Pick a Winner...

The Nobel Prize in Literature is an award prized like no other. Writers in this category have not only written well; they have made a difference in the world because of their writing. You can find a complete list of the winners from year to year at http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/.

Your job now is to pick a winning author from the list, pick a book from that author’s list, read that book, and review it. Ask yourself: why did this author win the Nobel Prize? What is special about this book that makes it unlike any other that I have read? What are the high points of this book? What are its low points?

You might also want to do more research on the author and see why he or she wrote the book, and how his or her life and times influenced his or her style. Be sure to include your own insights on the author when you write your book review.

Remember, even if the author won a Nobel Prize, the book that you hold in your hands is far from perfect. You have to be fair in making your judgment, and you need to be critical. Every book deserves a critical and questioning eye, so don’t scrimp on the criticism. However, you still need to be balanced, so don’t hold back on the praise, either.

Good luck, happy reading, and happy reviewing!