best books for book review competition

• Get a Free Review of Your Book
• Enter our Book Award Contest
• Helpful Articles and Writing Services
• Are you a Publisher, Agent or Publicist?
• Five Star and Award Stickers
• Find a Great Book to Read
• Win 100+ Kindle Books
• Get Free Books
• Are you a School, Library or Charity?
• Become a Reviewer
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Partner
• Award Winners
• Non-Fiction
• > Free Book Review
• > Book Award Contest
• > Hundreds of Helpful Articles
• > Discount Author Services
• Great Books by New Authors! <
• Award-Winners & Bestsellers <
• Reviews + Reader Comments <
• Win 100+ Kindle Books! <

When the right books are picked as winners we pay attention. We will be spreading the word about Readers' Favorite.

Become an Award-Winning Author!

Jim Carrey sports his Readers' Favorite Gold Medal.

Free book review with lots of great features

We review published and unpublished (ARC and manuscripts) books in any of our 150+ genres. Your review will be posted on our site with a full featured Review Page as well as on other trade and social media sites. Your review will also be indexed by search engines like Google, which recognizes our reviews and formats them with their starred rating, just like Amazon and Goodreads. All 5-star reviews receive a FREE "Five Star" digital seal for your website and a high-resolution version for your book cover. Our seal can be seen on book covers from indie authors to iconic publishers like Simon & Schuster.

All book review features are FREE

• Review Page with features to get your book noticed.
• Review listed in the Readers’ Favorite app for readers.
• Review posted to popular websites and search engines.
• Review announced to 500,000 libraries, bookstores, schools.
• Donate books with our Book Donation program.
• Get more reviews with our Review Exchange program.
• Get help and share information in our Author Forum.
• Get advertising & fans with our Monthly Book Giveaway.

Hundreds of Helpful Articles

We have created hundreds of articles on topics all authors face in today’s literary landscape. Get help and advice on Writing, Marketing, Publishing, Social Networking and more. Each article has a Comments section so you can read advice from other authors and leave your own.

Proofreading, Editing, Critique

Getting help with your book from a professional editor is always recommended but often just too expensive. We have partnered with a professional editor with 30 years of experience to provide quality writing services at affordable prices.

Free book reviews for your authors

We review published and unpublished (ARC and manuscripts) books in any of our 150+ genres. Reviews will be posted on our site, KOBO, Google Books, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. You can also post our review in Amazon’s Editorial Reviews section. Reviews will be indexed by search engines like Google, who recognizes our reviews and formats them with their starred rating just like reviews from Amazon. In addition, our reviewers often post reviews to their blog, and social sites. We do not post negative reviews. If a book receives a poor rating, we provide private constructive criticism instead.

We have enjoyed working with Readers' Favorite these past years. They provide timely and honest reviews and go the extra mile by posting reviews on social media sites like Facebook and trade sites like KOBO and Google Books.

Books by indie, celebrity and iconic authors

We have a detailed review page for tens of thousands of books in 150+ genres. And because we only list premium books (4 and 5 stars), reviews and reader comments are primarily positive, which creates an enjoyable community for book enthusiasts.

Discover a new indie author and let them know what you thought about their book by adding your comments as tens of thousands of other readers have! You can even contact the author directly or visit their social media sites.

Enter to win hundreds of free books every month!

The Readers' Favorite Monthly Book Giveaway is completely FREE and available to readers, authors and anyone who loves to read! Each month our authors can provide a Kindle copy of their book to be given away.

The books are listed on our Monthly Book Giveaway page with new ones added every day. You can select as many as you are interested in, giving you the chance to win dozens or even hundreds of Kindle books each month!

Get a free book in exchange for an honest review

The Readers' Favorite Free Book program was created to help authors get more reviews and exposure for their work. Authors who participate in this program invite readers to contact them to request a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. We have tens of thousands of books in 150+ genres available for free. Just browse through your favorite genres and authors who participate in our Free Book program will be identified by our Free Book button.

Participates in Free Book Program

These authors are willing to provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for your honest review and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. When you find a book you like that displays our Free Book button, simply click the purple mail icon to contact the author with your request.

Free books with our Book Donation program

The Readers' Favorite author Book Donation program was created to help schools, libraries and charitable organizations by providing them with free books and to help authors obtain more exposure. We have tens of thousands of books in 150+ genres available for donation. Just browse through your favorite genres and authors who participate in our Book Donation program will be identified by our Book Donation button.

These authors are willing to donate free copies of their books in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their books are being read and enjoyed. When you find a book you like that displays our Book Donation button, simply click the purple mail icon to contact the author with your request.

Authors helping authors

Readers' Favorite is the fastest growing book review and award contest site on the Internet. We have earned the respect of renowned publishers such as Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors.

We are also very proud to be fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

Help authors by sharing your opinions

Readers' Favorite is growing fast, and even with over 1,000 reviewers we still need many more to keep up with the growing demand for reviews. Choose from hundreds of books each month from seasoned veterans like James Patterson to first-time indie authors. You can even earn money and win cash prizes!

Find out the latest indie author news. For FREE.

• Self-Pub 101

The BookLife Prize Discovering Great Books, Supporting New Authors

The grand prize in both the Fiction and Nonfiction Contests is $5,000 and an author profile in Publishers Weekly , but all entrants receive a Critic’s Report, a brief critical assessment of their novel written by a Publishers Weekly reviewer.

The BookLife Prize is an annual writing competition in two Contests (Fiction and Nonfiction) sponsored by BookLife and  Publishers Weekly . The Prize seeks to support independent authors and discover great written works in nine categories across the two Sections. The categories in the Fiction Contest are: Romance/Erotica; Mystery/Thriller; Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror; General Fiction; and Middle-Grade & YA Fiction. The categories in the Nonfiction Contest are: Memoir/Autobiography; Self-Help; Inspirational/Spiritual; and Business/Personal Finance. The Prize is judged by  PW  reviewers, editors, acclaimed authors, and publishing veterans, and awards are given to finalists in each Contest's categories, with a grand cash prize of $5,000 going to the most outstanding finalist in each Contest. To see the results of the 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 Prizes,  click here .

The BookLife Prize Fiction Contest is now open. Click here to enter. The Nonfiction Contest opens October 1.

The mission of the BookLife Prize is to discover, cultivate, support, and celebrate great works of unpublished or self-published writing by independent authors. The Prize also aims to provide feedback to authors about their work, provide a Critic’s Report which may assist finalists in the marketing of their fiction, and provide financial support via a cash prize to the grand-prize winner in each Contest.

The grand prize winner for both the Fiction and Nonfiction Contests of the BookLife Prize will receive a cash prize of $5,000 as well as a profile in  Publishers Weekly . Each grand prize winner will be solely responsible for any federal, state or local taxes that may result from winning.  

Finalists, one from each respective submission category of both the Fiction and Nonfiction Contests, will receive a blurb (i.e., a promotional description, as found on the jackets of books) from a bestselling/award-winning author or professional editor serving as a guest judge for the Prize, as well as a mention in  Publishers Weekly . Each finalist will also receive $1,000 worth of BookBaby's Facebook + Instagram for Authors service: for each finalist BookBaby will waive its $99 setup fee and provide $250-per-week funds for a four-week campaign; each finalist will then have the option to extend the campaign if s/he wishes to have it run for a longer period of time; click here for more information about the service .

All entrants will receive a Critic’s Report, which includes a score as well as a brief written critical assessment of their novel by a  Publishers Weekly  reviewer.  ( Click here for an example Critic's Report. )

"You don't have to win the BookLife Prize to get the benefits. Every single entry gets a professional reviewer's critique, and you can leverage that critique to make you a better writer and more successful in your writing career."  T.J. Slee

Eligibility and Submissions

Unpublished or self-published books–works for which the author has subvented the cost of the book’s publication–in the English language are eligible for the BookLife Prize.

Each submission can only be entered into one of the following categories:  Romance/Erotica; Mystery/Thriller; Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror; General Fiction; Middle-Grade & YA Fiction; Memoir/Autobiography; Self-Help; Inspirational/Spiritual; and Business/Personal Finance.

Novels submitted to the Middle Grade & YA Fiction category must contain 30,000 to 100,000 words. All other submissions must contain 40,000 to 100,000 words. Novellas, novelettes, short fiction, and collections are not eligible for submission. Authors may make multiple discrete submissions.

Employees of BookLife, its parent companies and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter the Prize. Entries written by non-humans (artificial intelligence) are not eligible.

All submissions must made between the following dates:

• For the Fiction Contest: April 1, 2024, and August 30, 2024. 
• For the Nonfiction Contest: October 2, 2023, and January 31, 2024.

Prize Structure - Fiction Contest 

The Fiction Contest of the BookLife Prize runs from April 1, 2024, to December 13, 2024, with the Contest divided into four rounds:

First Round (April 1, 2024, to August 30, 2024):  All novels submitted to the BookLife Prize will be initially judged by the professional book reviewers of  Publishers Weekly . Each submission will receive an evaluation called a Critic’s Report. Each Critic’s Report consists of a brief written critical assessment of the novel, as well as a rating–on a one to 10 scale–of the book’s strengths and weaknesses in the following categories: Characterization, Plot, Prose/Style, Originality, and Overall Strength. The submissions with the 10 highest scores in each genre will move to the quarter-finals.  The quarter-finalists will be announced on BookLife on October 14, 2024.

Quarter-Finals (September 1, 2024, to October 14, 2024) : All submissions advancing to the quarter-finals will be critically assessed by the editorial staffs of  Publishers Weekly  and BookLife. Of the quarter-finalists, five from each of the five categories will be selected based on merit by  PW  and BookLife’s editors to advance to the semifinals. The semi-finalists will be announced on BookLife on October 17, 2024.

Semi-Finals (October 17, 2024, to November 14, 2024) : All semi-finalist submissions will be critically assessed by a guest judge–professional book editor or bestselling/award-winning author–in each of the five categories. The guest judges will select one submission from each category to advance to the finals round. These five submissions will be the winners in each of their respective categories. Each of the five finalists will also receive a blurb from the corresponding guest judge, as well as a mention in  Publishers Weekly . The finalists will be announced on November 14, 2024.

Finals (November 14, 2024, to December 13, 2024):  From the five finalists, the panel of guest judges will select one grand prize winner for the Fiction Contest, who will receive a cash prize of $5,000 as well as a profile in  Publishers Weekly . The grand prize winner from the Fiction Contest will be announced on December 13, 2024, and an article about the winner in the December 16, 2024, edition of the BookLife section of Publishers Weekly. The award will be paid no later than March 1, 2025. There are no cash awards being offered in the Fiction Contest of the BookLife Prize other than to the Fiction Contest grand prize winner.

Prize Structure - Nonfiction Contest

The Nonfiction Contest of the BookLife Prize runs from October 2, 2023, to May 27, 2024, with the Contest divided into four rounds:

First Round (October 2, 2023, to January 31, 2024):  All books submitted to the BookLife Prize will be initially judged by the professional book reviewers of  Publishers Weekly . Each submission will receive an evaluation called a Critic’s Report. Each Critic’s Report consists of a brief written critical assessment of the novel, as well as a rating–on a one to 10 scale–of the book’s strengths and weaknesses in the following categories: Structure, Theme, Prose/Style, Originality, and Overall Strength. The submissions with the 10 highest scores in each genre will move to the quarter-finals.  The quarter-finalists will be announced on BookLife on March 11, 2024.

Quarter-Finals (February 1, 2024, to March 11, 2024) : All submissions advancing to the quarter-finals will be critically assessed by the editorial staffs of  Publishers Weekly  and BookLife. Of the quarter-finalists, five from each of the four categories will be selected based on merit by  PW  and BookLife’s editors to advance to the semifinals. The semi-finalists will be announced on BookLife on March 13, 2024.

Semi-Finals (March 13, 2024, to April 15, 2024 (delayed to April 17, 2024) : All semi-finalist submissions will be critically assessed by a guest judge–professional book editor or bestselling/award-winning author–in each of the four categories. The guest judges will select one submission from each category to advance to the finals round. These four submissions will be the winners in each of their respective categories. Each of the four finalists will also receive a blurb from the corresponding guest judge, as well as a mention in  Publishers Weekly . The finalists will be announced on April 15, 2024 (delayed to April 17, 2024).

Finals (April 15, 2024, to May 27, 2024):  From the four finalists, the panel of guest judges will select one grand prize winner for the Nonfiction Contest, who will receive a cash prize of $5,000 as well as a profile in  Publishers Weekly . The grand prize winner for the Nonfiction Contest will be announced on May 27, 2024. The award will be paid no later than August 1, 2024. There are no cash awards being offered in the Nonfiction Contest of the BookLife Prize other than to the Nonfiction Contest grand prize winner.

Instructions and Entry Fee

The nonrefundable entry fee for all submissions to the Prize is $119. The entry period for the 2024 BookLife Prize Fiction Contest is now open. 

New users who have no BookLife account  enter on this page . BookLife members enter the BookLife Prize by logging in and going to project page for the book or manuscript they'd like to enter.   Here are detailed instructions.

Critic’s Report Reuse Guide

All participants in the BookLife Prize will receive a Critic’s Report: a score and a written evaluation of their work from a  Publishers Weekly  reviewer. While the Critic’s Report in no way constitutes a book review from  Publishers Weekly , authors are welcome to use the text of their Critic’s Reports as promotional copy or as blurbs to promote their books. Please note: When attributing quotes from Critic’s Reports, authors must credit The BookLife Prize. Additionally, Critic’s Reports are not any kind of conversation or correspondence with  PW  reviewers, who will remain anonymous. Critic’s Reports will be delivered to participants by email within eight weeks of entry in the Prize; Critics Reports will also be accessible on authors’ dashboards on BookLife, where users can chose to make them public or keep them private.

TERMS, CONDITIONS AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Participation in the BookLife Prize constitutes an entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Terms, Conditions and Limitation of Liability and all other provisions herein (the “T&Cs”), as well as the decisions of the reviewers, editors and judges of the Prize.

Upon full refund of the submission fee in any particular instance, BookLife shall have no obligation, express or implied, to judge any entry and entrants shall not be entitled to any damages or other relief by reason thereof.

If for any reason, BookLife is not capable of running the Contest, BookLife reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Prize, without prior notice at any time, including the selection of prize winners in any manner it deems fair and reasonable including the selection of the prize winners from among eligible entries received prior to such cancellation, termination, modification or suspension.

BookLife reserves the right, to cancel, terminate or modify the Prize if it determines, in its sole discretion, that fraud or technical failures compromise the integrity of the Contest.

BookLife, its parent companies, sponsors of the Prize, their respective promotional partners, affiliated companies, agencies and their employees are not responsible for any individual’s inability to enter this contest, i>ncluding but not limited to: failed software or hardware transmissions; unavailable network, server, telephone or other connections; errors of any kind, whether human, electronic, or mechanical regarding lost, misdirected, late, incomplete or damaged entries; or for any damage to any computer, network, hardware or software related to or resulting from participation and are additionally not liable for injury, losses, damages or costs of any kind resulting from participation in the Prize. By entering this contest, entrants opt into the use of their registration information in accordance with the BookLife and its parent company’s Privacy Policy and consent to receiving correspondence via telephone and/or email by BookLife and its parent companies.

Eligibility for winning any prize in the Contest is contingent on compliance with the T&Cs. BookLife reserves the right to declare any submission ineligible if it is determined not to be in accordance with the T&Cs; and

The Prize is void where prohibited by law. Federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF ENTRANTS

Contestants specifically represent and warrant the following regarding each submission:

The work is original material written by the entrant. The entrant is entirely responsible for all content submitted;

The work has not been copied, in whole or in part, from any other work (as written in any language or in any medium, whether now known or hereafter devised) has not been previously published, produced, or distributed in any audio or visual form, or otherwise exploited in any medium (whether now known or hereafter devised, in whole or in part);

The work does not defame, and does not infringe or violate the right of privacy, right of publicity, copyright, trademark, service mark, trade secret, or any intellectual property, proprietary or other right(s) of, any third party;

The work does not include the name or likeness of any actual person(s), without having obtained the express prior written consent of such person(s) (or of such person’s parent or legal guardian if such person is a minor) in each instance; and

The work meets each of the content requirements found in the T&Cs.

Click here  for a list of frequently asked questions about the BookLife Prize.

Modal title

Password reset.

• Member Login
• Library Patron Login

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR

FREE NEWSLETTERS

Search: Title Author Article Search String:

Reviews and excerpts of books that have won major book awards.

Major book awards.

Each year literary foundations, trusts, and other groups award prizes for the best recent books. Winners of some of the most notable prizes are listed below: BookBrowse Awards Pulitzer Prize Booker Prize John Newbery Medal Michael Printz Award Edgar Awards National Book Critics Circle Awards National Book Awards Costa Book Awards Nero Book Awards Women's Prize for Fiction Hugo Awards PEN/Bellwether Prize PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction

BookBrowse Awards

Since 2000, BookBrowse has asked its members and subscribers to select the best books published each year. Through a rigorous voting process, this shortlist is then honed down to find the BookBrowse Awards Winners.

