Using Awards Lists As a RA Tool: Booker Prize Longlist Edition

This is part of my ongoing series on using Awards Lists as a RA tool. Click here for all posts in the series in reverse chronological order. Click here for the first post which outlines the details how to use awards lists as a RA tool.  

The Booker Prize Longlist was recently announced. What is the Booker Prize? From their About Page:

The Booker Prize is the leading literary award in the English speaking world, and has brought recognition, reward and readership to outstanding fiction for over five decades

Each year, the prize is awarded to what is, in the opinion of the judges, the best sustained work of fiction written in English and published in the UK and Ireland. It is a prize that transforms the winner’s career. 

Go to this page, helpfully titled, "Everything you need to know about the Booker Prize 2026 longlist." The page itself is a gold mine of a resource to help readers. It had details about every book, information about the judges. And on the prize's main page, there are even more articles about this year's longlist. I will link to some of the article below.

But even with the regular. display, backlist, and collection development advice I give for every award (access above), The Book Prize is an award you need to know about for a variety of reasons, reasons which give you even more options to serve your patrons.

First, these books are always among the top books written in English every year, which means this year and past year's lists make for reliable suggestions to your curious readers. The backlist is also very easy to access in two different ways. The first is a page here where you can use drop down menus to do so deep dive searching and/or scroll under those drop downs to see the announcements for each year in reverse chronological order. The second is a page here with a list of each year (reverse chronological order) of every title beginning with the winner and then listing all of the longlist titles and the titles are linked to get even more information about them.

Second, these titles (2026 or any year in the recent past) tend to be on the "readable side." What do I mean with that? What I mean is that they tend to pick excellent titles of high literary merit that are readable for a general adult audience. These are critically acclaimed, literary fiction titles that you can give out to a wide swath of readers with confidence. 

Third, the Booker Prize has a history of identifying authors worth you time early in their careers, sometimes earlier than they get singled out for other major awards. These are authors worth having on yourself and suggesting, but you (and your readers) may not have them on their radar yet. 

Fourth, this award list serves as a readalike for itself. Not all awards can do this, but I have used this award list as a suggestion engine for readers who have enjoyed any book that has appeared on the longlists. In fact, back in the early days of the 2000s, I offered a "Holds Without Hassle" program at my library, and not only did we allow them to pick authors for that list, but we also had a few awards they could select. This award (called the Man Booked back in the day) was one of the most popular choices. People wanted the winner put on automatic hold and then after reading it, we helped them find the other nominated titles. I have seen this work in action, even with the books being about widely different topics and from a range of authors.  

Fifth, and this is how my readers first found out about this award in the first place, these titles make excellent book discussion choices. There is a very helpful Booker Library, where you can find books by author, title, or even pick a prize year. And to make it even easier for you, they have Reading Guides designed specifically for libraries. Using the backlist from 2-5 years ago is a great resource for winning discussion titles.

And finally, the judges. I have talked about this before, but look at that list of judges from this year or past years. (Click on the post for each year on that page and scroll down to read about the judges.) Take this year for example. The judges themselves are excellent options for displays, suggestions, and purchase if you don't own their books. You can also use the judges list as one of my 5 Resources You Cannot Live Without-- Author Recs of Other Authors. A couple years ago year, I wrote about how that works in relation to the NYT Best Books of the Century discussion.

I am sure there are even more reasons why this award is a great resource for you to help your readers. Click through for all of the details and information and decide how you can best use this list for your library. The site is really a treasure trove of resources, suggestions, and lists all year long. 

I will end this post with  the most basic info-- the titles on the long list and the summary by the jurors about the list as a whole. All from this page:

The Booker Prize 2026 longlist has now been announced – a selection of 13 superb works of long-form fiction, chosen from 163 titles written in English and published in the UK and/or Ireland between 1 October 2025 and 30 September 2026.   

As Mary Beard, Chair of this year’s judges, says: ‘Great books have never been written to a single formula. We are confident that our longlist of books has something for everyone. There’s the funny and the unsettling (and in some cases the funny and unsettling); there’s dystopian fantasy and domestic drama; there’s the gritty and the magically mysterious; there are some that will please and some that may shock.’

