The Reading List Council: Honoring the Best Adult Genre Fiction
Current List: Press Release | Web Page
Established in 2007 by the CODES section of RUSA, The Reading List Council seeks to highlight outstanding genre fiction that merit special attention by general adult readers and the librarians who work with them.
 The Council, which consist twelve librarians who are experts in readers’ advisory and collection development, selects books in eight different categories. While the Council is constructed in such a way to be adaptable to new genre and changes in reading interest, the eight genre currently included are adrenaline titles which include suspense, thrillers, and action adventure, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, and Women’s Fiction
Each year the Council announces the eight winning titles (one title in each genre) at the CODES Awards Reception – held the Sunday of the ALA Midwinter Conference. A press release listing the winning titles is published at the time. A short list of honor titles (up to four per genre) is also announced at the reception.
Serving on the CouncilLibrarians interested in serving on the Council must be members of ALA, RUSA, and CODES. A strong background in readers’ advisory service or collection development (and preferably both) is the major qualification sought when appointments are made. Past service in CODES, geographic location, and type of library are also considered. In general, no two members of the same library can serve on the Council at the same time.
If you are interested in serving on the Council, contact the current vice-chair of CODES for more information. Further instructions for authors and publishers.
Selection CriteriaA book may be selected for at least one, and preferably more than one, of the following reasons:
- It is a pleasure to read.
- It embodies the standards of the genre, or conversely, it offers a new or unexpected take on those standards.
- It is well conceived in terms of story line, character, setting, language, dialogue, tone, pace, detail, description, learning/experiencing, and narrative structure.
In the context of the list, genre literature is defined as works clearly intended to be read by the general public as genre literature. Each book is considered in relation to both the general adult reader and to the avid fans of the genre.
Books will not be excluded on the basis of their unsuitability for younger readers.
Books intended for a younger audience but which hold wide appeal for adults and meet the selection criteria may also be considered.
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