Luis J. Rodríguez is a National Book Critics Circle finalist for his autobiography, “It Calls You Back”

The National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) is a nonprofit organization of book reviewers and critics that honors outstanding writing and fosters a national conversation about reading, criticism, and literature, in part through annual awards for the year’s outstanding books. Books are directly nominated and chosen by leading book critics. The NBCC thus offers the unique opportunity for professional critics to recognize and reward literary excellence.

On Saturday, January 21, the NBCC announced the finalists for its book awards for publishing year 2011 at a gala event held at Artists Space in downtown Manhattan. The categories are fiction, nonfiction, autobiography, biography, poetry and criticism.

La Bloga readers will be happy to learn that Luis J. Rodríguez was announced as a finalist in the autobiography category for It Calls You Back: An Odyssey through Love, Addiction, Revolutions, and Healing (Touchstone). The autobiography list was presented by NBCC 2010 winner Darin Strauss.

Since its publication, It Calls You Back has garnered stellar reviews including the following:

“It Calls You Back possesses a fervent down these mean streets candor that makes us respect its embattled author even more.” –Barnes & Noble

“Rodriguez tells an honest, direct story, though stripped of rawness by years of reworking.” –Publishers Weekly

“Extraordinarily haunting and provocative.” –The Washington Post Book World

“Rodriguez’s account of his coming of age is vivid, raw….Here’s truth no television set, burning night and day, could ever begin to offer.” –The New York Times Book Review

“Raw, searing reading from start to finish.” –Kirkus Reviews

La Bloga congratulates Luis for this wonderful honor! To read a complete list of NBCC finalists, visit here.