So...many...books... Each year in the United States, hundreds of thousands of titles are published, in print and digital format (ebook and audio.) The magic of technology has enabled an explosion in self publishing as well, of which the major publishing houses pick up and republish a fraction.
How does one decide what to read next? Certainly word of mouth from friends and smart acquaintances can be helpful, especially if they share your literary taste. Belonging to a book club that meets monthly for social as well as intellectual sustenance can be useful to push one beyond their reading comfort zone. The New York Times Book Review and Publishers Weekly are also sources for hot-off-the-press suggestions, as well as the former's best seller lists. Since 1950, The National Book Foundation's annual awards have sought to "celebrate the best of American literature, to expand its audience, and to enhance the cultural value of great writing in America." The ALA Youth Media Awards, including the prestigious Caldecott and Newbery (the former award recently celebrated its 75th anniversary; the latter is going on 100 years.)
There's a relatively new resource in town, an award born just a few years ago:
"...[E]stablished by Carnegie Corporation of New York and ALA in 2012 to recognize the best fiction and nonfiction books written for adult readers and published in the U.S. the previous year. The Medals and the lists leading up to the selection of the winners serve as a guide to selecting quality reading material.
The Andrew Carnegie Medals are the first single-book awards for adult titles given by the American Library Association and reflect the expert judgment and insight of library professionals who work closely with adult readers".
The purpose of the award is, in part, "recognition of Andrew Carnegie’s deep belief in the power of books and learning to change the world."
Check out the longlist of contenders for 2014, 44 titles selected for consideration by the super-stars of the library book review world (including the marvelous Nancy Pearl.
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