Stacking the Shelves (172)

Although I read the early books in Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series, I stopped somewhere in the middle. I remember enjoying them, but my continuation fell prey to the “so many books, so little time” problem. I got the next-to-the-last book for a tour, so I went hunting through my various libraries to see how much of the gap I could fill in. Turns out to be quite a lot!

And, although I won’t mention it again, I was reappointed to the American Library Association Notable Books Council. What that means is that boxes of books have started to arrive and overwhelm my shelves, books that mostly won’t appear in this list. Nor will I ever say that a book I am reviewing is or is not under consideration for the award. The annual award (here’s the most recent list) goes to the best literary fiction, nonfiction and poetry of the year. While these genres are somewhat outside my wheelhouse, I have generally enjoyed, or at least found interesting or fascinating, the books I have read for the committee. Which don’t always get a full review treatment for various reasons.

For anyone wondering how the process works, I have to read any title that I suggest for the list, and give it an up or down vote. I also have to read any book that anyone else nominates for inclusion in the award. We discuss those books at meetings, and vote around the table. Then we whittle to get to a final list of 25, 26 or at the absolute maximum, 27. It’s fun to talk books, especially great books, with a great bunch of people.