Breaking Some Book Traditions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         Supposedly, girls, tomorrow will be the day The New York Times announces its "Ten Best Books Of 2018."  This will include five works of fiction, five of non-fiction,  I am only concerned with fiction here--that's just me, darlings!!!!!!!--so this is the post where I name what I think The Times will choose.  Not what they should, but what they will.

                                          Tradition has it that I follow with my list of what I feel should be on the list; in other words, MY list.  The problem is I don't feel read enough.  Last year, I made the mistake of posting what I thought before having a chance to read "Pachinko," by Min Jin Lee, and what a mistake that was.  This year, I am in the same position, not having yet read the new Haruki Murakami, "Killing Commendatore.

                                           I am a fast reader, but not THAT fast.  And I read the entire text; I do not just skim, and make judgments.

                                              So, here is what I have decided.

                                              Today, I will post what I think The Times will.

                                               Tomorrow, I will compare the actual list, and, depending on how that peeves me, I will publish my list then, or wait till having read Murakami.

                                                 So, what will The Times post for fiction, tomorrow? Here is what I think--
                                                 1."Asymmetry," by Lisa Halliday

So many people went wild over this, and it is just edgy enough for The Times. Should it be listed, I will have to think about reading it again.  But only THINK!  Remember, I reread "White Teeth," which turned out to be a waste of time.

2.

"Cherry," by Nico Walker.  Drugs, imprisonment, edgy and pretentious. Just the kind of fiction The Times dotes on.

3. "Friday Black," by Nana Kwame and Adjei-Brenyah--The Times will not let the list go by without a short story collection, and this is the one. Haunting and edgy enough to grab The Times, a debut writer--or writers???--and enough to even entice me!!!!!!!!!!!

4.

The Two Rachels--Hey, one of them has to go somewhere.  My guess it will be Rachel Cusk, with "Kudos."  It seems as though every other volume in her trilogy made it, so this should be a fait accompli.  Kushner could score with "The Men's Room," but is it bracing enough to out do "The Flame Throwers?"  And both are critics' darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          5. Two More Critics Darlings--I am certain the final volume of "My Struggle" will make it.  The others have, and The Times, especially, is touting Karl Ove Knausgaard as some sort of latter day Proust.  Yeah, right!  Gag me with a spoon!  Even if on the list, I refuse to read it.  I wasted enough time with the Neapolitan Novels by Ferrante, which had their moments. But six volumes of a Scandanvian narcissist?  No way!

                                             The one upset might be "Lake Success," by Gary Shteyngart.  Another critics' darling, who cannot seem to do wrong in the eyes of The Times, so this could be a dark horse!

                            Time will tell.  We will talk about it tomorrow, girls, And I am thinking of posting my list on here, in tandem with "The Times," to compare them with my brilliance, and because, good or bad, I will not get around, now, at least, to finishing "Killing Commendatore" till next year!!!!!!!!

                               Happy Reading, Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!