The 13 nominated books, and their UK publishers, are:  

• The Shadow of the Object by Chloe Aridjis (Chatto & Windus) 

• Switzy by Emma Cline (Chatto & Windus) 

• Helen of Nowhere by Makenna Goodman (Fitzcarraldo Editions) 

• The End of Everything by M. John Harrison (Serpent’s Tail) 

• The Disappearers by Marlon James (Hamish Hamilton) 

• Black Bag by Luke Kennard (John Murray) 

• The Renovation by Kenan Orhan (Hamish Hamilton) 

• May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry (Granta) 

• The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley (Picador)   

• The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout (Viking)  

• John of John by Douglas Stuart (Picador) 

• All Them Dogs by Djamel White (John Murray) 

• The Vivisectors by Missouri Williams (4th Estate)

Best Adaptations of the Century So Far

There are plenty of readalike lists for "The Odyssey," but this is just one example of an ongoing discussion we have at libraries all the time. And that discussion is about book to visual media adaptations. We talk about it in libraries all year long. We have requests for specific books when the movie or TV show comes out. We get the general question about good adaptations. 

You work in a library you know this is a common request. I even have a tag "books into movies" that you can use to see all the times I have written about this topic.

Of course, right now people are all over the Odyssey. But just a few months ago it was all about Hamnet.  Washington rinse, repeat because this cycle never ends. And quite frankly it is great for us at libraries, to have an evergreen topic that we can make displays about.

Back in 2024, I had this Conversation Starter to Display post about how to make a display of the best adaptations, including how to ask your patrons to contribute. 

Well I am bringing that post back into the conversation today because as part of their Best of the Century (So Far) coverage Book Riot didn't just look at the major genres, they also have a category for The Best Adaptations. From the intro to that list:

Book people tend to have big opinions about adaptations. There’s the camp that believes the book is always better, and those brave souls who’ll admit when the opposite is true. There are those who expect an adaptation to strictly adhere to the source material, and those who will quote Merriam-Webster to refute that idea outright. Some are down for the wild, creative, out-there interpretations as long as they’re entertained, and others can find something to appreciate if the project adheres to the spirit of the original text.

The task, then, of selecting the best adaptations of the century so far was a tricky one to start. What does “best” even mean when there’s so much variety in what we expect an adaptation to do? The answer, of course, is nuanced, and we think that’s a good thing. Adaptations can be beautiful interpretations of texts that remain pretty close to the original. They can also breathe new life into beloved works by switching up timelines and settings or making them more diverse (or diverse, period). An adaptation might turn a familiar story completely on its head, subverting tropes and trappings with fresh perspectives.  

 

From the fiercely faithful to the irreverent and anachronistic, we believe a good adaptation is largely in the eyes of the beholder. Behold then, dear reader, our picks for the best adaptations of the century so far.

Click through to see the list, check my 2024 post about how to build this display and include your patrons' voices and opinions, and see all of my posts about adaptations here. Use these resources that I have compiled in one place for you to jump on the current adaptation craze-- The Odyssey-- and offer your patrons more options to scratch their adaptations itch. 

And the best thing about this display is that it is evergreen. You can use it any time of year and people will appreciate it. It is not tied to a specific movie, but rather the long standing conversation about whether or not the book was better.

Using Awards Lists As a RA Tool: The Center For Fiction First Novel Prize Edition

This is part of my ongoing series on using Awards Lists as a RA tool. Click here for all posts in the series in reverse chronological order. Click here for the first post which outlines the details how to use awards lists as a RA tool.  

Yesterday, The Center for Fiction recently announced their longlist for the First Novel Prize. From that announcement: 

Announcing The Center for Fiction 2026 First Novel Prize Longlist

We are pleased to announce The Center for Fiction 2026 First Novel Prize Longlist. This year, we received over 180 submitted titles with U.S. publication dates between January 1 and December 31, 2026. More than 500 participants in The Center’s First Novel Prize Readership—including writers, librarians, booksellers, and other devoted readers—reviewed the submissions to help determine the 19 debut novels below.

Inaugurated in 2006, the First Novel Prize honors the best debut novel of the year and supports emerging voices in fiction. Each year, the winning author receives a $15,000 prize in recognition of their contribution to contemporary literature and in support of their ongoing creative career. Past winners of the Prize include Marisha Pessl, Junot Díaz, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Tommy Orange, Raven Leilani, and De’Shawn Charles Winslow. In the fall, our judging panel of four distinguished authors will select the 2026 First Novel Prize Shortlist and winner.

