The finalists for this year's Los Angeles Times Book Prizes were announced late last week, and the five graphic novel nominees are
- Alison Bechdel's Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama
- Leela Corman's Unterzakhn
- Sammy Harkham's Everything Together: Collected Stories
- Spain Rodriguez's Cruisin’ With the Hound: The Life and Times of Fred Toote
- Chris Ware's Building Stories
The winner will be announced April 19. This is the fourth year that graphic novels have been included, and not surprisingly, given that this is a book award, the selections generally have an artistic/literary bent.
Unlike the Eisners, the LA Times awards do not accept nominations from the field; the three judges in each category are responsible for making the selections. Unlike the Eisners and other comics awards, the LA Times doesn't make a big deal over who the judges are; I couldn't find a list anywhere, although past judges get a mention here and there.
Anyway, given that any set of awards nominations is really just a starting point for discussion, feel free to comment on what books should — and shouldn't — have made the shortlist.