Current List

Annual List

Since 2009 the goal of the Lariat Adult Fiction Reading List has been to highlight outstanding fiction that is simply “a pleasure to read.” Each year, 25 outstanding fiction titles are selected by a nine member committee.

Each year, authors from past and current lists are invited to speak at the Lariat List Adult Fiction Author Event held at the TLA Annual Conference.

2024 Lariat Adult Fiction Reading List 

*denotes top 10 books

1. All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby. (Flatiron, an imprint of Macmillan, 2023)*
2. Chenneville: A Novel of Murder, Loss, and Vengeance by Paulette Jiles.(William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2023)*
3. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul. (Henry Holt and Co., an imprint of Macmillan, 2023)
4. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. (Del Rey, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2023)*
5. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. (Red Tower, an imprint of Macmillan, 2023)
6. A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon. (Lake Union Publishing, an imprint of Amazon Publishing, 2023)
7. Girls and Their Horses by Eliza Jane Brazier. (Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2023)
8. Go as a River by Shelley Read. (Spiegel & Grau, 2023)*
9. Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea. (Little, Brown and Company, an imprint of Hachette, 2023)
10.  Hello Stranger by Katherine Center. (St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of Macmillan, 2023)
11.  Horse by Geraldine Brooks. (Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2022)*
12.  Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs. (William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2023)
13.  Maame by Jessica George. (St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of Macmillan, 2023)
14.  Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon. (William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2023)
15.  Mr. Texas by Lawrence Wright. (Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2023)*
16.  No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister. (St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of Macmillan, 2023)*
17.  The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon. (Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2023)
18.  The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger. (Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2023)*
19.  Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld. (Random House, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2023)
20.   Spite House by Johnny Compton. (Tor Nightfire, an imprint of Macmillan, 2023)
21.  Starling House by Alix E. Harrow. (Tor, an imprint of Macmillan, 2023)
22.  Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb. (Knopf/Anchor, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2023)*
23.  Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2023)*
24.  Whalefall by Daniel Kraus. (MTV Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2023)
25.  Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. (William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2023)
26.  Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez. (Forever, an imprint of Hachette, 2023)

2024 Lariat Reading List, Annotated

Collection Development Statement
The Lariat List is not designed to support any particular curriculum. Librarians are not required or expected to purchase every book on the list. Due to the diversity in age range and topics, librarians should follow their local collection development policies and guidelines when considering which titles to purchase for their library.

2023 Lariat Reading List, Annotated

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2022 Lariat Reading List, Annotated