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Los Angeles Times Book Prizes 2017

The 2017 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes went to Sour Heart by Jenny Zhang (Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction), Henry David Thoreau: A Life by Laura Dassow Walls (Biography) and The Hue and Cry at our House by Benjamin Taylor (Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose), with winners in 8 more categories. 51 books were finalists across 11 categories.

Winners

Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction

  1. Sour Heart by Jenny Zhangsource (opens in a new tab)

Biography

  1. Henry David Thoreau: A Life by Laura Dassow Wallssource (opens in a new tab)

Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose

  1. The Hue and Cry at our House by Benjamin Taylorsource (opens in a new tab)

Current Interest

  1. Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America by Nancy MacLeansource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. Exit West by Mohsin Hamidsource (opens in a new tab)

Graphic Novel/Comics

  1. Present by Leslie Steinsource (opens in a new tab)

History

  1. The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egansource (opens in a new tab)

Mystery/Thriller

  1. A Book of American Martyrs by Joyce Carol Oatessource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Incendiary Art: Poems by Patricia Smithsource (opens in a new tab)

Science & Technology

  1. Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert M. Sapolskysource (opens in a new tab)

Young Adult Literature

  1. Long Way Down by Jason Reynoldssource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction

  1. Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khongsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machadosource (opens in a new tab)
  3. My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallentsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Idiot by Elif Batumansource (opens in a new tab)

Biography

  1. Ali: A Life by Jonathan Eigsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Fasting and Feasting: The Life of Visionary Food Writer Patience Gray by Adam Federmansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Grant by Ron Chernowsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Richard Nixon: The Life by John A. Farrellsource (opens in a new tab)

Current Interest

  1. Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America by James Forman Jr.source (opens in a new tab)
  2. The End of Loyalty: The Rise and Fall of Good Jobs in America by Rick Wartzmansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life by Lauren Markhamsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coatessource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag, translated by Srinath Perursource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Wardsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Burning Girl by Claire Messudsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Changeling by Victor LaVallesource (opens in a new tab)

Graphic Novel/Comics

  1. Anti-Gone by Connor Willumsensource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Everything is Flammable by Gabrielle Bellsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Iceland by Yuichi Yokoyamasource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Interview by Manuele Fior, translated by Jamie Richardssource (opens in a new tab)

History

  1. Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam by Mark Bowdensource (opens in a new tab)
  2. London’s Triumph: Merchants, Adventurers, and Money in Shakespeare’s City by Stephen Alfordsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothsteinsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America by Frances Fitzgeraldsource (opens in a new tab)

Mystery/Thriller

  1. Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Lockesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Late Show by Michael Connellysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Night Ocean by Paul La Fargesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Wonder Valley by Ivy Pochodasource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Daylily Called it A Dangerous Moment by Alessandra Lynchsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. For the Scribe by David Wojahnsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. In the Language of my Captor by Shane McCraesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. semiautomatic by Evie Shockleysource (opens in a new tab)

Science & Technology

  1. A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution by Jennifer A. Doudna and Samuel H. Sternbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Max Tegmarksource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Making Sense of Science: Separating Substance from Spin by Cornelia Deansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walkersource (opens in a new tab)

Young Adult Literature

  1. Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhartsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Piecing Me Together by Renée Watsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slatersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomassource (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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