the Kitchen -Secrets to Sizzle at any Age Holly Clegg (Favorite Recipes Press)
You're Invited Back The Junior League of Raleigh

2010 info from SIBA Blog Sunday, 07 March 2010 13:58

Columbia, SC--The 2010 SIBA Book Award "Long List" has just been released, containing a complete collection of all the eligible books nominated by Southern Independent Booksellers as favorites for 2009. The list features 101 different books in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, cooking, and children's/young adult that are either set in the South or by a southern author (or both!) and were published in 2009.

The long list will be sent as a ballot to SIBA member stores, who will then vote to choose finalists in each of the four categories. A jury of SIBA booksellers will then choose winners in each category. Finalists are announced in April. Winners are announced July.
The 2010 SIBA Book Award Long List

(*=finalists, announced 4/12/10)

children's and young adult

 A Certain Strain of Peculiar Gigi Amateau Candlewick
Along for the Ride Sarah Dessen Viking
Beautiful Creatures Kami Garcia/Margaret Stohl Little Brown
Black Angels Linda Beatrice Brown Putnam
Change Up: Baseball Poems Gene Fehler Clarion
*Eli the Good Silas House
Gone From These Woods Donna Bailey Seagraves Delacorte Press
Me with You Kristy Dempsey Philomel
Mother Osprey: Nursery Rhymes for Buoys and Gulls Lucy Nolan Sylvan Dell
Peter and the Sword of Mercy Dave Barry Hyperion
Road to Tater Hill Edith Hemingway Delacorte Press
Ruined A Ghost Story Paula Morris Scholastic

*Scat by Carl Hiaasen

Shackles Marjory Wentworth & Leslie Pratt Thomas Legacy Publications
*Shiver Maggie Stiefvater Scholastic
Soap Soap Soap Elizabeth O. Dulemba Raven Tree
Swamp Song Helen Ketteman Marshall Cavendish
*The Secret World of Walter Anderson Hester Bass Candlewick  --Winner!
When the Whistle Blows Fran Slayton Penguin

cooking
Chefs of the Triangle Ann Prospero John F. Blair
Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook Chris Hastings Running Press
In the Cracker Kitchen Janis Owens Scribner
Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book John Perrine University of KY
*My New Orleans: The Cookbook John Besh Andrews McMeel
*Southern Farmer's Market Cookbook Holly Herrick Gibbs Smith
Sweet Carolina: Favorite Desserts and Candies from te Old North State Foy Allen Edelman UNC Press
The Blackberry Farm Cookbook Sam Beall Clarkson Potter
*The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern Ted & Matt Lee Clarkson Potter  --Winner!

fiction
A Good Man Larry Baker Ice Cube Books
*A Quiet Belief in Angels R J Ellory Overlook
A Separate Country Robert Hicks Grand Central Publishing
A Twisted Ladder Rhodi Hawk Forge
Accidental Bestseller Wendy Wax Berkley
Ancestors and Others Fred Chapell St. Martins
At Home on Ladybug Farm Donna Ball Berkley
Crowing Glory Calla Lily Ponder Rebecca Wells Harpercollins
*Dead Weight Batt Humphreys Joggling Board Press
*Devil's Punchbowl Greg Iles Scribner
Driftwood Summer Patti Callahan Henry New America Library
Education of Chauncey Doolittle James Everett Kibler Pelican
Fixer Upper Mary Kay Andrews Harpercollins
Girl on Legare Street Karen White NAL
Going Away Shoes Jill McCorkle Algonquin
Hell Robert Olen Butler Grove Press
If By Whiskey Quentin Whitwell Coldwater
Judas Kiss JT Ellison Mira
Last Light Over Carolina Mary alice monroe Pocket Books
Long Story Short Marianne Gingher UNC Press
Nuclear Jellyfish Tim Dorsey Morrow
One Second After William Fortschen Macmillan/Forge
Rebel Yell Alice Randall Bloomsbury Publishing
Reefer Moon Roger Pinckney Joggling Board Press
Saints in Limbo River Jordan Waterbrook
Sand Sharks Margaret Maron Grand Central Publishing
Saving Cicadas Nicole Seitz Thomas Nelson
Secret Keepers Mindy Friddle St. Martins
Secrets She Left Behind Diane Chamberlain Mira
Silent Killer Beverly Barton Kensington/Zebra
Sound of Building Coffins Louis Maistros Toby Press

South of Broad Pat Conroy

Southern Cross Skip Horack Mariner Books
Swallow Savannah Ken Burger Evening Post Publishing Company
Tender Graces Kathryn Magendie Belle Bridge Books
The Better Part of Darkness Kelly Gay Pocket Books
The Campfire Boys Philip Lee Williams Mercer University Press
The Confederate General Rides North Amanda Gable Scribner
The Girl on Legare Street Karen White New America Library
*The Help Kathryn Stockett Putnam  --Winner!
*The Last Child John Hart Minotaur
The Ocean Inside Janna McMahan Kensington/Zebra
Travel Guide for Reckless Hearts NM Kelby Borealis Books
Widow and the Tree Sonny Brewer Macadam/Cage
Wyatt's Revenge H. Terrell Griffin Oceanview Publishing

nonfiction
*A Good Mule is Hard to Find Kirk Neely Hub City Writers' Project
Book of Dads Ben George Harpercollins
Caveat Onus Dave Brinks Black Widow Press
Coral Castle Rust McClure Ternary Publisers
Don't Say I Didn't Warn You: Kids' Carbs, and the Coming Hormonal Apocalypse Anita Renfro Hyperion
Education of Mr. Mayfield David Magee John F. Blair
Give My Poor Heart Ease William Ferris UNC Press
*Hard Work Roy Williams Algonquin
Hauntings in My Head Angela Burke CreateSpace
Hidden History of Greenville Alexia Helsley History Press
*In the Sanctuary of Outcasts Neil White Morrow
It Gives a Lovely Light a Biography of Chelsea Groves Victor Whelan Eloquent Books
Just Passin Thru Winton Porter Menasha Ridge
Legends of the Natchez City Cemetery, the Most Interesting Cemetery in the South Don Estes Don Estes
Long Snapper Jeffrey Marx Harpercollins
Mayhem in Mayberry Brian Lee Knapp Cosmic Pigbite Press
*Most They Ever Had Rick Bragg macadam/cage  --Winner!
On Rocky Top Clay Travis It Books
Outcasts United Warren St. John Spiegel & Grau
Rising Sea Orrin Pilkey Shearwater Books
Soul Tree Laura Hope-Gill Grateful Steps
Splendid Isolation Pamela Bauer Mueller Piata Publishing
Swarm Tree: Of Honeybees, Honeymoons and the Tree of Life Doug Elliot History Press
Through the Glorieta Pass Lavonne Adams Pearl Editions
Undaunted Heart Suzy Barile Eno Publishers
Yoknapatawpha, Images and Voices George Stewart USC Press
*You Can't Drink All Day if You Don't Start in the Morning Celia Rivenbark St. Martins

*Zeitoun David Eggers McSweeneys

07/06/09 Winners Announced:
Winners of the 2009 SIBA Book Awards, "recognizing great books of Southern origin" and nominated and chosen by member booksellers of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, are:

Fiction: Serena by Ron Rash
Poetry: Dear Darkness by Kevin Young
Cookbook: Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Hall Foose
Nonfiction: The Prince of Frogtown by Rick Bragg
Children's: Two Bobbies by Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery
Young Adult: Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Winners and finalists will be honored at SIBA's annual trade show, September 25-27, in Greenville, S.C.

Celebrating 10 Years of Southern Indie Book Awards – Announcing the 2009 SIBA Book Award Finalists
Written by Authors Round the South
Friday, 08 May 2009 15:11

2009 marks the tenth anniversary of the SIBA Book Awards. For a decade southern booksellers have been honoring the books that they especially loved, the ones they most enjoyed putting into the hands of their customers with the earnest words “You’ve got to read this.”

The SIBA Book awards were created, not just to recognize great Southern books, but to give southern readers an enviable list of books to enjoy, read, buy, and give as gifts. As of this time, the SIBA Book Award remains one of the most far-reaching and high-profile awards for Southern literature.

