themorningnews:

Announcing The Morning News Tournament of Books X

Perhaps it’s wrong for an event that considers itself a celebration of arbitrariness to recognize an anniversary. Or maybe it’s perfectly appropriate—we’re not sure where we’re supposed to stand on irony these days. Regardless, pride compels us to note that the Tournament of Books turns 10 this year.

Ten! If the ToB were a child, we’d call him ToBy, and little ToBy would be obsessed with Minecraft, soccer, Adventure Time, and learning to play guitar. And reading books. ToBy reads a lot.

That’s right! It’s the tenth annual Tournament of Books, presented by Field Notes, sponsored by Powell’s Books, and sharing a frightfully new media partnership with Tumblr itself! Here’s how it’s gonna go down:

In case you’re new to all this, the ToB is an annual springtime event here at The Morning News, where a group of the best works of fiction from last year enter a March Madness-style battle royale.

In March, these novels will be seeded and paired off in an NCAA Tournament-like bracket. For each pairing, one of our esteemed judges will read both novels and advance one, with an transparent explanation of how they made their decision. Along the way, our ToB Chairmen, authors Kevin Guilfoile and John Warner, will weigh in with commentary, and you, the readers, will add your own.

Eventually, only two books will remain, to be judged by our entire panel, and one will be crowned the Rooster of 2014.

Here’s the list of finalists:

• At Night We Walk in Circles by Daniel Alarcón
• The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
• The Tuner of Silences by Mia Couto
• The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
• How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid
• The Dinner by Herman Koch
• The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
• Long Division by Kiese Laymon
• The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
• Hill William by Scott McClanahan
• The Son by Philipp Meyer
• A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
• The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
• The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara
• Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
• Woke Up Lonely by Fiona Maazel

Our judges list includes such notable persons as Jami Attenberg, Geraldine Brooks, John Darnielle, Roxane Gay, John Green, and others!

Reblog, tell your friends, tell us we’re ruining literary competitions, tell us you like us! Let the literary blood sport commence.