What good are awards? Do they really mean anything? Are the winners truly better than other books, or is it just a popularity contest? We’ve known readers who only read award winners, and others who actively avoid them, on the theory that award winning books might be more admirable than enjoyable. But there is definitely one aspect of book awards that is a big help to readers: the full lists of nominees – or long lists.
We regularly pore over the longlisted books for the Booker Prize, the Carnegie Medal, the Edgar Awards, the National Book Awards and others, looking for titles that both passed their judges’ muster and capture our own individual interest. One of the best – and longest – long lists each year is the LAMBDA Literary Awards (or Lammys), now entering its 31st year of recognizing excellence in LGBTQIA literature. Lammy winners will be announced on June 3, but you can enjoy their long list, spanning a vast array of categories, right now! It is hard to imagine a better way to get in touch with some of the most interesting LGBTQIA narratives and talented authors writing today. And for your convenience, we’ve posted extensive lists of the finalists for fiction & poetry, non-fiction and graphic novels, and books for youth, right there in our library catalog.
Fiction readers will find there The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara, and Speak No Evil, by Uzodinma Iweala (Gay fiction); Maggie Terry by Sarah Schulman, and Tiger Flu by Larissa Lai (Lesbian fiction); The Best Bad Things by Katrina Marie Carrasco, and Jilted by Lilah Suzanne (Bisexual fiction); Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi, and Confessions of the Fox, by Jordy Rosenberg (Transgender fiction), among many, many others. There are also mysteries, such as Ellen Hart’s A Whisper of Bones or Joseph Olshan’s Black Diamond Fall; Romance such as Detour by Reesa Herberth or Charming the Vicar, by Jenny Frame; Fantasy like The Breath of the Sun, by Issac Fellman, or J.Y. Yang’s The Descent of Monsters …and so much more. Non-fiction fans won’t be disappointed either, with poetry, graphic novels, memoirs, biographies, and other non-fiction genres to choose from. So visit our catalog Lammy lists for youth, fiction and poetry, and non-fiction, and start placing your holds today!
~ Posted by David W.
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