It's time once again to announce the winners of this year's Clever Book Awards. Throughout the year the award committee reads lots of books, browses through bookstores, both new retailers and used bookstores, monitors various book clubs and reading groups and then holds several informal meetings in order to come up with our awards. 

The award winners are books that will appeal to a wide reading audience but may not make it onto the best-seller lists. And there are no publication restrictions on our choices, since it's impossible for us to read everything that comes along every year. As most readers know, there are bountiful book years and drought book years, but rarely a week goes by without some interesting title that merits our attention. 

Here's this year's list:

Fiction:

The Winner: English Passengers, by Matthew Kneale
...a historical novel about Australia and Tasmania, told by following an English sea captain-smuggler. It's a multi-dimensional story, sometimes gripping and other times hilarious, always well-written and worthy of our attention.

The runners-up: Daughter of Fortune, by Isabelle Allende, When we were Orphans, by Kazuo Ishiguro, Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood, Prodigal Summer, by Barbara Kingsolver

Non-Fiction:

The Winner: The Spirit Catches you and you fall down, by Anne Fadiman 
...the clash between the Hmong culture and western medicine. A Hmong child living in Modesto, California, is diagnosed with epilepsy with tragic results. This book illustrates with tenderness and understanding how difficult it is to relate to other cultures. Fadiman's research is first rate and the story she tells is a page turner.

The runners-up: My Year of Reading Proust, by Phyllis Rose, New Jack,  by Ted Conover

Biography-History:

The Winner: a tie between Founding Brothers: the revolutionary generation, by Joseph Ellis, and John Adams, by David McCullough...patriotism is in fashion these days. These two books remind us of why we should feel proud to call ourselves Americans. 

Nature:

The Winner: The Selby Guide to Birds, written and illustrated by David Allen Selby. ...the long awaited Audubon field guide is finally here, and it's getting rave reviews. Put this one on your Christmas wish list. The whole family will find it useful.

The runners-up: Return of the Osprey, by David Gesmer, Fawn Island, by Douglas Wood

Mystery: 

The Winner: British mystery writer, Elizabeth George ...British mysteries seem to come in two forms, the "cozy mystery" like those written by Agatha Christie, and those grim, dark and sinister mysteries of gruesome murders and complex character studies. Elizabeth George consistently provides superb plots, loathsome murders and the very finest characters and crime solvers. 

Travel essay:

The Winner: Around America: a tour of our Magnificent Coastline, by Walter Cronkite...America's favorite uncle takes us boating around America. This lovely book also includes freehand maps and small drawings. 

The runners-up: Fresh Air Fiend, by Paul Theroux, A Trip to the Beach, Melinda and Robert Blanchard, and A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush, by Eric Newby...if you're looking for some light travel reading focusing on Afghanistan, this is the one.

Inspiration:

The Winner: On Writing: a memoir of the craft, Stephen King ...King tells us how to be better writers in this thoughtful book.

The Pure Drivel Award:

The Winner: Running Mate, by Joe Klein...perhaps Joe should have used his pen name, Anonymous, on this one too. Nobody would have bothered to figure out who wrote it.

The runner Up: Double Whammy, Carl Haissen  

Wanna see the Book Awards for 1999 or 2000? Just click on the year.

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