The Barnes & Noble Book of the Year

by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

The 2020 Barnes & Noble Book of the Year is World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil! A stunning celebration of the natural world by way of memoir, each chapter captures a moment centered around a different natural phenomenon and the lived experience it evokes. Filled with tender illustrations and meditations on nature, World of Wonders is the definitive book for 2020.

by Wally Koval

Wally Koval's photographic journey began as a visual travelogue on Instagram but grew to a million plus followers who were captured by his unusual compositions from various places around the world. His framing and ability to shoot subjects with dramatic flair brought to mind the quirky cinematography of none other than Wes Anderson, who approved this book.

by Rumaan Alam

Atmospheric and provocative, Leave the World Behind starts off with Amanda and Clay's family vacation drama and soon devolves into a cinematic catastrophe. A vacation story on the surface, this unsettling novel rises above a thrilling narrative to take aim at the inherent bias we have for our fellow humans, the brotherhood in our shared fears, and the catastrophic fallout of threats both prosaic and otherworldly.

by Lauren Ko

They look like pies, but they're works of art. Lauren Ko's pies, which are colorful and uniquely patterned, are the subject of her immensely popular Instagram. But can a person with little skill handle the recipes? You bet!

by Jason Reynolds

Reynolds’ writing is compelling, conversational and extremely engaging, making Stamped an accessible read for all ages. In short, this is a book every American should read (and re-read and re-read again).

by Glennon Doyle

While Doyle’s previous books, Love Warrior and Carry On, Warrior, started the conversation, Untamed started a movement. Her legions of fans (old and new) have found within themselves those three little words “there she is” and have held onto this book tight as a rallying cry for what it means to be a woman today.

by Brit Bennett

An indelible tale of identity: Twin sisters and their daughters choose to live vastly different lives. From the acclaimed author of The Mothers, The Vanishing Half is a story that asks pertinent and, at times, overwhelming questions about who we are and where we’re headed as a society.

by Katherine May

To Katherine May, who endured a year from hell, the secret to coping with the darkest of days lies in the life-affirming power of the natural world. While the average person may not want to swim in the ocean for solace, we can embrace the cold and learn from these fallow periods when life is simultaneously dormant and alive.

by Charlie Mackesy

Few of us could resist the sublime illustrations in Charlie Mackesy’s luminous fable, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. This gorgeous book is an inspirational (but not saccharine) story about loneliness and courage for readers of all ages. Read more in our blog.