The Best Book of the Year, According to Barnes & Noble Booksellers

In October, Barnes & Noble posted their record of the prime 11 books of the yr, as chosen by their booksellers. The record included bestselling novels, an image e book, a New Orleans cookbook, a historical past of hip-hop jewellery, and extra.

Some of these books overlap with the earlier editorially-selected Barnes and Noble Best Books of the Year record, like Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A.F. Steadman, however most usually are not.

B&N has simply posted the outcomes of the remaining vote for booksellers’ prime e book of the yr out of this brief record, although, and the winner appeared on each finest books lists in addition to being a bestseller of 2022:

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

“Our booksellers are most proud to make Lessons in Chemistry the 2022 Barnes & Noble Book of the Year. This blockbuster debut is not only charming, funny, and whip-smart but proves that life, like science, is unpredictable.”

Barnes and Noble’s CEO additionally stated, “Lessons in Chemistry is one of those rare novels that punches hard, whilst being brilliantly funny and a compulsive read. It is sensational and everyone should read it.”

Bonnie Garmus was on the Barnes and Noble podcast again in April discussing the e book.

This yr, although, one other e book was additionally acknowledged, in a brand new class: the Barnes & Noble Speculative Fiction Book Award for 2022.

Babel by R. F. Kuang

“Barnes & Noble’s inaugural Speculative Fiction Book Award goes to R. F. Kuang’s Babel, a dark academia standalone that’s smart, witty, and terrifying — the type of book you can’t stop reading and can’t stop recommending!”

Barnes and Noble’s Director of Books stated, “Booksellers have been obsessing over and revisiting the dark magic, lavish lore and the atmospheric world not too far removed from our own of R.F. Kuang’s Babel.”

The Barnes & Noble Book of the Year award started in 2019, and it has beforehand been awarded to The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy (2019), World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and different Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil (2020), and The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present by Paul McCartney (2021).

Find extra information and tales of curiosity from the e book world in Breaking in Books.