National Book Award for Fiction 2024 Longlist Reaction

The Longlist for the National Book Award for Fiction is here! Come hear about the books that made the cut, what might make the shortlist/win, and what got left out. Expand for more information. 👇
Links 💻
The National Book Award’s Website: www.nationalbo...
Further Viewing 🎥
Last Year’s Longlist Reaction: • National Book Award fo...
Last Year’s Winner Reaction: • National Book Award fo...
My Video About Potential Pulitzer Changes: • Is the Pulitzer Prize ...
My Booker Prize Longlist Reaction: • Booker Prize Longlist ...
The NY Times’ Best Books of 2024 So Far: • The New York Times’ Be...
Time’s Best Books of 2024 So Far: • Time’s Best Books of 2...
My Most Anticipated Books of Late 2024: • My Most Anticipated Bo...
Time Stamps ⏰
Skip to the Longlisted Titles: 07:07
Skip to the Omissions: 35:04
Skip to the Shortlist Prediction: 36:43
The Longlist 📚
Ghostroots, Pemi Aguda: bookshop.org/a...
Martyr!, Kaveh Akbar: bookshop.org/a...
The Most, Jessica Anthony: bookshop.org/a...
Catalina, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio: bookshop.org/a...
James, Percival Everett: bookshop.org/a...
All Fours, Miranda July: bookshop.org/a...
Creation Lake, Rachel Kushner: bookshop.org/a...
My Friends, Hisham Mitar: bookshop.org/a...
Yr Dead, Sam Sax: bookshop.org/a...
Rejection, Tony Tulathimutte: bookshop.org/a...
Other Titles Mentioned 📕
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, Deesha Philyaw: bookshop.org/a...
Wandering Stars, Tommy Orange: bookshop.org/a...
Headshot, Rita Bullwinkel: bookshop.org/a...
Playground, Richard Powers: bookshop.org/a...
Fire Exit, Morgan Talty: bookshop.org/a...
Real Americans, Rachel Khong: bookshop.org/a...
Long Island Compromise, Taffy Brodesser-Akner: bookshop.org/a...
Small Rain, Garth Greenwell: bookshop.org/a...
My Affiliate Page on Bookshop: bookshop.org/s...
If you would like to support this channel, please feel free to use Super Thanks or the affiliate links to Bookshop, but please do not feel obligated. I appreciate your presence regardless.
But wait, there's more!
Email: supposedlyfungreg-at-gmail.com
Storygraph: app.thestorygr...
Instagram: / supposedlyfun
Website: supposedlyfun....

[@judybrown1624]

🤣 people are going to think the title is "My Beloved Secret Lives of Church Ladies"

[@SupposedlyFun]

Not gonna lie, that would still be a good title. 😂

[@judybrown1624]

@@SupposedlyFun I concur

[@marciajohansson769]

I have finally broken down and purchased. James. I'm going to try and hold off but am interested in Martyr. Thank you for keeping me company as I cleaned up after supper. It was Like having a favorite podcast going on in the background. That includes Teddy snores which are comforting in its own right. Have a nice weekend

[@SupposedlyFun]

Enjoy your weekend as well!

[@delltaylor9678]

Love your channel… I love lists, so this is right up my alley. Lots of new titles for my TBR. I am partial to James … I think it is brilliant and I loved the ending!! Everett is a genius and he deserves every accolade he receives!

[@rebecca_is_book-hooked]

I like your term “tools of discovery”. Totally agree! Lists like these are very helpful to curate a TBR.

[@SupposedlyFun]

That’s definitely how I think of them!

[@readandre-read]

The two I've read, James and My Friends, I loved. From this first pass through the list, I already had Martyr! and Rejection on my TBR and I'm now also interested in Catalina and The Most. Thanks for the great preview!

[@jackwalter5970]

The cover for Catalina has to be the best of the year. Beautiful!

[@alexsarchives]

As far as omissions go, I really loved Dinaw Mengetsu's recent novel Someone Like Us, which I just finished the other day. Quietly powerful story about the immigrant experience and daddy issues, my bread and butter. It has been getting rave reviews in the literary press, but unfortunately it's probably a little too quiet and meditative for a major book prize. I'm on a work trip living out of a hotel for the next week, so since my evenings will be humdrum, I'm gonna give a go to trying to knock out the whole set before the shortlist announcement. Having read James and All Fours gave me a bit of a head start, but there are enough on this list I'd been wanting to get to that it might be fun to finally complete the challenge. If I do, also might use it as an impetus to dip into Booktube with a review video. The National Book Awards just doesn't get as many longlist completists as the Booker, at least on my algorithm, so thought it might be fun to add some spotlight, even if no one watches.

[@Nurse_Kathy]

Greg, I read/listened to “The Secret Lives…” on your recommendation and I was so glad that I did! 😊

[@SupposedlyFun]

I'm so glad you liked it!

