ALA Notable Books (Fiction)
Since 1944, the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA),
a division
of the American Library Association (ALA), has
announced a list of important
works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books produced that year. Only the
fiction portion of the list is posted here. (This award description was
taken from NoveList, a database dedicated to helping readers find fiction titles,
award winning books, and similar titles and authors.) Visit the Notable Books official website
for more information about this award and past winners.
All of these titles are located in the Adult Fiction section of the Library unless otherwise noted.
| 2013 | Díaz, Junot. This is How You Lose Her. Also available: Large Type, CD |
| Edugyan, Esi. Half-Blood Blues. Also available: Large Type |
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| Eggers, Dave. A Hologram for the King. Also available: CD, MP3 |
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| Erdrich, Louise. The Round House. Also available: Large Type, CD, eReader |
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| Ford, Richard. Canada. Also available: Large Type, CD, MP3 |
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| Fountain, Ben. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk. Also available: CD |
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| Heller, Peter. The Dog Stars. Also available: Large Type, CD, eBook |
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| Johnson, Adam. The Orphan Master's Son. Also available: Large Type, CD, eBook, eAudiobook |
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| Joyce, Rachel. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Also available: Large Type, CD, eBook |
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| Lam, Vincent. The Headmaster's Wager. Also available: CD |
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| Tropper, Jonathan. One Last Thing Before I Go. Also available: Large Type |
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| Watkins, Claire Vaye. Battleborn. |
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| 2012 | Banks, Russell. Lost Memory of Skin. Also available: Large Type |
| Barnes, Julian. The Sense of an Ending. Also available: CD |
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| deWitt, Patrick. The Sisters Brothers. (Adult Western DEW). Also available: CD |
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| Goldman, Francisco. Say Her Name. Also available: CD |
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| Harbach, Chad. The Art of Fielding. Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| MacLeod, Alexander. Light Lifting. |
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| Obreht, Téa. The Tiger’s Wife. Also available: Large Type, CD, eReader |
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| Ondaatje, Michael. The Cat's Table. Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Phillips, Arthur. The Tragedy of Arthur. |
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| Russell, Karen. Swamplandia!. Also available: Large Type, CD, eBook |
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| Torres, Justin. We the Animals. Also available: CD |
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| Trevor, William. Selected Stories. |
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| 2011 | Bass, Rick. Nashville Chrome. Also available: CD |
| Donoghue, Emma. Room: A Novel.
Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Egan, Jennifer. A Visit From the Goon Squad. Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Franklin, Tom. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter.
Also available: CD |
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| Franzen, Jonathan. Freedom.
Also available: Large Type, CD, eReader |
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| Hynes, James. Next: A Novel. |
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| Lee, Chang-rae. The Surrendered. Also available: CD, MP3 |
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| Marlantes, Karl. Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War. |
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| Mitchell, David. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet: A Novel.
Also available: CD |
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| Murray, Paul. Skippy Dies. |
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| Soli, Tatjana. The Lotus Eaters.
Also available: CD |
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| Udall, Brady. The Lonely Polygamist: A Novel.
Also available: CD |
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| 2010 | Anthony, Jessica. The Convalescent. |
| Atwood, Margaret. The Year of the Flood.
Also available: CD, eBook |
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| Baker, Nicholson. The Anthologist. | |
| Chaon, Dan. Await Your Reply.
Also available: CD |
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| Cleave, Chris. Little Bee.
Also available: Large Type, CD, eAudiobook |
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| Dexter, Pete. Spooner.
Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Harding, Paul. Tinkers. Also available: CD, Digital Player |
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| Li, Yiyun. The Vagrants.
Also available: CD |
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| McCann, Colum. Let the Great World Spin.
Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Morrison, Toni. A Mercy.
Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Powers, Richard. Generosity: An Enhancement. |
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| Tóibín, Colm. Brooklyn.