We invite you to celebrate these exciting new voices in contemporary fiction at two marquee events this winter. The shortlisted authors will read from their work and gather with the public at The Center for Fiction First Novel Fête on Friday, December 4, 2026. The First Novel Prize winner will be announced at The Center’s Annual Awards Benefit on Tuesday, December 8, 2026. Click here for more information.

We are proud to share these extraordinary books with you. Please join us in congratulating The Center for Fiction 2026 First Novel Prize longlisted authors.

The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize is supported in part by Hawthornden Foundation. For support opportunities, please reach out to Melissa Wyse at development@centerforfiction.org.

This award speaks for itself. You need to go check right now if you own all 19 of these novels. You probably have a lot of these, but make sure. I love how long this long list truly is. They are identifying a huge list of excellent debut novels to make sure all who deserve to be noticed in the crowded publishing landscape get their moment to shine.  

In the Fall there will be a short list narrowed down by a panel of judges, and each of those authors will get $1,000, which is important to note. Only 1 person can win the $15,000 prize, but that $1,000 for the short list authors will go a long way toward keeping them on th path to write a second book.

Also, don't forget, the easily accessed archive of every longlist author and winners for the First Novel Prize is also a treasure trove of information. Obviously, you can find authors who are now bestsellers in that backlist, yes. But what about those authors whose first novel got a ton of critical acclaim but then did not make that jump to being more well known? Not making that jump does not make them less worthy of being read; in fact, that debut novel may be the hidden gem titles your patrons will love and it will lead them to read everything that author wrote after.

And, not for nothing, your part in helping them to find that author they ending up loving but never would have known about with your help, well, that will make your patron a life long library fan and supporter. There is no better feeling in our work than connecting a reader with a book that becomes a favorite for life, especially when we were the ones who matched them with said book or author.

Great debut novels are something many readers seek out already when looking for their next great read, but remember, they don't have to be the debuts of right now. An author's debut is forever their debut whether or not they have written other books.

The backlist is a treasure trove here. Debuts are a popular category, and The Center for Fiction has been prioritizing their wok on debut authors since 2006. Their track record in singling out titles and authors has more than stood the test of time as well. This longlist and their award archive is a no brainer resource, today and always.

And before I go, I need to shout out that they even have a straight up horror novel on the list this year --Carrying by Samantha Joseph! I called this one out in my recent Horror Genre Preview as well (and not even in my debut section because it is that good). 

Spend some time thinking about Debuts. The category itself makes a great late summer display and you have 10 years of The Center for Fiction longlist titles to help you fill those shelves. Let them do the work for you.

Booklist’s Guide to Graphic Novels in Libraries, 2026

July is the Spotlight on Graphic Novels over on Booklist. They do more than the average spotlight's worth of work here. Every year it is a must read. And the content here is library workers serving all ages of readers, some of these articles even cross age ranges. I have the intros to each article and the links for you to read below. Please pass this on to your colleagues in your library who serve youth and teens as well.

Booklist’s Guide to Graphic Novels in Libraries, 2026

Why Are Comics Important? By AJ Dungo To All the Libraries I’ve Loved Before By Ashley Robin Franklin Bringing Graphic Novels and Manga to the Most Diverse County in Virginia: A Library System Educates with a Comics Convention By John Diaz and others Why graphic novels? To begin with, they are incredibly fun to read. They’re fast-paced. They’re colorful and dynamic, and they illustrate action for readers who struggle to visualize words. All these attributes feed into one of the most important aspects of graphic novels. Multiple studies have shown that the combination of artwork and text helps those with reading difficulties make better sense of words, context, and in the case of autism and dyslexia, sequencing. Discouraging children from reading graphic novels in favor of “real” books might be negatively impacting a struggling child’s ability to become a lifelong reader.‌ read more→ Everyday Queerness at the End of the World: Slice-of-Life Comics as Quiet Resistance By Kaci Wilson Long before Marvel’s Northstar famously came out quite literally swinging with the line “For while I am not inclined to discuss my sexuality with people for whom it is none of their business—I am gay!” becoming the first openly gay superhero in mainstream comics, queer stories permeated the underground comix scene that began in the 1960s. Comix of this era not only rebelled against the restrictive 41 provisions of the Comics Code Authority by making visible identities and topics left out of mainstream comics publishing, but also expanded the notion of what comics could be. No longer were comics restricted to heteronormative stories of superheroes, detectives, and cowboys. New genres and narrative techniques arrived on the scene and were here to stay.‌ read more→ Genrefication of Graphic Novels: Making Comics More Accessible to Middle Grade Readers By Alexa Dumas One of the roles of a librarian—regardless of type—is to ensure accessibility to materials in the library space. For my diverse array of over 400 middle school students at Ronald B. Stafford Middle School in Plattsburgh (NY), I strive to create a comics collection that is a place for all my readers. The current collection includes 12,076 holdings (with almost 2,400 titles across graphic formats). Accessibility and student agency are key to establishing a functional middle school library space. I used those two principles to justify taking on the tough task of genrefying my collection.‌ read more→ Graphic Novel Book Clubs for Elementary and Middle Schoolers: A Case Study in Successful System-wide Collaboration By Dan Johnson I am a youth librarian for Midland Library, part of Multnomah County Library (MCL), a system of 19 libraries in the Portland, Oregon metro area. This past year, I hosted a year-long graphic-novel book club for fourth- and fifth-graders at my library, my second year participating in these monthly book clubs. This is a systemwide effort, in which youth librarians at various branches work together to put on this program throughout the system.‌ read more→ Horror Manga By Jillian Rudes and Gigi Murakami Horror manga has a complicated place in libraries and classrooms, and people often react with shock when I say that I teach horror. But in my twelfth-grade course, the focus is not on horror itself but on the fear characters experience as a result of transformations—of their bodies, minds, and environments. Why do we find so much discomfort when the ordinary is transformed into something unknown?‌ read more→ Not Optional: Why Latine Graphic Novels Belong in Middle School Collections Even in Restrictive Policy Environments By Karina Quilantan-Garza If you were to step into a national library conference or a children’s book festival today, you would notice a clear uptick in graphic-novel authors and illustrators. Kids enjoy reading graphic novels. They want to read them. Yet misconceptions persist about their value as legitimate reading material and learning resources. Latine graphic novels are not simply diverse titles within a larger category; they offer culturally and linguistically specific experiences that many students do not encounter elsewhere in the curriculum.‌ read more→ Promises and Paradoxes: Using Graphic Novels to Explore the Declaration of Independence’s 250th Anniversary By Julie Rick As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, educators have an opportunity to move beyond celebration and into critical inquiry. For many students, the document’s language feels distant and difficult to access. Graphic novels, which integrate visual storytelling with historical and personal narrative, make the Declaration’s ideas more immediate and open to analysis.‌ read more→ Small Comics Press Round Up By Sarah Hunter The availability and quality of graphic novels in the past decade or so have exploded, with a thrillingly wide range of books for every kind of reader. As larger publishers expand their graphic-novel lines, smaller independent publishers can get a bit lost in the shuffle, but it’s worth it to seek out their books. While they might have smaller print runs or publish fewer titles in a year, small, independent comics publishers often take chances on interesting, daring projects or promising new talent making their first forays into publishing. Here are a sampling of independent publishers offering unique, compelling graphic novels and manga that are ideal for patrons looking for reads off the beaten path.‌ read more→ State of Comics Librarianship: Growth, Recognition, and the Work Ahead By Shauntee Burns-Simpson Comics librarianship continues to evolve in exciting and necessary ways, reflecting broader shifts in how libraries serve their communities, elevate diverse voices, and embrace multiple literacies. What was once considered a niche format has firmly established itself as an essential component of library collections, programming, and engagement strategies across the country.‌ read more→ Sustainability and Comics: Showcasing How the World Works and What Happens When Things Break By Matthew Noe Comics excel at presenting dense, complex information in ways that readers without specialized knowledge can appreciate and understand—and issues related to sustainability and climate change are nothing if not complex. Historically, there have been few comics that directly address these issues. Or, if they did, it was mostly by framing someone like Poison Ivy as a crazed villain for daring to suggest protecting plant life. That isn’t to say there were no good climate comics, as the suggested classics below attest, but there was nothing like what we are seeing today.‌ read more→