These fine Finalists will be judged by a jury of SIBA booksellers. And on July, 4th – Independence Day, the Winners will be announced. In September, in Greenville, SC, at the annual SIBA Trade Show, the winners and finalists will be recognized.

Children:

Almost Invisible - Black Patriots of the American Revolution, Kate Salley Palmer
If Animals Kissed Goodnight, Ann Paul, David Walker (illus) -- picture book
Two Bobbies, Kirby Larson & Mary Nethery -- picture book

Cooking:

Bon Appetite, Y’all, Virginia Willis
Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue, John Shelton Reed & Dale Voleburg Reed
Screen Doors & Sweet Tea, Martha Hall Foose

Fiction:

The House on Tradd Street, Karen White

Mudbound, Hilary Jordan

Serena, Ron Rash

Non-Fiction:

Belle Weather: Mostly Sunny with a Chance of Scattered Hissy Fits and Conniptions, Celia Rivenbark
The Prince of Frogtown, Rick Bragg
Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson

Poetry:

Beanball, Gene Fehler (Clarion Books)
Dear Darkness, Kevin Young (Knopf)
Signals, Ed Madden (University of South Carolina Press)

Young Adult:

Graceling, Kristin Cashore
Lock and Key, Sarah Dessen
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, Trenton Lee Stewart

Previous Winners:

SIBA Winners

2008
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
The House On Boulevard Street by David Kirby -- poetry
A Love Affair with Southern Cooking by Jean Anderson
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver
Deep in the Swamp by Donna Bateman, illustrated by Brian Lies -- picture book

2007:
Alabama Moon by Watt Key
I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris
Keep and Give Away by Susan Meyers -- poetry
Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier
Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee by Charles J. Shields

2006:

Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson

What Travels with Us by Darnell Arnoult -- poetry
Being Dead is No Excuse by Gayden Metcalfe & Charlotte Hays
Marley and Me by John Grogan
Rosa by Nikki Giovanni -- picture book

2005:
Saints at the River, Ron Rash
We’re Just Like You, Only Prettier, Celia Rivenbark
Frank Stitt’s Southern Table, Frank Stitt
A Companion for Owls, Maurice Manning -- poetry
Peter and the Starcatcher, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

2004:
Lunch at the Piccadilly, Clyde Edgerton
The GRITS Guide to Life, Deborah Ford
The Taste of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis
Locales, Fred Chappell (Editor)
How I Became a Pirate, Melinda Long -- picture book

2003:
The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd
My Losing Season, Pat Conroy
The Foster’s Market Cookbook, Sara Foster
Catching Light, Kathryn Stripling Byer
Hoot!, Carl Hiaasen

2002:
The Bridge, Doug Marlette
Ava’s Man, Rick Bragg
How Animals Saved the People, J.J. Reneaux

2001:
Jim the Boy, Tony Earley
Somebody Told Me, Rick Bragg
Zinc Fingers, Peter Meinke
Because of Winn Dixie, Kate DiCamillo

2000:
Look Back All the Green Valley, Fred Chappell
Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, Janisse Ray
elegy for the southern drawl, Rodney Jones
Bugs and Critters I Have Known, Ann Heiskell Rickey

1999:
The Next Step in the Dance, Tim Gautreaux
Confederates in the Attic, Tony Horwitz
Someone Will Go On Owing, Andrew Glaze
Out of the Ocean, Debra Frasier

Hudson Booksellers: Best Books (2009-10)

From SA 11/24/09

2010:
Hudson Booksellers, which has 65 bookstores and sells books in more than 350 Hudson News newsstands in airports and transportation terminals in North America, has selected its best books published in 2010. The lists are displayed in all the stores and were picked by a panel of company booksellers and managers.

Book of the Year: The Big Short by Michael Lewis

Best Fiction:
The Passage by Justin Cronin
Room by Emma Donoghue
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Tinkers by Paul Harding
The Eden Hunter by Skip Horack
Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes
Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
Bitter in the Mouth by Monique Truong
The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall

Best Nonfiction:
The Possessed by Elif Batuman
Let's Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell
The Wave by Susan Casey
Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Fatal System Error by Joseph Menn
Birdology by Sy Montgomery
The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Last Call by Daniel Okrent
Packing for Mars by Mary Roach

Best Young Readers:
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
It's a Book by Lane Smith
Art & Max by David Wiesner

Best Business Interest:
Switch by Chip and Dean Heath
Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni
The Big Short by Michael Lewis
Aftershock by Robert Reich

2009 winners:

Nonfiction:
Last Words by George Carlin
Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
Lit by Mary Karr
Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder
Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer
Either You're in or You're in the Way by Logan and Noah Miller
Stitches by David Small
Emergency by Neil Strauss

Fiction:
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

Spooner by Pete Dexter

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

Fool by Christopher Moore
The Song Is You by Arthur Phillip

Lark & Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Young Readers:
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney

Business Interest:
The Silver Lining by Scott D. Anthony
What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell
Super Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Adland by James P. Othmer
Cheap by Ellen Ruppel Shell

Mountains & Plains Regional Book Award (1990-2010)

Info from  Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association accessed 9/14/10

The purpose of these annual awards is to honor outstanding books which are set in our region. The Mountains & Plains region includes Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

2010 Winners
Adult Fiction: Below Zero: A Joe Pickett Novel by C.J. Box
Adult Nonfiction: The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt & the Fire That Saved America by Timothy Egan
The Arts: Tony Hillerman's Landscape: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn by Anne Hillerman, photographs by Don Strel
Poetry: Gingko Light by Arthur Sze (Copper Canyon Press)
Children’s chapter book: Artsy-Fartsy by Karla Oceanak, illustrated by Kendra Spanjer

2009 Winners
Adult Fiction: Another Man's Moccasins: A Walt Longmire Mystery by Craig Johnson (Penguin)

Adult Nonfiction: American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon by Steven Rinella

The Arts: Colorado's Wild Horses by Claude Steelman (Wildshots, Inc.)
Regional Reference: Staking Her Claim: Women Homesteading the West by Marcia Meredith Hensley
Children's Chapter Book: Go Big or Go Home by Will Hobbs (HarperCollins)
Children's Picture Book : The Illuminated Desert by Terry Tempest Williams, illus. by Chloe Hedden

2008 Winners
Fiction: The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle
Nonfiction:  The Day the World Ended at Little Bighorn by Joseph M. Marshall III
Regional Reference: Great Ranches of the West by Jim Keen
Children's Chapter Book: Wind Rider by Susan Williams
Arts: Adobe Odes by Pat Mora

2007 Winners
Fiction: Cottonwood Saints by Gene Guerin
Nonfiction: Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides
Arts: Mesa Verde National Park: The First 100 Years by Rose Houk
Children's Chapter Book: The Buffalo and the Indians: A Shared Destiny by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Regional Reference:

2006 Winners
Adult Fiction A Sudden Country by Karen Fisher
Adult Nonfiction 109 East Palace: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos by Jennet Conant
Young Adult Bear Dancer: The Story of a Ute Girl by Thelma Hatch Wyss
The Arts William Henry Jackson's 'The Pioneer Photographer' by William Henry Jackson,
The Spirit of the West Literary Achievement Award goes to Robert M. Utley

2005 Winners
Adult Fiction: The Work of Wolves by Kent Meyers
Adult Nonfiction: Little Things in a Big Country: An Artist and Her Dog on the Rocky Mountain Front by Hannah Hinchman
Children's Chapter: Searching for Chipeta: The Story of a Ute and Her People by Vickie Leigh Krudwig
Children's Picture Book: Old Coyote by Nancy Wood
Regional Reference: Select Peaks of Greater Yellowstone: A Mountaineering History and Guide by Thomas Turiano
The Arts: The Pueblo Imagination by Lee Marmon

2004 Winners
Adult Fiction: Land That Moves, Land That Stands Still by Kent Nelson
Adult Nonfiction: Hawks Rest: A Season in the Remote Heart of Yellowstone by Gary Ferguson
Children's: Enduring Wisdom: Sayings from Native Americans edited by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
Regional Reference: Creation of the Teton Landscape by David D. Love
The Arts: Birds of Prey in the American West by Tom Vezo and Richard Glinski

