The 2019 Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist: A U.S. Reader's Guide

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After writing this post for seven years in a row, apparently I took last year off, but I'm back with my thoughts on a very U.S.-friendly and number of pages-friendly 16-book longlist filled with many novels from my TBR and a few I hadn't heard of that sound really interesting. The hardest part: deciding which one to read first.

The Ones Available in the U.S. Now


The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
The Pisces by Melissa Broder
Milkman by Anna Burns
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Ordinary People by Diana Evans
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Number One Chinese Restaurant by Lillian Li
Bottled Goods by Sophie van Llewyn
Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli
Praise Songs for the Butterflies by Bernice L. McFadden
Circe by Madeline Miller
Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss

The One Coming to the U.S. Soon


Normal People by Sally Rooney (coming April 16, 2019)

The Ones We Hope Make Their Way to the U.S. (But I ordered them from The Book Depository)


Swan Song by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott
Remembered by Yvonee Battle-Felton

I promised myself I wouldn't commit to reading all sixteen, but I realized I actually want to read all of them. And this year's longlist is doable. It's only 4762 pages, which means if I read 86 page a day, I can read the entire longlist before the shortlist is announced. I have very little faith I will, but I can.

Now tell me: which title are you most excited to see on the longlist? 

As an affiliate, I receive a small commission when you make a purchase through any of the above links. Thank you for helping to support my book habits that bring more content to this blog!

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