• BookBrowse Fiction Award: The Covenant of Water  by Abraham Verghese
• BookBrowse Nonfiction Award: The Wager  by David Grann
• BookBrowse YA Award: Remember Us  by Jacqueline Woodson

Selection Process

Pulitzer Prize

Joseph Pulitzer, a renowned journalist, established this award in 1917. Since 1984 Pulitzer winners have received their prizes from the president of Columbia University at a luncheon in May in the rotunda of the Low Library in the presence of family members, professional associates, board members, and the faculty of the School of Journalism. If you'd like to learn more, you can read our history and overview of the Pulitzer Prize .

• Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: Night Watch  by Jayne Anne Phillips
• Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction: A Day in the Life of Abed Salama  by Nathan Thrall
• Pulitzer Prize for Biography: King  by Jonathan Eig Master Slave Husband Wife  by Ilyon Woo
• Pulitzer Prize for Memoir/Autobiography: Liliana's Invincible Summer  by Cristina Rivera Garza
• Pulitzer Prize for History: No Right to an Honest Living  by Jacqueline Jones
• Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: Tripas  by Brandon Som Previous Winners

Booker Prize

Awarded in October each year, the Booker Prize is the UK's top literary prize and the most watched single-book award in the English-speaking world. Until 2013 the award was open only to citizens of the Commonwealth of nations (in essence, the UK and former British colonies). As of 2014 the award is open to authors worldwide so long as their work is in English and published in the UK.

• Booker Prize: Prophet Song  by Paul Lynch Previous Winners

John Newbery Medal

The Newbery Medal is awarded in January each year by the American Library Association for the most distinguished American children's book published the previous year.

• Newbery Medal: The Eyes and the Impossible  by Dave Eggers Previous Winners

Michael Printz Award

Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature

• Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature: The Collectors  by A.S. King Previous Winners

Edgar Awards

Mystery Writers of America is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. MWA is dedicated to promoting higher regard for crime writing and recognition and respect for those who write within the genre. Each Spring, Mystery Writers of America present the Edgar® Awards, widely acknowledged to be the most prestigious awards in the genre.

• Edgar Award for Best Novel: Flags on the Bayou  by James Lee Burke
• Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American Author: The Peacock and the Sparrow  by I.S. Berry
• Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original: Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers  by Jesse Q. Sutanto
• Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime: Crooked  by Nathan Masters
• Edgar Award for Young Adult:  by  Previous Winners

National Book Critics Circle Awards

Each March, the NBCC presents awards for the finest books and reviews published in English in the USA during the previous year. Unlike many awards, the NBCC awards are dated for the previous year (e.g. the winners announced in March 2023 were the 2022 award winners).

• NBCC Award for Fiction: I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home  by Lorrie Moore
• NBCC Award for Nonfiction: We Were Once a Family  by Roxanna Asgarian
• NBCC Award for Biography: Winnie and Nelson  by Jonny Steinberg
• NBCC Award for Autobiography: How to Say Babylon  by Safiya Sinclair
• NBCC Award for Book in Translation: Cold Nights of Childhood  by Tezer Özlü
• NBCC Award for Criticism: Deadpan  by Tina Post
• NBCC Award for Poetry: Phantom Pain Wings  by Kim Hyesoon
• NBCC John Leonard Prize: Best First Book in Any Genre: Waiting to Be Arrested at Night  by Tahir Izgil Previous Winners

National Book Awards

First awarded in 1950, the National Book Awards recognize the best of American literature. The Awards are announced in November.

• National Book Award for Fiction: Blackouts  by Justin Torres
• National Book Award for Nonfiction: The Rediscovery of America  by Ned Blackhawk
• National Book Award for Poetry: From Unincorporated Territory [åmot]  by Craig Santos Perez
• National Book Award for Young People's Literature: A First Time for Everything  by Dan Santat
• National Book Award for Translated Literature: The Words That Remain  by Stênio Gardel Previous Winners

Costa Book Awards

The Costas were one of the UK's most prestigious book awards between 1971 and 2021. Established by Whitbread Plc in 1971, they were known as the Whitbread Awards, until being rebranded as the Costa Awards in 2006 (Costa is a UK based coffee shop chain owned by Whitbread Plc.) The awards were discontinued in early 2022, before announcing the year's winners.

• Costa Book of The Year: The Kids  by Hannah Lowe
• Costa First Novel Award (formerly Whitbread): Open Water  by Caleb Azumah Nelson
• Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread): Unsettled Ground  by Claire Fuller
• Costa Biography Award (formerly Whitbread): Fall  by John Preston
• Costa Children's Book Award (formerly Whitbread): The Crossing  by Manjeet Mann
• Costa Poetry Award: The Kids  by Hannah Lowe Previous Winners

Nero Book Awards

The Nero book awards were launched in May 2023, just under a year after Costa abruptly scrapped its book awards after 50 years. The new prize aims to celebrate the “best reads of the year” by writers based in the UK and Ireland.

• Nero Fiction Award: The Bee Sting  by Paul Murray
• Nero Nonfiction Award: Strong Female Character  by Fern Brady
• Nero Debut Award: Close to Home  by Michael Magee Previous Winners

Women's Prize for Fiction

One of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, the Women’s Prize for Fiction is awarded each June. It was previously known as the Orange Prize for Fiction (1996 - 2012) and the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (2014 - 2017). It celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in women’s writing from throughout the world. In 2017, the prize announced that it would change its name to simply "Women's Prize for Fiction" and would be supported by multiple sponsors. A sister prize, the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction, was launched in 2023 and will first be awarded in 2024.

• Women's Prize for Fiction: Demon Copperhead  by Barbara Kingsolver Previous Winners

Hugo Awards

The Hugo Awards, first presented in 1953 and presented annually since 1955, are science fiction’s most prestigious award. The Hugo Awards are voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Convention (“Worldcon”), which is also responsible for administering them.

• Hugo Award for Best Novel: Nettle & Bone  by T. Kingfisher
• Hugo Award for Best Novella: Where the Drowned Girls Go  by Seanan McGuire Previous Winners

PEN/Bellwether Prize

The PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, formerly known as the Bellwether Prize for Fiction is a biennial award given by PEN America and Barbara Kingsolver to a U.S. citizen for a previously unpublished work of fiction that address issues of social justice. The award is given for a work in progress - hence the award date is often at least a year ahead of publication. The 2023 winner is Kingdom of No Tomorrow by Fabienne Josaphat; publication date to be announced.

• PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction: Moonrise Over New Jessup  by Jamila Minnicks Previous Winners

PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction

The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction honors the best published works of fiction by American permanent residents in a calendar year. Three writers are chosen annually by the Board of Directors of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation to serve as judges, ensuring that our awards selection process is free of commercial influence. These judges select an initial longlist of ten books, followed by five finalists, and finally one winner as the “first among equals.” The author of the winning book receives a $15,000 prize. The authors of each of the other finalists receive $5,000.

• PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction: What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez  by Claire Jimenez Previous Winners

Support BookBrowse

Join our inner reading circle, go ad-free and get way more!

Find out more

BookBrowse Book Club

Members Recommend

Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung

Eve J. Chung's debut novel recounts a family's flight to Taiwan during China's Communist revolution.

The Stolen Child by Ann Hood

An unlikely duo ventures through France and Italy to solve the mystery of a child’s fate.

Win This Book

Only the Brave by Danielle Steel

A powerful, sweeping historical novel about a courageous woman in World War II Germany.

Solve this clue:

and be entered to win..

Your guide to exceptional           books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info and giveaways by email.

Looking to publish? Meet your dream editor, designer and marketer on Reedsy.

Find the perfect editor for your next book

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Best Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 381 contests that match your search.

The Reedsy Prompts Contest

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

Every Friday, Reedsy sends out five writing prompts. Enter your response within a week for a chance at $250. Winners may also be included in a future issue of Reedsy’s literary magazine, Prompted.

Additional prizes:

$25 credit toward Reedsy editorial services

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024

The Clay Reynolds Novella Prize

Texas Review

Genres: Fiction and Novella

Established in 2001, The Clay Reynolds Novella Prize highlights one book a year that excels in the novella format. Since 2019 the Prize comes with $500, a standard royalty contract, and 20 copies of the published book.

A Standard Royalty contract, 20 copies of the novella published

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

Writing Peers Summer Short Story Prize

Writing Peers

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Horror, Mystery, Romance, and Thriller

Are you seeking lots of feedback? Ever wondered what it’s like to step into the shoes of a jury? Pick one of our prompts and let your creativity soar. Submit your piece, then review other entries and develop an eye for what makes a story stand out. Receive detailed feedback, evolve as a writer and you might even walk away with the prize money!

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: June 21, 2024

Craft your masterpiece in Reedsy Studio

Plan, write, edit, and format your book in our free app made for authors.

Learn more about Reedsy Studio .

The Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction

Association of Writers & Writing Programs

AWP sponsors the Award Series, an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works. The competition is open to all authors writing in English regardless of nationality or residence, and is available to published and unpublished authors alike.

Publication by Red Hen Press

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2024 (Expired)

Annual Contest Submissions

So To Speak

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, LGBTQ, Non-fiction, and Poetry

So To Speak is seeking submissions for poetry, fiction, and non-fiction with an intersectional feminist lens! It is no secret that the literary canon and literary journals are largely comprised of heteronormative, patriarchal, cisgender, able-bodied white men. So to Speak seeks work by writers, poets, and artists who want to challenge and change the identity of the “canonical” writer.

Publication

💰 Entry fee: $4

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2024 (Expired)

The Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2024

The Caterpillar Magazine

Genres: Poetry

The Caterpillar Poetry Prize is an annual prize for an unpublished poem written by an adult for children aged 7–11. Every year since 2015, The Caterpillar Poetry Prize has been awarded to a single poem by a single judge – among them John Hegley, Chrissie Gittins, Roger McGough, Michael Morpurgo & Michael Rosen. The winning poems will be published in the Irish Times online.

€1,000 plus a week at Circle of Misse in France

2nd: €500 | 3rd: €250

💰 Entry fee: $16

Hastings Book Festival - Poetry

Hastings Book Festival

Genres: Poetry and LGBTQ

Hastings Book Festival writing competition is open to writers from anywhere in the world writing in English on any theme. We invite poems up to 40 lines. We have additional prizes for LGBT+ writers and writers resident in Sussex.

A 3-day creative retreat at Starcroft Farm Cabins

💰 Entry fee: $8

📅 Deadline: July 07, 2024

The Letter Review Prize for Poetry

The Letter Review

This Prize is free to enter. 2-4 Winners are published. We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Seeking poems up to 70 lines. Judges’ feedback available. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no style / theme restrictions. Judged blind. All entries considered for publication + submission to Pushcart.

Publication by The Letter Review

📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)

Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize

Marsh Hawk Press

Beginning December 1, 2023, Marsh Hawk Press is accepting submissions of poetry manuscripts to the annual Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prizes. Deadline is April 30, 2024. We welcome submissions from emerging as well as established poets. The winner of the Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize receives $1,000.00, book publication and promotion. Winners of the Robert Creeley and Rochelle Ratner prizes, selected from finalists, receive $250.00 each.

$1000 + publication

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Storytrade Book Awards

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Storytrade Book Awards recognizes excellence in small and independent publishing. Open to all indie authors and publishers including self-published authors, university presses, and small or independent presses, our annual awards program spotlights outstanding books in a number of fiction and nonfiction categories.

Medal, Book Stickers, Digital Seal

💰 Entry fee: $75

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024

Red Hen Press Women's Prose Prize

Red Hen Press

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story, Essay, Memoir, and Novel

Established in 2018, the Women’s Prose Prize is for previously unpublished, original work of prose. Novels, short story collections, memoirs, essay collections, and all other forms of prose writing are eligible for consideration. The awarded manuscript is selected through a biennial competition, held in even-numbered years, that is open to all writers who identify as women.

Bacopa Literary Review Annual Writing Contest

Writers Alliance of Gainesville

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Bacopa Literary Review’s 2024 contest is open from March 4 through April 4, with $200 Prize and $100 Honorable Mention in each of six categories: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Flash Fiction, Free Verse Poetry, Formal Poetry, and Visual Poetry.

📅 Deadline: May 02, 2024 (Expired)

Universe of Threats Natural Disaster Writing Contest

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

CAPTRS is building a catalog of threats, called the “Universe of Threats,” which will be used to prepare decision makers for future threats. We invite you to submit a 2,500 word or less story describing a threat scenario related to natural disasters, including floods, wildfires, hurricanes or another natural disaster of your choosing.

2nd: $2,500 | 3rd: $1,000 | Publication on CAPTRS website

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

Biopage Storytelling Writing Contest

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, and Flash Fiction

Biopage is hosting a writing contest to remind people the benefits of writing. Each story (or once chapter of your stories) is limited to 5,000 characters or roughly 1,000 words. You can write about good life experience, or bad, embarrassing, frightening ones. You can win $300, and five runners-up can win $100 each.

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2024

Creative Writing Award for Poetry

Aesthetica Magazine

The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award celebrates outstanding writers. The Award was launched after the publication of Aesthetica Magazine, as a way to support the next generation of literary talent. The Creative Writing Award is open to Poetry and Short Fiction submissions on any theme, however, we are particularly interested in works that reflect upon our ever changing world.

Publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual | Two online masterclasses with Arvon | A course from the Poetry School

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2024

Bridport Novel Award

Bridport Arts Centre

Genres: Fiction and Novel

Your novel doesn't have to be finished. We initially need only 5,000 to 8,000 words plus a 300 word synopsis. If you're long listed we'll ask for a total of 15,000 words, including your original word count. Shortlisted? Then we need a total 30,000 words, again including your original entry and long listed word count. It all adds up to an incredible opportunity.

£750 for the runner up and three prizes of £150

💰 Entry fee: $29

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024

The Hudson Prize

Black Lawrence Press

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Hudson Prize for an unpublished collection of poems or prose. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers.

💰 Entry fee: $28

The Peseroff Prize

Breakwater Review

Submit up to three poems and a $10 entry fee. There are no restrictions on content or form: it 's all poetry. Poems should be previously unpublished. The winner and finalists will be published in Breakwater Review.

Publication in spring issue

💰 Entry fee: $10

Dream Quest One Writing Contest

Dream Quest One

Write a short story, 5 pages maximum length, on any subject or theme, fiction, non-fiction, creative nonfiction (including essay compositions, diary, journal entries, short stage plays, screenplays, and screenwriting). All entries must be either typed or legibly hand printed. Multiple and simultaneous poetry and short story entries are accepted.

2nd: $125 | 3rd: $50

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024

Cricket Magazine Contest

Cricket Magazine

Genres: Children's

Will you write about a hidden talent or secret superpower? A secret identity or a hidden message? Whatever you decide, all the bugs in Cricket Country just can’t hide their excitement to read your wonderful words. They’ll be sticking close to the mailbox in hopes that you don’t hide your poetic talent. Proudly share your best poem—of 24 lines or fewer, please—about hiding.

Publication in Cricket Magazine

📅 Deadline: May 30, 2024

Berggruen Prize Essay Competition

Berggruen Institute

Genres: Essay

The Berggruen Prize Essay Competition, in the amount of $25,000 USD for the English and Chinese language category respectively, is given annually to stimulate new thinking and innovative concepts while embracing cross-cultural perspectives across fields, disciplines, and geographies. Inspired by the pivotal role essays have played in shaping thought and inquiry, we are inviting essays that follow in the tradition of renowned thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Michel de Montaigne, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Publication in Noema Magazine

Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry

Lynx House Press

The annual Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry awards $2000 plus publication for a full-length poetry collection. The Prize is awarded for an unpublished, full-length volume of poems by a U.S. author, which includes foreign nationals living and writing in the U.S. and U.S. citizens living abroad. Lynx House Press has been publishing fine poetry and prose since 1975. Our titles are distributed by the University of Washington Press.

📅 Deadline: June 16, 2024

Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award

Poets & Writers, Inc.

Genres: Fiction and Poetry

Poetry manuscripts should not exceed 10 pages, single or double-spaced (minimum of seven pages). Fiction manuscripts should not exceed 25 pages and must be double-spaced. Fiction manuscripts may include stories and/or excerpts from novels.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Gotham Writers Workshop

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize is a writing competition sponsored by the stage and radio series Selected Shorts. Selected Shorts is recorded for Public Radio and heard nationally on both the radio and its weekly podcast. This years entries will be judged by Carmen Maria Machado (In the Dream House, Her Body and Other Parties).

$1000 + free 10 week course with Gotham Writers

Black River Chapbook Competition

Twice each year Black Lawrence Press will run the Black River Chapbook Competition for an unpublished chapbook of poems or prose between 16-36 pages in length. The contest is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner will receive book publication, a $500 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes are awarded on publication.

💰 Entry fee: $18

📅 Deadline: June 01, 2024

The Lascaux Prize in Poetry

The Lascaux Review

Poems may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication online in The Lascaux Review. The winner and all finalists will be published in the annual print journal.

The Donald Hall Prize for Poetry

Publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press

The One Page Poetry Contest

One Page Poetry

One Page Poetry is dedicated to the art of expressing a poetic theme on a single page, whether your poem is four lines or forty, whether yours is a love poem, inspirational poem, philosophical poem, or just one that is fun or whimsical. We welcome any and all poetic forms, as long as they fit on a single page.

2nd: $1000 | 3rd: $500

Poetry International Prize 2024

POETRY INTERNATIONAL is one of the oldest and most respected literary journals dedicated to publishing poetry from around the globe. Each issue of the print journal brings together poems, portfolios, and prose representing a rich diversity of countries and languages.

