Kendra Winchester is a Contributing Editor for Book Riot where she writes about audiobooks and disability literature. She is also the Founder of Read Appalachia, which celebrates Appalachian literature and writing. Previously, Kendra co-founded and served as Executive Director for Reading Women, a podcast that gained an international following over its six-season run. In her off hours, you can find her writing on her Substack, Winchester Ave, and posting photos of her Corgis on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester.
Book List Season is well underway. My TBR is already begging for mercy. But the show must go on. Even though it’s still November, major publications are already announcing their favorite books of the year. I have to admit, I still love seeing what books different organizations choose to highlight. What books will show up on multiple lists? Will their favorite be MY favorites? Oh, the nerdy, bookish suspense!
Barnes & Noble’s Best Books of 2025
Barnes and Noble announced their best books of 2025 in the form of different genre lists. For us true story lovers, they’ve included an array of nonfiction lists, including biographies and memoirs, history, business, personal development, science and technology, sports books, and cookbooks. Whatever kind of nonfiction you prefer, there is sure to be something in one of these lists for you. I was delighted to see some of my favorites on their lists, including Good Things by Samin Nosrat, Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy by Mary Roach, and We The People by Jill Lepore.
All access members continue below for the latest in nonficiton book news and the best books of the year.
Kendra Winchester is a Contributing Editor for Book Riot where she writes about audiobooks and disability literature. She is also the Founder of Read Appalachia, which celebrates Appalachian literature and writing. Previously, Kendra co-founded and served as Executive Director for Reading Women, a podcast that gained an international following over its six-season run. In her off hours, you can find her writing on her Substack, Winchester Ave, and posting photos of her Corgis on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester.
Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2025
Publishers Weekly takes a different strategy. Instead of just including different lists based on genre, they include their top ten picks overall. The top ten includes a few nonfiction titles, including When It All Burns: Fighting Fire in a Transformed World by Jordan Thomas, Capitalism and Its Critics: A History, from the Industrial Revolution to AI by John Cassidy, Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age by Vauhini Vara, and Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America by Jeff Chang. In the different genre lists, there’s nonfiction, religion, and lifestyle.
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Announces the 2026 Southern Book Prize Finalists
One of my favorite prizes is the Southern Book Prize, an award decided by Southern indie book sellers. There are fiction, nonfiction, and young readers categories. This year, the nonfiction finalists are:
- All These Ghosts by Silas House
- Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People by Imani Perry
- Food for Thought: Essays and Ruminations by Alton Brown
- The Harder I Fight the More I Love You: A Memoir by Neko Case
- The New Book: Poems, Letters, Blurbs, and Things by Nikki Giovanni
- Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging by Tara Roberts
Southern Book Prize winners will be announced on February 14, 2026, on Valentine’s Day.
You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave or over on Instagram @kdwinchester. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.
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