Posted by Jason Diamond

While everybody is up in arms about Franzen getting snubbed, I’m a bit more interested in the nonfiction selections for the National Book Awards:

Barbara Demick, “Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea” AKA Book about country we might go to war with.
John W. Dower, “Cultures of War: Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, 9-11, Iraq” AKA Book about countries we’ve gone to war with, or things that have cause war.
Patti Smith, “Just Kids” AKA The best book in this category AKA The pop culture pick
Justin Spring, “Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward” AKA I didn’t read it, but it could be very interesting.
Megan K. Stack, “Every Man in This Village Is a Liar: An Education in War” AKA People love books about war, or with war in the title.