The 2011 Tournament of Books

Book lovers, start your reading! The Morning News has recently announced the contenders for this year's Tournament of Books. Now in it's seventh year, this event (presented by Field Notes and sponsored by Powell's Books) pits some of the past year's best books against each other in a bracket-style showdown. Some of this year's judges include popular fiction author Jennifer Weiner, Time assistant managing editor Radhika Jones and The Walkmen lead singer Hamilton Leithauser. You also have a chance to alter the course of events through the "Zombie Round" - where the two most popular books among readers that were earlier eliminated get a second chance to take down the semi-finalists. The winning book is crowned "The Rooster" aka "The Champion Book of the Year." The contest starts on Monday, March 7th, but the titles are announced early to give readers a chance to savor each book before the battle begins. Take a look at this year's nominees and get ready to cheer on your favorite in the 2011 Tournament of Books!

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Nox by Anne Carson
Bad Marie by Marcy Dermansky
Room by Emma Donoghue
A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon
Bloodroot by Amy Greene
Next by James Hynes
The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
Model Home by Eric Puchner
So Much for That by Lionel Shriver
Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
Kapitoil by Teddy Wayne
Savages by Don Winslow

NaNoWriMo

"Thirty days and nights of literary abandon!" For all you current/sometimes/hopeful authors out there...NaNoWriMo beckons. Put aside your fears and judgements and pick up your pens and laptops. Your inner characters and storylines are begging to be set free.

What on earth is NaNoWriMo, you ask? National Novel Writing Month. The one glorious month out of every year (since 1999) that authors (published and wannabes, alike) are challenged to write relentlessly (a 50,000 word novel) about anything their heart desires. The goal is quantity, not quality. In fact, editing is deeply frowned upon.

The point is to spur anyone interested in writing into action. Too often, internal criticism, fear and lack of motivation keep people from writing. NaNoWriMo combats these setbacks with a breezy, seat-of-your-pants attitude toward novel writing. If you don't suffer from such writing hang-ups, you should consider participating anyway. Here are some fun reasons from the NaNoWriMo website:
-To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms!
-To write without having to obsess over quality.
-To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties.
-To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.

Whatever the reason, you won't regret partaking in the exhilarating experience that is NaNoWriMo.

Additional Resources:
*Websites
Nanowrimo
Nanowrimo's Young Writer's Program
Meriiam-Webster - online dictionary and thesaurus
Bartleby.com - find quotes from literature
Dropbox - sync your files online and across your computers (in case you write on a variety of computers)

*Books
No plot? No problem! : a low-stress, high-velocity guide to writing a novel in 30 days by Chris Baty
How I write: secrets of a best-selling author by Janet Evanovich & Ina Yalof
The lie that tells a truth: a guide to writing fiction by John Dufresne
This year you write your novel by Walter Mosley

"It was a dark and stormy night..."

This iconic line from Paul Clifford by Edward George Bulwer-Lytton is the inspiration behind one of the most unique literary contests in history. The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest commenced in 1982, when San Jose State University Professor Scott Rice decided to hold an candid writing competition with short entries. Thus began "a whimsical literary competition that challenged entrants to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels." Since then, tens of thousands have tried their hand at writing the best loser of an opening line. The contest has received publicity from The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, Time and the BBC, to name a few. Entries are due April 15th, with the results posted by mid-June. Check out the 2010 winner and runner-up and start thinking of your own atrocious opening lines.

Winner
"For the first month of Ricardo and Felicity's affair, they greeted one another at every stolen rendezvous with a kiss - a lengthy, ravenous kiss, Ricardo lapping and sucking at Felicity's mouth as if she were a giant cage-mounted water bottle and he were the world's thirstiest gerbil."
Molly Ringle
Seattle, WA

Runner-Up
"Through the verdant plains of North Umbria walked Waylon Ogglethorpe and, as he walked, the clouds whispered his name, the birds of the air sang his praises, and the beasts of the fields from smallest to greatest said, 'There goes the most noble among men' - in other words, a typical stroll for a schizophrenic ventriloquist with delusions of grandeur."
Tom Wallace
Columbia, SC

In case you haven't read Paul Clifford recently, here is the complete opening line:
"It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents - except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness."
Paul Clifford by Edward George Bulwer-Lytton

To learn more, visit the official site of the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, where all information for this post was found.

"Behind every recipe there's a story"

What's the recipe for finding a good book? It all starts with a helpful recommendation. Whether a friend fills you in on the latest book she can't put down, the bestseller charts heat up with the next must-read novel or you see an interesting review on the PCL blogs, book recommendations help readers of all genres find new and exciting reads. Be proactive in your quest for good books by signing up for DearReader's Online Book Club, a unique service provided through the library's website.

Subscribers of this free service receive daily emails with a portion of a chapter of a book. The emails only take about five minutes to read, but provide readers with enough info to help them decide whether to pass on the book or rush to put a hold on it. New book excerpts begin each Monday and readers can sign up for the Fiction, Nonfiction, Classics, AuthorBuzz or KidsBuzz clubs...or all five! To join, simply click here.

Along with interesting book suggestions, the Online Book Club also features fun contests - such as the current "Write a Dear Reader Contest." This is an annual contest held by DearReader's very own Suzanne Beecher. This year's theme is "Behind every recipe there's a story." Suzanne invites readers to submit a recipe, along with the story behind it - see a sample entry here. Winners could receive free books and more!

Find your next favorite book by signing up for an Online Book Club today!