Announcing the 2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize Finalists

Brittany Bunzey

What’s better than finding your next favorite author?

Sharing that writer’s work with other readers.

Last year, our Discover Prize went to Tess Gunty and her debut, The Rabbit Hutch (which also won the National Book Award for Fiction). We’re excited to announce our finalists for the 2023 Discover Prize: six stories of love and loss, adventure and hope, chosen by our booksellers

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Chain Gang All Stars

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

4.1

Hardcover

$28.00

This item is currently out of stock online.

Notes From Your Bookseller

A searing and beautifully written debut from the author of the acclaimed story collection Friday Black, Chain-Gang All-Stars is an unforgettable novel about found family, mass incarceration, and systemic injustice. Nana Kwame Adjoin-Brenyah joins our Poured Over podcast to discuss creating characters through voice, the inspiration behind the story and more.

“Raw and visceral doesn’t even begin to cover it. This book whipped my heart around.” — Miwa M., Bookseller, Los Angeles, CA

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Where There Was Fire: A Novel

John Manuel Arias

Hardcover

$28.99

This item is currently out of stock online.

Notes From Your Bookseller

Where There Was Fire is an atmospheric debut novel about family secrets and the ghosts that haunt us — both figuratively and literally. John Manuel Arias joins us on our Poured Over podcast to talk about his family’s connection to the novel, the effects of American Imperialism in Central America and more.

“Reading this book was such a pleasure. The poetic language builds a story full of beauty, pain, and unexpected humor.” — Craig B., Bookseller, New York, NY

Notes From Your Bookseller

The East Indian is a picaresque novel, with a roguish but lovable protagonist (inspired by the first Indian in Colonial America) whose coming-of-age story reminds us of Oliver Twist and David Copperfield. Learn more about her research process, the effects of colonialism in the story, Charry’s love of world literature and more on our Poured Over podcast.  

“I loved this book — Charry confidently pulls you into her historical setting, and the finale was so satisfying.” — Josh S., Bookseller, St. Louis, MO

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Open Throat: A Novel

Henry Hoke

4.8

Hardcover

$25.00

This item is currently out of stock online.

Notes From Your Bookseller

An absolute marvel of a book, Open Throat packs a serious punch in its 160 unforgettable pages. Both a literal and emotional journey told in the completely original voice of a mountain lion living beneath the Hollywood sign, this is unlike anything you’ve ever read. Listen to Henry Hoke and his editor Jackson Howard as they talk about Los Angeles, the crafting of this book and more on our Poured Over podcast.

“I read this in a single sitting. Seriously gripping, from the attention-grabbing opening line to the explosive final page.” — Jess L., Bookseller, Salem, NH

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The Berry Pickers (B&N Discover Prize Winner)

Amanda Peters

4.7

Hardcover

$27.00

This item is currently out of stock online.

Notes From Your Bookseller

A profoundly moving novel told from the alternating point of view of two siblings, this is the story of a Mi’kmaq girl gone missing and the lasting effect on her family. Inspired by the author’s own family’s stories and written in exacting prose, this debut will linger long after you put it down. Make sure you don’t miss our Poured Over podcast episode with Amanda Peters airing October 31st.

“This begins as a tragic mystery and blossoms into a story of resilient hope. I couldn’t put it down.” — Carly R., Bookseller, Green Bay, WI

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In Memoriam: A novel

Alice Winn

4.6

Hardcover

$29.00

This item is currently out of stock online.

Notes From Your Bookseller

In Memoriam is a haunting novel of love and war. A gripping story of young men at home and on the frontline, Alice Winn’s debut is a great read for fans of A Little Life and Aleksandar Hemon’s The World and All That It Holds. Learn more about the extensive research that went into this book and more when you listen to Alice Winn on our Poured Over podcast.

“This is part love story, part epic war story, and the writing rips along and never slows down.” — Brenda A., Bookseller, Bentonville, AR

Awards Fiction

Celebra el Mes de la Herencia Hispana con libros que inspiran, emocionan y dejan recuerdos imborrables.

Este Mes de la Herencia Hispana, te invitamos a descubrir una selección de libros para adultos y chicos que destacan el talento, la creatividad y la diversidad de grandiosos escritores latinoamericanos. Son historias que entretienen, inspiran, y nos permiten acercarnos a distintas experiencias y perspectivas, mientas celebramos las aportaciones de la comunidad hispana en los Estados Unidos.

The Black Shield: A Guest Post from Wilbur L. Cooper

In The Black Shield, reporter Wilbert L. Cooper explores the complex lives of Black cops living and working in Cleveland as part of the Black Shield organization. Read on for an essay from Wilbur L. Cooper about writing The Black Shield. When I talk about The Black Shield, I often tell people that I started writing it in 2020, the year of George Floyd's murder. I do this because the book is nominally about Black cops, and in the aftermath of Floyd's murder, there was a lot of talk about diversity as a panacea for the racial problems of American policing. Some people made the argument that the hiring of more Black cops would ensure that what happened to Floyd would never happen again. And it's true, I did spend 2020 talking to experts and historians, diving into police archives and reading studies. I did a lot of real journalism stuff. But if I’m being honest, I didn't start thinking about Black cops in 2020. I've been reflecting on the conflicting promise and plight of Black cops my whole life, because I was born into a family of Black cops. I've had family members in the Cleveland police department since the end of World War II up through the Black Lives Matter Era. And so I’ve been thinking about Black cops and what they mean and what they do since I was a child watching my mother, a strong Black woman named Gayle, don a blue uniform and a silver badge. Even as a little child, I desperately wanted to know who my mother transformed into when she went out into the world with a city-issued gun in her holster. And when there have been these visceral incidents of police violence like George Floyd or Tyre Nichols, I've wondered, What my mother's role could be in an institution like that? What does that killing have to do with the work of my father, my sister, my uncle and great uncles? To answer that question, I've been having talks with my family that I never had before, tracing their journeys into policing, as well as talks with their peers and Black cops from all across the country of various generations. So while The Black Shield encapsulates my own story, it's also filled with all of their testimony. Their witnessing for you from behind the blue wall is more harrowing than what you might hear from an activist who advocates for police abolition. For the readers who are still wondering if diversity can make policing work for Black folks, you will have a lot to think about when reading my book. But The Black Shield also addresses much bigger issues of family, assimilation, survival in America, and freedom. I hope that you all will go on that journey with me.

The Best Audiobooks of September 2026

September brings us cooler nights and the start of fall's biggest releases. Get ready for stories of threshing day with Rebecca Yarros, R. F. Kuang is back with a story of finding home and Harry Connick Jr. pays tribute to his late mother in musical style. These are just some of what's to come this fall season. Shop even more new releases here.