Enough with the light weights! Anybody looking for a summer reading list, this is it. The Man Booker Prize longlist has been announced. On a number of occasions, I've sat on committees to choose "best of" -- not for the Booker, of course, but in my area of crime fiction. What impressed me most about the process was how vast and varied the field of crime fiction can be and how vast and varied the talent is. And despite that variety, the finalists arrived at their lofty spot on the list, almost all, by consensus. They were, without exception, easy marks, standing out well and clear above the rest, great examples of skilled writing, well-defined characters and satisfying plots. The experience was both humbling and educational.

However ... I'd be remiss in discussing the subject without mentioning a conversation I had with venerable crime fiction writer Lawrence Block. (Having trained as an economist, I always manage to think of an "on the other hand...") I'd been nominated for some or other award and happened to find myself walking to the ceremony venue with Larry. He, a veteran of many, many such ceremonies and recipient of dozens of awards, shared his wisdom with this neophyte. If he won an award, he told me, then the judges obviously were brilliant and astute judges of the craft, and if he lost, then the whole thing was just a popularity contest and didn't matter in the long run. We had a good laugh and he wished me luck as we parted. It was great advice. And timely, since another book won the popularity contest.

Bottom line:  read all the shortlist or longlist. You'll be missing out if you don't.