I'm curious how many of you are swayed to read books that have won a book award simply because the book has won a prestigious award?
The reason I bring this subject up is because I noticed that a lot of book awards have been awarded recently and written about in the news lately.
For instance, I read on Flavorwire that "Nigeria-raised, and Brooklyn-based author Teju Cole has won the $100,000 Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for his fantastic novel Open City." I've never even heard of Teju Cole before until reading that he the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award.
I also read that the National Books Critic Circle Award winners had been announced recently as well. The following writers have won in the following categories:
1) Edith Pearlmanhad won the fiction category for her published work titled Binocular Vision: New and Selected Stories.
2) John Lewis Gaddis won the biography category for his published work titled George F. Kennan.
3) Maya Jasanoff won the nonfiction category for her published work titled Liberty's Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary War.
4) Laura Kasischke won the poetry category for her work titled Space, in Chains.
5) Mira Bartok won the autobiography for her published work titled The Memory Palace: A Memoir.
For me personally, just because a book has won a prestigious award doesn't mean I'll want to read it for that reason alone. Many times, I've never even heard of the book or the author before. Sure, I am opened minded and enjoy discovering new authors and books as much as the next avid reader. However, just because a book has been given an award, doesn't automatically mean I'll want to read it. A lot of other factors come into play as I am sure it does with many other readers out there.
The reason I bring this subject up is because I noticed that a lot of book awards have been awarded recently and written about in the news lately.
For instance, I read on Flavorwire that "Nigeria-raised, and Brooklyn-based author Teju Cole has won the $100,000 Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for his fantastic novel Open City." I've never even heard of Teju Cole before until reading that he the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award.
I also read that the National Books Critic Circle Award winners had been announced recently as well. The following writers have won in the following categories:
1) Edith Pearlmanhad won the fiction category for her published work titled Binocular Vision: New and Selected Stories.
2) John Lewis Gaddis won the biography category for his published work titled George F. Kennan.
3) Maya Jasanoff won the nonfiction category for her published work titled Liberty's Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary War.
4) Laura Kasischke won the poetry category for her work titled Space, in Chains.
5) Mira Bartok won the autobiography for her published work titled The Memory Palace: A Memoir.
For me personally, just because a book has won a prestigious award doesn't mean I'll want to read it for that reason alone. Many times, I've never even heard of the book or the author before. Sure, I am opened minded and enjoy discovering new authors and books as much as the next avid reader. However, just because a book has been given an award, doesn't automatically mean I'll want to read it. A lot of other factors come into play as I am sure it does with many other readers out there.
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