In the initial Group Stage, the thirty-two books are randomly assigned to eight groups.
The judges for each group read all four books, and their composite rankings identify
the top two books in each group, which then move on to the knock-out bracket.
​The Group Stage takes place in August and September.
​

Group A
Judges: S. Echeverry-A. Mantegna-M. Tessier

• Moonglow
• Faithful
• Today Will Be Different
• Swing Time

Group B
Judges: M. Cole-A. Sellers-R. Shashoua​

• Trajectory
• A Gentleman in Moscow
• The Nix
• Hag-Seed

Group C
Judges: C. Maionica-K. Kibler-R. Sheard

• 4 3 2 1
• Exit West
• Heroes of the Frontier
• The Wonder

Group D
Judges: S. Schwartz​-A. Zackria​-S. Rubino

• The Underground Railroad
• Nutshell
• A Piece of the World
• The Ministry of Utmost Happiness

Group E
Judges: K. Mayberry-E. Scarborough-J. Crawford

• The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane
• The Idiot
• The Mothers
• News of the World

Group F
Judges: J. Glickman-S. Ben-David-B. Crawford

• Anything Is Possible
• The Shadow Land
• Borne
• Lincoln in the Bardo

Group G
Judges: B. Reiner-S. Fingado-A. Wible

• Commonwealth
• The Essex Serpent
• The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley
• The Women in the Castle

Group H
Judges: R. Quinn-B. Walsh-A. Kopelman

• Another Brooklyn
• The Stars Are Fire
• Here I Am
• American War