Fanstory Writing Contests

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Subscribe to Fanstory for $9.95 a month and enter as many contests as you like from their list of writing and poetry contests, updated daily. All participants receive feedback from a community of writers, and the winner of each contest receives a cash prize of up to $100.

Cash prizes of up to $100

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2023 (Expired)

BRMCWC Foundation Awards

Blue Ridge Mountains Conference

Genres: Christian

The mission of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference is to inspire writers to connect with God, other writers, and industry professionals as they embrace their calling with excellence. The entrant must be registered for the entire conference in order to compete.

💰 Entry fee: $45

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)

CWA Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition

Crime Writers' Association

Genres: Mystery and Short Story

Every year since 2014, the CWA and the Margery Allingham Society have jointly held an international competition for a short story of up to 3,500 words. Our mission is to find the best unpublished short mystery, and not only that, but one which fits into Golden Age crime writer Margery Allingham’s definition of what makes a great story. Entries are invited from all writers, published or unpublished, writing in English.

Two weekend passes to CrimeFest

📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)

James Jones First Novel Fellowship

Wilkes University

A prize of $10,000 is given annually for a novel-in-progress by a U.S. writer who has not published a novel. Runners-up will receive $1000. A selection from the winning work is published in Provincetown Arts.

💰 Entry fee: $33

3-6-9 Poetry Contest

FanStory.com Inc.

This poem has three stanzas. Each stanza has three lines that follows the 3-6-9 syllable count. The first line has 3 syllables, the second line has 6 syllables and the last line 9 syllables. The subject can be anything.

📅 Deadline: November 15, 2024

Randall Kenan Prize for Black LGBTQ Fiction

Lambda Literary

Genres: LGBTQ and Novel

The Randall Kenan Prize for Black LGBTQ Fiction, in memory of the celebrated author Randall Kenan, honors Black LGBTQ writers of fiction. The award will go to a Black LGBTQ writer whose fiction explores themes of Black LGBTQ life, culture, and/or history. To be eligible, the winner of the prize must have published at least one book and show promise in continuing to produce groundbreaking work.

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course: How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

How to Craft a Killer Short Story

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction

How to Write a Novel

Understanding Point of View

Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love

Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character

Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine

On Editing:

Story Editing for Authors

How to Self-Edit Like a Pro

Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites

How to Write a Short Story in 7 Steps

Reedsy's guide to novel writing

Literary Devices and Terms — 35+ Definitions With Examples

10 Essential Fiction Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft

How to Write Dialogue: 8 Simple Rules and Exercises

8 Character Development Exercises to Help You Nail Your Character

Bonus resources

200+ Short Story Ideas

600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You

100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors

Story Title Generator

Pen Name Generator

Character Name Generator

After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

Save your shortlist

Enter your email address to save your shortlist so that you don't lose it!

By continuing, you will also receive Reedsy's weekly publishing tips and access to our free webinars.

We sent over your shortlist. Thank you for using Reedsy's Writing Contest Directory, happy publishing! 🙌

Join our weekly contest

Get 5 new writing prompts every Friday. Write and submit a story for a chance to win $250.

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

Keep up with The Latest

Pen and Glory

Self-publishing, simplified.

• May 3, 2022

Top 20 Award Contests for Self-Published Authors

Awards and competitions can be a lot of fun and a quick way to boost popularity and prestige, both for self-published writers and those with a traditional lean. Here are some of the best available for self-published authors.

First, you’re more likely to win if you have fewer and high-quality books than many binge-reading sellers; so if you’re publishing that one, perfect novel, this might be a great way to get some new eyes on it.

You might also notice that many of these contests cost money to enter. This is to ensure that low-effort books don’t waste time in the judging process, and to encourage discretion as to whether your book is a suitable nomination. If you think you’re a good fit, consider it an investment in your success.

Lastly, not all books were meant to be contest winners. Many (if not most) of the greatest and most popular books never won a single award, so don’t feel like a failure if you don’t win.

The Contests

1. writer’s digest self-published book awards.

These annual awards offer up to $10,000 cash and are exclusive to self-published books. Every category will have a first prize winner, with the grand prize going to a single author at the top. As a relatively easy contest to enter, this is an easy starting point with a lot of possibilities.

2. IndieReader Discovery Awards

This award comes with a bonus for every book entered: you’ll get a written verdict from IndieReader. Even if your book fails to place, a positive verdict is a badge of honor you can post as a critical positive review on your book.

3. Independent Publisher Book Awards

This is not one specific award or contest. Rather, it’s a list of several upcoming events open to self-published writers, often in specific genres or niches for a more targeted experience.

4. IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award

This contest is encouraged for, but not limited to, members of the Independent Book Publishers Association. Two separate entry periods gives you more flexibility to get your book in on time and up to par.

5. Forward Indie’s Book of The Year Award

With fifty-five different categories, Forward Indie’s award contest is judged by a team of librarians and booksellers and is exclusive to self-published authors. Criteria include professionalism, overall value, and originality.

6. Next Generation Indie Book Awards

This is the biggest contest for self-published authors, and one of the best known. The Next Generation Indie Book Awards offer a series of cash prizes for winners in eighty categories and a generous runner-up list.

7. The Best Indie Book Award

The BIBA, or Best Indie Book Award, is one of several awards by the organization—book covers and book illustrations covering the other two arenas.

8. The National Indie Excellence Award

While closed for entries as of writing this post, the National Indie Excellence Award has a variety of categories and several separate awards

9. CIPA EVVY Book Awards

This is one of the oldest self-published book awards and has been active for over thirty years. It’s open to entries from around the world in a variety of styles, and is a longstanding and prestigious reward option respected throughout the industry.

10. eLit Book Awards

The eLit Book Awards offer discounts on authors who are willing to submit early, but are very flexible with submission timing if you want to take your time to polish your work to its best potential. Entries for 2022 are not available yet as of this writing, but you can sign up onto a list to receive updates for the moment you can send in your book.

11. Forward Reviews Book Awards

Forward Reviews offers a number of services to authors, including reviews, editing services, and an annual award. If your book should be a winner or finalist, you can expect it to be marketed to librarians and booksellers as a recommended book as well as a cash prize and expanded distribution.

12. Global Ebook Awards

Dan Poynter’s Global Ebook Awards emphasizes publicity—and not just if you win. Every nomination gets a sticker and multiple promotional opportunities, also allowing authors to track the success of their promotions. Winners get additional support and walk away with both better critical recognition and a better idea of how to sell more books.

13. Independent Press Award

The Independent Press Award sends out thousands of press releases for each winner and can give you media attention as well as a shiny badge to display on your book. As a winner or a distinguished favorite, you’ll have a unique opportunity to draw people to your writing.

14. International Book Awards

The International Book Awards accepts any books written within the past few years. As of this writing, the extended deadline for the 2022 contest is quickly coming up, so if you’re interested, this is a good time to throw your book in the ring.

15. IPPY Awards

In addition to recognizing books according to their genres, the IPPY Awards have additional categories for geographic regions from the United States, Europe, and the rest of the world. These awards celebrate the broad scope of independent publishing, whether from self-publishing authors or independent and hybrid presses that don’t play by traditional rules.

16. Kindle Book Awards

At $32 per entry, the Kindle Book Awards is one of the easiest competitions to enter, and it allows novellas as well as full-length novels. This contest is large and focuses on books available through Amazon’s Kindle store with an emphasis on popular reading and genres.

17. Midwest Book Awards

The Midwest Book Awards is exclusive for books published in and about the American midwest, and a full state lineup is included in their “About” page. If you live in the lucky region, membership to MIPA is completely free and can give you access to exclusive resources in addition to the opportunity to enter your book for their award.

18. National Indie Excellence Awards

The NIEA’s come with a free downloadable badge for winners and finalists as well as the opportunity to order physical stickers for use at in-person events. The window for submission closes early in the year, so mark it on your calendar in advance to slip in.

19. Nautilus Book Awards

The Nautilus Book Awards hold many of the same categories as other book awards, but their emphasis is different: Nautilus loves children’s books. If you write picture books, early reading chapter books, teen books or YA, this award might be your best fit.

20. Readers’ Favorite

The Readers’ Favorite Book Award is quite possibly the best-known award on this list, open worldwide to both self-published and independently-published authors. Simply by entering, your book will be entered to win one of many raffle packages by publishing companies and you’ll be competing with authors from all levels of publishing for a fantastic prize.

Are contests worth it?

It depends on your book and its quality. As you can see above, several of these awards have prizes available even for nomination, and the claim that your book was entered has a weight of its own. That being said, it’s always a good idea to check past contest winners and see if your book is what the judges want to read.

If you’ve won an award or have an experience with any of the contests listed above, please tell us about it in the comment section below. You can also click the blue button to join my group for self-publishing fiction writers on Facebook.

Recent Posts

5 Expensive Publishing Bundles You Don't Need: Self-Publishing 101

7 Secrets of Custom Book Layout: Advanced Author Tactics

20 Evergreen Author Email Ideas

2 opmerkingen

Hi. I'm a new member of your FB group and am looking forward to connecting with other authors. In 2022, I focused on entering self-published book competitions as a marketing strategy and to gain exposure for my book, Inhabiting Bliss , launched at the end of 2021. I'm happy to say that entering these competitions was a great professional exercise and overall, a very gratifying experience. The ultimate bonus was that my book has been granted 9 awards in the various categories of Illustration, Art, Design, and Inspiration. I am thrilled and humbled, to say the least! I missed some of the early-year deadlines, but the competitions I entered and received awards from include: National Indie Excellence Awards, American Illustration 41…

Thanks for sharing!

Book Review Competition

We would love to hear what your pupils thought of the amazing books. Please encourage your pupils to submit a review of their favourite  of the five shortlisted titles. Reviews can be written on paper, scanned and emailed, or forwarded on an electronic document, to [email protected] . We will be accepting entries up until the day of the Awards. Please remember to write the name of the reviewer and school, as well as the book title and author in the accompanying email. Five prizes will be awarded, one for the best review about each of the five books.  You may like to include the following in your review:

 1) What should the reader know before picking up the book?

This might include questions such as:

• Is it part of a series?
• Who is it aimed for?
• Is it an easy or challenging read?

2) What happens?

This is the trickiest part of a book review because you want to give enough information to hook the reader, but you mustn’t spoil it for people who have not read it! You might want to read the blurbs of a few other books, to get an idea of how to describe a story without giving too much away.

3) Why was this your favourite of the 5 Awesome books?

You might consider how it engaged you and what kind of person may enjoy the book. Let us know why this book captured your imagination and why you think other children should read it too.

Feel free to get as creative, using any type of media you wish!

Happy reading!

Mrs Kate Schutte , Head of English, Cranleigh Prep School

• Craft and Criticism
• Fiction and Poetry
• News and Culture
• Lit Hub Radio
• Reading Lists

• Literary Criticism
• Craft and Advice
• In Conversation
• On Translation
• Short Story
• From the Novel
• Bookstores and Libraries
• Film and TV
• Art and Photography
• Freeman’s
• The Virtual Book Channel
• Behind the Mic
• Beyond the Page
• The Cosmic Library
• The Critic and Her Publics
• Emergence Magazine
• Fiction/Non/Fiction
• First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing
• The History of Literature
• I’m a Writer But
• Lit Century
• Tor Presents: Voyage Into Genre
• Windham-Campbell Prizes Podcast
• Write-minded
• The Best of the Decade
• Best Reviewed Books
• BookMarks Daily Giveaway
• The Daily Thrill
• CrimeReads Daily Giveaway

The 10 Best Book Reviews of 2020

Adam morgan picks parul sehgal on raven leilani, merve emre on lewis carroll, and more.

The pandemic and the birth of my second daughter prevented me from reading most of the books I wanted to in 2020. But I was able to read vicariously  through book critics, whose writing was a true source of comfort and escape for me this year. I’ve long told my students that criticism is literature—a genre of nonfiction that can and should be as insightful, experimental, and compelling as the art it grapples with—and the following critics have beautifully proven my point. The word “best” is always a misnomer, but these are my personal favorite book reviews of 2020.

Nate Marshall on Barack Obama’s A Promised Land ( Chicago Tribune )

A book review rarely leads to a segment on The 11th Hour with Brian Williams , but that’s what happened to Nate Marshall last month. I love how he combines a traditional review with a personal essay—a hybrid form that has become my favorite subgenre of criticism.

“The presidential memoir so often falls flat because it works against the strengths of the memoir form. Rather than take a slice of one’s life to lay bare and come to a revelation about the self or the world, the presidential memoir seeks to take the sum of a life to defend one’s actions. These sorts of memoirs are an attempt maybe not to rewrite history, but to situate history in the most rosy frame. It is by nature defensive and in this book, we see Obama’s primary defensive tool, his prodigious mind and proclivity toward over-considering every detail.”

Merve Emre on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ( The Point )

I’m a huge fan of writing about books that weren’t just published in the last 10 seconds. And speaking of that hybrid form above, Merve Emre is one of its finest practitioners. This piece made me laugh out loud and changed the way I think about Lewis Carroll.

“I lie awake at night and concentrate on Alice,  on why my children have fixated on this book at this particular moment. Part of it must be that I have told them it ‘takes place’ in Oxford, and now Oxford—or more specifically, the college whose grounds grow into our garden—marks the physical limits of their world. Now that we can no longer move about freely, no longer go to new places to see new things, we are trying to find ways to estrange the places and objects that are already familiar to us.”

Parul Sehgal on Raven Leilani’s Luster ( The New York Times Book Review )

Once again, Sehgal remains the best lede writer in the business. I challenge you to read the opening of any  Sehgal review and stop there.

“You may know of the hemline theory—the idea that skirt lengths fluctuate with the stock market, rising in boom times and growing longer in recessions. Perhaps publishing has a parallel; call it the blurb theory. The more strained our circumstances, the more manic the publicity machine, the more breathless and orotund the advance praise. Blurbers (and critics) speak with a reverent quiver of this moment, anointing every other book its guide, every second writer its essential voice.”

Constance Grady on Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall ( Vox )

Restoring the legacies of ill-forgotten books is one of our duties as critics. Grady’s take on “the least famous sister in a family of celebrated geniuses” makes a good case for Wildfell Hall’ s place alongside Wuthering Heights  and Jane Eyre  in the Romantic canon.

“[T]he heart of this book is a portrait of a woman surviving and flourishing after abuse, and in that, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall feels unnervingly modern. It is fresh, shocking, and wholly new today, 200 years after the birth of its author.”

Ismail Muhammad on Anna Wiener’s Uncanny Valley ( The Atlantic )

Muhammad is a philosophical critic, so it’s always fun to see him tackle a book with big ideas. Here, he makes an enlightened connection between Wiener’s Silicon Valley memoir and Michael Lewis’s 1989 Wall Street exposé, Liar’s Poker.

“Like Lewis, Wiener found ‘a way out of unhappiness’ by writing her own gimlet-eyed generational portrait that doubles as a cautionary tale of systemic dysfunction. But if her chronicle acquires anything like the must-read status that Lewis’s antic tale of a Princeton art-history major’s stint at Salomon Brothers did, it will be for a different reason. For all her caustic insight and droll portraiture, Wiener is on an earnest quest likely to resonate with a public that has been sleepwalking through tech’s gradual reshaping of society.”

Hermione Hoby on Mieko Kawakami’s Breasts and Eggs ( 4 Columns )

Hoby’s thousand-word review is a great example of a critic reading beyond the book to place it in context.

“When Mieko Kawakami’s Breasts and Eggs  was first published in 2008, the then-governor of Tokyo, the ultraconservative Shintaro Ishihara, deemed the novel ‘unpleasant and intolerable.’ I wonder what he objected to? Perhaps he wasn’t into a scene in which the narrator, a struggling writer called Natsuko, pushes a few fingers into her vagina in a spirit of dejected exploration: ‘I . . . tried being rough and being gentle. Nothing worked.’”

Taylor Moore on C Pam Zhang’s How Much Of These Hills Is Gold ( The A.V. Club )

Describing Zhang’s wildly imaginative debut novel is hard, but Moore manages to convey the book’s shape and texture in less than 800 words, along with some critical analysis.

“Despite some characteristics endemic to Wild West narratives (buzzards circling prey, saloons filled with seedy strangers), the world of How Much Of These Hills Is Gold feels wholly original, and Zhang imbues its wide expanse with magical realism. According to local lore, tigers lurk in the shadows, despite having died out ‘decades ago’ with the buffalo. There also exists a profound sense of loss for an exploited land, ‘stripped of its gold, its rivers, its buffalo, its Indians, its tigers, its jackals, its birds and its green and its living.’”

Grace Ebert on Paul Christman’s Midwest Futures ( Chicago Review of Books )

I love how Ebert brings her lived experience as a Midwesterner into this review of Christman’s essay collection. (Disclosure: I founded the Chicago Review of Books five years ago, but handed over the keys in July 2019.)

“I have a deep and genuine love for Wisconsin, for rural supper clubs that always offer a choice between chicken soup or an iceberg lettuce salad, and for driving back, country roads that seemingly are endless. This love, though, is conflicting. How can I sing along to Waylon Jennings, Tanya Tucker, and Merle Haggard knowing that my current political views are in complete opposition to the lyrics I croon with a twang in my voice?”