2003 Winners
Adult Fiction: Perma Red by Debra Magpie Earling
Adult Nonfiction: Breaking Clean by Judy Blunt
Children's Chapter: Women Artists of the West: Five Portraits in Creativity and Courage by Julie Danneberg
The Arts: Drawn to Yellowstone: Artists in America’s First National Park by Peter Hassrick

2002 Winners
Adult Fiction: The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall
Adult Nonfiction: A River Running West by Donald Worster
Children's Chapter: Daniel’s Walk by Michael Spooner
Children's Picture Book: Mountain Men by Andrew Glass
The Arts: Ansel Adams at 100 by John Szarkowski

2001 Winners
Adult Fiction: Winter Range by Claire Davis
Adult Nonfiction: The Blood Runs Like a River Through My Dreams by Nasdijj
Children's: Clarence Goes Out West and Meets a Purple Horse by Jean Ekman Adams
Arts: Painters in the American West by Joan Carpenter Troccoli

2000 Winners
Adult Fiction: Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Adult Nonfiction: Where Rivers Change Direction by Mark Spragg
Adult Nonfiction: Fire on the Mountain by John Maclean
Children's: The Wild Colorado by Richard Maurer

1999 Winners
Adult Fiction: One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
Adult Nonfiction: Lasso the Wind: Away to the New West by Timothy Egan
Children's: Boss of the Plains by Laurie Carlson
Poetry: In Gravity National Park by C.L. Rawlins

1998 Winners
Adult Fiction: The Sky, The Stars, The Wilderness by Rick Bass
Adult Nonfiction: Legends of the American Desert by Alex Shoumatoff
Children's: The Serpent’s Tongue edited by Nancy Wood
Poetry: Blue Horses Rush In by Luci Tapahonso

1997 Winners
Adult Fiction: Sun Dancer by David London
Adult Nonfiction: Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose
Children's: Bill Pickett, Rodeo-Ridin’ Cowboy by Brian & Andrea D. Pinkney
Poetry: Mountains & Rivers Without End by Gary Snyder

1996 Winners
Adult Fiction: Stone Song by Win Blevins
Adult Nonfiction: The Dull Knifes of Pine Ridge by Joe Starita
Children's: A Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchac
Poetry: My Town by David Lee

1995 Winners
Adult Fiction: Stygo by Laura Hendrie
Adult Nonfiction: Killing Custer by James Welch
Children's: Daily Life in a Covered Wagon by Paul Erickson
Poetry: Loose Woman by Sandra Cisneros

1994 Winners
Adult Fiction: Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver
Adult Fiction: The Death of Bernadette Lefthand by Ron Querry
Adult Fiction: Montana 1948 by Larry Watson

Children's: I Am Lavina Cumming by Susan Lowell
Poetry: So Far From God by Ana Castillo

1993 Winners
Adult Fiction: Cowboys Are My Weakness by Pam Houston
Adult Fiction: The Meadow by James Galvin
Adult Fiction:All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
Adult Nonfiction: Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs by Wallace Stegner

1992 Winners
Four Adult Nonfiction Winners:
Land Circle: Writings Collected from the Land by Linda Hasselstrom
PrairyErth: A Deep Map by William Least Heat-Moon
Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place by Terry Tempest Williams
Songs of the Fluteplayer by Sharman Apt Russell

1991 Winners
Adult Fiction: Mean Spirit by Linda Hogan
Adult Nonfiction: Photographing Montana, 1894-1928: The Life and Work of Evelyn Cameron by Donna M. Lucey
Children's Chapter: Canyons by Gary Paulsen
Poetry: In Mad Love and War by Joy Harjo

1990 Winners
Adult Fiction: The Testimony of Mr. Bones by Olive Ghiselin
Adult Nonfiction: Remote Beyond Compare by John Kessell
Children's Chapter: Bearstone by Will Hobbs
Poetry: What We Have to Live With by Marilyn Krysl

NAIBA Books of the Year prize (2009)

The winners of this year's (2010) NAIBA Books of the Year, sponsored by the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association:

Fiction: Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann (Random House)
Nonfiction: Just Kids by Patti Smith (Ecco)
Picture Book: Jeremy Draws a Monster by Peter McCarty (Holt)
Children's Literature and YA: Flawed Dogs by Berkley Breathed (Philomel)
Trade Paperback Original: Logicomix by Apostolos Doxiadis, Christos Papadimitriou, Alecos Papadatos and Annie DiDonna (Bloomsbury)

NAIBA has also created a new award, the NAIBA Carla Cohen Free Speech Award, whose first recipients are Pam Munoz Ryan and Peter Sis for The Dreamer (Scholastic). The award includes a donation to ABFFE in the authors' name.

The winners will receive their awards at the NAIBA Fall Conference Awards Banquet, Tuesday, September 21.

2009 Winners:
Fiction: A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick (Algonquin)
Nonfiction: Hurry Down Sunshine by Michael Greenberg (Other Press)
Trade Paperback Original: Buffalo Lockjaw by Greg Ames (Hyperion)
Picture Book: The Curious Garden by Peter Brown (Little Brown Books for Young Readers)
Children's Literature: If I Stay by Gayle Forman (Dutton)

Midwest Booksellers' Choice Awards (2005, 2007-10)

From MBA Midwest Booksellers Association accessed 8/24/10

2010 Award Winners

The winners of the 2010 Midwest Booksellers' Choice Awards, sponsored by the Midwest Booksellers Association and chosen by member bookstores, are:

Fiction: A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore 

Nonfiction: The Girls from Ames: A Story of Women & a Forty-Year Friendship by Jeffrey Zaslow (Gotham Books)

Poetry: The Chain Letter of the Soul: New and Selected Poems by Bill Holm (Milkweed Editions)

Children's Picture Book: Otis by Loren Long (Philomel)

Children's Literature: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic Press)

Honor Books:

Fiction: Driftless by David Rhodes (Milkweed Editions)

Nonfiction: Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François (St. Martin's)

Poetry: Beloved on the Earth: 150 Poems of Grief and Gratitude edited by Jim Perlman

Children's Picture Book: Moose on the Loose by Kathy-jo Wargin, illustrated by John Bendall-Brunello 

Children's Literature: Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman 

2009 Award Winners

Fiction: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski (Ecco)
Nonfiction: Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting by Michael Perry (HarperCollins)
Poetry: Swimming With A Hundred Year Old Snapping Turtle by Freya Manfred (Red Dragonfly Press)
Children's Picture Book: Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Harry Bliss (Joanna Cotler Books/HarperCollins)
Children's Literature: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean (HarperCollins Children's Books)

Honor recipients:
Fiction: A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick (Algonquin)
Nonfiction: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter (Grand Central)
Poetry: Yellowrocket by Todd Boss (Norton)
Children's Picture Book: Snow by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Lauren Stringer (Harcourt Children's Books)
Children's Literature: Savvy by Ingrid Law (Dial Books for Young Readers)

2008 Award Winners
Fiction:  Loving Frank: A Novel by Nancy Horan
Non-Fiction: Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish
Poetry: Valentines: Poems by Ted Kooser
Children’s Picture Book: Agate: What Good Is a Moose? by Joy Morgan Dey and Nikki Johnson
Children’s Literature: Little Klein by Anne Ylvisaker

2008 Honor Book Winners
Fiction (Tie)
So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger
Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen

Nonfiction: The Florist’s Daughter: A Memoir by Patricia Hampl
Poetry: Willow Room, Green Door: New and Selected Poems by Deborah Keenan
Children’s Picture Book: Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo
Children’s Literature: The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman

2007 Winners
Fiction: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Nonfiction: Truck: A Love Story by Michael Perry
Poetry: The Blizzard Voices: Poems by Ted Kooser
Children’s Picture Book: A Good Day by Kevin Henkes
Children’s Literature: Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

2007 Honorable Mention
Fiction: Copper River by William Kent Krueger
Nonfiction: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir by Bill Bryson
Poetry: To Sing Along the Way:Minnesota Women Poets from Pre-Territorial Days to the Present by Connie Wanek
Children’s Picture Book: A Woodland Counting Book by Claudia McGehee
Children’s Picture Book: Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer
Children’s Literature: In Search of Mockingbird by Loretta Ellsworth

