Callie Miller

The beauty of the LA Times Book Prizes is that there's an uncertainty surrounding the nominees and the outcome. Unlike other book awards given throughout the year (National Book Awards, we're looking at you) there's never a shoo-in, never an author or a book that everyone "just knows" will take home the prize. For the most part. Sometimes. See? Here's a quick look at the nominees in the First Fiction category and our take...

It's that time of year again. The LA Times Book Prize finalists have been announced and in just seven weeks, the hot, sweaty, excellent mess that is the Festival of Books will be in full swing once again. Over the next month, we'll be taking a closer look at each category but before we dive headlong into debates over who should've been listed that isn't, who should win but won't, and what it all means for L.A.'s literary scene, let's take a look at the nominees in each category. Final book prizes will be awarded on April 23rd.

Sun Illuminates Downtown | Photo by Unobtanium via Flickr Monday Howard Rosenberg & Charles Feldman discuss and sign No Time to Think: The Menace of Media Speed & the 24-hour News Cycle 7pm @ Vroman's Tuesday Al Kooper presents and signs Backstage Passes 7pm @ Book Soup Charles A. Coulombe discusses and signs The Pope's Legion 7pm @ Vroman's Boyz II Men sign Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA 7pm @ Borders, Westwood Elycia...

Dim Sum Bike Rides to Start the New Year | Photo by ubrayj02 via Flickr Monday The first day back to work & no bookish events to distract! Tuesday Jaime Lowe presents and signs Digging for Dirt: the Life and Death of ODB 7pm @ Book Soup David Allen discusses and signs Making It All Work 7pm @ Vroman's Stephen J. Cannell signs On the Grind 7:30pm @ Barnes & Noble, Encino Nami Mun...

Fallen Leaf at Getty | Photo by bikracer via Flickr Monday Denis Leary presents and signs Why We Suck 7pm @ Book Soup Group reading event for EAT: Los Angeles 7pm @ Vroman's Rachel Resnick signs Love Junkie 7pm @ Barnes & Noble, 3rd Street Promenade Brian Yaeger signs Red White & Brew 7:30pm @ Village Books Tuesday Philip Gourevitch, Stephen Gaghan, Mona Simpson and others read from The Paris Review Interviews Volume III...

Commerce Through the Downtown Trees | Photo by stevelyon via Flickr Monday Carlos Batts and April Flores present Voluptuous Biker Babes 7pm @ Book Soup Frank Wilderson discusses and signs Incognegro 7pm @ Vroman's Alan Zweibel presents Clothing Optional 7:30pm @ Skylight Books Tuesday TC Boyle presents The Women 7pm @ Hammer Museum Alison Bechdel presents and signs Essential Dykes to Watch Out For 7pm @ Book Soup Todd Hasak-Lowy discusses and signs Captives...

Directional Conundrum at the Convention Center | Photo by adKinn via Flickr Monday Maureen McCormick presents Here's the Story 7pm @ Book Soup James Swain discusses The Night Stalker 7pm @ Vroman's Sandra Lee signs Semi Homemade Money Saving Meals 7pm @ Barnes & Noble, Glendale Americana Alan Jacobson signs The 7th Victim 7:30pm @ Barnes & Noble, Encino Tuesday Melissa De La Cruz discusses Revelations: A Blue Blood Novel 6:30pm @ Vroman's Mark...

Historic Heights at Castle Green in Pasadena | Photo by Coyote 2012 via Flickr Monday Diane Ackerman discusses The Zookeeper's Wife 7pm @ Central Library Susan Lankford presents Maggots in My Sweet Potatoes: Women Doing Time 7pm @ Book Soup Tuesday Hugh Hefner and Steven Watts sign Mr. Playboy 7pm @ Book Soup Ian Buruma discusses The China Lover 7pm @ Central Library Wednesday Alan Cheuse presents To Catch the Lightning 7pm @ Book...

Santa Monica Pier Aglow | Photo by biskuit via Flickr Monday The Call of the Wild by Jack London film review & book discussion 6:30pm @ Vroman's Diahann Carroll presents The Legs Are the Last to Go 7pm @ Book Soup Tuesday Michael Connelly presents The Brass Verdict 7pm @ Vroman's Christopher Paolini presents Brisingr 7pm @ Beckman Auditorium, Caltech Orson Bean signs M@il for Mikey 7pm @ Barnes & Noble, 3rd Street Promenade...

Orpheum's Backside | Photo by muehpro via Flickr Monday Naomi Wolf discusses Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries 7pm @ Central Library Adam Tokunaga presents and signs Slow Sex Secrets 7pm @ Book Soup Arthur Nersesian and Joseph Mattson read their work 7pm @ Vroman's Tuesday Naomi Wolf discusses and signs Give Me Liberty 7pm @ Vroman's Savannah Knoop presents and signs Girl Boy Girl 7pm @ Book Soup Peter W. Galbraith...