Michael Schaub on Bryan Washington’s Memorial ( NPR )

How do you review a book you fall in love with? It’s one of the most challenging assignments a critic can tackle. But Schaub is a pro; he falls in love with a few books every year.

“Washington is an enormously gifted author, and his writing—spare, unadorned, but beautiful—reads like the work of a writer who’s been working for decades, not one who has yet to turn 30. Just like Lot, Memorial  is a quietly stunning book, a masterpiece that asks us to reflect on what we owe to the people who enter our lives.”

Mesha Maren on Fernanda Melchor’s Hurricane Season ( Southern Review of Books )

Maren opens with an irresistible comparison between Melchor’s irreverent novel and medieval surrealist art. (Another Disclosure: I founded the Southern Review of Books in early 2020.)

“Have you ever wondered what internal monologue might accompany the characters in a Hieronymus Bosch painting? What are the couple copulating upside down in the middle of that pond thinking? Or the man with flowers sprouting from his ass? Or the poor fellow being killed by a fire-breathing creature which is itself impaled upon a knife? I would venture to guess that their voices would sound something like the writing of Mexican novelist Fernanda Melchor.”

• Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Adam Morgan

Previous article, next article, support lit hub..

Join our community of readers.

to the Lithub Daily

Popular posts.

Follow us on Twitter

Facing Crisis Together: On the Revolutionary Potential of Mutual Aid

• RSS - Posts

Literary Hub

Created by Grove Atlantic and Electric Literature

Sign Up For Our Newsletters

How to Pitch Lit Hub

Advertisers: Contact Us

Privacy Policy

Support Lit Hub - Become A Member

Become a Lit Hub Supporting Member : Because Books Matter

For the past decade, Literary Hub has brought you the best of the book world for free—no paywall. But our future relies on you. In return for a donation, you’ll get an ad-free reading experience , exclusive editors’ picks, book giveaways, and our coveted Joan Didion Lit Hub tote bag . Most importantly, you’ll keep independent book coverage alive and thriving on the internet.

Become a member for as low as $5/month

How would you rate your experience using this page?

Visit our help center for resources to common issues, thank you for your feedback., help topics.

• KDP Help Center Home
• Create a KDP Account
• Manage Your KDP Account
• Two-Step Verification
• CreateSpace Account
• Year End Tax Forms
• What is my tax account status?
• Taking the Tax Interview
• Kindle Store: BR - BR Tax Withholding
• AU & IN Goods and Services Tax
• Applying for a U.S. EIN for Corporations and Non-Individual Entities
• Setting Prices for Amazon Japan
• Setting European Union Prices
• How EU Prices Affect List Price Requirements
• Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins
• Format Front Matter, Body Matter, and Back Matter
• Save Your Manuscript File
• Paperback and Hardcover Manuscript Templates
• Cover Creator
• Create a Paperback Cover
• Format Images in Your Book
• Paperback Fonts
• Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues
• Paperback Submission Guidelines
• Create a Hardcover Cover
• What criteria does my eBook's cover image need to meet?
• Why is my cover image not updating on Amazon?
• What file formats are supported for eBook manuscripts?
• Create a Table of Contents
• KDP Tools and Resources
• Publishing Service Providers & Resources
• Getting Started with Kindle Create
• Kindle Create Tutorial
• Prepare Reflowable and Print Books with Kindle Create
• Prepare Comic eBooks with Kindle Create
• Prepare Print Replica Books with Kindle Create
• Previewing and Publishing Your Kindle Create Book
• Kindle Previewer
• Kindle Comic Creator
• Kindle Kids' Book Creator
• Quality Notifications Dashboard
• Guide to Kindle Content Quality
• Enhanced Typesetting
• X-Ray for Authors: Tips and Tricks
• KDP Bookshelf
• Arabic (Beta)
• Chinese (Traditional) (Beta)
• Hebrew and Yiddish
• Indian-Language Publishing
• Books Titles & Editions
• Authors & Contributors
• Write a Book Description
• Make Your Book More Discoverable with Keywords
• Kindle eBook Pre-Order
• Primary Audience and Reading Age
• Publishing Public Domain Content
• Language & Reading direction
• Schedule a Release
• International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
• Print Options
• Color Ink Options
• Upload and Preview Book Content
• Convert a Paperback Word File to PDF
• Price Troubleshooting
• Paperback Printing Cost
• Hardcover Printing Cost
• Printing Cost & Royalty Calculator
• Book Status
• Low-Content Books
• Kindle Vella - Reader Experience
• Kindle Vella - Start a Story
• Kindle Vella - Publish an Episode
• Kindle Vella - Royalties, Reporting, and Payments
• Kindle Vella - Content Guidelines
• Hardcover Print Elements
• Edit your Series
• Delete a series
• Set the reading order for your series
• Where can I find my Amazon Series Page?
• How to create a series with multiple authors
• Can I offer discounts to books in my series?
• Series Collections on kdp.amazon.co.jp
• How do I order a proof or author copy?
• How much do proof or author copies cost?
• What is the cost to ship my proof or author copy?
• When will my proof or author copy arrive?
• I’m getting an error ordering my author copy
• I’m getting an error ordering my proof copy
• My proof or author copy came damaged
• My proof or author copy didn’t arrive on time
• My proof or author copy has printing errors
• KDP Categories
• Read Sample (Look Inside the Book)
• Customer Reviews
• Search Results
• Why are my books not linked on Amazon?
• Link Your Books on the KDP Bookshelf
• How do I unlink my books?
• Sales Ranking
• Ways to Promote Your Book
• How to enroll in KDP Select
• How to cancel KDP Select
• KDP Select All Stars
• Kindle Countdown Deals
• Royalties in Kindle Unlimited
• Free Book Promotions
• Author Central
• Create A+ Content
• A+ Content Examples
• A+ Content Guidelines
• Advertising for KDP books
• eBook Distribution Rights
• Paperback and Hardcover Distribution Rights
• Buying and Gifting eBooks for Others
• Sample Chapters
• Audiobooks Through ACX

Amazon Literary Contests

• Nominate Your eBook for a Promotion (Beta)
• Update Your Book Details
• Update Your Manuscript
• Modify Converted eBook Content
• How to Send Your Updated eBook to Customers or Yourself
• Update Your Cover
• Unpublishing and Deleting Books
• eBook Royalties
• Paperback Royalty
• Hardcover Royalty
• Orders Report
• Promotions Report
• Pre-Order Report
• Month-to-Date Report
• Prior Months' Royalties Report
• Royalties Estimator
• Payment Report
• Old Sales Dashboard
• Sales and Royalties Report
• Historical Report
• KDP Payment Options
• When will I get paid?
• How to add (or edit) my bank account?
• Troubleshoot Payment Issues
• Digital Book Pricing Page
• Print Book Pricing Page
• eBook List Price Requirements
• Content Guidelines
• Metadata Guidelines for Books
• Intellectual Property Rights Frequently Asked Questions
• Reporting Possible Violations of Our Guidelines
• Privacy Notice Information
• Bonus Content
• Featured Offer Eligibility for Third-Party Sellers
• Introduction
• Paths to Getting Your Content on Kindle
• Comparing Formats
• Cover Image Guidelines
• Navigation Guidelines
• HTML and CSS Guidelines
• Hyperlink Guidelines
• QA Standards
• Text Guidelines - Reflowable
• Image Guidelines - Reflowable
• Table Guidelines - Reflowable
• Creating Fixed-Layout Books with Text Pop-Ups
• Creating Fixed-Layout Books with Image Pop-Ups or Virtual Panels
• Creating Fixed-Layout Books Without Pop-Ups
• Creating Kindle Editions with Audio/Video Content
• Creating Dictionaries
• Enhanced Typesetting and Page Flip
• Attributes and Tags Supported by Enhanced Typesetting
• HTML and CSS Tags Supported in Kindle Format 8
• Media Queries
• Guidelines for Converting XMDF to KF8
• 1 – Set Up Your KDP Account
• 2 – Prepare Your Manuscript
• 3 – Prepare Your Cover
• 4 – Title Setup: Book Details, Content, & Pricing
• 5 – Publishing & Review
• 6 – Promoting Your Book & Getting Paid

Have feedback? Can't find your answer in our Help pages?

• Go to the contest page from the list above.
• Enter your book’s ASIN in the search bar (with the contest name from the browse drop-down menu).

• If your book does not appear, review the contest requirements and frequently asked questions in contest page to check if it is compliant before you contact us to investigate further.

Make more money and reach more readers through Kindle Unlimited. Learn More

Total KDP Select Author Earnings

April 2024

 • 

$53.9 Million

Please sign in to continue

25 book club books to discuss and debate

Discover our edit of the best book club books, guaranteed to spark thoughts and opinions from everyone around the table. .

It's easy to feel overwhelmed when choosing a new book for yourself, let alone for a book club; the added challenge of trying to appease a wide range of tastes can make it a real headache. That's why we've collected our favourite book club reads, including both new releases and literary masterpieces , all of which provide multiple angles for group discussion and healthy (or not!) debate. 

• New releases

Literary fiction

• Crime & thriller

The best new book club books

By kristin hannah.

Frankie McGrath, a nursing student in 1965 California, has her world transformed when she's told "women can be heroes, too." Joining the Army Nurses Corps to follow her brother to Vietnam, Frankie faces the harsh realities of war and its aftermath. Amidst chaos and heartbreak, she finds strength in female friendship and learns the value of sacrifice and commitment. This emotionally charged novel illuminates the often-forgotten stories of women who bravely served their country. With a memorable heroine, searing insights, and lyrical beauty, The Women is a poignant tale of courage guaranteed to move any book club.

Don't Miss

More unmissable reads by Kristin Hannah

One of the Good Guys

By araminta hall.

Cole, considered the 'perfect husband,' is left shocked when his wife, Mel, decides to leave him. Seeking isolation, he moves to the coast and befriends Lennie, an artist leading a similar solitary existence in a precarious cliff-edge cottage. However, their lives are upended when two young women vanish nearby while on a protest walk on the coast. Now at the center of a police investigation and media storm, it becomes clear that Cole and Lennie may not know each other as well as they thought. Full of suspense, mystery and twists , this feminist thriller is sure to spark debate.

Discover more books with jaw-dropping twists

Maude horton's glorious revenge, by lizzie pook.

London, 1850. Constance Horton has disappeared. Maude, her older sister, knows only that Constance abandoned the apothecary they call home, and, disguised as a boy, boarded a ship bound for the Arctic. She never returned. When she finds Constance’s journal, it becomes clear that the truth is being buried by sinister forces. To find answers Maude must step into London’s dark underbelly, and into the path of dangerous, powerful men. The kind of men who seek their fortune in the city’s horrors, from the hangings at Newgate to the ghoulish waxworks of Madame Tussaud’s. This brilliant adventure is sure to keep book club members turning the pages.

Bright Young Women

By jessica knoll.

January 1978. Tallahassee. When sorority president Pamela Schumacher is startled awake at 3 a.m. by a strange sound, she’s shocked to encounter a scene of implausible violence – two of her friends dead and two others, maimed. The only person to see the man responsible, she is thrust into a terrifying mystery, entangled in a crime that captivates public interest for more than four decades. This extraordinary novel is inspired by the real-life sorority targeted by America's first celebrity serial killer in his final murderous spree. 

by Hernan Diaz

Winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Trust is undoubtedly one of the novels of the year. Everyone in 1920s New York knows of Benjamin and Helen Rask, the Wall Street tycoon and the daughter of bohemian aristocrats. They live in a sphere of untold wealth, but what is the true cost of their fortune? This mystery sits at the heart of a bestselling novel that all of New York has read. But, like all stories, there are different perspectives. Hernan Diaz tracks these narratives across a century and documents the truth-bending power of money, with provocative revelations at each turn.

by Julia May Jonas

A bold, razor-sharp and timely debut, Julia May Jonas'  Vladimir takes us deep into the emotional conflict between the strictures of morality and the impulses of the heart. The book's unnamed narrator: a popular English professor whose husband is under investigation for his inappropriate relationships with his former students. When the narrator then becomes infatuated with Vladimir, a celebrated, married young novelist who’s just arrived on campus, their relationship comes close to capsizing. An edgy and assured literary debut, mapping the personal and political battlefields of our current moment.

Everything's Fine

By cecilia rabess.

This stunning debut is a whip-smart exploration of an age-old question: what have you got to lose when you fall in love? When Jess first meets Josh at their Ivy League college she dislikes him immediately: an entitled guy in chinos, ready to take over the world. Meanwhile, Jess is almost always the only Black woman in their class. And Josh can’t accept that life might be easier for him because he’s white. But when they end up working for the same investment bank, their tempestuous friendship soon turns into an electrifying romance, forcing Jess to question who she is and what she's willing to compromise for love. 

No easy answers: Cecilia Rabess on Everything's Fine

The lamplighters, by emma stonex.

A BBC Radio 2 Book Club recommendation and a Sunday Times bestseller, The Lamplighters is a mystery, a love story and a ghost story all at once. Cornwall, 1972. Three keepers vanish from a remote lighthouse, miles from the shore. The entrance door is locked from the inside. The clocks have stopped. The Principal Keeper’s weather log describes a mighty storm, but the skies have been clear all week. What happened to the three men, out on the tower? Twenty years later, the women they left behind have been driven apart by the tragedy. Still struggling to move on, Helen, Jenny and Michelle are approached by a writer who wants to know their side of the story. But by confronting the past, dark fears and hidden truths begin to surface. Inspired by real events, Emma Stonex weaves a suspenseful mystery with an unforgettable story of love and grief.

Disorientation

By elaine hsieh chou.

When Ingrid Yang finally completes her dissertation on canonical poet Xiao-Wen Chou she never wants to hear about 'Chinese-y' things ever again. Finding a strange note in the Chou archives, she thinks she has found a way out of the academic labyrinth. But Ingrid is accidentally in deep, and the note leads to a huge discovery, one which upsets her life and the lives of those around her. Perfect for fans of Yellowface, Disorientation is an uproarious and big-hearted satire – alive with sharp edges, immense warmth, and a cast of unforgettable characters. It asks big questions about society, particularly: who gets to tell our stories?

by Kate Foster

The Maiden  is a remarkable story with a feminist revisionist twist, giving a voice to women otherwise silenced by history. Edinburgh, 1679: Lady Christian is charged with the murder of her lover, James Forrester. News of her imprisonment and subsequent trial is splashed across the broadsides, with headlines that leave little room for doubt:  Adulteress. Whore. Murderess. Only a year before, Lady Christian was newly married, leading a life of privilege and respectability. So, what led her to risk everything for an affair? And does that make her guilty of murder? 

Shuggie Bain

By douglas stuart.

Set in a poverty-stricken Glasgow in the early 1980s, Douglas Stuart’s Booker Prize-winning debut is a heartbreaking story which lays bare the ruthlessness of poverty and the limits of love. Agnes Bain has always dreamed of greater things, but when her husband abandons her she finds herself trapped in a decimated mining town with her three children, and descends deeper and deeper into drink. Her son Shuggie tries to help Agnes long after her other children have fled, but he too must abandon her to save himself. Shuggie is different, and he is picked on by the local children and condemned by adults. But he believes that if he tries his hardest he can escape this hopeless place.

by Sarah K Jackson

In the aftermath of a devastating microplastics storm that decimated humanity, Not Alone follows the journey of Katie and her son in a tale that intertwines heart-stopping adventure with the profound bond between a mother and child. Trapped within the confines of their apartment, they navigate a world where survival hinges on scavenging for sustenance. Katie, braves the dangers outside while Harry remains sheltered, oblivious to the truth of their existence. This remarkable debut delves into themes of love, trust, and hope while unmasking the imminent peril that looms over humanity as a whole.

The Miniaturist

By jessie burton.

It's an autumn day in 1686 in Amsterdam, and eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman knocks at the door of a splendid house in the finest part of the city. She has come to marry esteemed trader Johannes Brandt, but instead his sharp-tongued sister opens the door. When she encounters Johannes he presents her with an amazing wedding gift: a cabinet representing their home. It is furnished by an enigmatic miniaturist, whose creations not only mirror but begin to predict the increasing peril they find themselves in . . .

Book Club questions for Jessie Burton's The Miniaturist

The women could fly, by megan giddings.

The Women Could Fly  is a speculative feminist novel for our times, set in a time where magic is reality, and single women are monitored in case they turn out to be witches. Josephine Thomas has heard a plethora of theories about her mother's death: that she was abducted, murdered and that she was a witch. This is a concerning accusation, because women who act strangely – especially Black women – can soon find themselves being tried for witchcraft. Facing the prospect of a State-mandated marriage, Jo decides to honour one last request written in her mother's will.

The Mercies

By kiran millwood hargrave.

A Richard & Judy Book Club 2021 pick and a BBC Radio 2 Book Club read for 2020, this evocative novel was inspired by the real Vardø storm and the subsequent witch hunt. When a catastrophic storm wipes out almost the entirety of the male population of the island, the women who are left, still grieving for their men, are forced to fend for themselves. Eighteen months later, the sinister new commissioner, Absolom Cornet, arrives with his young wife Ursa. Ursa sees independent women for the first time in her life and finds herself drawn to Maren, the young woman who helps her navigate life in this harsh new world. 

by Emma Donoghue

Now a major film as well as a Booker Prize-shortlisted novel, Room is a profoundly affecting book for all types of reader. Scared is what you're feeling. Brave is what you're doing. Jack is excited about turning five. He lives with his Ma in a small room, with a skylight and a door that is always locked. His only friends are Ma, and the cartoon characters he sees on TV. Then one day, Ma admits there is a world outside. Narrated in Jack's voice,  Room  is the story of a mother and son whose love lets them survive the impossible. 

