Tournament of Books 2019

Morning News Tournament of Books
Rooster Award for best fiction
15th edition
sponsored by Field Notes and Powell's
details | daily
Each weekday in March, starting March 6, 2019, two of the books below will be read and considered by one of our judges (also listed below). One book from the “match” will be chosen to advance, with the judge required to explain in detail how he or she came to their decision. Then the judge’s decision is evaluated first by our official commentators, then by you, the Rooster fan, wherein you politely and respectfully describe how your heart was broken and your mind inflamed by such erroneous arrogance. And the next day we do it all over again.

That time of year again...

I am always excited to see the announcement of the shortlist for this annual tournament. So far, I read one last year and some are already in my tbr pile. Per usual, I plan to read as many as I can before the March event.

The Shortlist:

Call Me Zebra
by Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi
-Contemporary
Goodreads | my review: DNF

Census
by Jesse Ball
-Literary, Dystopia
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 4

The Dictionary of Animal Languages
by Heidi Sopinka
-Historical
Goodreads | my review: DNF

The Golden State
by Lydia Kiesling
-Literary
Goodreads | my review: DNF

The House of Broken Angels
by Luis Alberto Urrea
-Literary
Goodreads | my review: DNF

The Italian Teacher
by Tom Rachman
-Historical, Art, Italy
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 4

The Mars Room
by Rachel Kushner
-Literary
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5

Milkman
by Anna Burns
-Literary, Ireland
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5

My Sister the Serial Killer
by Oyinkan Braithwaite
-Mystery, Thriller, Africa
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5

The Overstory
by Richard Powers
-Literary, Environment
Goodreads | my review: DNF

The Parking Lot Attendant
by Nafkote Tamirat
-Literary, Africa
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5

So Lucky
by Nicola Griffith
-Literary, LGBTQ
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 4

There There
by Tommy Orange
-Literary
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5

Warlight
by Michael Ondaatje
-Literary, Historical, War
Goodreads | my review| my rating: 5

Washington Black
by Esi Edugyan
-Historical, Canada
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5

Play-in round books:

America Is Not the Heart
by Elaine Castillo
-Historical
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5

Speak No Evil
by Uzodinma Iweala
-Literary, LGBTQ
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 4

A Terrible Country
by Keith Gessen
-Contemporary, Russia
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5
~*~
WINNER: My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite