Today's question: Awards. Do you follow any particular book awards? Do you ever choose books based on awards? What award-winning books do you have? (Off the top of your head only- no need to look this up- it would take all day!) What's your favorite award-winning book?
I don't really follow any book awards, and I certainly don't choose the books I read based upon what awards they've won or been nominated for. That probably sounds as if I hold myself above such mundane matters, and that's not my intention. I think my attitude stems from watching the Academy Awards for years when I was younger. The Academy is notorious for not rewarding the truly deserving until they're dead...or at least at death's door. They may've gotten better at it in the last few years. I hope so, but I don't watch them anymore. I've seen movies given the Best Picture Oscar that put me to sleep when I watched them. So...from a young age, the Academy Awards taught me not to trust the award system.
I'll drag my line of thought kicking and screaming back to books. The one award that I do pay attention to more than others is the Dilys Award, which is given each year by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association to the book the member booksellers most enjoyed selling. I think I like this award because it's straightforward. It means people have actually read the book, loved it, and made an effort to get others to read it. There's no mysterious algorithms of sales and markets and high brow reviewers. To me, it represents the best combination of readers and the tried-and-true "word of mouth". As it turns out, I own quite a few Dilys Award winners: Louise Penny's Still Life, Colin Cotterill's Thirty-Three Teeth, Jasper Fforde's Lost in a Good Book, Val McDermid's A Place of Execution.... I've also managed to buy, read and enjoy a recent Pulitzer Prize winner: Cormac McCarthy's The Road. So, although I'm a contrary soul and have a tendency to put a book back on the shelf when its awards are blasted all over the cover, I've still read my fair share!
The Dilys Award sounds great. :-) it's cool to find out about things like this!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting award. I will have to check it out since I do love a good mystery.
ReplyDeleteYes, I guess I will be third in line to thank you for the link to the Dilys Award.
ReplyDeleteI love me a good mystery, so I will have to check some of those titles out! Always on the hunt for some new....well, new to me....writers.
I guess I'm a "contrary soul," too - I usually end up reading the book that didn't win the award. Didn't know about the Dilys Award, but it does sound interesting.
ReplyDeleteI don't follow any of the 'grown up' book awards for the very reasons you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteAs to the Academy Awards, I don't think they've improved so very much in that respect, actually.
This is a really interesting award. It sound more real.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't aware of the Dilys Award, thanks for educating me. Although I am a bit of a picky mystery reader but Lost In A Good Book is one of my favorites. I tend to read quite a few Pulitzer winners and although not everyone enjoyed it I was absolutely thrilled with The Road.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of the Dilys award, but I will have to look into it!
ReplyDeleteWell...I'm certainly chuffed at spreading the word about the Dilys! Perhaps we book bloggers should start our own book awards? ;-)
ReplyDeleteAs far as The Road--I think many people steered clear of it because they thought it was going to be overwhelmingly depressing. I found hope, not doom and gloom.
You're so right about the Academy Awards - to me they are just a reason for the rich and famous to dress up (pretty harsh but oh well) :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info on the Dilys, it sounds so interesting, especially how the winners are decided.
I follow the Edgars, Dilys, Anthony, and other awards. Over the years, I've found that my reading tastes mostly coincide with the Anthony Award.
ReplyDeleteI look at the awards mostly as a way to investigate new authors. When a new author continues to win awards after their first one, it tells me that they have a future in the genre.