A while ago I discovered Lists of Bests, a site that is just what the name implies. It is a list of “bests,” whether by award or personal preference. Looking at it this weekend, I wondered if the fact I hadn’t read any of the National Book Critics Circle award winners this year was unusual. Evidently not. For example, I’ve only read six percent of the novels that have won the fiction award in the last 30+ years. In fact, the site may give a fairly good overview of my tastes.
I’ve only read two percent of the books that won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (although the award does date back 90 years), three percent of the books winning the National Book Award for Fiction (which goes back nearly 60 years) and eight of the winners of the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. In contrast, I’ve read 73 percent of the books that won the Hugo Award for best novel and 48 percent of those gaining the honor for the Nebula Awards.
Evidently my movie tastes are a bit off the mainstream also. Granted, I’ve seen 53 percent of the films that won the Oscar for best film. Yet I’ve seen two-thirds of films that won the best foreign film Oscar and two-thirds of those that were named best film at the Independent Spirit Awards.
I wasn’t sure there was a name for the life I sought
Now I’m a long way gone down the life I got
“The Night Inside Me,” Jackson Browne, Solo Acoustic, Vol. 2
