Sarah Jessica Parker Has Read Every Book on the 2026 Booker Prize List—Here Are the Top 6
Plus, what the Booker Prize judges have to say about each title
Key Takeaways
AI-generated summary reviewed by our editorial team.- Sarah Jessica Parker says she read every book on the 2026 Booker Prize longlist and shortlist.
- 6 novels made the shortlist, spanning historical fiction, satire and family dramas.
- Goodreads readers shared their reactions to each of the six shortlisted books.
The Booker Prize, described by The Booker Prize Foundation as “the leading literary award in the English-speaking world” has revealed the highly anticipated 2026 shortlist—a list of 6 outstanding novels written in English and published in England and Ireland—and no one is more excited than Sarah Jessica Parker, who was a judge for the award in 2025. The Sex and The City star is a voracious reader, and she has read all 13 books on the longlist, a feat she herself called “a thrill.” She also posted her reaction to the shortlist announcement, saying the list was one “could not have predicted.” Read on to learn what six books were selected to be on the shortlist and what Parker has said about them.
2026 Booker Prize shortlist
From historical fiction to family sagas, here are the six books shortlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize.
‘The End of Everything’ by M. John Harrison
This dystopian novel follows Phillip Tennent, who makes his living collecting artifacts that wash up from the shore. Then, one day, Philip catches an object he cannot keep. It’s an artifact that he must take inland, and it contains secrets that will change Philip’s life forever.
What Sarah Jessica says: “I love this book so much…My reading friends if you are building your serious lists, books you really are going to read, add this title.”
What the Booker Prize says: “A book not just about everything but about now. Shimmering and oblique, it holds the reader to the surface of something very grave and deep.”
What Goodreads users are saying: “Tuesday, when the Booker longlist was announced, I was surprised by many books. It happens every year. The End of Everything wasn’t one of them. This is a profound novel that can be read in so many ways, and I think its value comes from offering all those possibilities and making readers see, in this story, something that happens right now in the world. And here is another idea: the end of everything doesn’t matter. The end is personal, and it will always remain that way.”
‘The Disappearers’ by Marlon James
Set in 1988 Kingston, Jamaica, this historical fiction novel tells the story of eight gay men who join a local play. When a brutal attack on the group leaves one of them dead, the others are forced to realize that their community does not accept them for who they are. In an attempt to move past their trauma, some of the men ignore what happened, others fight for justice and others disappear completely. A moving tale of friendship, acceptance and love.
What Sarah Jessica says:”Just spectacular. It is a big chunk, so it can travel with you for quite a while. This book is really quite something.”
What the Booker Prize says: “A book that examines territory Caribbean literature has rarely dared to occupy, as what begins as a theatrical story becomes something closer to a reckoning. James is a singular literary talent.”
What Goodreads users are saying: “Every Marlon James book is an experience, and I feel like I’ve been put through the wringer with this one. Shocking, tortured, beautiful and always compelling. The last 200 pages were some of his best writing. Every time I finish one of his books, I can’t imagine what could possibly follow it.”
‘Black Bag’ by Luke Kennard
When an unnamed, out-of-work actor agrees to work with a university professor named Dr. Blend, he is shocked to learn that his sole duty is to walk around campus in an oversized black bag. As he ventures out, he learns that some people treat you differently when they cannot see you and don’t know anything about you. A brilliant and funny exploration of identity and connection.
What the Booker Prize says: “This of-the-moment satire considers anonymity and disgust, online rackets, and what it means to find love in our unstable times. We admired its sharply crafted sentences and humour.”
What Goodreads users are saying: “I’ll read just about any academic novel, and Black Bag is certainly a novel academic novel. It’s wacky and completely off beat, but I found the character of Black Bag to be much more sympathetic and even at times quite wise than I expected when I started it.”
‘May We Feed the King’ by Rebecca Perry
This debut novel follows a curator who spends her days arranging furniture, fabrics and replica food in an effort to bring medieval rooms back to life. One day she accepts a job at a medieval palace and becomes fascinated by the forgotten history left there by a former king. Centuries earlier, the unnamed king deals with the trials and tribulations that come with ruling a kingdom in peril. (Out September 29, 2026)
What the Booker Prize says: “A wonderfully enticing combination of themes, woven together with a delicacy of touch. You can’t read it without reflecting on the fragile boundary between the present and the past.”
What Goodreads users are saying: “This modern part of the story questions the cosy assumptions behind conventional history and the way in which historical material is presented or recreated, with quite a lot of dry humour. The whole thing is very readable.”
‘The Things We Never Say’ by Elizabeth Strout
In this Elizabeth Strout novel, Artie Dam exists in two worlds. To everyone who knows him, he’s a dedicated history teacher, a man married for three decades and an avid weekend sailor on Massachusetts Bay. But beneath the surface lies a different reality: Artie is consumed by loneliness and anger. When a devastating secret comes to light, everything he’s carefully constructed begins to fall apart.
What the Booker Prize says: “A devastating look at the dangerous cracks in family life and in the contemporary world at large. Strout’s prose is brilliantly understated and all the more powerful for that.”
What Goodreads users are saying: “The Things We Never Say is a quiet character study with an emotional punch. All the characters are flawed, especially Artie. Elizabeth Strout writes a story that’s thought-provoking and unsettling, deceptively subtle yet mesmerizing, blending topics of kindness, anxiety and lingering questions about free will.”
‘John of John’ by Douglas Stuart
Complex family dynamics take center stage in this bestselling novel by the author of the critically acclaimed Shuggie Bain. When John-Calum “Cal” Macleod returns to the Isle of Harris in the 1990s, his father is shocked to see just how much his son has changed. What hasn’t changed is the town, where Cal spends his nights, drinking, roaming the streets and trying to protect his secret. Little does he know that everyone else in town has a secret as well, and soon threats emerge and truths are told.
What Sarah Jessica says: “It is a triumph. I will never forget Cal, John or Ella and Innes, nor the vivid details and cinematic descriptions of life on the Isle of Harris.”
What the Booker Prize says: “This excavation of family, violence and shame is woven through with beautiful imagistic detail and—unexpectedly—shades of hope. We loved the rich, textural detail of the story.”
What Goodreads users are saying: “My first Douglas Stuart book is John of John and I can see why readers love his writing. While the book is four hundred pages, it feels lush and expansive, offering so much to take in. Stuart’s style is funny, heart wrenching, and melancholic, often all within a single verse.”
The 2026 Booker Prize winner will be announced on November 9, 2026.
Ready for more? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