[@virginiaanderson8875]

I had heard of Pulitzer and National Book Award for Fiction, new the last 3 years, Booker, on and on I would like a chart of all the different awards that are out there - it gets overwhelming.- thanks for introducing this long list

[@larquel2]

not to add another new list but the Orwell Prize has lots of interesting political fiction as well! Stuff like the International Booker and Nation Book Prize for Translated Fiction also have really cool titles that I would never have heard about as well! I just love browsing them for seeing stuff I would have never heard of before and totally get how the number is overwhelming XD

[@KikeNavarrete68]

I love “Martyr!” and Lauren Groff mentored Kaveh Akbar during the process, and she revised the first draft, on Pured Over podcast, he talk about how she said to him to get rid of half of the book, he did it and re writed it

[@romxilda]

It’s not a true Supposedly Fun video until the “Teddy Is Snoring” disclaimer! 🥹

[@SupposedlyFun]

😂 😂

[@pjreads]

The ending of James -- Bookish's video about 2 weeks ago (end of August) helped me see I wasn't paying enough attention to James' interaction with the Black people he meets. Those interactions expose James to the many levels of the hell of slavery and the only choices available to Black people. The ending deserves the Pulitzer.

[@TheLeniverse]

I was hoping to see Martyr! on the Booker longlist, so I'm thrilled to see it on the NBA list. A fair amount of Booker overlap anyway: James I loved. My library hold on My Friends has finally(!) come in after several months. Creation Lake I have decided not to read unless it gets shortlisted. Might only read it if it gets shortlisted for both prizes 😂 (Oh, and I don't think you would like All Fours. No need to change your mind.)

[@SupposedlyFun]

That’s good to know-thank you!

[@sarah-roadworthy]

I had not heard of Catalina either. I read Undocumented Americans and thought it was fantastic and deserving of all its accolades. Immediately put this baby on hold.

[@kimswhims8435]

James, My Friends and Martyr are all great books, looking forward to reading Creation Lake but my local library reserve hasn't come up yet. Might try a couple of the others, if the library has them. Happy Reading.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I hope your library hold comes up soon! Happy reading.

[@hayleystenger2799]

I believe Colson Whitehead won The National Book Award and The Pulitzer for The Underground Railroad. I think he was longlisted for The Booker for that book. That is the most recognized book I remember.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I forgot about that! What a quirk of timing that the winner for that year was Lincoln in the Bardo, which would have been eligible for the Pulitzer a year after The Underground Railroad.

[@HannahsBooks]

Catalina was a new title for me today, too--and I immediately put it on hold! I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of it if you can find a copy.

[@sarah-roadworthy]

@HannahsBooks Me too! I thought Undocumented Americans was fantastic, so I'm quite curious to read her fiction.

[@HannahsBooks]

@@sarah-roadworthy I’m so glad to hear about her nonfiction. I have that one on hold, too!

[@karenmoore4430]

I loved your beloved. Can you recommend anymore short story collectionsxx

[@MJ-in-Canada]

In “My Friends” we read about a man being eaten by a cat (a fictional story.) Meanwhile, in Trump’s world, we read about cats being eaten by immigrants (also a fictional story.)🤣

[@SupposedlyFun]

Talk about parallels! 😂

[@emmavd]

😂😂😂

[@marciaalbaum2597]

vance seems to be having issues with the childless cat ladies

[@cindyfreese254]

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved Martyr, and it’s not a book I normally pick up. My ❤ is with James though.

[@SupposedlyFun]

My knee-jerk reaction is that Martyr! will get the NBA and James is a heavy contender for the Booker and Pulitzer.

[@jamesyouwere]

Do I spy a floating head thumbnail? Roro Reads’ movement 🙌

[@SupposedlyFun]

I didn't even think of that but now I love it!

[@MJ-in-Canada]

I hope to see more of Floating Head Greg in the future. It’s very retro, circa 1940s through 1950s.😄

[@SupposedlyFun]

@@MJ-in-Canada Well there are a lot more book prizes and book lists to come in 2024!

[@mradcaqbdb]

Pretty solid longlist! I put a hold on Catalina and Yr Dead at my library, although I wish they had audiobooks and not just the physical books. I loved The Undocumented Americans, so I had already been thinking about Catalina before this list came out. I’ve got James and Martyr here waiting to be read and I am pretty sure I’m going to do My Friends on audiobook as I like the author’s voice from the sample. All Fours and Creation Lake are definitely not for me and I think Rejection is in that category too. I’ll have to do a wait and see on the other two books. I’m encouraged by a pretty solid list. I would have loved to see Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra and Sandwich by Catherine Newman on the list in place of All Fours and Creation Lake. Those changes would, in my mind, be more in keeping with the independent spirit of the NBA, and of course, I loved them both, particularly Nightwatching, which was incredible.

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

The only one I’ve read and highly recommend is My Friends by Hisham Matar The protest in the book was a real life incident.

