CHICAGO —The American Library Association (ALA) announced Monday the six books shortlisted for the prestigious Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction. The medals are awarded for the best fiction and nonfiction books written for adults in the previous year and published in the U.S. As part of an announcement and medal presentation event at the 2014 ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas in June, each winning author will receive $5,000 and the four finalists will each receive $1,500.
2014 shortlisted titles are:
Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction Shortlist
“On Paper: The Everything of Its Two-Thousand Year History,” by Nicholas A. Basbanes. Published by Alfred A. Knopf. Combining crisp technical explanations with vivid historical and contemporary profiles, Basbanes unfolds the 2,000-year story of paper, revealing in the process that paper is nothing less than an embodiment of humanity.
“Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital,” by Sheri Fink. Published by Crown Publishers. As the floodwaters rose after Hurricane Katrina, patients, staff and families who sheltered in New Orleans’ Memorial Hospital faced a crisis far worse than the storm itself. Fink’s breathtaking account of the storm and what happened at Memorial offers a fascinating look at how people behave in times of crisis.
“The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism,” by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Published by Simon & Schuster. This masterful study examines the complex relationship between two presidents, Roosevelt and Taft, who played major roles in the Progressive movement of the early twentieth century. Acclaimed historian Goodwin offers a superb re-creation of a period when many politicians, journalists, and citizens of differing political affiliations viewed government as a force for public good.
Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction Shortlist
“Americanah,” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Published by Alfred A. Knopf. To the women in the hair-braiding salon, Ifemelu seems to have everything a Nigerian immigrant in America could desire, but the culture shock, hardships and racism she’s endured have left her feeling like she has “cement in her soul.” Americanah is a courageous novel of independence, integrity, community, and love.
“Claire of the Sea Light,” by Edwidge Danticat. Published by Alfred A. Knopf. In interlocking stories moving back and forth in time, Danticat weaves a beautifully rendered portrait of longing in the small fishing town of Ville Rose in Haiti. The stories flow seamlessly one into another and are distinguished by Danticat’s luminous prose.
“The Goldfinch,” by Donna Tartt. Published by Little, Brown and Co. In the wake of his nefarious father’s abandonment, Theo, a smart, 13-year-old Manhattanite, is extremely close to his vivacious mother until an act of terrorism catapults him into a dizzying world bereft of gravity, certainty or love. Tartt writes from Theo’s point of view with fierce exactitude and magnetic emotion.
The awards, established in 2012, serve as a guide to help adults select quality reading material. They are the first single-book awards for adult books given by the American Library Association and reflect the expert judgment and insight of library professionals who work closely with adult readers. Nancy Pearl, librarian, literature expert, NPR commentator, and best-selling author of “Book Lust,” serves as chair of the awards’ selection committee.
The awards are made possible by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York in recognition of Andrew Carnegie’s deep belief in the power of books and learning to change the world, and are co-sponsored by ALA’s Booklist publications and the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA).
Annotations and more information on the shortlist and the awards can be found at http://www.ala.org/carnegieadult.