Our Discover Prize Winner 2025

Barnes & Noble booksellers across the country have read hundreds of new authors and debut novels published this year, and today, we are delighted to announce the winner of the 2025 Discover Prize.

Katie Yee’s Maggie: or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar: A Novel is our 2025 Discover Prize Winner. Packed with wit, heartbreak and an unforgettable main character, this will be a novel you revisit for years to come.

Here’s what your booksellers are saying about Maggie: or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar: A Novel:

“Katie Yee, your way of tugging on my heartstrings with your writing is what hooked me. I can’t wait to read more from her!”

— Anna F, Bookseller

“This is such a life-affirming novel, reminding us that it’s good to be alive, even when everything is awful.”

— Lexie S, Bookseller

“The writing felt so effortless and the story unfolded so well. I laughed and cried and really enjoyed this one.”

— Elizabeth B, Bookseller

Competition for this year’s Discover Prize was fierce. Check out the 2025 Discover Prize Finalists here.