Book Club questions to inspire debate for Emma Donoghue's Room

Dear mrs bird, by aj pearce.

As bombs fall on 1940s London, Emmy dreams of assisting the war effort as a fearless Lady War Correspondent. Unfortunately, after a misunderstanding over a job advert, Emmy instead ends up as a typist for formidable agony aunt, Henrietta Bird. But Mrs Bird won’t answer letters containing any form of Unpleasantness, so what can Emmy do but try to help these desperate women herself? A Richard & Judy Book Club Pick and Sunday Times bestseller, Dear Mrs Bird is a sweet and uplifting wartime tale of bravery, friendship and love. 

Once a Monster

By robert dinsdale.

Victorian London is brought to life as Robert Dinsdale expertly blends historical writing with ancient myth. Ten-year-old orphan Nell belongs to a crew of mudlarks who work a stretch of the Thames. She spends her days searching for treasure in the mud in order to appease her master, Benjamin Murdstone. That is until she finds a body on the shore – a seven-foot matted creature with horns. As she ventures closer the figure draws breath and Nell is forced to make a decision which will change her life forever. This imaginative retelling of the Minotaur transcends genre, making it the perfect book club read. 

by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

This is the ultimate book with twists to get everyone talking. Anisa spends her days writing subtitles for Bollywood films in her London flat, longing to be a translator of literature. Her boyfriend, Adam, on the other hand, has an extraordinary aptitude for language - or so Anisa thinks. After learning to speak Urdu practically overnight, Adam reveals his secret - the Centre: an elite programme that guarantees fluency in any language in just ten days. But when Anisa enrols and is quickly seduced by all that it's made possible, she soon realizes the disturbing, hidden cost of its services.

Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies

By maddie mortimer.

Something is on the move in Lia's body: something shape-shifting, gleeful and malevolent. And it's spreading... When a sudden diagnosis changes Lia's world, the gap between her past and her present starts to crumble. Secrets awake within her, and the outer landscape blends with that within. And Lia and her family must face the most difficult of questions: how do you die with style, when you're just not ready to go? Utterly heart-breaking yet darkly funny, Maddie Mortimer’s debut is a symphonic journey through one woman’s body: a celebration of desire, forgiveness, and the darkness within us all.

by Sarah May

Determined to get away from her dead-end hometown, Becky Sharp sets out to make a place for herself in high society and reach the top of the career ladder – no matter who she has to step on to get there. Following a very modern heroine through 90s tabloid era London, Becky charts the rise and fall of Sarah May's titular protagonist as she rises through the ranks at Mercury newspaper. Scoop after scoop, Becky's downfall looms as she becomes more and more involved in every scandal the newspaper publishes. Inspired by the classic Vanity Fair , Becky Sharp is a morally grey character to provide plenty of food for thought. 

More brilliant literary fiction to read right now

Crime & thrillers, the axeman's jazz, by ray celestin.

In the jazz-filled, mob-ruled streets of 1910s New Orleans, a ruthless serial killer called the Axeman stalks the city, demanding that people must play jazz or risk becoming his next victim. Three individuals set out to catch and unmask him, each for their own reasons. Detective Michael Talbot heads up the official investigation, but is left struggling for leads and battling his own grave secret. Former detective Luca d'Andrea, now working for the mafia, just as much need to solve the case as the authorities. And Ida, a secretary at the Pinkerton Detective Agency and dreaming of a better life – until she stumbles across a clue that leads her and her musician friend, Louis Armstrong, into terrible danger . . .

Sixteen Horses

By greg buchanan.

Near the dying English seaside town of Ilmarsh, local police detective Alec Nichols discovers sixteen horses’ heads on a farm, each buried with a single eye facing the low winter sun. After forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen travels to the scene, the investigators soon uncover evidence of a chain of crimes in the community – disappearances, arson and mutilations. In the dark days that follow, the town slips into panic and paranoia. This story of enduring guilt, trauma and punishment will keep your book club readers gripped until the last page.

People Like Her

By ellery lloyd.

Another Richard & Judy Book Club Pick, this smart debut thriller from husband-and-wife writing team Ellery Lloyd takes a compelling look at the dark side of social media and influencer culture. Emmy Jackson is better known to her online fans as Instagram sensation Mamabare , famous for telling it like it is when it comes to modern parenthood. But not everything you see online can be believed, and someone out there knows the truth about Emmy and intends to make her pay . . . 

Emily Noble's Disgrace

By mary paulson-ellis.

After trauma cleaner Essie Pound makes a gruesome discovery in an abandoned Edinburgh boarding house, she quickly meets a young policewoman, Emily Noble, who has her own hidden reasons for solving the case. As the duo journey deep into the heart of a forgotten family, fragmented memories of their own traumatic histories are thrown up by the investigation – something Emily has spent a lifetime attempting to bury, and Essie a lifetime trying to lay bare. Introduce a Scottish crime-thriller like no other to your book club with the third novel from Mary Paulson-Ellis, bestselling author of The Other Mrs Walker .

More page-turning thrillers to keep readers gripped

You may also like, the best thriller books of 2024, and all time, the best fiction books of 2024, and all time, 20 of the best feel-good books and uplifting reads.

BOOK REVIEW

Competition, introducing our, newest competition.

The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style. This brand-new competition invites students of any age, who have not yet begun a university degree, to read and review a book by one of our faculty members. The experience will help you engage actively and closely with a talented author about an important subject. If you are applying to university in the next year or so, this will be a great way to explore exciting ideas beyond the normal high school syllabus.

How does it work?

Choose a book from the list below. Read it, re-read it, reflect on it, and then write a critical review of the book of 1000 to 1500 words. The best reviews will help potential readers understand the main outline of the book's argument, why it is important, its strengths and weaknesses, and whether (in your judgment) the author was persuasive.

What happens if you win?

The best reviews will be published in News & Opinion , the online journal of the John Locke Institute. Everyone whose review is published will receive a prize of $50. The three best reviewers, overall, will win the following prizes:

Third Prize: $100

Second Prize: $250

First Prize: $500 plus a $ 1000 scholarship to one of our summer programmes . 

The deadline for submissions is Monday, 31 May, 2021 at 11:59pm (GMT). Winners will be announced the following month.  We look forward to reading your reviews!

Jason Brennan

Jason F. Brennan is the Robert J. and Elizabeth Flanagan Family Professor of Strategy, Economics, Ethics, and Public Policy at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. Jason Brennan has taught at our Washington DC gap year course in 2018 and 2019.

Against Democracy

In this trenchant book, Brennan argues that democracy should be judged by its results - and the results are not good enough. Just as defendants have a right to a fair trial, citizens have a right to competent government.

"The book makes compelling reading... This is theory that skips, rather than plods." - Molly Sauter, Los Angeles Times

Markets Without Limits: Moral Virtues & Commercial Interests

Jason Brennan and Peter Jaworski give markets a fair hearing. The market does not introduce wrongness where there was not any previously. Contrary to the conservative consensus, they claim there are no inherent limits to what can be bought and sold, but only restrictions on how we buy and sell.

When All Else Fails: the Ethics of Resistance to State Injustice

The economist Albert O. Hirschman famously argued that citizens of democracies have only three possible responses to injustice or wrongdoing by their governments: we may leave, complain, or comply. But in When All Else Fails, Jason Brennan argues that there is a fourth option. When governments violate our rights, we may resist. We may even have a moral duty to do so.

Bryan Caplan

Prof. Caplan is a world-renowned authority on public-choice theory and a professor of Economics at George Mason University. He has taught Economics at our summer schools in 2018 and 2021, and our gap year course in Washington DC in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Open Borders: the Science and Ethics of Immigration

"A clear and inescapable economic, moral, and political case for reopening the borders that artfully counters the common objections." - John H. Cochrane, Hoover Institution at Stanford University

The Case Against Education: Why the Education System is a Waste of Time and Money

"Caplan delivers a tightly knit, compelling indictment of the vastly inflated and scandalously over-priced Ponzi scheme that is American higher education." -  Aram Bakshian Jr. Washington Times

Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies

The greatest obstacle to sound economic policy is not entrenched special interests or rampant lobbying, but the popular misconceptions, irrational beliefs, and personal biases held by ordinary voters. This is economist Bryan Caplan's sobering assessment in this provocative and eye-opening book.

STEVEN LANDSBURG

Steven Landsburg is a professor of economics at the University of Rochester and one of the foremost commentators on matters of economics, the law and politics. Steven Landsburg will teach at our summer schools in 2021.

The Armchair Economist: Economics & Everyday Life  - Economics

The Armchair Economist shows how the laws of economics reveal themselves in everyday experience and illuminate the entire range of human behavior. 

"Enormous fun ... Landsburg has done something extraordinary: he has expounded basic economic principles with with and verve."  -  Fortune

More Sex is Safer Sex: the Unconventional Wisdom of Economics  - Economics

In More Sex is Safer Sex, Professor Landsburg offers readers a series of stimulating discussions that all flow from unsettling economic facts.

"Landsburg is provocative and playful in his mission to demonstrate how an understanding of economics will change the way you live your daily life. I loved this book." - Steven D. Levitt, coauthor of "Freakonomics"

Fair Play: What Your Child Can Teach You about Economics, Values and the Meaning of Life  - Philosophy, Economics

In co-operation with his daughter, Landsburg demystifies the laws of supply and demand, interest rates and inflation, and cultivate an understanding of free trade, the value of money and investment.

David Friedman

Professor Friedman is a professor of law at Santa Clara University in California. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago. Professor Friedman has written many seminal books, including the ones below. He has taught at our summer school in 2018. 

Law's Order: What Economics has to do with Law and Why it Matters   - Law, Economics

This book undoubtedly raises the discourse on the increasingly important topic of the economics of law, giving both supporters and critics of the economic perspective a place to organise their ideas.

"A thoroughly entertaining, creative, and provocative addition to the law and economics literature." - Choice

The Machinery of Freedom: Guide to a Radical Capitalism  - Philosophy, Politics, Economics, Law

This book argues for a society organized by voluntary cooperation under institutions of private property and exchange with little, and ultimately no, government.

Ilya Somin is a law professor at George Mason University, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, a blogger for the Volokh Conspiracy, and former co-editor of the Supreme Court Economic Review. Professor Somin taught at our gap year course in Washington DC in 2017 and 2018.

Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom  - Politics, Economics

In Free to Move, Ilya Somin explains how broadening opportunities for foot voting can greatly enhance political liberty for millions of people around the world.

"If Jason Brennan's  Against Democracy  met Bryan Caplan's  Open Borders , the result would be Ilya Somin's [ Free to Move]" -  Joakim Book

Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government is Better  - Politics, Economics

Ilya Somin mines the depths of the current state of ignorance in America and reveals it as a major problem for democracy.

"In this [work] Ilya Somin significantly strengthens his already compelling case for a more limited government."  - Christopher Robichaud, Harvard Kennedy School of Government

The Grasping Hand: "Kelo v. City of New London" and the Limits of Eminent Domain  - Law, Economics

In this detailed study of one of the most controversial Supreme Court cases in modern times, Ilya Somin argues that the Supreme Court made a grave error on both economically and morally.

STEPHEN DAVIES

Dr Davies is Head of Education at the Institute of Economic Affairs and Distinguished Fellow in History at the John Locke Institute. Dr Davies has taught on our summer schools every year since 2015, and has taught on our gap year programme in Oxford from 2015-2018, as well as in Princeton in 2018.

The Wealth Explosion: the Nature and Origins of Modernity - Economics, History

How did the modern dynamist economy of wealth and opportunity come about? This major new analytical work emphasizes the often surprising, fundamental and continuing processes of innovation and transformation which has produced the world we live in now.

RoBIN HANSON

Professor Hanson is Professor of Health Economics & Political Economy at George Mason University and Research Associate at the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford. He holds a Ph.D. from Caltech. Professor Hanson taught on our summer school in 2018, and our gap year course in Washington DC in 2017 and 2018.

The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life  - Economics, Psychology

The aim of this book is to confront our hidden motives directly - to track down the darker, unexamined corners of our psyches and blast them with floodlights.

"[Hanson] bring[s] together research on various topics of limited reach that, when combined, speak to the outrageous gall of the mind in recreating reality to its own liking, and then covering its tracks." - Katherine Oktober Matthews,

Professor Ryan was Warden of New College, Oxford, professor of politics at Princeton University and professor of philosophy at Stanford. He is the author of eleven books, including the authoritative On Politics. Professor Ryan taught on our summer school in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

On Aristotle: Saving Politics from Philosophy  - Philosophy, Politics

In this book, Alan Ryan examines Plato's most famous student and sharpest critic, whose writing has helped shape over two millennia of Western philosophy, science, and religion. 

"Ryan's erudite introduction is followed by substantial extracts from Aristotle's political works, making this text ideal for classroom use." - Booklist

JAmie Whyte

Jamie Whyte is a Cambridge educated philosopher, who won the  Analysis  prize for the best piece of philosophical writing by anyone under 30, and is the former leader of New Zealand's ACT party. Jamie Whyte taught on our summer school in 2020 and our gap year programme in Oxford, also in 2020.

Crimes Against Logic: Exposing the Bogus Arguments of Politicians, Priests, Journalists, and Other Serial Offenders   - Philosophy

In  Crimes Against Logic , Whyte take us on a fast-paced, ruthlessly funny romp through the mulligan stew of can, folderol, and bogus logic served up in the media, at the office, and even in your own home.

"An incisive philosopher." - Sunday Telegraph

PETER MILLICAN

Peter Millican is a Gilbert Ryle Fellow and Professor of Philosophy at Hertford College, University of Oxford. He is one of the preeminent scholars on the philosophy of David Hume. Professor Millican taught on our summer school in 2018 and our gap year programme in 2017. 

Reading Hume on Human Understanding: Essays on the First Enquiry  - Philosophy, Politics

Reading Hume on Human Understanding  is an excellent companion to the study of one of the great works of Western philosophy, especially for first time readers. 

The Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Unpublished Books

The Letter Review Prize (March – April)

Is now open.

The Prize is awarded every two months in the categories of Short Fiction , Nonfiction, Poetry , and Unpublished Books .We offer a yearly Prize pool of $30,000 USD, and publication for our winners.

Letter Review emerges as a hallowed space where words bleed, mend, and soar. Within its pages, we find not just tales, but the delicate pulse of memories, interwoven with the age-old craft of storytelling and vulnerability. To have my voice cradled in such a sacred place is a serenade to the moonlit hours where prose meets poetry. A profound honor. The Letter Review stands as a monument of writing wisdom and talent. Being part of this mosaic of narrative and verse is a true honor. Frederick Joseph : two-time New York Times bestselling author, activist, philanthropist, and poet (First Place in Letter Review Prize for Poetry)

The Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction

Letter Review is offering $1000 USD Prize pool in a competition for short fiction up to 5000 words. No genre or theme restrictions: all stories welcome. Open to writers who live anywhere in the world. 2-4 Winners are announced who are published and share in the Prize money. Up to twenty writers are shortlisted. All entries are considered for publication, submission to the Pushcart Prize, and for further anthologies. The Prize is judged blind to ensure fairness. See our  Previous Winners Page here , and our  Comments / Testimonials Page here . Judges’ feedback is available on all entries. Enter via Submittable using the button below.

The Letter Review Prize for Poetry

Letter Review is offering $1000 USD total Prize pool in a competition for poems of not more than 70 lines. No subject or style restrictions: all poems welcome. Open to writers who live anywhere in the world. 2-4 Winners are announced who are published and share in the Prize money. Up to twenty writers are shortlisted. All entries are considered for publication, submission to the Pushcart Prize, and for further anthologies. The Prize is judged blind to ensure fairness. See our  Previous Winners Page here, and our  Comments / Testimonials Page here . Judges’ feedback is available on all entries. Enter via Submittable using the button below.

The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction

Letter Review is offering $1000 USD total Prize pool in a competition for nonfiction up to 5000 words in length. The Prize is open to writers who live anywhere in the world. 2-4 Winners are announced who are published and share in the Prize money. Up to twenty writers are shortlisted. All entries are considered for publication, submission to the Pushcart Prize, and for further anthologies. The Prize is judged blind to ensure fairness. See our  Previous Winners Page here , and our  Comments / Testimonials Page here . Judges’ feedback is available on all entries. Enter via Submittable using the button below.

The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books

Letter Review is offering $1000 USD total Prize pool in a competition for unpublished books including Novels, Novellas, Short Story Collections, Poetry Collections, and Nonfiction Books. Open to writers who live anywhere in the world. 2-4 Winners are announced who share in the Prize money. Winners can choose whether to publish an extract, or not. Up to twenty writers are shortlisted. The Prize is judged blind to ensure fairness. See our  Previous Winners Page here , and our  Comments / Testimonials Page here . Judges’ feedback is available on all entries. Enter via Submittable using the button below.

Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize

TagorePrize

BOOK REVIEW CONTEST

      We are proud to announce that Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize is launching a monthly book review contest.