[@SupposedlyFun]

My Friends does sound interesting.

[@LisaKrogman]

I don't love short stories and am a pretty easy critic. For fiction this is an okay list for discovery. I also love the Pen/Faulkner. Have you ever checked out the Bellwether Prize? Started by Barbara Kingsolver for socially engaged fiction. I'm devoted to Ms Kingsolver, and like Michelle Obama and Ina Garten, will do whatever she tells me. I have to start James. I do like you and your husband's wraps ups and reviews

[@SupposedlyFun]

Thanks! I have heard of the Bellwether but confess I forget to actually follow it. Oops!

[@jordana99]

Just got Martyr! Long long holds on some of these!

[@SupposedlyFun]

Very true! Those waits can be painful.

[@tnan123]

Unfortunately tattered cover is no longer an indie bookstore. It was bought out by B&N but will keep the tattered cover name. I'm still supporting them though.

[@SupposedlyFun]

Yes, it will be interesting to see how Tattered Cover evolves going forward.

[@mareeabee8293]

Holy crap! Thank you for sharing this news. I had no idea. Tattered Cover was an extremely memorable stop for me when I was in Denver. I hope that they will do well enough by their employees and their clientele

[@joaoalmeida9993]

Private Citizens was so good

[@debrahills8148]

I’m most excited about Catalina, which I’ve read and Yr Dead which I haven’t .

[@SupposedlyFun]

Those two sound so interesting.

[@onourpath]

I'm with you about Catalina and The Most -- both sound fab! About Miranda July... yeah, she's bizarre -- sometimes off the charts -- sometimes less so. She's kind of an aquired taste: sort of like Chuck Palahniuk! 🤔 Hi Teddy, skritch, skritch, skritch 💚💚💚

[@SupposedlyFun]

That's especially funny because I also didn't respond to Palahniuk. 😂 Teddy says thank you!

[@bobbykeniston7240]

I can't believe my least favorite read of the year so far is on the longlist--- "All Fours" by Miranda July. And the thing is, I like Miranda July as a filmmaker and artist, I have liked many of her short stories--- but "All Fours" was so disappointing for me. It's not that it was poorly written, but it felt like such a tale of privilege (and acknowledging it doesn't fix it). I want to make it clear that I am well aware that I am not the intended demographic for the book, but so many people who are the intended demographic have agreed with me. In any case, I am a fan of many of the others.

[@TheLeniverse]

I am in the intended demographic, and I agree with you. Well, it's not my least favourite read of the year but it was definitely a tale of privilege and the first half of the book annoyed me so much I came close to DNFing it.

[@skscott34]

I’ve read 4 of these: James, Catalina, Creation Lake (currently reading), and Martyr! James is still my favorite this year!

[@spexi513]

📖 🪱 💚💚💚

[@Kathleenww]

Martyr! is definitely one of my favorites of the entire year! I adored it and it is excellent. I read it with my book club at the Indie book store I work for, and I have all sorts of readers. The reaction to it was surprisingly positive! Most loved it. I didn’t find the “inventiveness” difficult at all! I read it around the same time I read The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty and they felt weirdly related-and she also won the National Book Award for fiction in 2022! I hope he wins! He is a really cool and interesting person. He is already previously published-as a poet.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I've heard from several people who met or have worked with him that Kaveh Akbar is great. It's always refreshing when a nice person succeeds!

[@starstuffpuff]

I loved Martyr! and I’m glad to see it on a book prize list. I really liked My Friends, it’s very thought-provoking. I thought it was a bit too long, but I’m not surprised to see it on prize lists.

[@wordqueen2406]

I am really excited about Catalina now! Thank you for sharing your thoughts as always!

[@user-yg6ft1iu1i]

Thanks for the great information. I’m more interested in the translated literature category l know it’s a busy time but I’d love to hear your thoughts

[@Stormbrise]

Wandering Stars

[@marylt]

I have read Martyr! and My Friends and am almost done with Creation Lake. I think My Friends will end up being one of my favorite books of the year - really good. I am going to try to get to The Most and Catalina as well. Ghostroots sounds interesting but Goodreads tags it as horror, which I cannot do. Yes, I am a wimp.

[@SupposedlyFun]

Everyone has something that is a tough sell for them!

[@thomasslonka8879]

Hisham Matar's The Return about his father's disappearance in 1990 in Libya won the 2017 Pulitzer for Biography/Autobiography. I read his My Friends and learned a lot about 20th century Libyan history; also read Martyr! twice-even better the 2nd time around.

[@jennrecord2784]

I just started James on audio today. It's better than I expected so far.

[@janethansen9612]

Surprised to see I've already read 4 and have another on my bedside TBR pile. Catalina sounds good, but not available here as yet. I agree James is the book of the year , I expect to see it on the Booker shortlist next week.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I’m going to be shocked if James isn’t on the Booker shortlist.