Also available: Large Type |
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| 2009 | Alameddine, Rabih. The Hakawati. |
| Aslam, Nadeem. The Wasted Vigil. | |
| Bausch, Richard. Peace. | |
| Benioff, David. City of Thieves. Also available: Large Type, CD, eAudiobook |
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| Erdrich, Louise. The Plague of Doves. Also available: CD |
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| Galchen, Rivka. Atmospheric Disturbances. Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Lahiri, Jhumpa. Unaccustomed Earth. Also available: CD |
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| Millhauser, Steven. Dangerous Laughter: Thirteen Stories. | |
| Sheers, Owen. Resistance. | |
| Strout, Elizabeth. Olive Kitteridge. Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Talarigo, Jeff. The Ginseng Hunter. Also available: CD |
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| 2008 | Bloom, Amy. Away. Also available: Large Type, CD, eAudiobook |
| Carlson, Ron. Five Skies. | |
| Chabon, Michael. The Yiddish Policemen's Union.
Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Clarke, Brock. An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England. |
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| Clinch, John. Finn: A Novel. | |
| Englander, Nathan. The Ministry of Special Cases. Also available: CD |
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| Holthe, Tess Uriza. The Five-Forty-Five to Cannes. | |
| Jones, Lloyd. Mister Pip. | |
| McEwan, Ian. On Chesil Beach. Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Malouf, David. The Complete Stories. | |
| Pettersen, Per. Out Stealing Horses. Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Trevor, William. Cheating at Canasta. Also available: Large Type |
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| 2007 | Bigsby, C.W.E. Beautiful Dreamer. |
| Dean, Debra. The Madonnas of Leningrad. | |
| Desai, Kiran. The Inheritance of Loss. Also available: CD |
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| Doig, Ivan. The Whistling Season. Also available: Large Type |
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| Grenville, Kate. The Secret River. Also available: CD |
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| Khadra, Yasmina. The Attack. Also available: CD |
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| Lansens, Lori. The Girls. Also available: CD |
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| McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. Also available: Large Type, CD, eBook |
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| Meek, James. The People's Act of Love. | |
| Mitchell, David. Black Swan Green. Also available: CD |
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| Murakami, Haruki. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman: Twenty-Four Stories. | |
| Savage, Sam. Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife. | |
| 2006 | Bates, Judy Fong. Midnight at the Dragon Café. |
| Foer, Jonathan Safran. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Also available: CD |
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| Gaitskill, Mary. Veronica. Also available: CD |
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| Ghosh, Amitav. Hungry Tide. Also available: CD |
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| Ishiguro, Kazuo. Never Let Me Go. Also available: CD |
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| Iweala, Uzodinma. Beasts of No Nation. | |
| McCarthy, Cormac. No Country for Old Men.
Also available: Large Type, eBook, Digital Player |
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| McEwan, Ian. Saturday. Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Murakami, Haruki. Kafka on the Shore. Also available: CD, eAudiobook |
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| Robinson, Marilynne. Gilead. Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Urrea, Luis Alberto. The Hummingbird's Daughter. | |
| 2005 | Barnes, Julian. The Lemon Table.
Also available: CD |
| De Bernières, Louis. Birds Without Wings. Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Christensen, Lars Saabye. The Half Brother. | |
| Dybek, Stuart. I Sailed with Magellan. | |
| Khadra, Yasmina. The Swallows of Kabul. | |
| Mda, Zakes. The Madonna of Excelsior. | |
| Mitchell, David. Cloud Atlas. Also available: CD |
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| Munro, Alice. Runaway: Stories.
Also available: CD |
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| Niemi, Mikael. Popular Music from Vittula. | |
| Roth, Philip. The Plot against America.
Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Wolff, Tobias. Old School.
Also available: CD |
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| 2004 | Ali, Monica. Brick Lane.
Also available: Large Type, CD |
| Antunes, Antonio Lobo. The Inquisitor’s Manual. | |
| Boyd, William. Any Human Heart. | |
| Carey, Edward. Alva & Irva: the Twins Who Saved a City. | |
| Casares, Oscar. Brownsville: Stories. | |
| Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the
Night-time.
Also available: CD, eBook, Digital Player |
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| Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner.
Also available: Large Type, CD, Digital Player |
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| Jones, Edward P. The Known World.
Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Lethem, Jonathan. The Fortress of Solitude.
Also available: CD |
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| Morrison, Toni. Love.
Also available: CD |
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| O'Connor, Joseph. Star of the Sea. | |
| Packer, ZZ. Drinking Coffee Elsewhere.
Also available: CD, Digital Player |
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| Saramago, Jose. The Cave. | |
| 2003 | Auster, Paul. The Book of Illusions. |
| Cisneros, Sandra. Caramelo.
Also available: CD |
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| Doerr, Anthony. The Shell Collector. | |
| Labiner, Norah. Miniatures. | |
| Lustig, Arnost. Lovely Green Eyes. | |
| McEwan, Ian. Atonement. Also available: Large Type, CD, Digital Player |
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| McGahern, John. By the Lake. | |
| Merullo, Roland. In Revere, In Those Days. | |
| Mistry, Rohinton. Family Matters. | |
| Oe, Kenzaburo. Rouse Up, O Young Men of the New Age! | |
| Shetyngart, Gary. The Russian Debutante’s Handbook.
Also available: CD |
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| Slouka, Mark. God’s Fool. | |
| 2002 | Carey, Peter. True History of the Kelly Gang. |
| Chaon, Dan. Among the Missing. | |
| Davis, Lydia. Samuel Johnson Is Indignant. | |
| Everett, Percival. Erasure: A Novel. | |
| Franzen, Jonathan. The Corrections.
Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Gordimer, Nadine. The Pickup: A Novel. | |
| MacLeod, Alistar. Island: The Complete Stories. | |
| Olds, Bruce. Bucking the Tiger. | |
| Sebald, W.G. Austerlitz.
Also available: CD |
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| Suri, Manil. The Death of Vishnu. | |
| Winegardner, Mark. Crooked River Burning. | |
| 2001 | Atwood, Margaret. The Blind Assassin.
Also available: Large Type, CD |
| Busch, Frederich. Don’t Tell Anyone. | |
| Chabon, Michael. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.
Also available: CD |
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| Coetzee, J.M. Disgrace. | |
| Crace, Jim. Being Dead. | |
| DeWitt, Helen. Last Samurai. | |
| Kalpakian, Laura. Delinquent Virgin. | |
| King, Thomas. Truth and Bright Water. | |
| Kneale, Matthew. English Passengers. | |
| Nelson, Antonya. Living to Tell. | |
| Ondaatje, Michael. Anil’s Ghost.
Also available: Large Type |
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| Paine, Tom. Scar Vegas. | |
| Smith, Zadie. White Teeth.
Also available: Large Type |
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| Williams, Joy. The Quick and the Dead. | |
| 2000 | Bainbridge, Beryl. Master Georgie. |
| Cunningham, Michael. The Hours. Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Cusk, Rachel. The Country Life. | |
| Doyle, Roddy. A Star Called Henry.
Also available: CD |
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| Dubus, Andre. House of Sand and Fog.
Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Englander, Nathan. For the Relief of Unbearable Urges.
Also available: CD |
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| Jin, Ha. Waiting. Also available: Large Type |
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| Johnston, Wayne. The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. | |
| Just, Ward. A Dangerous Friend. | |
| Lee, Chang-rae. A Gesture Life. | |
| Lethem, Jonathan. Motherless Brooklyn.
Also available: Large Type |
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| Reuss, Frederick. Henry of Atlantic City. | |
| 1999 | Anderson, Scott. Triage. |
| Anthony, Patricia. Flanders. | |
| Barrett, Andrea. The Voyage of the Narwhal.
Also available: CD |
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| Borges, Jorge Luis. Collected Fictions. | |
| Byers, Michael. The Coast Of Good Intentions. | |
| Hornby, Nick. About a Boy.
Also available: Large Type |
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| McDermott, Alice. Charming Billy. Also available: Large Type |
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| Moore, Lorrie. Birds of America. | |
| Roth, Philip. I Married a Communist. | |
| Vakil, Ardashir. Beach Boy. | |
| 1998 | Alvarez, Julia. Yo! |
| Atwood, Margaret. Alias Grace.