     The most compelling review of a work in poetry, fiction and drama will be awarded  US $100 and will be posted on our Facebook and website. The works reviewed can be written in any of the Indian official languages. Review, however, has to be submitted in English and should not be longer than 2500, or shorter than 1500 words.

     By creating the book review contest, we are not only encouraging readers to share impressions and recommend works they found admirable and captivating, but are addressing the issue of rediscovering works that may have become neglected, forgotten or marginalized in the digital age. A compelling review can inspire people to pick books they may not have chosen on the basis of their usual searching preferences. An inspiring review can become a literary design in itself, a new and intimate link between the content and the reader.

     Works whose reviews were awarded will become candidates for our monthly book club, that will  commence within the next few months.

     For our monthly winner announcements follow us on Facebook @tagoreprize .

      Please click here or directly Submission Form (on a main menu) to send us your reviews.

“On rare occasions there comes along a profound original, an odd little book that appears out of nowhere,

from the pen of some obscure storyteller, and once you have read it, you will never go completely back to

where you were before. The kind of book you might hesitate to lend for fear you might miss its company. The

kind of book that echoes from the heart of some ancient knowing, and whispers from time’s forgotten cave that

life may be more than it seems, and less.”

E.J. Banfield

International Booker prize 2024: six expert reviews of the shortlisted books

Associate Professor of French and Translation, University of Exeter

Professor of Modern & Contemporary Literature, Newcastle University

Senior Lecturer in American Studies, King's College London

Professorial Research Associate at Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, and Centre for Creative Industries, Media and Screen Studies, SOAS, University of London

PhD Candidate, School of Humanities, University of Hull

PhD Candidate, Latin American Studies, Trinity College Dublin

Disclosure statement

Helen Vassallo receives funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Anne Whitehead, Edward Sugden, Hyunseon Lee, Lucyl Harrison, and Rafael Mendes Silva do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

King's College London , SOAS, University of London , Trinity College Dublin , Newcastle University , University of Hull , and University of Exeter provide funding as members of The Conversation UK.

View all partners

From a longlist of 12, six novels have been shortlisted for the 2023 International Booker prize. Our academics review the finalists ahead of the announcement of the winner on May 21.

Not a River by Selva Almada, translated by Annie McDermott

In Not a River, the final instalment in Selva Almada’s “trilogy of men”, past and present collide in a nightmarish sleepwalk towards inevitable violence. Two men take Tilo, the son of their friend Eusebio, on a fishing trip along the very river where Eusebio lost his life some years earlier. They row to “the island”, a closed community that does not trust outsiders. The heat bears down on them as ghosts of both past and present reel them in, and the intimacy of their fishing trip takes a macabre turn as the islanders and the river decide their fate.

In this lean, tense novella, Almada perfects the pared-down style that, as Annie McDermott acknowledges in her excellent translator’s note, is bordering on poetry. Almada takes us to the heart of rural Argentina and uncovers the prejudices, vendettas and settling of scores that characterise her literary work.

Reviewed by Helen Vassallo, associate professor of French and translation

Mater 2-10 by Hwang Sok-yong, translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Josephine Bae Youngjae

Starting in 1920s Seoul, at the dawn of modern technology, this realistic and dramatic tale of railroad workers was originally published twice weekly in an online journal, keeping readers engaged and eager for the next instalment. It has been republished as a 467-page book, which slowly unfolds not just the story of Jino’s family, but the 100-year history of the Korean Peninsula.

In this sprawling epic, Hwang Sok-yong has created another classic that delves deep into the history of the Korean people in North and South Korea. Readers will learn about the peninsula’s history, from Japanese occupation through the separation of North and South, through the everyday experiences of three generations of a family of railway workers.

Mater 2-10 is a sad and heartbreaking saga about the need to heal. It is also a deft translation, which captures Hwang Sok-yong’s signature unpretentious, unadorned Korean prose.

Reviewed by Hyun Seon Lee, professorial research associate of East Asian languages and cultures

What I’d Rather Not Think About by Jente Posthuma, translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey

Discussing Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, the protagonist of Jente Posthuma’s What I’d Rather Not Think About observes: “After everything I’d heard, I was expecting a dense, sappy story but was surprised by the novel’s light tone.” This description could refer equally to Posthuma’s own novel, which also focuses on depression and suicide, and which handles its subject matter with wry humour.

We know the novel’s protagonist as Two because she is the younger of twins, and her older brother as One. Two’s grief following her brother’s suicide causes her to reflect on their relationship through a series of fragmented thoughts, across which recurring images surface: the Twin Towers, the reality TV show Survivor and the Nazi doctor Josef Mengele.

I found the novel powerful in its probing of the complicated relations between intimacy and distance, love and leaving – themes that rely as much on what is unsaid, as on what is told.

Reviewed by Anne Whitehead, professor of modern and contemporary literature

Crooked Plow, by Itamar Vieira Junior, translated by Johnny Lorenz

Crooked Plow , set in Bahia’s hinterlands, examines the struggle for land and the exploitation of quilombolas, descendants of Afro-Brazilian enslaved people who escaped from captivity.

The novel starts with a defining moment in the lives of siblings Bibiana and Belonísia: playing with a knife, one of them ends up mute. Without revealing who cannot speak, Bibiana narrates the first part, recounting the arrival of her family to the Água Negra farm.

In the second part, Belonísia narrates her harrowing journey after marrying an abusive man. However, her story takes a turn when Água Negra’s women reclaim agency, while Bibiana returns home politicised and married to Severo, who organises worker’s rights.

Santa Rita Pescadora, an encantada or spiritual entity of the Jarê (an Afro-Brazilian religion practised in Bahia), narrates the final part, unravelling the violence endured by quilombolas during the slavery period, corononelismo and large-scale corporate agriculture.

In Crooked Plow, Vieira Júnior crafts a rich, multi-voiced novel that does not shy away from portraying the present-day legacies of Brazil’s colonial past.

Reviewed by Rafael Mendes Silva, PhD in Latin American studies

Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael Hofmann

In Jenny Erpenbeck’s Kairos, a character asks whether a human being is “a container to be filled by time with whatever it happens to have handy” or if there can be life beyond history. The novel dramatises this question throughout.

The book is set in the last years of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) (1949-90) as western capitalism erodes a collapsing socialism. Against this context, two lovers, the ageing writer Hans and the late teenage Katharina, live out a doomed affair, having met on a bus one rainy evening.

The mundane deceptions of infidelity that make up the book – Hans and Katharina meet in cafes, watch films, listen to music, go shopping, take secret holidays – are freighted with history and emotional intensity as the plot plunges towards its ending, where the links between politics and the personal become tragically clear.

For some, the spiralling, fracturing and intensifying effects this tragic view has on the characters, the plot and the style, might be too much. For others, it might accurately depict the nightmarish dislocations of Europe in the 20th century.

Reviewed by Edward Sugden, senior lecturer in American literature

The Details by Ia Genberg, translated by Kira Josefsson

The Details, originally published as Detaljerna in Swedish, is clearly the readers’ favourite to win the International Booker Prize. Ratings and reviews across Storygraph, Goodreads, Bookstagram and BookTok, are falling in love with all 151 pages of Joseffson’s immaculate translation and Genberg’s charm.

This viral novella opens with an unnamed woman, bedridden and in the throes of a burning fever which renews her interest in a half-forgotten book ( The New York Trilogy by the late Paul Auster ) that is inscribed with a handwritten message from a past lover.

Though it is resistant to a chronological order, the book travels along the tectonic plates of pre-internet life in the 90s, and shifts us into a new air of change at the turn of the millennium. In four chapters named after Johanna, Niki, Alejandro and Birgitte – relationships which have shaken the narrator’s existence – we are transported to a past that is captured as vividly as the state of the soul itself.

The Details is a perfectly written, quiet COVID novel which cleverly disguises the pandemic, offering a genius form of exposure therapy to readers who haven’t felt ready to read COVID novels. Genberg and Joseffson are honey and gold in the book’s final chapter which stays with you. This beautiful little book and its highly perceptive feel for the small details of an entire life is a wonderful addition to the genre’s best coronavirus fiction.

Reviewed by Lucyl Harrison, PhD candidate in the school of humanities

• Booker Prize
• Book reviews
• Translation
• Books in translation
• Translators
• Give me perspective

Compliance Lead

Lecturer / Senior Lecturer - Marketing

Assistant Editor - 1 year cadetship

Executive Dean, Faculty of Health

Lecturer/Senior Lecturer, Earth System Science (School of Science)

Get a Library Card

• Virtual Events & Classes
• Digital Library
• Special Collections
• A-Z List of Databases
• Small Business Resources
• Pass the GED Test | Learn English | Become a U.S. Citizen
• LinkedIn Learning
• Locations & Hours
• All Resources
• Earn Your GED | Learn English | US Citizenship
• All Services
• Book a Meeting Room
• Find Your Next Read
• Interlibrary Loan
• Mobile Print

Kids and Teens: Win $100 for Writing the Best Book Review!

# Write About Your Favorite Book & Win

Do you love reading and talking about books? Are you the friend (or the influencer) with all the best book recommendations? Is your bookshelf a carefully curated trophy case of all your favorite reading adventures? This could be your time to shine! 

Win $100 in cash  for writing the most persuasive book review and be one of our guests of honor at a special event downtown all about celebrating reading!

# Writing Prompt

What is your favorite book and why do you recommend it, accepting entries now.

The Celebrate Reading Week Book Review Writing Contest is accepting entries from K-12 students in Duval County now through February 24, 2024 . The contest is open to public, private, and homeschool students. The best book review from each age group (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and grades 9-12) wins!

Contest Rules

• Book reviews may include text or drawings and should not exceed 300 words . 
• Submit entries via email to [email protected]  or fill out an entry form at your local library. You'll need to include your name, parent’s name, grade level, and contact information. Note: To ensure judging is fair and impartial, we ask that you only include your name on the entry form or in the body of the email and not on the book review itself.

Be a Guest of Honor

The four first-place winners of the Book Review Writing Contest will be notified by March 6 and announced on stage Saturday, March 9, at Jacksonville's Celebrate Reading Week   Family Reading Day at James Weldon Johnson Park (across from the Main Library). 

Jacksonville's official "Celebrate Reading Week" runs March 3-9 and includes special appearances by local and nationally-known authors, an Early Learning Festival with a JaxKids Book Club Preschool Party, Live from the Library performances, a character parade and so much more!

# Our Community Partners

Kids Hope Alliance (KHA) is a funding agent for the City of Jacksonville. KHA invests millions annually in children's and youth programs and services in Duval County.

Read Jax  is a community effort to improve third grade reading scores of students in Duval County.

Mayor Deegan’s River City Readers  is a citywide literacy challenge for students of all ages. Participants are challenged to read 20 minutes a day and to log their reading in  BeanStack . 

• 2023 Blog Archive
• 2022 Blog Archive

• NONFICTION BOOKS
• BEST NONFICTION 2023
• BEST NONFICTION 2024
• Historical Biographies
• The Best Memoirs and Autobiographies
• Philosophical Biographies
• World War 2
• World History
• American History
• British History
• Chinese History
• Russian History
• Ancient History (up to 500)
• Medieval History (500-1400)
• Military History
• Art History
• Travel Books
• Ancient Philosophy
• Contemporary Philosophy
• Ethics & Moral Philosophy
• Great Philosophers
• Social & Political Philosophy
• Classical Studies
• New Science Books
• Maths & Statistics
• Popular Science
• Physics Books
• Climate Change Books
• How to Write
• English Grammar & Usage
• Books for Learning Languages
• Linguistics
• Political Ideologies
• Foreign Policy & International Relations
• American Politics
• British Politics
• Religious History Books
• Mental Health
• Neuroscience
• Child Psychology
• Film & Cinema
• Opera & Classical Music
• Behavioural Economics
• Development Economics
• Economic History
• Financial Crisis
• World Economies
• Investing Books
• Artificial Intelligence/AI Books
• Data Science Books
• Sex & Sexuality
• Death & Dying
• Food & Cooking
• Sports, Games & Hobbies
• FICTION BOOKS
• BEST NOVELS 2024
• BEST FICTION 2023
• New Literary Fiction
• World Literature
• Literary Criticism
• Literary Figures
• Classic English Literature
• American Literature
• Comics & Graphic Novels
• Fairy Tales & Mythology
• Historical Fiction
• Crime Novels
• Science Fiction
• Short Stories
• South Africa
• United States
• Arctic & Antarctica
• Afghanistan
• Myanmar (Formerly Burma)
• Netherlands
• Kids Recommend Books for Kids
• High School Teachers Recommendations
• Prizewinning Kids' Books
• Popular Series Books for Kids
• BEST BOOKS FOR KIDS (ALL AGES)
• Ages Baby-2
• Books for Teens and Young Adults
• THE BEST SCIENCE BOOKS FOR KIDS
• BEST KIDS' BOOKS OF 2023
• BEST BOOKS FOR TEENS OF 2023
• Best Audiobooks for Kids
• Environment
• Best Books for Teens of 2023
• Best Kids' Books of 2023
• Political Novels
• New History Books
• New Historical Fiction
• New Biography
• New Memoirs
• New World Literature
• New Economics Books
• New Climate Books
• New Math Books
• New Philosophy Books
• New Psychology Books
• New Physics Books
• THE BEST AUDIOBOOKS
• Actors Read Great Books
• Books Narrated by Their Authors
• Best Audiobook Thrillers
• Best History Audiobooks
• Nobel Literature Prize
• Booker Prize (fiction)
• Baillie Gifford Prize (nonfiction)
• Financial Times (nonfiction)
• Wolfson Prize (history)
• Royal Society (science)
• Pushkin House Prize (Russia)
• Walter Scott Prize (historical fiction)
• Arthur C Clarke Prize (sci fi)
• The Hugos (sci fi & fantasy)
• Audie Awards (audiobooks)

Make Your Own List

Economics Books

The best books on market competition, recommended by jason furman.

Despite the large number of brands, most Americans buy their beer from just two companies. Consumer choice in the new digital economy is hardly better. Economist Jason Furman , chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under Barack Obama and now a professor at Harvard, recommends books to better understand market competition.

Interview by Eve Gerber

Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists by Luigi Zingales & Raghuram G Rajan

Exit, Voice, and Loyalty by Albert Hirschman

Antitrust Paradox by Robert H. Bork

Lectures on Antitrust Economics by Michael D. Whinston

Radical Markets: Uprooting Capitalism and Democracy for a Just Society by E. Glen Weyl & Eric A. Posner

1 Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists by Luigi Zingales & Raghuram G Rajan

2 exit, voice, and loyalty by albert hirschman, 3 antitrust paradox by robert h. bork, 4 lectures on antitrust economics by michael d. whinston, 5 radical markets: uprooting capitalism and democracy for a just society by e. glen weyl & eric a. posner.

T he benefits and detriments of competition have been contested since the emergence of the earliest market economies. Before we discuss your books, can you begin by adumbrating the evolution of the debate on competition in economics?

But Adam Smith did not stop there. He went on to warn: “People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.”

Economists have spent the last 250 years improving their understanding of how this “conspiracy against the public” can happen, how it can have consequences even beyond higher prices, and what can be done about it. This evolving understanding has at times been reflected in the legal and political system; and, at times, ignored in the legal and political system.

After 2000, market concentration in many sectors of the economy and fears about a lack of competition became an area of increasing concern for many. How did you view and confront these challenges as the Chair of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers?

I was very concerned about two major trends in the US economy: reduced productivity growth and increased inequality. These combined to contribute to the dramatic slowdown in the growth of middle-class incomes in the last 40 years. I was constantly looking around to better understand the causes of these problems as well as to find solutions.

“I was very concerned about two major trends in the US economy: reduced productivity growth and increased inequality”

I do not think there is any one cause or any one solution, but I became increasingly interested in the potential role played by the increased consolidation we were seeing in so many industries, like the fact that most Americans get their beer from two companies, or have only one or two local hospitals to choose from. In theory, this could help explain slower business investment, reduced productivity growth, and increasingly skewed incomes. I gave a talk at an event in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Joe Stiglitz’s teaching in 2015 where I speculatively outlined a number of these ideas.

Since then, a wide range of research has provided further evidence for these speculations but also raised further questions. The issue has become so mainstream that it was the subject of a chapter in the International Monetary Fund’s recent World Economic Outlook and was the main subject of discussion at the Jackson Hole conference for central bankers in the summer of 2018.

Having diagnosed lack of market competition as an issue, the next question is: what to do about it?

That brings us to your first recommendation, Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists  by Raghu Rajan and Luigi Zingales. When this book was first published in 2003, Mark Zuckerberg was fiddling with Facebook in a dorm, and Donald Trump was between his fourth and fifth bankruptcy, before the premiere of The Apprentice . Can capitalism still be saved from capitalists?

At the risk of offending every economist friend of mine who has ever written a book, this is my favorite title of any economics book, the one I most wish I had come up with. And it’s an excellent book, too. The basic thesis is that capitalists—like the CEOs that run major corporations—do not actually like competition or markets. They like to be insulated from competition, to receive subsidies from the government, and inside the corporation it is more like Soviet-style central planning than the stereotypical American capitalism. Rajan and Zingales hate this. But they love markets, competition and capitalism, and see capitalism as a powerful force for allocating resources and propelling innovation. This leads them to want to save “capitalism” from the “capitalists”.

I have met a lot of CEOs in my life and I have to say this idea resonates with me. I often find myself more excited about markets and capitalism than they are.

