New Yorkers can’t agree on much, but once a year they come together to celebrate a book with deep ties to the city for One Book, One New York.
Now in its third year as the nation’s largest book club, the 2019 One Book One New York program highlights female authors all hailing from the New York area — a timely choice for Women’s History Month.
This year’s five finalists for #OneBookOneNY are A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza; Nilda by Nicholasa Mohr, Just Kids by Patti Smith, Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson, and Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee.
“We’re thrilled to offer books by such a diverse group of women authors for New Yorkers to read, discuss with each other, and vote on this year,” says Anne del Castillo of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. “Reflecting a variety of ethnicities, ages and life experiences, these books explore the complexities of family, the American identity and coming of age.”
The long list of possible titles, which include everything from novels to memoirs, are narrowed down to five by a panel of librarians, academics and publishers. The finalists are then put up for a vote open to everyone beginning April 1 (giving you time to read the books) at nyc.gov/onebook and closing at the end of the month. The winner will be announced in May.
All five titles are available at bookstores, with publishers also donating a total of 2,500 copies to the 219 library branches in all five boroughs.
To get to know each author better, you can attend a free conversation at the New York Public Library’s central branch with all five finalists on Tuesday, April 23.
Get to know the 2019 One Book, One New York nominees
A Place for Us — A deeply moving and resonant story of love, identity and belonging and explores what it means to be a Muslim family in America.
Nilda — Published in 1973, this is a classic novel about life as an immigrant in New York City through one young girl’s experiences by a Latina author.
Just Kids — Winner of the 2010 National Book Award, this is a glimpse of the author’s remarkable relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the late ’60s and ’70s.
Another Brooklyn — Nominated for the 2017 National Book Award, this novel follows four young friends navigating the perils of adolescence in 1970s Brooklyn.
Free Food for Millionaires — A strong-willed daughter of Korean immigrants in Queens becomes obsessed with getting the glamorous Manhattan lifestyle she cannot afford.
About the One Book, One New York program
The One Book, One New York campaign was started in 2017 by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and BuzzFeed Book Club, with local celebrities including William H. Macy and Larry Wilmore starring in promotional videos for the books.
The 2017 One Book, One New York choice was Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, about a young Nigerian woman who emigrates to the U.S. to attend college.
The Spring 2018 One Book, One New York choice was Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan, a historical fiction novel about a young girl growing up in Brooklyn after the Great Depression whose father becomes entangled in the criminal underworld. It went on to top the list of most popular books at libraries across all five boroughs in 2018.