Also available: Large Type |
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| Choy, Wayson. The Jade Peony. | |
| Deane, Seamus. Reading in the Dark. | |
| Frazier, Charles. Cold Mountain.
Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Garcia, Cristina. Aguero Sisters. | |
| Murakami, Haruki. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. | |
| Perrotta, Tom. The Wishbones. | |
| Smith, Lee. News of the Spirit. | |
| Stollman, Arveh Lev. The Far Euphrates. | |
| Yamanaka, Lois-Ann. Blu’s Hanging. | |
| 1997 | Atkinson, Kate. Behind the Scenes at the Museum.
Also available: Large Type |
| Barrett, Andrea. Ship Fever and Other Stories. | |
| Diaz, Junot. Drown. | |
| Doyle, Roddy. The Woman Who Walked into Doors. | |
| Iida, Deborah. Middle Son. | |
| Mistry, Rohinton. A Fine Balance.
Also available: Large Type |
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| Robinson, Roxana. Asking for Love and Other Stories. | |
| Selvadurai, Shyam. Funny Boy. | |
| Swift, Graham. Last Orders. Also available: Digital Player |
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| Trevor, William. After Rain. | |
| Wolff, Tobias. The Night in Question. | |
| 1996 | Camus, Albert. The First Man. |
| D’Ambrosio, Charles. The Point. | |
| Dexter, Peter. The Paperboy. | |
| Ishiguro, Kazuo. The Unconsoled. | |
| Lee, Chang-Rae. Native Speaker. | |
| Maxwell, William. All the Days and Nights. | |
| O'Nan, Stewart. Snow Angels. | |
| Schumacher, Julie. The Body Is Water. | |
| Wiggins, Marianne. Eveless Eden. | |
| 1995 | Alvarez, Julia. In the Time of the Butterflies. (Paperback-Oversize A). Also available: CD |
| Bainbridge, Beryl. The Birthday Boys. | |
| Betts, Doris. Souls Raised from the Dead. | |
| Drury, Tom. The End of Vandalism. | |
| Ignatieff, Michael. Scar Tissue. | |
| Maitland, Sara. Ancestral Truths. | |
| Munro, Alice. Open Secrets: Stories. | |
| Norman, Howard. The Bird Artist. | |
| O'Brien, Tim. In the Lake of the Woods. | |
| Paley, Grace. The Collected Stories. | |
| Power, Susan. The Grass Dancer. | |
| Schulman, Audrey. The Cage. | |
| 1994 | Coyle, Beverly. In Troubled Waters. |
| Eugenides, Jeffrey. The Virgin Suicides. | |
| Gaines, Ernest. A Lesson Before Dying.
Also available: CD |
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| Jones, Thom. The Pugilist at Rest. | |
| Klima, Ivan. Judge on Trial. | |
| McCracken, Elizabeth. Here’s Your Hat, What’s Your Hurry? | |
| Malouf, David. Remembering Babylon. | |
| Nordan, Lewis. Wolf Whistle. | |
| Proulx, E. Annie. The Shipping News. Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Russo, Richard. Nobody’s Fool. | |
| Watson, Larry. Montana 1948.
Also available: CD |
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| 1993 | Auster, Paul. Leviathan. |
| Brown, Rosellen. Before and After. | |
| Butler, Robert Olen. A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain. | |
| Duncan, David James. The Brothers K. | |
| Hoffman, Alice. Turtle Moon.
Also available: Large Type |
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| Kenan, Randall. Let the Dead Bury Their Dead and Other Stories. | |
| McCarthy, Cormac. All the Pretty Horses. Also available: CD |
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| Maxwell, William. Billie Dyer and Other Stories. | |
| Moore, Alison. Small Spaces Between Emergencies. | |
| Morrison, Toni. Jazz.
Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Naylor, Gloria. Bailey’s Café. | |
| Ondaatje, Michael. The English Patient.
Also available: Large Type, CD |
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| Smiley, Jane. A Thousand Acres. Also available: Large Type, CD |