National Book Award for Fiction 2024 shortlist reaction

Such an exciting shortlist for the 2024 National Book Award for Fiction! Click ‘Show More’ for info & links.

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Books discussed & purchase links:

My Friends by Hisham Matar

James by Percival Everett

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

All Fours by Miranda July

Ghostroots by Pemi Aguda

My full reviews of some of these books:

My Friends by Hisham Matar

James – Percival Everett

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

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Get in touch

[annakieczewska]

Hello Eric, you are such a kind soul!I love your entousiasm and energy! Thank you!

[annetteholman]

I agree wholeheartedly about the worth and beauty of MY FRIENDS. I was so hurt it did not make the Booker short list I have been boycotting it by refusing to read any orgers on the list. Now I feel better.😂

[jacquelinemcmenamin]

Great that My Friends is on the shortlist. ( Still annoyed it didn’t get shortlisted for the Booker)
I’m currently listening to
James
Martyr! is on my audio TBR.

[angelicaaltaf]

So happy to see My Friends on the list. So well deserved!

[readandre-read]

James and My Friends were my favorite Booker novels so I'm glad they both made it here. Thanks for the Jean Rhys recommendations - I've not yet read any of her work.

[sandyokey]

My Friends and Martyr! thrill me. I read Martyr! first, so it edges My Friends in my mind, but just minimally. I have James on my wants list and will add All Fours now also.

[johnnamurraycamp]

James (I'm a long term Everett fan!) and My Friends were my favs before the longlists (this and Booker) and I surely hope they each win at least one award (as My Friends already has). I enjoyed listening to Miranda July reading her All Fours. Respect to moving and interesting Martyr! Ghostroots now on my list.

[TKTalksBooks]

Very happy with this list.. especially My Friends!

[courtneydaniel]

I'm going against the grain to say I loved All Fours. It peetered out a bit towards the end but thought it was a great exploration of middle-aged life. I listened to the audio which she reads and found it funny.

[janethansen]

I’m also happy to see My Friends shortlisted as well as James. Martyr was good but feels like a debut. I did not get on with All Fours at all and am surprised to see it on any prize list.

[dqan]

Sounds like a short list I could get behind.

[jamesduggan]

Definitely you're right about the twist near the end of Everett's James: One doesn't see it coming but told about it it makes very good sense. Thx, and btw you and I pronounce some words differently, such as 'melancholy', which for me is iambic, and 'sinister'.

[ht]

Shocked that Creation Lake missed out. I predicted the other four books, and I rightfully thought that July and Kushner were competing for the same slot, but yikes. Didn't see this curveball coming!

[joniheisenberg]

I’m surprised that “All Fours” made the list. While parts of the book worked for me, overall I felt the author was trying too hard.I found myself comparing it to “Splinters” by Leslie Jamison. I realize one is fiction and the other is a memoir, so perhaps it is not a fair comparison. Jamison’s book was so well done and rang much more authentic to me.

[GarySwafford-pf]

Eric, why do you think Oates isn't nominated more often now? In the "Hall of Fame?" Imagine if someone else had written Butcher. Or Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars, American Martyr, etc? Will you be interviewing her again soon?

[lucash]

Wow. I've read some of them already this year. Am I getting on top of my reading?

[allisonschneider]

One of these things is not like the others… 😳

[cindyhaiken]

One of the books on the fiction shortlist is currently my least favorite read of the year but I’m otherwise pretty pleased with the list. I’m unfamiliar with the translated literature books but many of them sound quite interesting.

[ericgeneric]

I've read James, Martyr!, and All Fours. I loved the first two and didn't care for All Fours. I'm a big fan of Miranda July's films, but this book was one of most underwhelming novels I've read all year.

[sevdanaivanova]

I am shocked that All fours made the long list and shortlist ! Absolutely did not like it, the writer trying too hard . I did not finish it even, which is very, very rare for me!