At last! I kept checking and checking, until the shortlist snuck in the back door while I wasn’t looking at all.
ANDERSON, LAURIE HALSE - CHAINS
GAIMAN, NEIL - THE GRAVEYARD BOOK
GRANT, HELEN - THE VANISHING OF KATHARINA LINDEN
HEARN, JULIE - ROWAN THE STRANGE
NESS, PATRICK – THE ASK AND THE ANSWER
PRATCHETT, TERRY – NATION
REEVE, PHILIP – FEVER CRUMB
SEDGWICK, MARCUS – REVOLVER
Of the eight I have read six and they are all excellent, as is to be expected. I have never read either Julie Hearn or Philip Reeve, but I’m fairly certain they are equally good.
Which book will win? So far Neil Gaiman seems to have won everything with The Graveyard Book, so there may be no stopping the man. Will they go for old established, like Terry Pratchett, or new like Helen Grant? And Patrick Ness has won quite a bit in a short period of time.
Or they could simply surprise me if they feel like it.
i absolutely loved CHAINS. what a brilliant book. i hope it’s in with a chance, it deserves recognition.
“Rowan the Strange” for me!
I’ve heard Chains is fantastic too. But witch, witch, witch. Where is your twitchy witchy nose? Predict for us, please, witch. Some of us still follow you for your extra sensory instincts….
Yes, boss, but I thought I had narrowed it down to four, you know. The likeliest are Neil Gaiman and Patrick Ness.