2005 Award:
First-ever Midwest Booksellers' Choice Awards (2005), sponsored by the Midwest Booksellers Association.

Adult Fiction
Winner: Gilead: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson (FSG)
Honorable Mention: The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich (Perennial)

Adult Nonfiction
Winner: What's the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America by Thomas Frank
Honorable Mention: Homegown Democrat by Garrison Keillor

Poetry
Winner: Delights and Shadows by Ted Kooser
Honorable Mention: Original Fire: Selected and New Poems by Louise Erdrich

Children's Picture Book
Winner: Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
Honorable Mention: A Tallgrass Prairie Alphabet by Claudia McGehee

Children's Literature
Winner: Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
Honorable Mention: Ida B: And her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and Possibly Save the World by Katherine Hannigan 

NEIBA New England Book Awards (2009-10)

Winners of the 2010 New England Book Awards are:

Fiction: Father of the Rain by Lily King (Grove Atlantic)
Nonfiction: Let's Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell (Random House)
Children's Books: City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems, illustrated by Jon J. Muth (Hyperion) 

The winners of the 2009 New England Book Awards, sponsored by the New England Independent Booksellers Association, are: Awards are given to authors rather than specific titles.

Fiction: Geraldine Brooks, author of March, Year of Wonders, Nine Parts of Desire, Foreign Correspondence and People of the Book.

Nonfiction: Sy Montgomery, author of The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood, Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia, Wind Energy Basics (?apparently not by this author), Journey of the Pink Dolphins: An Amazon Quest and The Tarantula Scientist (Scientists in the Field Series).

Children's: Andrew Clements, author of, among other titles, Frindle, No Talking, Room One, Lunch Money, A Week in the Woods, The Jacket, The School Story, The Janitor's Boy, The Landry News, The Report Card and The Last Holiday Concert.

Publisher: Tilbury House, Gardiner, Me., which was founded some 35 years ago as the Harpswell Press and published mainly Maine books. The house grew slowly, adding some children's books, and in 1990 merged with another small publisher, Dog Ear Press. Recent titles include New Mainers: Portraits of Our Immigrant Neighbors, Wilderness Partners, Backyard Maine, Live Yankees, Maine in the World and The Cranberry.

The awards will be presented on October 1 during NEIBA's trade show in Hartford, Conn. Each author award includes a $500 grant from NEIBA to a literacy or other charitable organization chosen by the winner.

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (2008-2010)

Amazon is proud to announce Amy Ackley and Patricia McArdle as the winners of the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.
Young Adult Fiction Award: Amy Ackley.  Sign Language
General Fiction Award:  Patricia McArdle. Farishta

2009 Finalists:

The 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Finalists are:
Ian Gibson, Victoria BC, for Stuff of Legends
James King, Wilton CT, for Bill Warrington's Last Chance
Brandi Lynn Ryder, Napa CA, for In Malice, Quite Close

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) is a contest sponsored by Amazon.com, Penguin Group, Hewlett Packard, CreateSpace and BookSurge to publish and promote a manuscript by an unknown or unpublished author.

2008 competition
Amazon introduced the Breakthrough Novel Award in 2007. The first competition began in late 2007 and ended in early 2008. A maximum of 5,000 manuscripts were accepted during the contest period, which ran between October 1, 2007 and November 5, 2007. In mid-January 2008, up to 836 authors were selected as semi-finalists and received a capsule review of their manuscript from Publishers Weekly. On February 19, 2008, 100 semi-finalists had their manuscripts read by Penguin editors.

On March 3, 2008, the top ten finalists were announced. All received a prize package from HP and a self-publishing package from BookSurge.
1. The Hellraiser of Hollywood Hills (?) by Jennifer Colt The Butcher of Beverly Hills
2. Casting Off by Nicole R. Dickson
3. Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan
4. The Wet Nurse's Tale by Erica Eisdorfer
5. The Butterflies of Grand Canyon by Margaret Erhart Crossing Bully Creek
6. Ring of Lies by Karen Laugel (nothing found by her)
7. Fresh Kills by Bill Loehfelm -- winner!
8. Motherless Children by Randall Luce (nothing found)
9. The Prospect of My Arrival by Dwight Okita (nothing found)
10. Wrecking Civilization Before Lunch by John Ring (nothing found)

Amazon customers voted to pick the grand-prize winner. The top three received a trip to New York City. On April 7, 2008, Fresh Kills by Bill Loehfelm was announced as the first winner of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Loehfelm won a larger prize package from HP and a $25,000 advance on a publishing contract with Penguin.

NEIBA middle-grade and young-adult fiction books (2010)

From NEIBA New England Children's Booksellers Advisory Council (NECBA) accessed 6/7/10

As Simple as It Seems by Sarah Weeks

A Conspiracy of Kings (#4 The Queen's Thief series) by Megan Whalen Turner [#1 The Thief]

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Countdown by Deborah Wiles

Crunch by Leslie Connor

As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

How I, Nicky Flynn, Finally Get a Life by by Art Corriveau

Middleworld by J&P Voelkel

The Tweenage Guide to NOT Being UNPopular (Amelia Rules 5) by Jimmy Gownley[#1Whole World's Crazy]

E.B. White Read Aloud 2006-2010

The shortlist for the 2010 E.B. White Read Aloud Awards is:

Picture Books
14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez
Once Upon a Twice by Denise Doyen, illustrated by Barry Moser
Princess Hyacinth (The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated) by Florence Heide Parry, illustrated by Lane Smith
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown -- Winner!

Books for Older Readers
Leaving the Bellweathers by Kristin Clark Venuti
Tumtum and Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall by Emily Bearn, illustrated by Nick Price
The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. by Kate Messner -- Winner!
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

E.B. White Read Aloud Shortlist (2009)
The shortlist for the E.B. White Read Aloud Awards, sponsored by the Association of Booksellers for Children, is:

For older readers:
The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas

Masterpiece by Elise Broach

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

Zorgamazoo by Robert Paul Weston

For picture books:
A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton (Candlewick)
Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Harry Bliss
One by Kathryn Otoshi (KO Kids Books)
Too Many Toys by David Shannon (Scholastic)

For the first time, this year's winners will be chosen by ABC booksellers via online voting, and results will be announced at the ABC's dinner during BEA. Also the runners up will receive a new E.B. White Read Aloud Honor award. In previous years, the judging committee picked the winners.

The E.B. White Read Aloud Award was established in 2004 by The Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC) to honor books that its membership felt embodied the universal read aloud standards that were created by the work of the beloved author E.B. White.

In 2006 the award was expanded into two categories: The E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books, and The E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Older Readers. Titles are nominated for the award by ABC booksellers, and then the final decision is made by a committee of booksellers that meets annually in February. The awards are publicly announced on the first Monday in April, and the official presentation takes place during a children's dinner at BookExpo America.

Because the award nominees are generated by independent booksellers based on books they have loved in their own stores, there is no formal outside submission process.

2008
Picture Books--When Dinosaurs Came With Everything by Elise Broach
Older Readers--The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

2007
Picture Books--Houndsley and Catina by James Howe, illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
Older Readers--Alabama Moon by Watt Key (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

2006
Picture Books--If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen (Penguin Putnam)
Older Readers--Each Little Bird That Sings by Debra Wiles (Harcourt)

2005
Single Award--Wild About Books by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Marc Brown

2004
Single Award--SkippyJon Jones by Judy Schachner (Penguin Putnam)

NCIBA Books of the Year (2009)

The winners of the NCIBA Book of the Year Awards, sponsored by the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association and honoring books published in 2009 and written or illustrated by Northern California authors and artists, are:

Fiction: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (Knopf)
Nonfiction: Zeitoun by Dave Eggers (McSweeney's)
Poetry: Chronic by D.A. Powell (Graywolf Press)
Food Writing: Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter (Penguin)
Children's Illustrated: Zero Is the Leaves on the Tree, illustrated by Shino Arihara (Tricycle)
Children's Literature: Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko (Penguin Young Readers)
Teen Lit: Andromeda Klein by Frank Portman (Delacorte Young Readers)
Regional: Tamalpais Walking by Tom Killion and Gary Snyder (Heyday Books)

This year's awards include two new categories: food writing and teen lit.

