Book lovers, it’s that time again – Barnes & Noble has just dropped their list of finalists for the 2025 Book of the Year award, and it’s a good one.
Each year, B&N booksellers handpick the titles they’ve been most excited to recommend – the ones that truly stood out and sparked conversations at the counter. This time around, there are 14 finalists in total: five novels, five nonfiction titles, and four picks for younger readers.
If you’re new to the award, it launched in 2019 as a way to celebrate books that captured the hearts of booksellers and readers alike. Past winners have included Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy, and The Lyrics by Paul McCartney – a mix that really shows how eclectic and personal these picks can be.
The final decision will come down to the booksellers themselves, who’ll cast their votes soon. The winner will be announced on Thursday, November 13th, so we won’t have to wait long to find out who takes the crown.
Here’s the full list of finalists:
Barnes & Noble Book of the Year Finalists
It’s a mix of big names, fresh voices, and genres galore – from epic fiction to thought-provoking nonfiction to heartwarming kids’ books.
You can see the full announcement and read more about each finalist over on the Barnes & Noble Blog.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Based near Toronto, Brandon is a news writer and Book Specialist for Book Notification who covers the world of books, maintains author pages, writes a variety of content, and is an avid reader of non-fiction and biographies.