I was a jurist for the first Blooker Prize, a prize from Lulu.com for the best book adapted from, or published throuhg, or written via a website. The winners in all three categories (fiction, nonfiction and comics) are all tremendous, as were many of the entries (it was a tough call!). Congrats to the winners!
Overall Winner
Julie & Julia
by Julie Powell in Non-FictionJulia Powell, a 30-year-old secretary living in a bohemian apartment in Queens, spent 365 days cooking all 524 recipes from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. With Julie's charm, humor, and occasional delirium, this book makes everything from shopping for the perfect piece of liver to extracting marrow from the bone a poetic experience.
Fiction Winner
Four and Twenty Blackbirds
by Cherie PriestA modern-day ghost story in the Southern gothic tradition, Four and Twenty Blackbirds begins the tale of Eden, an orphan constantly watched by three ghostly figures. To save what's left of her family, Eden must uncover the sinister secrets of her own lineage.
Comics Winner
Totally Boned
by Zach Miller"Joe and Monkey" is a webcomic about two regular guys (well, in Monkey's case, a regular monkey) who have lots of hilarious adventures. Along the way they come up against an evil robot and a variety of terrifying waterfowl.
One of the books that didn't win was the Belle Du Jour volume, prompting the headline "Cooker Beats Hooker for Blooker" — love it!
(Thanks, Stephen!)
