Barnes & Noble announced the finalists for its Book of the Year, with 14 books in contention for the honor.
Arundhati Roy was named a finalist for her memoir, Mother Mary Comes to Me; the book was previously a finalist for the Kirkus Prize. Other nonfiction books to make the shortlist include This Way Up: When Maps Go Wrong (And Why It Matters) by Map Men, Puzzle Mania! by the New York Times Games, Good Things by Samin Nosrat, and The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and Sawyer Robbins.
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby made the shortlist alongside the novels Katabasis by R.F. Kuang, Buckeye by Patrick Ryan, The Artist and the Feast by Lucy Steeds, and Mona’s Eyes, written by Thomas Schlesser and translated by Hildegarde Serle.
Four books for young readers were named finalists: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins; Growing Home, written by Beth Ferry and illustrated by Eric Fan and Terry Fan; I Am Rebel by Ross Montgomery; and There Are No Silly Questions by Mike Rampton.
“My fellow booksellers consistently impress me with the genuine passion and thoughtfulness behind their choice of recommendations, and never more so than when winnowing down our finalists for Book of the Year,” said Shannon DeVito, Barnes & Noble’s senior director of book strategy. “After many discussions and ardent debates, Barnes & Noble booksellers have curated a list of the best books for readers of all ages.”
The Barnes & Noble Book of the Year honor was first awarded in 2019 to Charlie Mackesy’s The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. Other winners include Paul McCartney’s The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present and Percival Everett’s James.
The winner of this year’s honor, to be voted on by Barnes & Noble’s booksellers, will be announced on November 13.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
