Spotlighting Our 2026 ALA Adult Award Winners and Honorees
This week, the American Library Association kicked off the 2026 literary awards season with the announcement of their adult book awards, including the Andrew Carnegie Medals, the Notable Book Awards, and many more.
Penguin Random House is thrilled to have a Carnegie Medal Winner, fourteen Notable Books, six ALEX Award winners, and a Sophie Brody winner, as well as several other honorees listed below.
The 2026 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, recognizing the top fiction title published in the previous calendar year, went to A GUARDIAN AND A THIEF by Megha Majumdar (Knopf).
The Carnegie Medals, established in 2012, have become one of the most coveted awards in the U.S., and the only book award in the U.S. chosen by a committee of library professionals and booksellers who work closely with adult readers. The Carnegie Medal winners will be honored during a celebratory event at the American Writers Museum during ALA’s 2026 Annual Conference in Chicago in June.
Congratulations to our authors and teams who brought these incredible books to life!
Discover our winners and honorees below.
THE 2026 ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN FICTION
A GUARDIAN AND A THIEF by Megha Majumdar (Knopf)
2026 ALA NOTABLE BOOKS
The Notable Books List is an annual best-of list comprised of twenty six titles written for adult readers and published in the US including fiction, nonfiction and poetry.
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)
RUSA READING LIST (GENRE WINNERS)
The Reading List is an annual best-of list comprised of eight different fiction genres for adult readers.
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 CODE LIST
As judged by librarians who cooked from them and hosted book groups about them, these are the cookbooks from 2026 that will stand the test of time, become reliable favorites, and nourish readers.
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 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 by Samin Nosrat (Random House)
LET’S MAKE IT! by Alfredo Garcia (DK)
SHRED HAPPENS: So Easy, So Good by Arash Hashemi (Rodale)
SOJU PARTY: How to Drink (and Eat!) Like a Korean by Irene Yoo (Knopf)
2026 ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR LITERATURE
The Asian Pacific American Award for Literature honors and recognizes individual works by Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pasifika authors that highlight Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pasifika cultures and experiences.
Adult Fiction Winner
AWAKE IN THE FLOATING CITY by Susanna Kwan (Pantheon)
Adult Fiction Honor
INDIAN COUNTRY by Shobha Rao (Crown)
Adult Nonfiction Winner
PIECES YOU’LL NEVER GET BACK: A Memoir of Unlikely Survival by Samina Ali (Catapult)
2026 SOPHIE BRODY MEDAL
The Sophie Brody Medal is given to encourage, recognize and commend outstanding achievement in Jewish literature.
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 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
A literary award that annually recognizes exceptional merit relating to the LGBTQIA+ experience.
DEAD GIRL CAMEO: A Love Song in Poems by m. mick powell (One World)
2026 RUSA LISTEN LIST
This juried list, designed for both avid listeners and those new to the pleasures of stories read aloud, includes fiction and nonfiction and features voices that enthrall, delight, and inspire.
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)