Just last month, the National Book Award judges announced their longlists. Today, they’ve shared their shortlists (Translated Work, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People’s Literature), headlined by the Fiction finalists, for which we have rounded up what some critics and authors are saying about them.

Paradiso 17 by Hannah Lillith Assadi

“Assadi (The Stars Are Not Yet Bells) spins a beautiful and heartbreaking novel out of a Palestinian man’s deathbed reflections.” —Publishers Weekly

““Paradiso 17,” her third work of fiction, is quiet and alert; it is a study in inheritance, in the afterlife of ideology, in the way history seeps into every curated idyll.” —The New York Times

Dèy by Edwidge Danticat

“A Haitian American woman reckons with the cost of hiding her pain in this illuminating novel from Danticat, winner of the NBCC award for Everything Inside.”—Publishers Weekly

“Dèy” is a love song and an elegy for the Haitian diaspora.” —The New York Times

Pretend You’re Dead and I Carry You by Julián Delgado Lopera

“Delgado Lopera (Fiebre Tropical) dives into Colombia’s taboo queer culture in this scintillating narrative of a man torn between belonging and self-expression.” —Publishers Weekly

“A fierce Colombian coming-of-age story shaped by grief and secrecy.” —Kirkus

Beginning Middle End by Valeria Luiselli

“A writer and her 12-year-old daughter grapple with their family legacy while on a road trip through Sicily in this arresting and layered novel from Luiselli (Lost Children Archive)…It’s a masterpiece.” —Publishers Weekly

“An offbeat migration story as piercing and artful as any in Luiselli’s oeuvre.” —Kirkus

Mad Eden by Morgan Thomas

“This breathtaking and destabilizing story is a deep and honest dive into questions of caretaking, obligation, love, and queer and autistic survival in a hostile world.” —Library Journal

“A trans telehealth worker’s safety comes under threat just as they’ve found happiness with their partner in the brilliant debut novel from Thomas (Manywhere: Stories).” —Publishers Weekly

Oprah’s Book Club has announced that Hungered by Amanda Rizkalla is its 125th reading selection. Rizkalla’s debut novel following an unhoused family navigating economic insecurity is told from the perspective of 12-year-old Sofia living with her mother and younger brother in their car.

Oprah praised the book in a press release:

A riveting new novel from first-time author Amanda Rizkalla compassionately tackles the difficult subject of families who live outside the margins, living unhoused, and makes us see not only their struggles, but their hopes, dreams, and the perseverance it takes to face another day.

In the Oprah’s Book Club podcast interview, Rizkallah talks about her experience dealing with housing insecurity as a teen. The recent Steinbeck Fellow and Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellow initially tried to make sense of her experience through a short story assignment before it developed into a novel.

Hungered sounds like the best version of assigned reading in high school; the kind of book that makes a powerful, lasting impression, and that gives you insight into an enduring challenge we face as a country. According to stats reported on by the Anne E. Casey Foundation, “4.2 mil­lion youth, young adult, and teens expe­ri­ence some form of home­less­ness each year.”

Oprah announced the latest pick for her book club, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, on CBS Mornings where she appeared in-studio with Rizkalla. – SZW

We see cover design trends come and go. Some take hold for reasons that make sense–the colorful blobs aesthetic from a few years ago was meant to look good in photos and as thumbnails on social media. Others may not have as broad an application, but pop up enough to make you pause and wonder what led to the inspiration.

This new trend is a big question mark–enter the plastic bag. Yes, the kind you may need to pay a small fee to acquire when you’re out grocery shopping. It’s popping up across genres and age ranges.

Bagging it in 2026 and 2027 so far:

→ Returns and Exchanges by Kayla Rae Whitaker uses the plastic bag as both a means of introducing what the book’s about—the ups and downs of a family who owned a chain of department stores—and to showcase the book’s title, author, and accolades. 

→ Thank You For Remembering by Emily Harding cleverly winks at the “thank you” often printed on bags while subtly noting that the book is a romance featuring amnesia (and intentional or not, this bag looks both like a plastic one and a reusable canvas tote).

→ Say Less by Lamar Giles (out February 2, 2027) plays into the premise of the book, with the plastic bag housing an array of materials related to conspiracy, murder, secrets, and a small town’s dark underbelly. 

It may be a microtrend more than a full-blown, capital-T Trend, but it sure is a fun one. None of these covers will be confused with one another and each conveys what the reader is about to experience inside the story. 

Also? It’s nice to see plastic bags like these as art, rather than as litter. – KJ

A reading slump is a tricksy ailment. If you’re not sure you’ve experienced one, here are some common symptoms:

I do have some tips to help you end your year in reading with a bang rather than a fizzle even if we’ve yet to find a universal cure for this malady. Here are three tried and true techniques I keep handy:

Students, please don’t tell your teachers I gave you permission not to read your assigned books. Otherwise, take this advice and more into these last months of 2026. – SZW

Whether you have had a lifelong love for the story or have rediscovered its magic thanks to Practical Magic 2, here are four witchy books for fans of Practical Magic.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow: Like Hoffman, Harrow’s writing style includes lush world-building, intriguing magic systems enmeshed in the real world, and thoughtful reflections on deep topics. As with Practical Magic, this novel by Harrow explores themes of witches and the bonds between sisters.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna: This lighthearted, romantic fantasy by Sangu Mandanna delivers the found family feels and fellowship of witches in Practical Magic.

Weyward by Emilia Hart: Emilia Hart’s atmospheric writing also takes place in the real world, but tinged with magic. Like Practical Magic, this novel also involves witches and follows the aftermath of an abusive relationship.

The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: For those who like the more spine-tingling elements of Practical Magic, like the creepy murdered boyfriends brought back from the dead, or the tangled webs woven by backfired love spells, there’s this witchy horror read. Plus, you’ll find multigenerational women connected by magic in this book, too. —MM

As you might have guessed, the best comics out this month are full of the spooky-ookums, but that’s not all. There’s also some cozy sapphic fantasy, a little existentialism, and the musings of a horned-out Horse Girl in her 40s, just to balance things out.

A sampling of the best comics out this month:

Did you know? Early in her writing career, Shreve covered a wall in her home with rejection letters.

Dive into these fish-out-of-water graphic novels.

Probably no one you should listen to more about censorship than the author of Gender Queer.

Jeffrey Archer did the NYT By The Books column just before he passed away earlier this week.

Phone booths “stuffed” with Winnie the Pooh books.

A venture firm wants to “help” authors “adapt” their work (TLDR: with AI)

Written by Megan Mabee, Sharifah Williams, Danika Ellis, and Jeff O’Neal. Thanks to Vanessa Diaz for copy editing.

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