| 2025 | The Silver Book | Vulture / New York Magazine Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2024 | The Garden Against Time | Kirkus Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · Nonfiction | |
| 2024 | The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise | Waterstones Book of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Book of the Year | |
| 2024 | The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise | Wainwright Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Nature Writing | |
| 2024 | The Garden Against Time | The New Yorker Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Also Recommended | |
| 2024 | The Garden against Time | The Irish Times Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books of the Year | |
| 2024 | The Garden Against Time: In Search of A Common Paradise | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Must-Read Books: Nonfiction | |
| 2024 | The Garden Against Time | The Globe and Mail Globe 100 source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Non-Fiction | |
| 2024 | The Garden Against Time | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2022 | Everybody: A Book About Freedom | Rathbones Folio Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · Literature | |
| 2021 | Everybody | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2020 | Funny Weather: Art In An Emergency | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2020 | Funny Weather | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2018 | Crudo | James Tait Black Prizes source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Fiction | |
| 2018 | Crudo | Goldsmiths Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Fiction | |
| 2018 | Crudo | Esquire Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2018 | Crudo: A Novel | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2018 | Crudo | Paste Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2018 | Crudo | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction & Poetry | |
| 2018 | Crudo | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Notable Fiction | |
| 2016 | The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone | National Book Critics Circle Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · Criticism | |
| 2016 | The Lonely City | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · Nonfiction | |
| 2016 | The Lonely City | BookPage Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2016 | The Lonely City | The Guardian Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Biography and memoir | |
| 2016 | The Lonely City: Adventures In The Art Of Being Alone | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2016 | The Lonely City | The Globe and Mail Globe 100 source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Non-Fiction | |
| 2016 | The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone | Publishers Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2016 | The Lonely City | Paste Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2014 | The Trip to Echo Spring | BookPage Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2014 | The Trip to Echo Spring | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2014 | The Trip to Echo Spring: On Writers and Drinking | TIME Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2013 | The Trip to Echo Spring: Why Writers Drink | Costa Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Biography | |
| 2013 | The Trip to Echo Spring: Why Writers Drink | The Economist Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Culture | |