Shelf Awareness Top 10 lists (2009)

Our Top Ten Lists 2009, Part One
We asked some Shelf Awareness people for their 10 (or so) favorite books of the past year. Most of these titles were published in 2009, but not all, since we wanted to know what gave them reading pleasure no matter the pub date.


Debra Ginsberg

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer and The Face on Your Plate by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson (Little, Brown). Both of these important, compelling books address the horrors of factory farming and the need for us to change our dietary choices, but each approaches the topic from a different angle. They are must-reads.
Life Sentences by Laura Lippman (Morrow). A brilliant, expertly nuanced psychological thriller from the prodigiously talented Laura Lippman.

Blame by Michelle Huneven (FSG). A rich and beautifully written novel about the nature of loss and redemption.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. A stunning YA novel which tackles an old subject--eating disorders--with new insight and grace.

The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown). He's baaaaack.... Unputdownable. (My list includes The Black Echo and The Poet.)

The Addict: One Patient, One Doctor, One Year by Michael Stein (Morrow). A searing portrait of prescription drug addiction from a physician who takes a new approach to treating it.

Box 21 by Anders Roslund and Borge Hellström (FSG). A pitch-dark Scandinavian thriller involving sex slavery, mafia bosses and bitter policemen--and that's just the beginning. It will keep you up at night.

The Last Resort by Douglas Rogers (Harmony). A warm, funny and often tragic memoir of the author's native Zimbabwe.

The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker (Simon & Schuster). This smart, funny and always entertaining paean to poetry is Baker at his best; a real gem of a novel.

Episodes: My Life As I See It by Blaze Ginsberg (Roaring Brook). Yes, I know, and you can have all the disclaimers you want--but this is still the best book I've read all year. Bar none.

Blood's a Rover by James Ellroy (Knopf). Nobody does noir like Ellroy. He is a master and this book is not to be missed.


Harvey Freedenberg

Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon (Ballantine). Far more than an absorbing mystery, in this complex and psychologically astute story Chaon puts on a virtuosic display of his considerable talent. It's a thrilling example of the best of modern literary fiction.

Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi by Geoff Dyer (Pantheon). Strikingly contemporary and utterly timeless, Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi is an intense, vivid trip to a pair of exotic cities and an equally provocative journey into the twisted passageways of the human soul.

Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow (Random House). Doctorow has moved Homer and Langley Collyer from the sideshow of American history to center stage. Strange as their story may be, he makes us feel privileged, if perhaps in an odd way, to share it.

The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker (Simon & Schuster). It's hard to know what to expect next from Baker, but in his new novel he's delivered a charming, if undeniably quirky, extended love letter to the art of poetry.

Love and Summer by William Trevor (Viking). Trevor's genius lies in his uncanny ability to expose, with sensitivity and insight, the complexity of even the most mundane lives. That he does so in prose that's a model of elegant compression makes his achievement even more impressive.

Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving (Random House). Irving's 12th novel is a shaggy, shambling, lovable bear of a book. It is vintage Irving, stuffed to overflowing with a cast of memorable characters, dark humor, a surfeit of tragedy and loss and enough love, sex and death to fill at least two or three less ambitious novels.

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore (Knopf). Bubbling with intelligence and lacerating humor and showcasing Moore's uncanny ability to capture the free-floating anxiety that undoubtedly qualifies as the psychic disorder of our age, A Gate at the Stairs is a tightly focused snapshot of our unsettled world.

Cheever: A Life by Blake Bailey (Knopf). In this comprehensive, unsparing work, Bailey has produced a biography every bit as absorbing as the life of its complex and tortured subject.

Strength in What Remains: A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness by Tracy Kidder (Random House). The latest work from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tracy Kidder is a stirring account of one man's remarkable flight from genocidal terror in his homeland of Burundi to the U.S. and then back home to confront the burdens of memory and reconciliation.

Closing Time: A Memoir by Joe Queenan (Viking). Queenan's book is a painfully honest, savagely funny, wise and ultimately moving story of growing up in Philadelphia in the 1950s and '60s while outgrowing life in the home of a brutal, alcoholic father.


John McFarland

Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada, translated by Michael Hofmann (Melville House). A gritty "you are there" feel pervades this brilliant and harrowing saga of a German couple fighting for their dignity in the face of unrelenting Nazi oppression and sadism in Berlin in 1941.

Translation Is a Love Affair by Jacques Poulin, translated by Sheila Fischman (Archipelago Books). A short novel set in contemporary Quebec that is brimming with satisfying tales of friendship, hope and love between two unlikely and enchanting characters.

I Am Not Sidney Poitier by Percival Everett (Graywolf). A comic romp in the beloved traditions of Mark Twain, Terry Southern and Kurt Vonnegut that smartly ponders questions of racism, classism and celebrity in America today.

That Mad Ache: A Novel by Françoise Sagan, translated by Douglas Hofstadter (Basic Books). Sagan's 1965 La Chamade, about a scampering Parisienne torn between respect and affection for an older, rich protector and uncontrolled passion with a handsome, impoverished young editor, takes on thrilling romantic urgency in a new translation by the author of Gödel, Escher, Bach.

City Boy: My Life in New York During the 1960s and '70s by Edmund White (Bloomsbury). A thoughtful, ardent memoir that captures New York City at an auspicious time for White to define his themes and come into his own as a raconteur, friend and sexy devil (in the best sense).

Life as We Show It: Writing on Film, edited by Brian Pera and Masha Tupitsyn (City Lights Books). Twenty-five writers discuss attachments they formed for certain movies--ET, Shane and Rosemary's Baby acquire new significance and resonance after reading these inspired pieces of narrative nonfiction.

i sold Andy Warhol (too soon) by Richard Polsky (Other Press). A sardonic guide with lots of sassy style takes readers on a dizzying, dishy and fascinating tour of the recently crazy market for contemporary art.

Twentieth-Century German Poetry: An Anthology, edited by Michael Hofmann (FSG, 2006). A bracing collection that stands celebrities like Rilke and Brecht beside lesser-known but no-less-brilliant poets like Hans Magnus Enzensberger and Durs Grünbein to show us a poetry with a range of possibilities larger than what British and American readers have become accustomed to.

The Dedalus Book of Spanish Fantasy, edited and translated by Margaret Jull Costa and Annella McDermott (Dedalus Books, 1999). Doppelgangers, chairs acquiring souls and people metamorphosing into animals populate an anthology rich in imagination, storytelling and raw material for wild, wild dreams.

Mary Stuart by Friedrich von Schiller, translated by Jeremy Sams (Nick Hern Books, 1996). The epic battle between Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart bristles with theatrical energy in Schiller's version of the classic tale of political sibling rivalry.

Cafe Society: The Wrong Place for the Right People by Barney Josephson et al. (University of Illinois Press). Reminiscences (and captivating photographs) capture the key place Barney Josephson occupies in our cultural history and make you wish you had been there to see/hear Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Alberta Hunter and Mary Lou Williams and others electrify the place.


Marilyn Dahl

Faces of the Gone by Brad Parks (Minotaur). A debut mystery about a Newark reporter covering some gruesome murders; a solid plot mixed with sardonic wit. I'm eager for a sequel.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave (Simon). This story of a young Nigerian refugee in an English detention center will amaze and delight you--and break your heart. It's one of the finest books I've read in years, from its lyrical opening lines to its surprising end.

City of Thieves by David Benioff (Plume). The story of two young men in Leningrad during the World War II siege, who are forced to find a dozen eggs for a colonel or be executed, blew me away with its mix of tragedy and comedy--the absurdity of war brilliantly rendered.

A Final Arc of the Sky by Jennifer Culkin (Beacon Press). An eloquent and compelling memoir by a critical care flight nurse, that soars with tragedy and tenderness. A sense of fragility, and well as resiliency and strength, permeate Culkin's life and calling.

