Barnes & Noble Announces 14 Finalists for Their 2025 Book of the Year

 Barnes & Noble is pleased to announce the 14 finalists for their 2025 Book of the Year.

The program, now in its seventh year, asks B&N booksellers across the country to nominate titles throughout the year they find truly outstanding and in which they have felt the most pride in recommending to readers. This year, the list features five novels, five nonfiction books, and four books for children and young adults. The Barnes & Noble Book of the Year is voted on by all booksellers and announced on November 13^th.

“This has been another tremendous year of publishing — and for Barnes & Noble,” said James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “As we open new bookstores at a pace unseen in decades, we also add more booksellers to our ranks. Our booksellers have an astonishing range of interests and areas of expertise, and when they find something worth sharing they do not hold back. Creating this shortlist always involves enthusiastic debate as booksellers across the country campaign for their favorites, and once again they have succeeded in rounding up the best of the best.”

The first Barnes & Noble Book of the Year was awarded to Charlie Mackesy’s The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, where bookseller enthusiasm propelled it onto bestseller lists. In 2020, booksellers were in awe of the axolotls featured in World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments and shone a much-deserved literary spotlight onto Aimee Nezhukumatathil.

The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present  by Paul McCartney, went on to become a holiday bestseller after being announced as the 2021 Barnes & Noble Book of the Year. The 2022 Book of the Year, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, continues to top sales charts and was adapted as an Apple Original Series.

In 2023, James McBride’s The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store triumphed, and in 2024 Percival Everett’s James took home the honor.

“My fellow booksellers consistently impress me with the genuine passion and thoughtfulness behind their choice of recommendations, and never more so than when winnowing down our finalists for Book of the Year,” said Shannon DeVito, Senior Director of Book Strategy at Barnes & Noble. “After many discussions and ardent debates, Barnes & Noble booksellers have curated a list of the best books for readers of all ages. Whether you’re looking to satisfy your curiosity or find connection, enhance your life, escape for a while, or just have a little fun, our booksellers have created a list full of interesting, entertaining, beautiful and inspiring new books.”

The 2025 Book of the Year Finalists, as selected by Barnes & Noble booksellers are:

• Sunrise on the Reaping  by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, Inc.)
• King of Ashes  by S. A. Cosby (Flatiron Books)
• Growing Home by Beth Ferry (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers)
• Katabasis by R. F. Kuang (HarperCollins)
• This Way Up: When Maps Go Wrong (And Why It Matters) by Map Men (Hanover Square Press)
• I Am Rebel  by Ross Montgomery (Candlewick Press)
• Puzzle Mania!  by The New York Times Games (Authors Equity)
• Good Things by Samin Nosrat (Random House Publishing Group)
• There Are No Silly Questions by Mike Rampton (Nosy Crow)
• The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, Sawyer Robbins (Hay House Inc.)
• Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy (Scribner)
• Buckeye by Patrick Ryan (Random House Publishing Group)
• Mona’s Eyes by Thomas Schlesser (Europa Editions, Incorporated)
• The Artist and the Feast by Lucy Steeds (Union Square & Co.)

The Book of the Year is the culmination of an incredible roster of programs that identify and elevate the best of the best. This annual celebration joins the bookseller’s Book Clubs, Discover Prize, Children’s & YA Book Awards, Monthly Picks, and Game of the Year.

Customers can find the Book of the Year Finalists at their local Barnes & Noble and at bn.com/bookoftheyear.  They can also join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, using the hashtag #BNBoTY.

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Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest retail bookseller in the United States. The Company has more than 680 bookstores across the United States, as well as its online bookstore at bn.com, the NOOK digital business which offers both eBooks and audiobooks, including the B&N Audiobooks subscription, the SparkNotes educational service, and stationery and gift retailer Paper Source. General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be found on the Company’s website at www.bn.com.