In some respects, Rajan and Zingales’ argument comes out of the notions of regulatory capture developed by James Buchanan and popular with the laissez faire crowd at the University of Chicago (where Rajan and Zingales were) and elsewhere. The argument was industries would capture their regulators and use them to protect incumbents. The solution proposed by Buchanan was very limited government with very little regulation.

What makes Rajan and Zingales so interesting?

Turning to a treatise by Albert Hirschman. Why did you choose Exit, Voice, and Loyalty as a book on market competition?

Economics is largely the study of what the brilliant Albert Hirschman called “exit.” If you don’t like a product, you stop buying it and instead purchase an alternative, exercising your ability to exit the product. Giving consumers multiple options is essential for ensuring their ability to exit any given option, something that both restrains prices and can also promote innovation and expand quality and choice.

Support Five Books

Five Books interviews are expensive to produce. If you're enjoying this interview, please support us by donating a small amount .

Hirschman, however, points out that in society more broadly, and even in the economy specifically, “exit” is not our only option—we also have voice. We can complain about a product in an effort to get it improved, either because we are loyal to a product or because it is a monopoly we have no choice about using—think your local cable provider. Unions can use voice to improve workplace conditions. Voters at the national level almost exclusively use voice to influence public policy, although there is also some exit at the state and local levels in response to the incentives associated with policies.

How does Hirschman’s Exit, Voice and Loyalty model apply to competition? 

Hirschman’s model reinforces the importance of competition because in conventional markets it is a complement to voice and critical for helping people get what they want. In this way, exit and voice can be complements; the threat of exit makes companies listen to the voice exercised by their customers.

“In society more broadly, and even in the economy specifically, “exit” is not our only option—we also have voice”

The Antitrust Paradox by Robert Bork is your third recommendation. Why?

The Antitrust Paradox was an extremely important book, a real example of how ideas can have a major impact in the world, for better or for worse. It was an important corrective to some of the badly thought-out overreaches in antitrust policy at the time and advocated for concepts that are still relevant today.

It was written by Robert Bork, a Yale law professor who had spent the previous several years at the Justice Department. He advanced the notion that a consumer welfare standard should be central to antitrust. That is, competition policy should protect consumers not competitors. While lawyers may debate if this was the actual intent of the original U.S. competition laws, like the Sherman Act, the idea has substantial economic merit.

How does Antitrust Paradox help us understand the trade-offs involved in market interventions?

When governments prop up failing businesses, the result is higher prices, worse products, and potentially worse jobs. Looked at this way, some practices that had previously raised concern—like “predatory pricing”—start to look more favorable because they offer lower prices for consumers and their only “victims” are less efficient businesses that cannot match the prices. Moreover, technical economic analysis offers the hope of assessing whether mergers or anti-competitive actions by businesses help or hurt consumer welfare.

Bork combined this correct general idea with a specific set of views informed by his reading of economists at the University of Chicago, most notably Aaron Director (thus the name “Chicago School”), to argue for an almost blanket presumption against any concern with many of the practices that previously had bothered the courts, like vertical combinations (e.g., when a supplier and distributor get together), predatory pricing, tying products and price discrimination. (In fairness, Bork was not entirely laissez faire and was concerned with collusion and price fixing.)

“When governments prop up failing business, the result is higher prices, worse products, and potentially worse jobs”

Lectures on Antitrust Economics does not sound like light reading. Why do you recommend it? 

When I was Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, one of my outgoing staff members gave me this book as a present on their last day. Lectures on Antitrust Economics is definitely not light reading. But this book of lectures by MIT economist Michael Whinston is important reading, and it played an important role for me.

Get the weekly Five Books newsletter

These lectures help readers understand the role of “industrial organization” in market competition. Stepping back, Bork’s economics came largely from an oral tradition in Chicago. Much of it was not formalized in models; even less was empirically tested. In the ensuing decades, the study of markets with imperfect competition was revolutionized by game theory, which takes into account how the different firms strategically take into account the actions of others, and also by modern empirical methods. It turns out many of the simple economic propositions that Bork built his theories on were actually special cases that relied on specific assumptions. For example, more general models, and empirical evidence, found that there was indeed reason to be concerned about exclusionary vertical contracts (e.g., an exclusive distributor).

Horizontal mergers are a major focus of these lectures, are they the major problem with today’s marketplace? 

Horizontal mergers are when two companies competing in the same market merge, often with one buying the other. This could be United buying Continental, or one local hospital buying another. These arrangements have the potential for efficiency improvements, but also the potential for higher prices (in contrast, price fixing collusion generally does not lead to this sort of tradeoff and only results in higher prices).

Whinston largely frames the issue, is mostly supportive of the Justice Department’s approach, but recognizes that the empirical evidence on the question is severely limited, especially retrospective studies of what actually happened to prices and efficiency after a merger was concluded. He challenged economists to come up with more of this evidence and in the more than a decade since it was published, they have obliged.

What has research shown, since these lectures went to print?

Your final book on competition is Radical Markets .

I love reading economics and I love reading science fiction. Radical Markets is a great combination of both. This book is by E. Glen Weyl and Eric Posner, son of the Richard who played a critical role in the spread of the Chicago School view. It centers around five ideas for promoting more inclusive growth. Each idea gets its own chapter, beginning with a fictional vignette set in the near future, depicting their idea in action and explaining the economics of the idea.

Both of the words in their title may be modest understatements. The first idea eliminates private ownership, enabling anyone to buy anything from anyone else, whether or not it’s offered for sale. Prices would be posted. People pay wealth taxes based on these prices, so overpricing possessions is discouraged. And anyone could buy anything. The wealth tax, which at 7 percent makes Senator Warren’s proposal for a top rate of 3 percent look modest, allows the authors to abolish every other tax and pay for a universal basic income. This would solve all sorts of economic problems, like “hold up”, where one person interferes with an efficient project by trying to extract the maximum benefit for themselves.

Other chapters propose other ideas, including a radical reform that would let people sponsor an immigrant who would essentially be tied to them, “quadractic voting,” which would give people a voting budget they could allocate across different issues, a plan for people to be paid for the data they provide to tech giants, and a new rule limiting the ability of large fund managers to foster collusion among the companies they hold.

None of these ideas are ready for prime time. Most of them may never be ready. But all of them have important applications and implications for how competition leads not just to a better economy but a better polity and society.

You chaired a UK panel on Competition in the Digital Age for the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The digital sector is clearly one where lack of competition is a big problem with a few platforms dominating globally. Can you summarize what you concluded in your report ?

Lack of competition is not the only problem in the digital sector, and the digital sector is not the only place in the economy plagued by a lack of competition. But it is an important aspect of an important issue and I hope we showed how it is possible to make progress on it.

While the report our expert panel put forward, Unlocking Digital Competition , may not be as fun reading as some of the books we’ve talked about, in some ways it reflects many of the ideas. Like Rajan and Zingales, it is motivated by the belief that competition will lead to more choice, quality and innovation but that companies left to their own devices try to limit that competition. Like Bork, we center our work squarely around benefits for consumers. Like Whinston, we have a broader concern about some practices that might otherwise seem benign. And while we cannot compete with the Posner and Weyl’s radicalism, our ideas—which were based on listening sessions, written submissions and extensive evidence gathering—share their interest in more inclusive growth.

Our report made six strategic recommendations that could be advanced through 20 recommended actions. The most important was the establishment of a “Digital Markets Unit” that would engage in pro-competition regulation, helping to foster more entry and consumer choice by requiring a code of conduct for the most strategically important platforms, necessitating data mobility and systems with open standards, and moving towards more data openness. We also recommended several measures to update merger control for the digital era, taking into account some of the risks mergers have for eliminating potential competitors or undermining innovation. Finally, we called for greater international cooperation on these issues. I am thrilled that the UK is in the process of implementing a number of our recommendations and have also been pleased by the broader global discussion of these issues.

September 12, 2019

Five Books aims to keep its book recommendations and interviews up to date. If you are the interviewee and would like to update your choice of books (or even just what you say about them) please email us at [email protected]

Jason Furman

Jason Furman is the Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy in the Department of Economics at Harvard University and Harvard’s Kennedy School, is a regular contributor to scholarly journals, Project Syndicate and the Wall Street Journal . He spent eight years as a top economic adviser to President Barack Obama. He served as the 28th Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers from August 2013 to January 2017, acting as both President Obama’s chief economist and a member of the cabinet. He has authored several books, including Who Has the Cure?: Hamilton Project Ideas on Health Care (2008) and Path to Prosperity: Hamilton Project Ideas on Income Security, Education, and Taxes (2008). His March 2019 report  Unlocking Digital Competition  is available to read here .

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand seven hundred interviews, or eight thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

Five Books participates in the Amazon Associate program and earns money from qualifying purchases.

© Five Books 2024

12 Book Club Picks For May 2024, From #ReadWithJenna to NYPL’s Teen Banned Book Club

Jamie Canaves

Jamie Canavés is the Tailored Book Recommendations coordinator and Unusual Suspects mystery newsletter writer–in case you’re wondering what you do with a Liberal Arts degree. She’s never met a beach she didn’t like, always says yes to dessert, loves ‘80s nostalgia, all forms of entertainment, and can hold a conversation using only gifs. You can definitely talk books with her on Litsy and Goodreads . Depending on social media’s stability maybe also Twitter and Bluesky .

View All posts by Jamie Canaves

There’s a queer poetry collection with an excellent cover, a historical satire that is also part ghost story and murder mystery, and a historical novel by one of our top living authors. (I don’t say this lightly: you should be reading James McBride!) You can read about James Baldwin’s childhood in commemoration of James Baldwin’s centennial year — he was born in 1924. Roxane Gay selected two books this month: a three POV multi-generational family novel and a poetry collection! There’s an inventive sci-fi mystery by the author of The Underground Railroad , a romance with alternating POV where they are friends online and have no idea IRL, an emotional contemporary romance, and a genre blend novel that explores a government time travel program. Oprah picked a historical novel centering an Irish immigrant in NY, and the Teen Banned Book Club at NYPL has a new pick with the perfect title!

And my favorite thing happened again this month: two book clubs picked the same book!

Teen Banned Book Club at NYPL

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

About the book club: The NYPL is selecting young adult books that have been challenged or banned from schools and offering them free nationwide via digital access. The book club also hosts the authors for an event.

What The New York Public Library’s Teen Banned Book Club said about the book : “As we celebrate Pride Month in NYC, we are delighted to welcome Sonora Reyes, author of The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School , to The New York Public Library for a special free author talk for teens. NYPL library cardholders ages 13 and above can borrow Reyes’s book right away on SimplyE, our free e-reader app, through June 30, 2024.”

Author talk with Sonora Reyes: Wed, June 5 | 11 AM ET | Stephen A. Schwarzman Building & Online

Follow The New York Public Library on social media: Facebook , Twitter , YouTube , Instagram

Gay Girl Prayers by Emily R. Austin

About the book club: Born from TikTok, Sapph-Lit is a safe space book club for sapphic women and nonbinary readers to come together and chat books and life as well as offer each other support. One book a month is selected, alternating each month between fiction and nonfiction .

What Sapph-Lit said about the book: “A collection of poetry reclaiming Catholic prayers and biblical passages to empower girls, women, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.”

Follow Sapph-Lit on social media: Instagram , Geneva

Subtle Asian Book Club

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

About the book club: Tiffany and Alexandra, longtime friends, created the Subtle Asian Book Club in 2020 with the goal of uplifting Asian voices and storytellers. You can read along with the monthly book chosen, join in on discussions on social media, and watch videos of their live author interviews.

About the book: If you’re looking for a genre blend that is satire, historical fiction, magical realism, ghost story, and murder mystery, this is your book club this month!

Follow Subtle Asian Book Club on social media: Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , Discord

The Audacious Book Club in 2024

Real Americans by Rachel Khong

About the book club: Author Roxane Gay ( Bad Feminist , Ayiti , The Banks ) selects a book every month with the goal of uplifting “authentic and necessary perspectives from writers who fearlessly share their stories.”

What Roxane said about the book: “Next month in the Audacious Book Club, we’re talking about the novel Real Americans by Rachel Khong and the poetry collection With My Back to the World by Victoria Chang. I hope you’ll join us at The Audacity to discuss these two beautiful books.”

Follow Roxane Gay on social media: Twitter , Facebook , Goodreads

Mocha Girls Read

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

About the book club: Mocha Girls Read is a monthly book club of Black women who love to read. They currently have chapters in 14 cities across the U.S. Starting in 2024, anyone can join an “ IG Live every first Saturday of the month at 5 pm PT. Alysia, our founder, will chat about our current book club selection .”

What Mocha Girls Read said about the book: “Our June theme will be My President’s Reading list. We’ll read a book from Barack Obama’s best of lists.”

Follow Mocha Girls Read on social media: Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , MeetUp , Goodreads , Pinterest

Eclectix The Book Club

The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead

About the book club: Dawnshaeé Reid is a self-proclaimed eclectic blogger who created this book club with Black authors as a priority. It aims to highlight a wide range of genres. There’s an in-person, once-a-month meeting option if you’re in Louisville, KY, and a virtual option that meets the last Tuesday of every month.

What Eclectix The Book Club said about the book: “📗 May 2024 Pick: The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead — genre: speculative fiction “set in the curious world of elevator inspection, portrays a universe parallel to our own, where morality, politics, and race reveal unexpected ironies”

Follow Eclectix The Book Club on social media: Instagram , Discord , TikTok

The Stacks Book Club

No Name in the Street by James Baldwin

About the book cub: Hosted by Traci Thomas, The Stacks is a podcast that chats all about books, and there’s a monthly book club! The book chosen for the month is discussed on the podcast the last week of the month with a selected special guest.

What The Stacks Book Club said about the book : “…And now our announcement of our May book club pick. It is No Name in the Street by the one and only James Baldwin. 2024 marks James Baldwin centennial year and we want to commemorate that by reading one of his books. And for this one, we’ve picked a memoir about his childhood in Harlem and his subsequent experiences throughout the country. You will have to listen on May 1st to find out who our guest will be for our May 29th book club episode.”

Follow The Stacks on social media: Instagram , Facebook , TikTok

Matzah Book Soup: A Jewish Own Voices Book Club for All

Flirty Little Secret by Jessica Lepe

About the book club: Lillianne Leight and Amanda Spivack created this book club with a focus on Jewish books and characters “ with varying relationships to Judaism ” that welcomed all readers — Jewish and non.

What Matzah Book Soup said about the book: “This month we’re so excited to be reading FLIRTY LITTLE SECRET by @authorjessicalepe ! It feels like the perfect time of year to enjoy reading a romcom together, and we can’t wait to chat about this one with all of you!

We are meeting with Jessica on MAY 28TH @ 8 PM EST via Zoom!”

Follow Matzah Book Soup on social media: Instagram , Facebook

TODAY Book Club, #ReadWithJenna

About the book club: Jenna Bush Hager — current co-host of Today with Hoda & Jenna — independently chooses a book each month that she personally loves. (“ Jenna was not paid to mention these items and is unaffiliated with the authors and publishers “)

What Jenna said about the book: “It’s set in 2000, right when Y2K was happening, and it starts as a love story. But then it spans time and place, so that really, it’s a story of family and what we carry, what we pass down, secrets, and how they can divide us, and then bring us back together again. You will love, love, love this book.”

Follow Read With Jenna on social media: Instagram , Facebook , Read With Jenna Goodreads group

Good Morning America ‘s GMA Book Club

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

About the book club: Read along with Good Morning America Book Club , which aims to “showcase book picks from a wide range of compelling authors.”

What GMA said about the book: “A blend of multiple genres from romance to thriller, her debut fiction novel chronicles the journey of a civil servant who is offered the salary of her dreams working for a new government ministry gathering ‘expats’ across history to find out if time travel is attainable.”

Bonus: “This month, we are also teaming up with Little Free Library to give out free copies in Times Square and at 150 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Since 2009, more than 300 million books have been shared in Little Free Libraries across the world. Click here to find a copy of The Ministry of Time at a Little Free Library location near you.”

Follow GMA Book Club on social media: Instagram , Facebook

Reese’s Book Club

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang

About the book club: Every month, Reese Witherspoon picks a book for Reese’s Book Club that centers a woman in its story.

What Reese said about the book: “Our May @ReesesBookClub pick is here! #HowToEndALoveStory by @yulin.kuang is about what happens when two writers with a complicated history end up working on the same TV show… but can they re-write their story? Check out this Reese’s Book Club pick wherever you get your favorite reads! ✍️📚💫

*Author’s Note: This story contains on-the-page discussions of complicated grief, suicide loss, and the death of a sibling.”

Follow Reese’s Book Club on social media: Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , TikTok , YouTube

Oprah’s Book Club

Long Island by Colm Tóibín

About the book club: Oprah’s book club has taken on different forms over decades, starting in 1996 on The Oprah Winfrey Show . She’s still book clubbing , and this month she picked her 105th title!

What Oprah said about the book: “We’re back with the newest Oprah’s Book Club selection: “Long Island” by best-selling author Colm Tóibín!

This novel centers around Eilis Lacey, an Irish immigrant living in New York’s Long Island (hence the book’s title), surrounded by her husband’s extended Italian American family. Within the first few pages, Eilis gets some truly devastating news that forces her to rethink everything she thought she knew about who she is and where she belongs.