Larry's Kidney by Daniel Asa Rose (Morrow). A hilarious story about two cousins in China, one searching for a kidney and true love, the other aiding and abetting. Rose's writing is by turns hyperbolic and hallucinatory as he deals with the outlandish situation and his wacky cousin. Sometimes slapstick, sometimes caustic, Larry's Kidney is also sweet and thoughtful as Daniel finds himself improbably falling in love with China.

A Hell of Mercy: A Meditation on Depression and the Dark Night of the Soul by Tim Farrington (HarperOne). Novelist Tim Farrington has written a candid memoir about his lifelong struggle with depression. He's not a scholar, not a therapist, not a theologian; "I'm more like a veteran, I suppose: a guy whose ass has been on the line, [with] some stories from the front." It's written with wisdom and wit, by an author who sees his dark night of the soul as a gift from God.

Dogged Pursuit by Robert Rodi (Hudson Street Press). The hilarious and truly moving story of Rodi's quest to train Dusty, "a scrawny little twist of a pipe cleaner" dog, and himself, in the demanding art of canine agility competition. Heartbreaks and heroics, defeats and victories line the path to success in unexpected ways. He comes to see his dog's Dusty-ness and his dignity and experiences some true moments of grace.

Before I Forget by Leonard Pitts Jr. (Bolden/Agate). A powerful novel about regrets, second chances, forgiveness and responsibility and what it means to be a man. A father's grief and anger, his struggles with his son and his own father, combine with love in a crucible of hope and transformation. This is a beautiful, tragic and riveting work.

Border Songs by Jim Lynch (Knopf). In Border Songs, Jim Lynch does for birds and the northwestern border what he did for sea creatures and south Puget Sound in his lovely The Highest Tide; he has an equal affinity for showing us the beauty and humor of humanity. The illusory security of the border reminds us that our lives are also fragile, but Lynch has crafted a story of love, redemption and acceptance that reminds us of what is true and strong.

A Quiet Belief in Angels by R.J. Ellory (Overlook Press). As life reaches its closing chapter for Joseph Vaughn, he begins to relate his story, and waits for judgment on who he is and what he has done, beginning in Georgia in 1939. The mystery is compelling; just as insistent is the pull of Ellory's prose, with a deceptively leisurely pace that heightens the suspense. He has crafted a dazzling tale.

Spoon by Robert Greer (Fulcrum Publishing). In Montana, a drifter rescues a family and their way of life before he moves on. It starts in late summer, it ends the following autumn, and the sweetness and melancholy of the seasons perfectly complement this classic tale of a cowboy, ranchers and big business, told with sweet humor and Western elegance.

An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor (HarperOne). Taylor is one of my favorite writers, in part for her ability to see the sacred in the everyday, and in her latest book she concentrates on finding holiness in simple things like walking in the dark, hanging laundry and making eye contact with a clerk. A book to inspire and challenge.

Our Top Ten Lists 2009, Part Two
We asked Shelf Awareness people for their 10 (or so) favorite books of the past year. Most of these titles were published in 2009, but not all, since we wanted to know what gave them reading pleasure no matter the pub date.

John Mutter

Stardust by Joe Kanon (Atria). Set in 1945 in Los Angeles, this book is all about the movie business, the beginnings of the Red Scare, German emigres (Bertolt Brecht has a few lines, Thomas Mann keeps his distance), a murder mystery, the dreamworld of Hollywood and the dreamworld of real life. Great book, great ending, can't wait for the movie.

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson, translated by Reg Keeland (Knopf). Who'd have thought the second volume of this Swedish mystery would be even better than the first book in the series?!

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest by Stieg Larsson (Quercus). Who'd have thought the author could top volume two?! We were lucky enough to get a copy of the third volume in the series in Frankfurt since it's been out in the U.K. for many months; Knopf won't release it here until May. While finishing it, we mourned the author's death all the more.

Berlin Noir by Philip Kerr (Penguin, 1989, 1990 and 1991). These three titles collected in one volume feature detective Bernie Gunther, who must have been a cousin of Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade. March Violets and The Pale Criminal are set in 1930s Berlin, where Gunther, who loathes the Third Reich, gets involves in cases that lead him to bump up against powerful Nazi figures--and wind up with him involuntarily rejoining the criminal police. A German Requiem is set in the postwar period, and despite the name, most of the action takes place in Vienna. Amusing, sharp, intriguing and so very sad all at once.

Bikeman: An Epic Poem by Thomas F. Flynn (Andrews McMeel, 2008). A tender, appropriate way to remember September 11 by the CBS reporter who rode his bicycle to the Twin Towers and nearly died when he was trapped in the cloud of debris in a parking garage whose one exit was blocked.

Blue Suburbia: Almost a Memoir by Laurie Lico Albanese (Harper Perennial, 2004). Another epic autobiographical poem, one that tells the author's story, which by turns is heartbreaking and delightful. Coincidentally Blue Suburbia was included this past weekend in USA Today's "5 Unique Finds for Book Lovers."

The Best Game Ever: Pirates vs. Yankees, October 13, 1960 by Jim Reisler (Da Capo). Arguably it's good background to have been a child living in Pittsburgh that day and remember the spontaneous block party that broke out after Bill Mazeroski's legendary home run. Still anyone with some interest in baseball can appreciate this artfully done book that intersperses inning-by-inning action with a history of the teams and their colorful players, the season to that point and the contrasts between the Big Apple and Iron City.

China: Empire of Living Symbols by Cecilia Lindqvist, translated by Joan Tate (Da Capo, 2008). For those of us fascinated by Chinese, this offers detailed histories of many basic characters, showing their earliest forms, which often were representational, and their stylized modern versions. The author also traces how characters grew out of daily life and reflect old norms--the difference in the meaning of compound characters involving the characters for man and for women, for example!

Drink, Play, F@#k: One Man's Search for Anything Across Ireland, Vegas, and Thailand by Andrew Gottlieb (Black Cat/Grove/Atlantic). This gives amusing balance to Eat, Pray, Love--the title alone is worth the price of admission.

Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener (1946). The classic first work by Michener, the basis for the musical, holds up nicely.


Shannon McKenna Schmidt

American Fuji by Sara Backer (Berkley). I was intrigued to read this novel, the story of two Americans whose lives intersect in Japan, after writing about it for Shelf Awareness [September 14] and talking with bookseller Marilyn Lustig. Word of mouth works!

The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft by Ulrich Boser (Smithsonian). A fascinating foray into the art underworld as journalist Ulrich Boser cracks a cold case--the $50 million robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 1989.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson (Vintage). A riveting (addictive!) thriller. I'm looking forward to following along with quirky, unpredictable Lisbeth Salander in The Girl Who Played with Fire.

The Lion's Eye: Seeing in the Wild by Joanna Greenfield (Little, Brown). Greenfield offers a lyrical and vivid account of her time spent observing chimpanzees in the rain forests of Uganda and the personal obstacles she overcame to get there.

Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance by Gyles Brandreth (Touchstone). Flamboyant playwright Wilde taps into his powers of deduction to solve crimes in Victorian London. His latest adventure is Oscar Wilde and the Dead Man's Smile.

Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal by Julie Metz (Voice). After the sudden death of her husband, Julie Metz discovered that he had been cheating on her for years. In this remarkably honest and inspiring memoir, she shares the story of how she put her life back together.

The Sound of Water by Sanjay Bahadur (Atria). A harrowing, thought-provoking, beautifully written novel based on a real-life incident, a mining disaster in a remote region of India and told from three perspectives: the trapped men, their family members and company officials.

Swan Dive by Michael Burke (Caravel). Set in a New England factory town, this gritty, witty and risque crime novel stars a down-on-his-luck detective and is loosely based on the myth of Leda and the Swan.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (Delacorte Press). At her family's ramshackle estate in the English countryside, 11-year-old Flavia de Luce spars with her older sisters, concocts poisons and solves a murder. Atmospheric and fun.

This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Harper). Tough, smart and funny, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf recalls how she came to lead once war-torn Liberia and details the centuries-old ties between her country and the U.S.

Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor (Viking). In this eloquent memoir, Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter, Ann, recall their travels together in Greece and France as well as their emotional and spiritual journeys. Along the way, Kidd shares how she came to write her debut novel, The Secret Life of Bees.

Robert Gray

Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada (Melville House, translated by Michael Hofmann). Easily my favorite book of the year, this beautifully crafted novel of working class people trying to take a stand in Nazi Berlin was praised by the New York Times as a "signal literary event of 2009."

In the First Circle: A Novel (The Restored Text) by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (HarperCollins, translated by H.T. Willetts). It was a thrill to revisit this uncensored edition of what I've long considered one of the most important books published in my lifetime.

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann. Sure he won the National Book Award and everybody's reading him now, but I've been a fan of McCann's work for more than a decade. The elegant, intelligent grittiness of this New York novel is precisely what I've come to expect from one of our best writers.

Memories of the Future by Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky (NYRB Classics, translated by Joanne Turnbull). Speculative fiction from Russia, this collection subtly twists perceived reality with intelligence and starting imagination. I loved "The Bookmark," and lines like "the bookmark looked affronted and slightly grumpy."

31 Hours by Masha Hamilton (Unbridled Books). An exploration of post-9/11 New York from multiple perspectives, this was a brilliant and irresistible, provocative and evocative literary thrill ride that probed the deeply human causes and consequences of terrorism.

Beauty Salon by Mario Bellatín (City Lights Books, translated by Kurt Hollander). Imagine a salon that becomes "the Terminal," a surreal yet all too real refuge for strangers "who have nowhere else to die." I'm still haunted by the narrative voice and the aquariums. (You'll have to read it to find out about them.)

The Pig Comes to Dinner by Joseph Caldwell (HarperCollins). Yes, you can read Caldwell just for the fun of it. If you are a fan of smart, biting Irish humor, this second volume of Caldwell's trilogy (after the delightful The Pig Did It) continues my favorite porcine misadventures.

Dread: How Fear and Fantasy Have Fueled Epidemics from the Black Death to Avian Flu by Philip Alcabes (PublicAffairs). One of the best explorations of our strange, instinctive need to overreact to often misperceived threats like epidemic scares. A clearheaded look at our instinctive human fondness for mass anxiety and panic.

The Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution by Denis Dutton (Bloomsbury Press). Does my taste in art reflect evolutionary traits shaped by Darwinian selection? I thought so before reading Dutton's book, and found that he makes an intriguing and enlightening case for the possibility that my instinct was correct.

Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk (HarperStudio). Anyone who wants to understand how the alchemy of passion and knowledge can produce gold (whatever your gold may be) in business and life should pay attention to Gary Vaynerchuk. His presentation at BEA was an impressive tasting; his book is insightful, inspiring and even a little intoxicating.

Midwest Connection Picks 12/09

From the Midwest Booksellers Association: six recent Midwest Connections picks. Under this marketing program, the association and member stores promote booksellers' handselling favorites that have a strong Midwest regional appeal:

The Chain Letter of the Soul: New and Selected Poems by Bill Holm (Milkweed Editions, $18, 9781571314444/157131444X). Hans Weyandt of Micawber's Books in St, Paul, Minn., said, "Bill Holm, one of Minnesota's greatest champions of the arts, passed away not too long ago. The Chain Letter of the Soul is his last book--a new and selected poems (heavy on the new) that is not at all one of those thrown-together collections. It is a great testament to his life and his writing."


Twisted Tree by Kent Meyers (Houghton Mifflin, $24, 9780151013890/0151013896). According to Nancy Simpson of Book Vault in Oskaloosa, Iowa, "Twisted Tree by Kent Meyers is one of those books that really grabs your attention in the first three pages and never lets go! It is actually the story of a human domino chain: the interrelated stories of what happens after one young girl in a very small town is killed. Meyers's character development is superb.... each character speaks by turns in the first person. Highly recommended."

Stray Affections by Charlene Baumbich (WaterBrook Press, $13.99, 9780307444714/0307444716). Nancy Simpson of Book Vault in Oskaloosa, Iowa, said, "What a bundle this book is! A combination of mystery, magic, joy, second chances, quirky characters and the blessings of God... all brought to light by the purchase of a snow globe at a flea market. This is an ideal book to read on a snowy winter day, snuggled up in a blanket, with a cup of hot chocolate beside you."

The Longest Night by Marion Dane Bauer and Ted Lewin (Holiday House, $17.95, 9780823420544/082342054X). Angie Grafstrom of Inspiration Hollow in Roseau, Minn., said, "The Longest Night by Marion Dane Bauer is a charming story about the winter solstice and the return of longer days. Its lyrical style and beautiful illustrations will make this an instant family classic to be shared with generations to come. Children will ask for this one over and over again!!"

Pioneer Girl: A True Story of Growing Up on the Prairie by Andrea Warren (Bison Books, $14.95, 9780803225268/0803225261). Carla Ketner of Chapters Books & Gifts in Seward, Neb., said, "This summer my 11-year-old niece and I visited Homestead National Monument in Beatrice, Nebraska, where we saw first-hand what Grace McCance Snyder, the 'pioneer girl' of Warren's book, would have encountered as a homesteader to this area in 1885. Pioneer Girl is an engaging, well-researched extension of our visit, and I just had to buy it for her for her birthday!"

Moose on the Loose by Kathy-Jo Wargin and John Bendall-Brunello (Sleeping Bear Press, $15.95, 9781585364275/1585364274). According to Bev Denor of LaDeDa Books & Beans in Manitowoc, Wis., "Home invasions are not funny--that is unless the invader is a moose who tries on your socks, scrubs up in your tub, and needs a kiss before snuggling into your bed for the night. Kathy-Jo Wargin's silly story told in rhyme, enhanced by John Bendall-Brunello's whimsical drawings, won't settle on your bookshelf for long... it is sure to be read again and again."

SCIBA: Southern California Bookseller Awards (2005,2009)

SCIBA Winners 2009
Winners of the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association awards, which "reflect Southern California culture or lifestyle, with authors/illustrators living within the SCIBA region," are:

Nonfiction: Susan Campoy for Celebrating with Julienne
Fiction: Lisa See for Shanghai Girls
T. Jefferson Parker Mystery: Debra Ginsberg for The Grift
Children's Picture Book: David Shannon for Too Many Toys
Children's Novel: Michael Grant for Hunger -- added Gone (#1 in series)
Glenn Goldman Art & Architecture Book: Patrick Ecclesine for Faces of Sunset Boulevard and Annie Leibovitz for Annie Leibovitz at Work
The winners were honored at the SCIBA authors feast and trade show on Saturday (10/24/09) in Los Angeles.

2005:
At last Saturday's (10/15/05) lively Authors Feast in Long Beach, Calif., attended by 275 people, the winners of the Southern California Bookseller Awards were all on hand and included several popular local writers with national audiences.

Fiction:

Lisa See, who had told several people beforehand that she wouldn't win, said that the honor capped a day of firsts for her. Her husband had let her drive his car; she had given a talk in a church; and she won an award--for Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Random House).

Mystery:

T. Jefferson Parker, who noted that he has lived in Los Angeles County, Orange County and now San Diego County, as he works his way down the coast, said that in his mysteries, he has tried to capture something of the essence of Southern California. The recognition by booksellers of California Girl (Morrow) he took as a happy acknowledgement that he had succeeded.

Nonfiction:

A man with roots in the area as deep as they get, Ernest Marquez, who won for his memoir, Santa Monica Beach (Angel City Press), said that in the early nineteenth century, his great-grandfathers owned much of what is present-day Santa Monica. Laughing, he added, "Now 160 years later, I can't even go on it."

Children's Books:

Noting that he had taken much of Alice the Fairy (Blue Sky/Scholastic) from his daughter--half the storyline and even the title--David Shannon wondered if when she turned 18, she might sue him.

Nonfiction Celebrating the West

From SA 07/01/05
The following are the 25 nonfiction titles from and about the West published during the first 25 years of the King's English, Salt Lake City, Utah, that the store has judged its favorites on the subject. This is just one of the many intriguing book lists that appear in co-owner Betsy Burton's new memoir, The King's English: Adventures of an Independent Bookseller (Gibbs Smith, $24.95).

