It's That Time of Year

As we head into the heart of November, most people start thinking about the holidays. Around the cafe, though, it's award time! 

First up is the National Book Award for Fiction, to be announced on November 18 via livestream. C.S. finished all the short listed books with a week to spare this year. He said the books were uniformly rather short, but also all of good quality; specifically, he said it's the best group of finalists in the past 10 years. Of the two standouts, Leave the World Behind and Shuggie Bain, he's picked Shuggie Bain. Soon we'll know if he's right (he usually is). 

Shuggie Bain is also a finalist for the Booker Prize, which will be awarded on November 19, making a dual winner possible in this crazy, disrupted year. That would be a first, and we just might see it happen! It's a positive side effect of the coronavirus pandemic that the ceremony will be broadcast and will include a number of special guests and presentations (including Barack Obama, whose new memoir I am eager to read). I'm highly likely to tune in, even though it may mean juggling my work schedule.

Only after these awards are bestowed can we move on to the celebratory part of the year. This year, I'm ready already -- but first things first.