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Los Angeles Times Book Prizes 2012

The 2012 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes went to Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead (Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction), The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Caro (Biography) and Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo (Current Interest), with winners in 7 more categories. 50 books were finalists across 10 categories.

Winners

Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction

  1. Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipsteadsource (opens in a new tab)

Biography

  1. The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Carosource (opens in a new tab)

Current Interest

  1. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boosource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountainsource (opens in a new tab)

Graphic Novel/Comics

  1. Everything Together: Collected Stories by Sammy Harkhamsource (opens in a new tab)

History

  1. America’s Great Debate: Henry Clay/Stephen A. Douglas and the Compromise That Preserved the Union by Fergus M. Bordewichsource (opens in a new tab)

Mystery/Thriller

  1. Broken Harbor by Tana Frenchsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Poems 1962-2012 by Louise Glücksource (opens in a new tab)

Science & Technology

  1. Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History by Florence Williamssource (opens in a new tab)

Young Adult Literature

  1. Ask the Passengers by A.S. Kingsource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction

  1. Fobbit by David Abramssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Book Store: A Novel by Robin Sloansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Shine Shine Shine by Lydia Netzersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Natural Order of Things by Kevin P. Keatingsource (opens in a new tab)

Biography

  1. A Difficult Woman: The Challenging Life and Times of Lillian Hellman by Alice Kessler-Harrissource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace by H.W. Brandssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The One: The Life and Music of James Brown by RJ Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy by David Nasawsource (opens in a new tab)

Current Interest

  1. Nature Wars: The Incredible Story of How Wildlife Comebacks Turned Backyards into Battlegrounds by Jim Sterbasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines – and Future by Karen Elliott Housesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power by Steve Collsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by Jake Tappersource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. Arcadia by Lauren Groffsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Magnificence by Lydia Milletsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Middlesteins: A Novel by Jami Attenbergsource (opens in a new tab)

Graphic Novel/Comics

  1. Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama by Alison Bechdelsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Building Stories by Chris Waresource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Cruisin’ With the Hound: The Life and Times of Fred Toote by Spain Rodriguezsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Unterzakhn by Leela Cormansource (opens in a new tab)

History

  1. A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico by Amy S. Greenbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Empire of Shadows: The Epic Story of Yellowstone by George Blacksource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul: Church, State, and the Birth of Liberty by John Barrysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Rule & Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party from Eisenhower to the Tea Party by Geoffrey Kabaservicesource (opens in a new tab)

Mystery/Thriller

  1. Angelmaker by Nick Harkawaysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Expats by Chris Pavonesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Thief by Fuminori Nakamurasource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Twenty-Year Death by Ariel S. Wintersource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Aerial by Bin Ramkesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Gravesend (New California Poetry) by Cole Swensensource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Ground: Poems by Rowan Ricardo Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Useless Landscape, or A Guide for Boys: Poems by D. A. Powellsource (opens in a new tab)

Science & Technology

  1. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cainsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Signal and the Noise: Why so Many Predictions Fail — But Some Don’t by Nate Silversource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human by Jonathan Gottschallsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Turing’s Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe by George Dysonsource (opens in a new tab)

Young Adult Literature

  1. Boy 21 by Matthew Quicksource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Weinsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. My Book of Life by Angel by Martine Leavittsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupisource (opens in a new tab)

About the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes

Year is the prize year as the LA Times labels it (books of that year, announced the next April). Source is the official Book Prizes history page. The 2019 Ray Bradbury Prize is missing there: the winner comes from the LA Times 2019 winners article and the finalists from Wikipedia. The 2012 Shine Shine Shine is moved from Fiction to First Fiction, where it was a finalist. The science fiction prize is one category across its names. Skipped: Robert Kirsch Award and Innovator's Award (people), and Achievement in Audiobook Production (2023-2025), whose entries name narrators and producers but not the book's author.

Organization: Los Angeles Times. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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