For Readers: Blog

Award-winning reads

Whether you’re looking to complete another theme for the Branch Out reading challenge or just dive into an acclaimed title, these award winners from the past few years have something for every type of reader!

Louise Kennedy picked up multiple awards for her impressive debut Trespasses. Teacher Cushla lives with her mother on the outskirts of Belfast in the midst of the Troubles. As part of the Catholic minority, Cushla’s precarious place in society is imperiled when she falls for a married Protestant. Richly detailed, this character-driven story about love and loyalty captures the fraught essence of daily life in tumultuous times. British Book Awards/Irish Book Award/McKitterick Prize [e-book | print | audiobook]

For a small but mighty read, Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher won Best Novella at two of the biggest fantasy awards. This creepy reimaging of Sleeping Beauty is told through the eyes of the fairy Toadling, tasked with protecting the tower that holds a princess who is locked away (for good reason, apparently). Readers who love atmospheric fairytale retellings with a dark sense of humor won’t want to miss this. Hugo Award/Locus Award [e-book | print | audiobook]

Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan is thought-provoking literary fiction about a teenager’s coming-of-age in the midst of civil war in Sri Lanka. Sashi wants to be a doctor but for now helps as a medic at a field hospital as the Tamil minority fights for freedom. As she sees violence tear apart the community and endanger her four brothers, Sashi has to decide where her loyalties lie. Carol Shields Prize for Fiction/Women's Prize for Fiction [e-book | print | audiobook]

Former CIA officer I. S. Berry’s debut The Peacock and the Sparrow dazzled thriller readers and reviewers, racking up multiple awards. Biding his time until retirement, CIA agent Shane Collins hopes to wrap up his mission in Bahrain quickly, but an unexpected murder and a beautiful artist threaten to complicate his plan. Set during the Arab Spring, this is a fresh spy thriller for fans of the subgenre. Edgar Award/Barry Award/Macavity Award/Thriller Award [e-book | print | audiobook]

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here by Jonathan Blitzer is a thoughtful and comprehensive examination of the asylum crisis and the trauma experienced by migrants as they make impossible choices. Journalist Blitzer explores the muddled policy that has contributed to the current immigration situation, while also telling the harrowing stories of Central Americans who were forced to leave behind their homes to seek safety. This is a timely and poignant read. Hillman Book Prize/Robert F Kennedy Book Award [e-book | print | audiobook]

Poet and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib muses on basketball and home in There's Always This Year. This lyrical and candid work of nonfiction defies categorization, blending his thoughts on growing up in Ohio during the golden age of basketball with meditations on who makes it (notably LeBron James) and who gets left behind to face cycles of poverty and violence. Even if you’re not a basketball fan, you’ll appreciate this emotional read. National Book Critics Circle Award [e-book | print | audiobook]

⏤Laura