Women Writers & Publishers Weekly

A good deal of heat has been generated among book aficianados by the Publisher’s Weekly Best Books of 2009 list.   This list is the editors’ choice of the major publishing trade magazine which has significant influence over what books get stocked in book stores, reviewed,  purchased and read.  Not one of the top 10 books in their list was written by a woman, not this year’s contributions by such literary luminaries as A.S. Byatt, Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro or Rita Dove.  None of those from popular writers Diana Gabaldon, Barbara Kingsolver,  Sara Paretsky or Kathyrn Stockett.  None of the important nonfiction of Gail Collins,  Sheryl WuDunn, Rebecca Solnit or Sara Maitland.

The 2009 Man Booker International Prize, the Booker Prize and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction all went to women writers (Munro, Hilary Mantel and Elizabeth Strout), so it’s not like women aren’t writing great books.

Publisher’s Weekly acknowledged that their (subjective) choices didn’t produce “the most politically correct” list (Huffington Post, 10.29.09).   Does politically incorrect mean male bias?

Fortunately, Women in Literature and Literary Arts (WILLA) is taking up the gauntlet.  They’ve created The WILLA List Wiki (sort of like a small version of Wikipedia, the public can contribute directly to it) to list books written by women authors in 2009.  There are some great books listed though the list is quite long, and I certainly don’t recognize all of the authors or titles.  I have found a good source of reading ideas for 2010.

What are your favorite authors, female or male, of 2009?  Leave a comment and let us know.

Another Book I Read

Everything Matters!
by: Currie, Ron, Jr.
2009/07 ISBN:0670020923  /  9780670020928
In infancy, Junior Thibodeaux is encoded with a prophesy: a comet will obliterate life on Earth in 36 years. Alone in this knowledge, he comes of age in rural Maine grappling with the question: Does anything I do matter?

–

It does, but not in ways he imagines.  Written from the perspective of Jr.’s loved ones and from the omniscient 2nd person point of view of a voice in his head (that tells him things he cannot possibly know), this is a lot of questions added in.  Is the world worth saving?  Is anyone worth saving, especially yourself?  Does the end matter as much as getting there?  Certain to start many conversations about family, growing up, free will and the many worlds interpretation of our universe.

Happy “Canadian” Day, eh?

In honor of Canada Day, here are some recent and interesting (popular, even?) titles from Canadian authors!

2009/04 Ace Books 0441016790 Check Our Catalog

WWW: Wake By Sawyer, Robert J. Although Caitlin Decter is blind, she can effortlessly surf the Internet by following its complex paths clearly in her mind. When she receives an implant to restore her sight, instead of seeing reality, the landscape of the World Wide Web explodes into her consciousness.

2008/10 House of Anansi Press 0887848001 Check Our Catalog

Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth By Atwood, Margaret Collected here, the Massey Lectures from legendary novelist Margaret Atwood investigate the highly topical subject of debt. She doesn’t talk about high finance or managing money; instead, she goes far deeper to explore debt as an ancient and central motif in religion, literature, and the structure of human societies. By looking at how debt has informed our thinking from preliterate times to the present day, from the stories we tell of revenge and sin to the way we order social relationships, Atwood argues that the idea of what we owe may well be built into the human imagination as one of its most dynamic metaphors. Her final lecture addresses the notion of a debt to nature and the need to find new ways of interacting with the natural world before it is too late.

2009-04 Hyperion Books 9781401303389 Check Our Catalog

Always Looking Up By Fox, Michael J. The beloved actor–and #1 bestselling author–writes about the personal philosophy that has carried him through his darkest hours, and speaks with others who have emerged from difficult periods with optimism to spare.

AudioBook Month

June is AudioBook month. What a great way to kick off the summer travel and relaxation time by listening to a good book. We have over 4,000 audio and downloadable titles to choose from. If you are looking for popular fiction, classics, self-help, biographies, history, and others-we have them! Here are some titles of our recent arrivals: Genghis by Conn Iggulden, I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulla Melucci, Little Bee by Chris Cleave, and Mafia Son by Sandra Harmon. Call or stop by and we can help you find a good audiobook. Happy Listening!!

If you like Dan Brown…

The movie “Angels and Demons,” based on Dan Brown’s bestselling book, hit theaters last weekend.  The movie’s release has increased demand for Brown’s novels.  If you are looking for something to read while you wait, or if you have read Brown’s books and are looking for something similar, try these books.

The Last Cato  Matilde Asensi

 The Templar Legacy  Steve Berry

 The Rule of Four  Ian Caldwell

 The Genesis Code  John Case

 A Finer End  Deborah Crombie

 Foucault’s Pendulum  Umberto Eco

 Codex  Lev Grossman

 The Historian  Elizabeth Kostova

 The Last Templar  Raymond Khoury

 Labyrinth  Kate Mosse

 The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud  Julia Navarro

 Daughter of God  Lewis Perdue

 Seven Deadly Wonders  Matthew Reilly

 Map of Bones  James Rollins

 The Secret Supper  Javier Sierra

 The Confessor  Daniel Silva

 

And don’t forget to watch for his new novel, The Lost Symbol, to be published on September 15, 2009!

Need ideas for your next read?

Summer will be here before you know it, so it is not too early to start thinking about what books you would like to read at the beach or in your garden.  We are compiling lists of books by author, genre, and themes on a regular basis.  We will feature each list at the Reference Desk.  Feel free to let us know what might interest you.  Here is one of our recent lists, perfect for a light-hearted summer read.

If you like light-hearted or humorous mysteries, try these authors…

Donna Andrews

 M.C. Beaton

 Dorothy Cannell

 Jill Churchill

 Susan Conant

 Mary Daheim

 Diane Mott Davidson

 Janet Evanovich

 Joanne Fluke

 Dorothy Gilman

 Charlaine Harris

 Carolyn Hart

 Alexander McCall Smith

 Tamar Myers

 Sarah Strohmeyer

 Donald Westlake