Two things, not even related by proximity::
(1) Booker Prize was just announced and it went to Alan Hollinghurst. I wonder if the fact that he's the only one of the nominees I'd even heard of (I'm so woefully out of touch with contemporary fiction I certainly hadn't read any of the books up for the award) says something about the prize committee. Perhaps he was a "safe" choice. But, still, I loved the Swimming Pool Library so I'm pleased that he's won. I think Alicia read Cloud Atlas, one of the other nominated books. Was this a miscarriage of literary justice or an honest difference of opinion or just one of those things?
(2) Meanwhile at the Temple of Doom, the Sox have gone from ever so close to goin' out like chumps to actually turning this into a series. I know... I know... of all the trivial things in this world. For most of the year I pay absolutely no attention to baseball. But, just like brussel sprouts and GW Bush, my loathing for the Yankees comes from a place beyond reason. So I'm happy to see them flailing on the edge of another potential post-season failure. And even tho the Red Sox really are just evil empire wannabes, they kinda remind me of the shambolic late 70s Yankees (Jackson, Munson, Gossage, and of course Oscar Gamble and his 'fro). Hell, the Sox have Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer in center-field. That's gotta be worth something... (game 7, I guess)
i haven't read the hollinghurst--it's on my wishlist but i haven't seen it in any stores here--but seriously, cloud atlas was an amazing book. definitely one of the top three i've read this year, and definitely worthy of the booker. also, he was heavily favored to win, so this whole thing really surprised me.
the blog over at bookslut has links to a bunch of commentary on the Booker and Hollinghurst. there doesn't seem to be much controversy, at least in the initial reports. i also appreciated that they described the novel as "gay themed" cos I swear if I'd read one more article calling it a "gay novel" I'd have started screaming and it's fairly unseemly to be sitting alone at your desk screaming