Character-driven literary fiction focused on the inner workings of complex relationships like CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS; INTERMEZZO; DETRANSITION, BABY; or TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW (think: anything messy and emotional, where the emotional journey drives the narrative) 

Sprawling family sagas or chronicles of a life, with a historical bent, like THE LOVE SONGS OF W.E.B DU BOIS, THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT, LITTLE GODS, A GRAIN OF WHEAT, or DEEP RIVER 

Fiction strongly grounded in place, where place is a character, like WHALE FALL, THE TURNER HOUSE, PEW, or BROWN GIRLS

Fiction that dissects and attempts to understand grief, either directly or indirectly (loss of self, loss of a home, etc.), like TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM 

Historical fiction that is gorgeously written, sheds light on something new, and (again) is character-driven, like WE NEED NEW NAMES, THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT, or THE SAFEKEEP   

Genre-bending or -blending fiction that uses elements of genre to make a point about the primary narrative and themes of the book, like LONE WOMEN, THE HACIENDA or THE MINISTRY OF TIME

Fantasy / romantasy that breaks with common tropes, is told in beautiful and purposeful prose, centers on underrepresented characters, and/or incorporates intricate worldbuilding, like BLOOD OVER BRIGHT HAVEN, JADE CITY or THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE

Mythological or folklore retellings like CIRCE or A THOUSAND SHIPS, with bonus points if the mythology or folklore comes from a culture that is underrepresented in contemporary literature

Novels that play with form or have unreliable narrators, like THE LOST DAUGHTER or TRUST EXERCISE 

Literary suspense/thrillers like THE SECRET HISTORY, IDAHO, or BEL CANTO   

Contemporary fiction with young female characters, and that is a bit weird & whacky, like MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLES, THE FIRST BAD MAN, or CULT CLASSIC 

Story collections with elements of any of the above

Debuts in any of the above categories! Anything from voices that have gone unheard! Anything from poets-turned-novelists!

Select nonfictionthat is either narrative or focuses on one of the following topics: theater,anything about the craft and burden of documenting history, the story of a person behind someone with power, the natural world