Best Books of the Year
Menu

National Book Foundation · award year

National Book Awards 2019

The 2019 National Book Awards went to Trust Exercise by Susan Choi (Fiction), The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom (Nonfiction) and Sight Lines by Arthur Sze (Poetry), with winners in 2 more categories. 25 books were finalists and 50 books made the longlist across 5 categories.

Winners

Fiction

  1. Trust Exercise by Susan Choisource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broomsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Sight Lines by Arthur Szesource (opens in a new tab)

Translated Literature

  1. Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming by László Krasznahorkai, translated by Ottilie Mulzetsource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature

  1. 1919 The Year That Changed America by Martin W. Sandlersource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Fiction

  1. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon Jamessource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Sabrina & Corina: Stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstinesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Other Americans by Laila Lalamisource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Solitary by Albert Woodfox and Leslie Georgesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David Treuersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottomsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. What You Have Heard Is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance by Carolyn Forchésource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Be Recorder by Carmen Giménez Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminskysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Tradition by Jericho Brownsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. “I”: New and Selected Poems by Toi Derricottesource (opens in a new tab)

Translated Literature

  1. Crossing by Pajtim Statovci, translated by David Hackstonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Death Is Hard Work by Khaled Khalifa, translated by Leri Pricesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Barefoot Woman by Scholastique Mukasonga, translated by Jordan Stumpsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snydersource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature

  1. Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynoldssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribaysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Pet by Akwaeke Emezisource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Rubysource (opens in a new tab)

Longlist

Fiction

  1. Black Light: Stories by Kimberly King Parsonssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Aknersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuongsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Need by Helen Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whiteheadsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Burn the Place: A Memoir by Iliana Regansource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest by Hanif Abdurraqibsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylorsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefesource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America by Greg Grandinsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. A Sand Book by Ariana Reinessource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Build Yourself a Boat by Camonghne Felixsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Doomstead Days by Brian Tearesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Dunce by Mary Rueflesource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Variations on Dawn and Dusk by Dan Beachy-Quicksource (opens in a new tab)

Translated Literature

  1. Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jonessource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Space Invaders by Nona Fernández, translated by Natasha Wimmersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Collector of Leftover Souls: Field Notes on Brazil’s Everyday Insurrections by Eliane Brum, translated by Diane Grosklaus Whittysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. When Death Takes Something from You Give It Back: Carl’s Book by Naja Marie Aidt, translated by Denise Newmansource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Will and Testament by Vigdis Hjorth, translated by Charlotte Barslundsource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature

  1. A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohatasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Kiss Number 8 by Colleen AF Venable and Ellen T. Crenshawsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Out of Salem by Hal Schrievesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. SHOUT by Laurie Halse Andersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelsonsource (opens in a new tab)

About the National Book Awards

From nationalbook.org year pages. Each book appears once, at its highest tier, as the Foundation lists it: longlisted books that became finalists or winners are listed only at that tier. Longlists began in 2013; Translated Literature began in 2018. Translated Literature entries name the original author as author and the translator(s) as translator.

Organization: National Book Foundation. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

The most recommended books of 2019

Shares the most books with