The 2026 literary awards season kicked off with the announcement of the Andrew Carnegie Medals, the Notable Book Awards, the Odyssey Awards, and many more. We proudly congratulate all of our award-winning authors.
Select the titles below to access audio clips, excerpts, reading guides, and more.
Jump to our Alex Award winners.
The 2026 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction
A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar (Knopf)
Want the full list of Penguin Random House Carnegie honorees, past and present?
View the collection.
2026 ALA Notable Books
Fiction
Small Ceremonies: A Novel by Kyle Edwards (Pantheon)
The Dream Hotel: A Novel by Laila Lalami (Pantheon)
The Emperor of Gladness: A Novel by Ocean Vuong (Penguin Press)
The Lilac People: A Novel by Milo Todd (Counterpoint)
Where Are You Really From: Stories by Elaine Hsieh Chou (Penguin Press)
Nonfiction
America, América: A New History of the New World by Greg Grandin (Penguin Press)
Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green (Crash Course Books)
No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris (Random House)
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (Knopf)
Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism by Eve L. Ewing (One World)
Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America by Michael Luo (Doubleday)
There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America by Brian Goldstone (Crown)
Valley of Forgetting: Alzheimer’s Families and the Search for a Cure by Jennie Erin Smith (Riverhead)
Poetry
Resting Bitch Face: Poems by Taylor Byas (Soft Skull)
Alex Award Winners
The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18.
The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley (Knopf)
What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown (Random House)
The Favorites by Layne Fargo (Random House)
Hole in the Sky by Daniel H. Wilson (Doubleday)
These Heathens by Mia McKenzie (Random House)
The Whyte Python World Tour by Travis Kennedy (Doubleday)
Want the full list of Penguin Random House Alex Award Winners, past and present?
View the collection.
RUSA Reading List (Genre Winners)
Mystery Short List:
Leave No Trace: A Novel by Jo Callaghan (Random House)
Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars (Berkley)
The Case of the Missing Maid by Rob Osler (Kensington)
Adrenaline Short List:
Dead Money: A Novel by Jakob Kerr (Bantam)
Not Quite Dead Yet: A Novel by Holly Jackson (Bantam)
Historical Fiction Winner:
These Heathens: A Novel by Mia McKenzie (Random House)
Historical Fiction Short List:
Eleanore of Avignon: A Novel by Elizabeth DeLozier (Dutton)
The Last Witch by C. J. Cooke (Berkley)
The Pretender: A Novel by Jo Harkin (Knopf)
Horror Short List:
House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama (Berkley)
Relationship Fiction Short List:
Fun for the Whole Family: A Novel by Jennifer E. Smith (Bantam)
Romance Short List:
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood (Berkley)
First-Time Caller: A Novel by B.K. Borison (Berkley)
Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon & Critical Role (Random House Worlds)
Science Fiction Short List:
Hole in the Sky: A Novel by Daniel H. Wilson (Doubleday)
Essential Cookbooks 2026: The CODES List
Boustany: A Celebration of Vegetables from my Palestine [A Cookbook] by Sami Tamimi (Ten-Speed Press)
The Choi of Cooking: Flavor-Packed, Rule-Breaking Recipes for a Delicious Life: A Cookbook by Roy Choi, Tien Nguyen, and Natasha Phan (Clarkson Potter)
Cookies: The Best Recipes for the Perfect Anytime Treat [A Baking Cookbook] by Vaughn Vreeland and New York Times Cooking (Ten Speed Press)
Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love: A Cookbook by Samin Nosrat (Random House)
Let’s Make It!: A Mexican-American Culinary Adventure by Alfredo Garcia (DK)
Shred Happens: So Easy, So Good: 100+ Protein-Packed Mediterranean Favorites with a Low-Carb Twist; A Cookbook by Arash Hashemi (Rodale)
Soju Party: How to Drink (and Eat!) Like a Korean: A Cookbook by Irene Yoo (Knopf)
2026 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature
Adult Fiction Winner:
Awake in the Floating City by Susanna Kwan (Pantheon)
Adult Fiction Honor:
Indian Country by Shobha Rao (Crown)
Adult Non-Fiction Winner:
Pieces You’ll Never Get Back: A Memoir of Unlikely Survival by Samina Ali (Catapult)
2026 Sophie Brody Medal
Winner:
Fagin the Thief: A Novel by Allison Epstein (Doubleday)
Honorable Mention:
Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi’s Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging by Angela Buchdahl (Pamela Dorman Books)
Noteworthy Titles:
A Fool’s Kabbalah by Steve Stern (Melville House)
Gursha: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens, from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and Beyond: A Cookbook by Beejhy Barhany (Knopf)
How to Share an Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love, and Plenty by Bonny Reichert (Ballantine)
My Childhood in Pieces: A Stand-Up Comedy, a Skokie Elegy by Edward Hirsch (Knopf)
Remember Us to Life: A Graphic Memoir by Joanna Rubin Dranger (Ten Speed Graphic)
Sons and Daughters: A Novel by Chaim Grade (Knopf)
2026 Stonewall Book Awards Winner
Dead Girl Cameo: A Love Song in Poems by m. mick powell (One World)
2026 RUSA Listen List
The Correspondent: A Novel by Virginia Evans. Narrated by a Full Cast (Books on Tape)
The Names: A Novel by Florence Knapp. Narrated by Dervla Kirwan (Books on Tape)
Promise Me Sunshine: A Novel by Cara Bastone. Narrated by Alex Finke (Books on Tape)
The Road to Tender Hearts: A Novel by Annie Hartnett. Narrated by Mark Bramhall (Books on Tape)
The Strange Case of Jane O.: A Novel by Karen Thompson Walker. Narrated by Jay Myers and Alex Sarrigeorgiou (Books on Tape)
View a collection of our 2026 RUSA Listen List here.
2026 Odyssey Awards
Winner for Excellence in Audiobook Production for Young Adults
Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present Day by Alex L. Combs and Andrew Eakett
Narrated by Alex L. Combs, Andrew Eakett, and a Full Cast (Listening Library)
Odyssey Honor
Soundtrack by Jason Reynolds
Narrated by a Full Cast (Listening Library)
Odyssey Honor
Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being Seen by James Robinson
Narrated by James Robinson (Listening Library)
Learn More About our Odyssey Winners and Honors Here.
