since 1980, the los angeles times book awards have honored the previous year’s best books and their authors at the los angeles times festival of books. In addition to previously announced winners Juan Felipe Herrera and James Patterson, this year’s event highlighted some of the best and brightest works of 2015, including novels, biographies and poems covering a variety of topics, including murder and drug cartels. drug, lost environments and anonymous environmentalists. This year’s ceremony, the 36th annual, was held at the Bovard Auditorium on the USC campus on Saturday.
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These are this year’s winners:
Biography
hayden herrera, “hearing stone: the art and life of isamu noguchi” (farrar, straus, and giroux) “stone” presents a portrait of the highly influential and widely traveled japanese-american artist and designer who specialized in what nicknamed the “sculpture of space”.
the other finalists in this category:
- terry alford, “fortune’s fool: the life of john wilkes stand”, oxford university press
- charlotte decroes jacobs, “jonas salk: a life”, oxford university press
- patrick mcgilligan, “young orson: the years of luck and genius on the road to citizen kane”, harpercollins
- john norris, “mary mcgrory: the first queen of journalism”, viking
current interest
sarah chayes, “robbers of state: why corruption threatens global security” (w. w. norton and co.), former reporter and adviser to the joint chiefs of staff, focuses on the roots and effect of pervasive corruption in global governments.
the other finalists in this category:
- joe domanick, “blue: the lapd and the battle to redeem american policing”, simon & schuster
- sam quinones, “dreamland: the true story of america’s opioid epidemic”, bloomsbury press
- sandy tolan, “sons of stone: the power of music in a harsh land, ” bloomsbury usa
- stephen witt, “how music became free: the end of an industry, the turn of the century, and piracy’s patient zero”, viking
fiction
valeria luiselli, translated by christina macsweeney, “the story of my teeth” (coffee house press). “Dientes” is Luiselli’s “essay novel” that follows a retired Mexican auctioneer in search of new teeth. read the Los Angeles times review>
See Also: Two States. Eight Textbooks. Two American Stories. – The New York Times
The other finalists in this category:
- anne enright, “the green path”, w. w. norton and co.
- james hannaham, “delicious eats”, little, brown and co.
- adam johnson, “fortune smiles”, random house
- helen phillips, “beautiful bureaucrat”, henry holt and company.
graphic novel/comics
riad sattouf, “Arab of the Future: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978-1984: A Graphic Memoir” (Metropolitan Books) The first volume of a planned trilogy, “Arab” reflects on the author’s childhood in difficult times , growing up under the rule of Libya’s Moammar Gaddafi, Syria’s President Bashar Assad and, most importantly, his own father. read the Los Angeles times review>
See Also: Two States. Eight Textbooks. Two American Stories. – The New York Times
The other finalists in this category:
- sam alden, “new construction: two more stories”, uncivilized books
- julian hanshaw, “tim ginger”, world-class productions, an imprint of idw publishing
- maggie thrash, “honor girl: a graphic memoir”, candlewick
- carol tyler, “oldier’s heart: the campaign to understand my world war ii veteran father: a daughter’s memoir ( you’ll never know)”, fantagraphics
story
Dan Ephron, “Killing a King: The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the Rebuilding of Israel” (W. W. Norton and Co.) Ephron’s deeply researched tome recounts the events of Rabin’s assassination and how it affected the geopolitics of the medium East. read an excerpt from “kill a king”>
See Also: Two States. Eight Textbooks. Two American Stories. – The New York Times
The other finalists in this category:
- mary beard, “spqr: a history of ancient rome”, liveright/w. w. norton and company.
- jonathan m. Bryant, “Dark Places on Earth: The Voyage of the Slave Ship Antelope,” Liveright/W. w. Norton and Co.
- David Maraniss, “Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story,” Simon & Schuster
- Mark Mosky, “This Gulf of Fire: The Destruction of Lisbon, or the Apocalypse in the Age of Science and Reason”, Alfred A. knopf
mystery/thriller
don winslow, “the cartel” (alfred a. knopf) winslow’s follow-up to “the power of the dog” continues his unflinching look at the ongoing war on drugs, in what james ellroy called “the war and peace”. ‘ from the war on drugs books.” read the los angeles times interview with winslow>
See Also: Two States. Eight Textbooks. Two American Stories. – The New York Times
The other finalists in this category:
- lou berney, “the far gone”, william morrow
- viet thanh nguyen, “the sympathizer”, grove press
- brian panowich, “bull mountain, ” pg putnam’s sons
- richard price, “the white guys”, henry holt & co.
poetry
jorie graham, “from the new world: poems 1976-2014” (ecco/harpercollins) pulitzer prize winner graham helped redefine american poetry in the postwar era and into the new millennium. the evolution of his style is reflected in this collection, which spanned nearly 40 years of work.
See Also: Two States. Eight Textbooks. Two American Stories. – The New York Times
The other finalists in this category:
- rick barot, “chord”, sarabande books
- robin cost lewis, “the journey of the venus saber”, alfred a. knopf
- fiona sze-lorrain, “ruined elegance”, princeton university press
- jean valentine, “shirt in the sky”, copper cannon press
Science and Technology
Andrea Wulf, “The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt’s New World” (Alfred A. Knopf). A look at the life and legacy of the 18th-century German naturalist who helped change the way we see the world around us and helped inspire the rise of environmentalism. read andrea wulf’s op-ed in the los angeles times>
the other finalists in this category:
- john markoff, “loving grace machines: finding common ground between humans and robots”, ecco/harpercollins
- david j. Morris, “The Wicked Hours: A Biography of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”, Eamon Dolan/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Beth Shapiro, “How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of Extinction”, Princeton University Press
- jonathan waldman, “rust: the longest war”, simon & schuster
The Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction
chigozie obioma, “the fishermen” (little brown and company), the debut novel from the nigerian-born writer centers on four brothers whose bonds are tested when they encounter a sinister prophecy.
the other finalists in this category:
- sarah gerard, “binary star”, two dollar radio
- ben metcalf, “against country”, random house
- sara novic, “girl at war , “random house
- andrew roe, “miracle girl”, chapel hill algonquin books
Young Adult Literature
marilyn nelson, “my seneca village” (namelos), nelson’s collection of poems takes place in an imagined version of new york city’s titular neighborhood, a multiethnic community important for its african american population, which was demolished in 1857 stops to give way to the central park.
the other finalists in this category:
- don brown, “drowned city: hurricane katrina and new orleans”, houghton mifflin harcourt books for young readers
- jason reynolds, “the boy in the black suit”, atheneum books for young readers Readers
- Laura Amy Schlitz, “The Hire Girl”, Candlewick
- Steve Sheinkin, “Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War”, Roaring Brook Press
innovator award
james patterson bestselling author and philanthropist patterson has written or co-written 152 books, including the popular alex cross thrillers. in 2015 he launched a series of books and a website that aims to get kids excited about reading. read the los angeles times interview with patterson>
Robert Kirsch Award
juan felipe herrera united states the poet laureate has written more than 30 books, including the poetry collections “notes from the assembly” and “187 reasons why mexicans can’t cross the border.” herrera received the l.a. 2015 Robert Kirsch Award from the Times Book Award for Lifetime Achievement. read the los angeles times interview with herrera>
See Also: Carolyn Brown – Book Series In Order