National Book Awards: Eat Your Spinach!

The short lists for the National Book Awards were announced in Portland, Ore., on Wednesday, with the annual ritual head-scratching following closely behind. As usual, it was the fiction list that provoked the most comment; itâ??s an assortment of low-profile and/or small-press offerings, with the exception of Tea Obrechtâ??s bestselling debut, â??The Tigerâ??s Wife.â?