2020 Short List

I've created this year's LibraryThing List so we can all rank our favorites as we make our way through the books. Since we started doing this in 2014, the List has correctly predicted the winner twice - Underground Railroad and Station Eleven - and was at its worst in 2018 when Fever Dream was listed 9th and in 2014 when The Good Lord Bird was listed 8th. What does 2020 have in store? What are your favorites so far?

https://www.librarything.com/list/21298/all/2020-Tournament-of-Books#

>1 zhejw: Thanks for creating the list!

Thanks for posting! So far I have read 5, here's my listing:

1. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (4)
2. Golden State by Ben Winters (4.5)
3. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo (4)
4. Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli (3)
5. Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (3)

I'd love to read your ranking of those.

>4 zhejw: I added my ratings, which leaves me wondering why I put The Testaments ahead of Golden State, when I rated Golden State higher. But I think that Golden State got docked in the rankings for being so genre, and for lack of character development. But I really enjoyed reading it.

What are your rankings?

My rankings are up in the list.

https://www.librarything.com/list/21298/all/2020-Tournament-of-Books#

I rank books as I read and often move them after I finish. I'm in the middle of Golden State at the moment. Yes, it's an enjoyable enough read, but the prose and characterization could be better. I'm still mulling his social/political themes.

>6 zhejw: I guess I am a bit confused about how to see your rankings from that list still.

I would agree with you on the characterization in Golden State, but I thought that the prose matched the scenario, and I enjoyed that.

>5 banjo123: I also find that my own ratings don't always match my ranking of the ToB books. My star ratings are affected by how much I enjoyed the book or how good it is in relation to others of its genre. With ToB books, my rankings tend to be affected by how innovative the book is and whether it will generate good ToB discussion.

>7 banjo123: You can click on "show all" in the "Members" line and then the LT member's name to see that person's rankings.

Thanks, Mathgirl! And that is actually exactly my issue with book ratings.

I just finished Optic Nerve this morning. I feel like this is a book that may do well in the TOB. It took me awhile to plow through this book even though it's short. But I have a feeling that I'll be thinking and talking about this book for awhile. I have it as my number 1 in my list right now but I still have 11 more books to read.

How do other people feel about Optic Nerve? What are your current number 1's?

Optic Nerve is currently my number 1 as well. It hit all the right spots for me and I quite enjoyed reading it. However, I've only read two of the books so far and bailed on another so who knows where it will end up overall.

It's my no. 2. I loved it! I suspect a lot of people will say that, but it'll get bounced for not being enough "like a novel."

Still haven't read anything that bettered Lost Children Archive yet, but everything on my list is pretty close together in my mind.

What book did you bail on? So far I've read 9 of the books and I haven't bailed yet. But who knows what will happen. Last year, I couldn't get through Milkman no matter how many times I tried.

Just finished Mary Toft: or, The Rabbit Queen this morning. It's my new number 1.

I loved Mary Toft!!! It's close to Girl, Woman, Other as my favorite and probably the book I think most likely to win the Rooster out of the 9 I've read so far.

I just finished Girl, Woman, Other and ranked it above Mary Toft. I can see either book winning the Rooster. But I have still have 8 books to read and they're all in various stages of hold at the library. Don't know if I'll be able to read all of them before the Tournament starts.

Mary Toft is climbing up the List as more people read and rank it! It appears to have the highest mean ranking of those who've read it, with Optic Nerve up next.