Winning Isn't Everything?

I'm not so sure how I feel about books that win awards. Especially those awarded by committees that change from year to year. One year you might agree with the committee, the next you think what were they thinking? So sometimes it's hard to see that special notation on a book's cover and just know you're going to love the book. All part of Not Judging a Book By the Cover, I guess.

But this list is kind of fun to pick apart. By a formula of points, the books, published since 1995, are listed in order of which ones got awarded or nominated or shortlisted or whatever for the major book awards. Since the Pen Faulkner isn't part of the deal (it would have skewed the list toward books published in the U.S.), some of my favorites didn't make the cut. But Middlesex, Atonement, Bel Canto- all books I adored-- are close enough to the top of the list to make me what to check out some of the others.