I’ve been told that the B&N editorial staff reads a lot of books during the year in various genres, then chooses from among those books to select their favorites of the year. The official quote from Barnes & Noble defines the ‘best books’ lists as stories that stay with us long after we finish them, and the ones we re-read again and again and pass on to friends. I would definitely agree with that definition. See if you agree with their choices in a range of genres and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Happy Reading!
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
“Child of Light” by Terry Brooks
“Leviathan Falls” by James S.A. Corey
“Under the Whispering Door” by T.J. Klune
“A Marvelous Light” by Freya Marske
“The Last Graduate” by Naomi Novik
“ExtraOrdinary” by V.E. Schwab
“Lore Olympus: Volume One” by Rachel Smythe
“Lesser Evil – Star Wars Thrawn Ascendancy” by Timothy Zahn
Mystery/Thrillers
“While Justice Sleeps” by Stacey Abrams
“The Heron’s Cry” by Ann Cleeves
“Mrs. March” by Virginia Feito
“Clark and Division” by Naomi Hirahara
“The Guilt Trip” by Sandie Jones
“Silverview” by John Le Carre
“The Maidens” by Alex Michaelides
“The Man Who Died Twice” by Richard Osman
“The Madness of Crowds” by Louise Penny
“False Witness” by Karin Slaughter
Best YA
“Ace of Spades” by Faridah Abike-lyimide
“Realm Breaker” by Victoria Aveyard
“Firekeeper’s Daughter” by Angeline Boulley
“Lore” by Alexandra Bracken
“Blackout” by Dhonielle Clayton
“Small Favors” by Erin A. Craig
“Once Upon A Broken Heart” by Stephanie Garber
“Defy the Night” by Brigid Kemmerer
“The Lake” by Natasha Preston
“Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World” by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Best Fiction
“Cloud Cuckoo Land” by Anthony Doerr
“The Sentence” by Louise Erdrich
“The Paper Palace” by Miranda Cowley Heller
“Greek Myths: A New Retelling” by Charlotte Higgins
“Fault Lines” by Emily Itami
“The Lost Apothecary” by Sarah Penner
“Bewilderment” by Richard Powers
“Beautiful World, Where Are You?” by Sally Rooney
“The Lincoln Highway” by Amor Towles
“Harlem Shuffle” by Colson Whitehead
Best Romance
“While We Were Dating” by Jasmine Guillory
“People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry
“Fifty Shades Freed” by E. L. James
“The Soulmate Equation” by Christina Lauren
“It’s Better This Way” by Debbie Macomber
“One Last Stop” by Casey McQuiston
“The Lady Has A Past” by Amanda Quick
“Neon Gods” by Katee Robert
“Legacy” by Nora Roberts
“Lover Unveiled” by J.R. Ward
Best Cookbooks
“Death & Co: Welcome Home” by Alex Day
“Pizza Czar” by Anthony Falco
“Nadiya Bakes” by Nadiya Hussain
“Mother Grains” by Roxana Jullapat
“Maman: the Cookbook” by Elisa Marshall
“Burnt Toast and Other Disasters” by Cal Peternell
“Vegetable Simple” by Eric Ripert
“Rodney’s World of BBQ” by Rodney Scott
“Cook Real Hawai’I” by Sheldon Simeon
“The Japanese Art of the Cocktail” by Masahiro Urushido
