Book Awards Reading Challenge

The Devil in the White City is a terrific non-fiction book. It is in the incredible story of the 1893 World's Fair held in Chicago and Dr. H. H. Holmes, America's first serial killer. The author, Erik Larson, has written a well researched book that is highly recommended, particularly to those interested in American history. You can read my full review at my blog.

I recently finished the science fiction book Seeker and posted a review on my blog. It is a decent book but not one I would assume worth of winning an award. The most impressive thing about the book is the knowledge of astronomy displayed by the author. Please check out the full review!

I have just recently finished reading The Blind Assassin. I found it to be tragic but at the same time I was left feeling disconnected from the story. However, Margaret Atwood is most certainly a very able writer. I look forward to reading more from her. Please stop by and read my full review.

I recently finished a non-fiction book about the 1986 accident at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl. It was a heartbreaking book, filled with interviews with the people who suffered through it, the people who's loved ones died from radiation poisoning. I did not know much about the accident before reading this, I only knew that it was tragic and frightening. I can't imagine how scary it must have been to be endangered by something invisible, something that is almost impossible to contain. I have posted a full review of the book on my blog.

Hey, this is Matt from A Variety of Words where I'll be posting reviews of these books as I complete them. Fantastic idea for a reading challenge. This is only the second challenge I've joined and I'm looking forward to getting started. I ended up with about 19 books on my list so I'm posting the 12 plus 7 alternates.

1. Voices from Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich (NBCC)
   
2. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (Man Booker)
3. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (Hugo, Nebula)
4. Europe Central by William Vollmann (National Book Award)
5. The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow (National Book Award)
6. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (National Book Award)
7. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Nobel)
   
8. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Orange)
9. Beloved by Toni Morrison (Pulitzer, Nobel)
10. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (Pulitzer)
11. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Pulitzer)
12. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (Pulitzer)

And now for some alternates just in case I decide to change it up a bit.

1. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Governor General, Arthur C. Clarke)
2. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville (Arthur C. Clarke)
3. Spin by Robert Charles Wilson (Hugo)
4. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (Pen/Faulkner, Orange)
5. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (Pulitzer)
6. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (Pulitzer, Spur)
7. Seeker by Jack McDevitt (Nebula)
8. War Trash by Ha Jin (Pen/Faulkner)

Nearly every one of these book was already on my list, and some I had been putting off, but no longer!