British Book Awards

British Book Awards The nominations for the WH Smith book of the year have been made at the link above. You can vote on that site. Predictably, "Extreme" is on there (Frank Wilson of Books, Inq. will be pleased). So are some other books, but there is only one that deserves to win --- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I haven't read any of the other 5 books on the list and can't imagine ever wanting to. What on earth is up with whoever chose the shortlist? (Apart from the Osbourne, there is Piers Morgan's "autobio" - ex-Editor of the Daily Mirror; a Jamie Oliver cookbook; an autobio (?) of recently deceased DJ John Peel and "the world according to Jeremy Clarkson" -- a TV personality (he does not seem to be that rude interviewer*, but nevertheless some a sort of TV personality). Well, can there be any shadow of a doubt? No contest. They might have thought up a bit more decent opposition -- what a feeble selection. JKR should win as the book of2005 whatever else is on the shortlist, of course, but winning might mean more if there were some other good books for her to be up against. *Have remembered, his name is Jeremy Paxton. See earlier posting on podcasts. [books] [prizes]