| 2025 | Murderland | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · Nonfiction | |
| 2025 | Murderland | The New Yorker Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Also Recommended | |
| 2025 | Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers | Chicago Tribune Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2025 | Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers | Los Angeles Times Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2025 | Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers | Slate Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2025 | Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers | Vulture / New York Magazine Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2025 | Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2025 | Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Must-Read Books: Nonfiction | |
| 2025 | Murderland | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2025 | Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Notable Nonfiction | |
| 2018 | Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder | Pulitzer Prize (Biography and History) source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Biography or Autobiography | |
| 2018 | Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder | Cundill History Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · History | |
| 2018 | Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder | J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize Project source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · Mark Lynton History Prize | |
| 2017 | Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder | National Book Critics Circle Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Biography | |
| 2017 | Prairie Fires | New York Times 10 Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2017 | Prairie Fires | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2017 | Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder | The Boston Globe Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |