Book of the Year Finalists 2022

A dark academia standalone that dives into the power of language and the evils of imperialism, student revolutions and a history of violence, Babel swirls with magic, lore, and Kuang’s signature attention to detail. It’s smart, witty and terrifying; the type of book you can’t stop reading and can’t stop recommending!

Spanning decades and coasts, Zevin’s epic is expertly crafted and deftly realized. An intelligent novel full of friendship, heartbreak, creativity, and love … an instant classic that everyone has embraced with open arms. There are many entry points to this: gaming, relationships, nostalgia, and a quintessential love story for the ages.

We all loved Hamnet when it came out in 2020, and now O’Farrell is back with a story set in Renaissance Italy. A dramatic story of resilience and survival that kept us all on the edge of our seat (couch? floor? wherever we found ourselves engrossed in this one). As new wife Lucrezia sits for a painting to preserve her image, it becomes clear to her that her very life is dependent on her provision of an heir. We were enthralled by the complex court alliances formed by marriage, a shocking discovery of the man who was supposed to marry her sister, and a court who isn’t thrilled by her presence. A new classic!

All’s fair in love and chemistry. It’s 1960s California and there are certain things that women just don’t do. When scientist Elizabeth Zott finds herself the host of a television cooking show, she kicks off a revolution that does more than just challenge the status quo. You will fall in love with the cast of characters in this witty, funny debut novel that has already been picked up as a forthcoming TV series. The story just keeps on giving, and this is the perfect handsell. 

If you were tasked with finding a creative team to put a fresh spin on an all-time classic children’s story, you’d be hard pressed to do better than Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen. You could build a bridge with the awards won between these two — which is appropriate given this significant project modernizing The Three Billy Goats Gruff. With Mac’s classic wit and storytelling and Jon’s iconic art style, this one just feels so right for the bookshelf. Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe would be proud — and you would be foolish to think a bigger, more delicious book will come along.

 The cover of this is speaking to every horror bone in our bodies, and the read absolutely lives up to the terrifyingly awesome design.  This novel is a re-telling of the “House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe that adds depth to the story as never seen nor read before. We guarantee a one-sitting read that will make you back slowly away from fast approaching hares, though be careful not to tumble as the descent is fast, deep and scary.

This stunning photographic catalogue chronicles four decades of Hip-hop icons and their customized jewelry, from the 80s through today. You’ll find extraordinary images and memorable contributions from world renowned artists in a book that is the first of its kind. The production value on this is incredible and this is sure to be a Holiday winner.

A jaw dropping wonder of a book in which art, history, production and design come together seamlessly in a love letter to the achievements of the Apollo space program and its manned flights.  Four hundred images, culled from 35,000, all meticulously restored, the labor of a passionate quest see clearly what the astronauts saw.  Andy Saunders hits every high note, highlights the human side to the missions, and takes us as close as we will likely get to stepping on the moon.  What a thrill just to turn the pages and take it all in!

Experience the delectable down-home Southern food from chef Mason Hereford’s awarding-winning New Orleans restaurant Turkey and the Wolf from your kitchen! Mason’s style is irreverent, fun, and joyful, filled with total delight for high-end ingredients as well as things like Duke’s mayonnaise and Ritz Crackers. Drawing on inspiration from his childhood to offer bold, fresh twists on some of the most beloved Southern dishes, you’ll find recipes such as Sweet Potato Burritos, Meatloaf: The Sandwich, Not the Musician, Corner-store Pork Rind Tacos and more!

Welcome to Ed Yong’s Alice-in-Wonderland world of animal sense and sensibility. Vibrant poetic tales of creatures that crawl, swim, fly, those of the night, of the sun, of the hidden depths of oceans, or in our homes, each perceiving the world in vastly different ways, from each other, and from us.  Immense World tunes our senses toward theirs and tickles the imagination, and shimmers with the weird and wonderful. Take a leap and “try on” a new way of walking through the world.  

In a world not unlike our own, 13-year-old Skandar dreams of becoming a respected unicorn rider and competing in the Chaos Cup. You see, unicorns are very real in Skandar’s world — and in fact, they are deadly, bloodthirsty creatures who are extremely dangerous unless bonded to a rider. But shortly after Skandar bonds with his unicorn, he learns an even greater danger is afoot — and it’s up to them to stop it. This adventure of epic proportions has taken the world by storm, and we’ve loved this one since it’s summer release!