“Long Island” is, in some ways, a sequel to Colm Tóibín’s award-winning 2009 novel Brooklyn, but you don’t have to have read it to dive fully into this new novel. As Oprah explains, ‘This novel has everything you need to know in its own completely riveting story.’

We urge you to get a copy of this novel of heartbreak, second chances, and new beginnings. We are so excited to read Colm Tóibín’s latest with you; we have a feeling it will generate some spirited conversation. Tap the link in our bio for more information on our new selection and author! #ReadWithUs “

Follow Oprah’s Book Club on social media: Instagram , Twitter

If you’re curious about what book clubs previously picked, or if you like posts about book clubs, find it all here . You can also sign up for our book club newsletter, In the Club .

You Might Also Like

Advertisement

Supported by

An Appraisal

Alice Munro, a Literary Alchemist Who Made Great Fiction From Humble Lives

The Nobel Prize-winning author specialized in exacting short stories that were novelistic in scope, spanning decades with intimacy and precision.

• Share full article

By Gregory Cowles

Gregory Cowles is a senior editor at the Book Review.

The first story in her first book evoked her father’s life. The last story in her last book evoked her mother’s death. In between, across 14 collections and more than 40 years, Alice Munro showed us in one dazzling short story after another that the humble facts of a single person’s experience, subjected to the alchemy of language and imagination and psychological insight, could provide the raw material for great literature.

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

And not just any person, but a girl from the sticks. It mattered that Munro, who died on Monday night at the age of 92, hailed from rural southwestern Ontario, since so many of her stories, set in small towns on or around Lake Huron, were marked by the ambitions of a bright girl eager to leave, upon whom nothing is lost. There was the narrator of “Boys and Girls,” who tells herself bedtime stories about a world “that presented opportunities for courage, boldness and self-sacrifice, as mine never did.” There was Rose, from “The Beggar Maid,” who wins a college scholarship and leaves her working-class family behind. And there was Del Jordan, from “Lives of Girls and Women” — Munro’s second book, and the closest thing she ever wrote to a novel — who casts a jaundiced eye on her town’s provincial customs as she takes the first fateful steps toward becoming a writer.

Does it seem reductive or limiting to derive a kind of artist’s statement from the title of that early book? It shouldn’t. Munro was hardly a doctrinaire feminist, but with implacable authority and command she demonstrated throughout her career that the lives of girls and women were as rich, as tumultuous, as dramatic and as important as the lives of men and boys. Her plots were rife with incident: the threatened suicide in the barn, the actual murder at the lake, the ambivalent sexual encounter, the power dynamics of desire. For a writer whose book titles gestured repeatedly at love (“The Progress of Love,” “The Love of a Good Woman,” “Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage”), her narratives recoiled from sentimentality. Tucked into the stately columns of The New Yorker, where she was a steady presence for decades, they were far likelier to depict the disruptions and snowballing consequences of petty grudges, careless cruelties and base impulses: the gossip that mattered.

Munro’s stories traveled not as the crow flies but as the mind does. You got the feeling that, if the GPS ever offered her a shorter route, she would decline. Capable of dizzying swerves in a line or a line break, her stories often spanned decades with intimacy and sweep; that’s partly what critics meant when they wrote of the novelistic scope she brought to short fiction.

Her sentences rarely strutted or flaunted or declared themselves; but they also never clanked or stumbled — she was an exacting and precise stylist rather than a showy one, who wrote with steely control and applied her ambitions not to language but to theme and structure. (This was a conscious choice on her part: “In my earlier days I was prone to a lot of flowery prose,” she told an interviewer when she won the Nobel Prize in 2013. “I gradually learned to take a lot of that out.”) In the middle of her career her stories started to grow roomier and more contemplative, even essayistic; they could feel aimless until you approached the final pages and recognized with a jolt that they had in fact been constructed all along as intricately and deviously as a Sudoku puzzle, every piece falling neatly into place.

There was a signature Munro tone: skeptical, ruminative, given to a crucial and artful ambiguity that could feel particularly Midwestern. Consider “The Bear Came Over the Mountain,” which — thanks in part to Sarah Polley’s Oscar-nominated film adaptation, “ Away From Her ” (2006) — may be Munro’s most famous story; it details a woman’s descent into senility and her philandering husband’s attempt to come to terms with her attachment to a male resident at her nursing home. Here the husband is on a visit, confronting the limits of his knowledge and the need to make peace with uncertainty, in a characteristically Munrovian passage:

She treated him with a distracted, social sort of kindness that was successful in holding him back from the most obvious, the most necessary question. He could not demand of her whether she did or did not remember him as her husband of nearly 50 years. He got the impression that she would be embarrassed by such a question — embarrassed not for herself but for him. She would have laughed in a fluttery way and mortified him with her politeness and bewilderment, and somehow she would have ended up not saying either yes or no. Or she would have said either one in a way that gave not the least satisfaction.

Like her contemporary Philip Roth — another realist who was comfortable blurring lines — Munro devised multilayered plots that were explicitly autobiographical and at the same time determined to deflect or undermine that impulse. This tension dovetailed happily with her frequent themes of the unreliability of memory and the gap between art and life. Her stories tracked the details of her lived experience both faithfully and cannily, cagily, so that any attempt at a dispassionate biography (notably, Robert Thacker’s scholarly and substantial “Alice Munro: Writing Her Lives,” from 2005) felt at once invasive and redundant. She had been in front of us all along.

Until, suddenly, she wasn’t. That she went silent after her book “Dear Life” was published in 2012, a year before she won the Nobel, makes her passing now seem all the more startling — a second death, in a way that calls to mind her habit of circling back to recognizable moments and images in her work. At least three times she revisited the death of her mother in fiction, first in “The Peace of Utrecht,” then in “Friend of My Youth” and again in the title story that concludes “Dear Life”: “The person I would really have liked to talk to then was my mother,” the narrator says near the end of that story, in an understated gut punch of an epitaph that now applies equally well to Munro herself, but she “was no longer available.”

Read by Greg Cowles

Audio produced by Sarah Diamond .

Gregory Cowles is the poetry editor of the Book Review and senior editor of the Books desk. More about Gregory Cowles

13 Must-Read Books by Women’s Prize for Fiction Winners

A warded annually to the best novel written by a female author of any nationality, the Women’s Prize for Fiction is among the most prestigious literary awards in the world. It was first conceptualized in response to the Booker Prize shortlist of 1991 , which only featured books by male writers. In fact, by 1992, only 10 percent of novels shortlisted for the Booker Prize were penned by women.

The award officially launched in 1996 as the Orange Prize for Fiction. ( Orange , a UK-based telecommunications company, was the primary sponsor at the time.) You may also recognize the Women’s Prize for Fiction by a few of its other former names , which include the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction (2008-2009) and the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (2014-2017). It wasn’t until 2018 that the current name was introduced , along with a brand new sponsorship model that removed the need to rely on a single sponsor.

Despite the award’s multiple rebrands over the years, the Women’s Prize for Fiction’s criteria has remained the same since its inception. To be eligible, books must be works of fiction written by female authors and published in English in the United Kingdom during the preceding calendar year. The Women’s Prize Trust also provides a wide range of year-round resources for readers and aspiring writers, including writing development programs, workshops on craft, curated reading lists, and more. 

More than 400 works have been longlisted for this historic literary honor since 1996, with just one title per year coming out on top. In honor of Women’s History Month (and in anticipation of the 2023 Women’s Prize on Wednesday, June 14), here are some major standouts from the last few decades.

1. Bel Canto (2001) // Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett’s novel Bel Canto won the Women’s Prize in 2002. Now heralded by many as a modern classic, this gripping thriller is based on the real-life 1996 Japanese embassy hostage crisis in Lima, Peru. 

The story follows a group of young terrorists, their hostages, and the life-altering relationships that inevitably unfold as a result, focusing on central themes like music, art, and opera throughout. (Perhaps that helps put the title into context; the traditional operatic term bel canto translates to “beautiful singing.”) Since its publication, the novel has been adapted for a wide variety of entertainment and performance mediums, including a 2015 opera performed at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and a 2018 film starring Julianne Moore and Ken Watanabe.

2. Small Island (2004) // Andrea Levy

Born in London to Jamaican immigrant parents, Andrea Levy largely explores themes of racial identity, colonialism, and immigration in her work through the lens of her Caribbean heritage. Small Island is Levy’s fourth novel, a work of historical fiction that earned the Women’s Prize in 2004. Told through four distinct narrators, the book chronicles the vastly different experiences of two couples—one white, the other a pair of Jamaican immigrants—as they navigate the challenges and complexities of post-war London in 1948. 

In honor of the Prize’s 10th anniversary in 2005, Small Island was awarded the title of the “ Best of the Best ” prize among the first decade of winners. (The prize was also referred to at the time as the “ Orange of Oranges ,” a play on the Booker Prize’s equivalent, “ Booker of Bookers .”) Prior to winning the Women’s Prize in 2004, Levy was longlisted for the accolade in 1996 for her second novel Never Far From Nowhere , and then served as a judge for the award in 1997.

3. On Beauty (2005) // Zadie Smith

The 2006 Women’s Prize winner was Zadie Smith’s poignant third book On Beauty, which also made the Man Booker Prize shortlist the same year. This literary novel takes place in a fictional suburb of Boston where two rivaling American families live and work in an archetypal university town. Their lives become inextricably intertwined as the story progresses, and the families feud over everything from differing politics, religious beliefs, professional successes, and drama-invoking, clandestine affairs. 

As the short, punchy title suggests, On Beauty poses the deceptively complex question: What is it that makes life truly beautiful? In addition to being a direct homage to Howard’s End by E.M. Forster, Smith also pulled inspiration for the story from her own experience as a visiting fellow at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute.

4. Half of a Yellow Sun (2006) // Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

By offering a devastating portrait of sisterhood and colonialism, Half of a Yellow Sun transports readers back to a critical moment in Nigerian history and the struggle for independence. The novel opens in the early 1960s and extends into the years that marked Nigeria’s heartbreaking and violent civil war, switching between past and present timelines as the interconnected lives of three individuals—a pair of twin sisters and a 13-year-old boy— unfold. The characters soon find themselves on the run from the looming conflict as their ideals and loyalties to each other are put to the test. 

This celebrated work of historical fiction collected the Women’s Prize in 2007, but its history with it doesn’t end there. In celebration of the award’s 20th anniversary in 2015, Half of a Yellow Sun   was named “ Best of the Best ” among the second decade of winners. Five years later, Adichie’s novel was also crowned the “ Winner of Winners ” in a public vote that honored the Prize’s 25th anniversary.

5. The Lacuna (2009) // Barbara Kingsolver

By definition, the term lacuna refers to a gap. It can encompass anything that’s absent—an unfilled space, a skipped interval, or even full sections of a book, manuscript, or journal that are mysteriously missing. (Or perhaps they’re intentionally excluded?) Barbara Kingsolver expands on this vast motif in her seventh novel The Lacuna , an adventurous historical fiction that won the Women’s Prize in 2010. 

The story follows Harrison Shepherd, an American living in 1930s Mexico City who befriends the famed artist Frida Kahlo when he takes on an odd job mixing plaster for her husband, muralist Diego Rivera. Told through Harrison’s collected journal entries that have been stitched back together after his death, The Lacuna is a hard-hitting novel that calls the idea of authenticity and the relationship between art and politics into question through the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution and beyond.

6. The Tiger’s Wife (2011) // Téa Obreht

Téa Obreht made Women’s Prize history in 2011 when her debut novel, The Tiger’s Wife , earned her the title of youngest winner of the award to date. Written mainly while Obreht attended Cornell University , the book is a literary family saga set against the backdrop of a fictional province in the Balkan Peninsula. The region and its people are collectively recovering from years of civil war and unrest as the novel’s protagonist, a young female doctor named Natalia, returns home to help and reconnect with her mysterious grandfather during his final days.

An excerpt of The Tiger’s Wife first appeared in The New Yorker in 2009, years before it would go on to receive critical acclaim and also become a 2011 National Book Award finalist . At the age of 24, Obreht was named by The New Yorker as the youngest (and one of the best) American fiction writers under 40. 

7. The Song of Achilles (2011) // Madeline Miller

Even if you know next to nothing about Greek mythology , chances are you’ve heard of Achilles before—or at the very least, his proverbial heel. But in her debut novel The Song of Achilles , Madeline Miller aims to dismantle any and all of your expectations. 

A story of young love, friendship, and heartbreak set against the tragedy of war, The Song of Achilles is a reimagining of Homer’s classic Trojan War tale The Iliad and received the Women’s Prize in 2012. Miller’s inspiration for the novel stemmed from her frustration with the continued homophobic erasure by scholars and historians alike of Achilles’s same-sex relationship with Patroclus, a young prince. The product of a decade of extensive research , The Song of Achilles expands the boundaries of classic Greek mythology as we know it to center and celebrate a gay love story for the ages.

8. The Power (2016) // Naomi Alderman

What would happen if women around the globe suddenly gained superhuman abilities? Naomi Alderman explores this provocative alternate reality and vividly reimagines gendered power dynamics in her sci-fi, historical-fiction hybrid novel, The Power . 

When the book opens, 5000 years have passed since women and girls first developed an immense “electrostatic power,” leading to a worldwide revolution and a complete societal reset. Readers are immediately thrust into a metafictional manuscript within the novel, which recounts the history of this fantasy world as it also chronicles the vastly different experiences of five distinct narrators during this tumultuous time. In addition to picking up the Women’s Prize in 2017, The Power was also named one of the 10 Best Books of 2017 by The New York Times.

9. Home Fire (2017) // Kamila Shamsie

Kamila Shamsie’s seventh novel Home Fire is a work of literary fiction rife with timely political commentary. At its heart, the story is a family tragedy: It follows three British siblings of Pakistani descent as they reckon with their cultural identity and struggle to feel accepted in a world that would prefer to alienate them. 

Told in five “acts” with different point-of-view characters, the book is also a modern reimagining of Sophocles’s Greek tragedy Antigone that may prompt some readers to examine their views on terrorists and their families. Home Fire netted the Women’s Prize win in 2018 after being shortlisted for the 2018 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature and longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2017 . Following the novel’s critical acclaim and success on the awards circuit, the BBC News also included Home Fire in its roundup of the 100 most inspiring English-language novels.

10. An American Marriage (2018) // Tayari Jones

Young newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the two central characters in Tayari Jones’s 2018 novel An American Marriage . As they settle into their new roles together in Atlanta, their lives seem like the quintessential embodiment of the American Dream—until Roy is abruptly arrested and convicted of a crime Celestial insists he did not commit. 

As the winner of the 2019 Women’s Prize and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in Fiction , Jones’s heart-wrenching fourth novel explores the lasting effects of a wrongful conviction on a young Black couple in America. In 2018, An American Marriage was also selected as an Oprah’s Book Club pick , with Winfrey describing the novel as one that “redefines the traditional American love story.” Later that year, Winfrey also announced plans to produce the book’s film adaptation .

11. Hamnet (2020) // Maggie O’Farrell

A story of love, loss, and finding one’s way through unbearable grief, Hamnet is a fictionalized account of the life of William Shakespeare ’s only son, who died at the age of 11 in 1596. But despite recounting this major event in the famous playwright’s life, the novel deliberately leaves Shakespeare unnamed throughout its pages—he is only ever referred to in vague descriptors such as “the husband,” “the father,” or “the Latin tutor.” Instead, Hamnet chooses to shine the spotlight on the often overlooked experience of Shakespeare’s family, focusing also on his wife, who is called Agnes in the book, from the highs of her courtship and marriage to Shakespeare, to the lows of grieving the loss of her son. 

O’Farrell traced her fascination in Hamnet back to the first time she studied Hamlet in school. The novel, which took home the Women’s Prize in 2020, is O’Farrell’s attempt to give the child who inspired one of Shakespeare’s greatest works his own voice in history.

12. Piranesi (2020) // Susanna Clarke

“When the Moon rose in the Third Northern Hall I went to the Ninth Vestibule to witness the joining of three Tides.” So begins Piranesi , Susanna Clarke’s labyrinth of a novel, which plays with form, perspective, and deliberate disorientation. A reflection on solitude and sanity, the story is set in a fantasy house that holds an infinite number of halls, rooms, and corridors. All are populated with marble statues and devoid of people, save for a man named Piranesi (the eponymous narrator) and a mysterious entity called “the Other.” 

Piranesi received critical acclaim upon publication, winning the 2021 Women’s Prize. It was also shortlisted in 2020 for the BSFA Award for Best Novel and the Costa Book Award , respectively. The audiobook version , which is narrated by award-winning actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, also earned an Audie Award in 2021 for Audiobook of the Year. 

13. The Book of Form and Emptiness (2021) // Ruth Ozeki

A writer, filmmaker, and Zen Buddhist priest , Ruth Ozeki is known for crafting works of inventive fiction that also effortlessly integrate real-life issues in science, technology, environmental politics, and even global pop culture. Her latest release, titled The Book of Form and Emptiness , is the most recent novel to receive the Women’s Prize, plus several other prestigious literary honors.

Told from the playful point of view of a young boy who begins hearing voices after the death of his father and seeks solace in his local public library, The Book of Form and Emptiness is Ozeki’s “ love letter to books and reading .”

This article was originally published on mentalfloss.com as 13 Must-Read Books by Women’s Prize for Fiction Winners .