1. This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind by Ivan Doig (Harvest, $14)
2. Basin and Range by John McPhee (FSG, $13)
3. The Desert Smells Like Rain: A Naturalist in Papago Indian Country by Gary Paul Nabhan )
4. The Solace of Open Spaces by Gretel Ehrlich (Penguin, $12.95)
5. Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner
6. Wild to the Heart by Rick Bass (Norton, $12)
7. Desert Solitaire by Ed Abbey (Ballantine, $6.99)
8. The Sagebrush Ocean: A Natural History of the Great Basin by Steve Trimble
9. Desert Notes, River Notes by Barry Lopez (HarperCollins/Quill)
10. Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place by Terry Tempest Williams (Vintage, $13)
11. Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs: Living and Writing in the West by Wallace Stegner
12. Hole in the Sky: A Memoir by William Kittredge (Vintage, $19)
13. The Eagle Bird: Mapping a New West by Charles Wilkinson (Johnson Books, $14)
14. Riding the White Horse Home: A Western Family Album by Teresa Jordan (Vintage, $12)
15. Temporary Homelands by Alison Hawthorne Deming (Mercury House, $18)
16. Downcanyon: A Naturalist Explores the Colorado River Through the Grand Canyon by Ann Zwinger
17. A Place in Space: Ethics, Aesthetics, and Watersheds by Gary Snyder (Counterpoint, $17)
18. Homestead by Annick Smith (Milkweed, $13.95)
19. Where Rivers Change Direction by Mark Spragg (Riverhead, $14)
20. Canaries on the Rim: Living Downwind in the West by Chip Ward (Verso, $16)
21. The Blood Runs Like a River Through My Dreams by Nasdijj (Mariner, $13)
22. Eye of the Blackbird: A Story of Gold in the American West by Holly Skinner (Johnson Books, $17.50)
23. The Secret Knowledge of Water: Discovering the Essence of the American Desert by Craig Childs (Back Bay, $13.95)
24. Running After Antelope by Scott Carrier (Counterpoint, $14)
25. The Anthropology of Turquoise: Reflecting on Desert, Sea, Stone, and Sky by Ellen Meloy

Great Lakes Book Awards (2009)

Finalists for the 2009 Great Lakes Book Awards, honoring books with "a Great Lakes theme or setting or . . . written by an author living in the region," are:


Fiction
Dark Places: A Novel by Gillian Flynn

The Great Perhaps: A Novel by Joe Meno -- Winner!

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

Starvation Lake: A Mystery by Bryan Gruley

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski


General
Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting by Michael Perry (HarperCollins)
The Foie Gras Wars by Mark Caro (Simon & Schuster) -- Winner!
Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton (Simon & Schuster)
Ripped by Greg Kot (Simon & Schuster)
A Splintered History of Wood by Spike Carlsen (HarperCollins)


Children's Chapter Books

After the Train by Gloria Whelan

The Blind Faith Hotel by Pamela Todd -- Winner!
I Put a Spell on You: From the Files of Chrissie Woodward, Spelling Bee Detective by Adam Selzer
Knucklehead by Jon Scieszka
The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary by Candace Fleming
My Brother Abe by Harry Mazer


Children's Picture Books
Baby Dragon by Amy Ehrlich, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand (Candlewick Press)
Birds by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek (Harper Collins)
Old Bear by Kevin Henkes (Harper Collins)
That Book Woman by Heather Henson, illustrated by David Small -- Winner!
The Underwear Salesman by J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Serge Bloch (Simon & Schuster)


Winners will be announced in late August and be honored Friday, October 2, at GLIBA's fall trade show in Cleveland, Ohio.

Book Sense Book of the Year (2004-2008)

The Book Sense Book of the Year is an American Literary Award inaugurated at BookExpo America 2000. The American Booksellers Association (ABA) rededicated the award (previously known as the ABBY) in recognition of a new era in bookselling, as well as the important role the Book Sense Picks List has played for independent booksellers in discovering and spreading the word about books of quality to all stores, and readers, nationwide. Throughout the year, Book Sense independent booksellers from across the country nominate for inclusion in the monthly Book Sense Picks the books that they most enjoyed handselling to their customers. The books on each list represent a combined national and local staff pick selection of booksellers' favorites from more than 1,200 independent bookstores with Book Sense.

2008 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards

2008 Adult Fiction Winner
* A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

2008 Adult Fiction Honor Books
* The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
* Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo
* Away by Amy Bloom
* Run by Ann Patchett

2008 Adult Nonfiction Winner
* Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver, with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver

2008 Adult Nonfiction Honor Books
* The World Without Us: by Alan Weisman
* Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin
* The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War by David Halberstam
* The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs

2008 Children's Literature Winner
* The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
2008 Children's Literature Honor Books
* The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
* Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
* Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

2008 Children's Illustrated Winner
* Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems

2008 Children's Illustrated Honor Books
* Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy by Jane O'Connor, Robin Preiss-Glasser (Illus.)
* Pirates Don't Change Diapers by Melinda Long, David Shannon (Illus.)
* The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis
* Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney

2007 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards

[have been removed from Wikipedia]

2006 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards

2006 Adult Fiction Winner
* The Historian: A Novel by Elizabeth Kostova

2006 Adult Fiction Honor Books
* Kafka on the Shore: A Novel by Haruki Murakami
* The March: A Novel by E.L. Doctorow
* Saturday: A Novel by Ian McEwan
* Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel by Lisa See

2006 Adult Nonfiction Winner
* Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

2006 Adult Nonfiction Honor Books
* The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls (Scribner/S&S)
* The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece by Jonathan Harr
* Marley & Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan
* The Tender Bar: A Memoir by J.R. Moehringer

2006 Children's Literature Winner
* Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

2006 Children's Literature Honor Books
* A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin
* Eldest: Inheritance, Book 2 by Christopher Paolini
* Flush by Carl Hiaasen
* The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall

2006 Children's Illustrated Winner
* Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth

2006 Children's Illustrated Honor Books
* Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin; illustrated by Harry Bliss
* Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
* Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
* Seen Art? By Jon Scieszka; illustrated by Lane Smith

2005 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards

2005 Adult Fiction Winner
* Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

2005 Adult Fiction Honor Books
* Eventide by Kent Haruf
* The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
* The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
* The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

2005 Adult Nonfiction Winner
* Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II by Robert Kurson

2005 Adult Nonfiction Honor Books
* Candyfreak by Steve Almond
* The Complete Cartoons of The New Yorker, Robert Mankoff (Ed.)
* Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs
* Truth & Beauty by Ann Patchett

2005 Children's Literature Winner
* Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, illustrated by Brett Helquist

2005 Children's Literature Honor Books
* Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan
* Ida B ... and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan
* Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
* The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer

2005 Children's Illustrated Winner
* Duck for President by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin

2005 Children's Illustrated Honor Books
* Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henke
* Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
* Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle
* Wild About Books by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Marc Brown

2004 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards

2004 Adult Fiction Winner
* The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

2004 Adult Fiction Honor Books
* The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
* The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
* Mrs. Kimble by Jennifer Haigh
* The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

2004 Adult Nonfiction Winner
* Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi

2004 Adult Nonfiction Honor Books

* The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
* Flyboys: A True Story of Courage by James Bradley
* Michelangelo & The Pope's Ceiling by Ross King
* Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

2004 Children's Literature Winner
* Eragon: The Inheritance, Book I by Christopher Paolini

2004 Children's Literature Honor Books
* Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code (Book 3) by Eoin Colfer
* Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
* The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
* The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo; illus. by Timothy Basil Ering

2004 Children's Illustrated Winner
* How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long; illus. by David Shannon

2004 Children's Illustrated Honor Books
* Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French; illus. by Bruce Whatley
* Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin; illus. by Harry Bliss
* Old Turtle and the Broken Truth by Douglas Wood; illus. by Jon J. Muth
* Olivia ... and the Missing Toy by Ian Falconer

2004 Paperback Winner
* The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

2004 Paperback Honor Books
* Atonement by Ian McEwan
* The Dive From Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer
* Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
* Life of Pi by Yann Martel