Five books to add to your To-Read List are authored by his year's top National Book Award Fiction finalists:

Sarah Shun-lien Bynam
Christine Schutt
Joan Silber
Lily Tuck
Kate Walbert

All five women are from New York City.

Last month, Harcourt published Shun-lien's debut work called "Madeleine Is Sleeping."

Schutt's book is called "Florida".

Silber's fiction is titled "Ideas of Heaven: A Ring of Stories."

One reader wrote about her Ideas:

I finished the book a week ago and can't stop thinking about it.

I thought it was one of the best works of fiction I'd ever read, both deep and dazzling. It hasn't faded for me at all; if anything, my admiration has grown.

This makes me understand why readers want to follow a writer around and ask, "What do you eat for breakfast? How many hours a day do you write? Do you do your first drafts on a computer or by hand? How many times did you rewrite these magical stories?" As if there were some formula whereby the writer could communicate to the reader her wisdom, her humor, her compassion.

Tuck wrote a novel called "The News from Paraguay."

This is an historical epic set in 19th-century South America.

Kate Walbert also a wrote a novel, a novel in stories called "Our Kind."

Walbert tells the tales of a group of women who came of age in the 1950's and are now facing life after their husbands and children have left home.

All books were published between December 1, 2003 to November 30, 2004.

The winner will be selected on November 17th by a panel of writers.

A black-tie gala in New York will be hosted that night by radio storyteller, Garrison Keiller.

Popular novelist, Judy Blume, will receive the 2004 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letter.

All categories to be awarded in addition to Fiction are:

Non-Fiction
Young People's Literature
Poetry

In the non-fiction category one of the surprise finalists is "The 9/11 Commission Report."

If you're already beginning to look for 2004 Holiday gifts, these five would certainly offer a snapshot of culture, history, perspective and ideas from five renowned, or soon-to-be renowned women authors.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful and Big Apple Authors living!

~ jck