The 20 Best Novels of the Decade (2010s)

Literary Hub, 39 Books

The 20 Best Novels of the Decade (2010-2019) chosen by the Literary Hub staff. This does not include translated books. This actually includes 39 books because they included 19 additional books in "Dissenting Opinions" section. I am assuming those are in ranked order.

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence, 23 Books

The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, established in 2012, recognize the best fiction and nonfiction books for adult readers published in the U.S. in the previous year and serve as a guide to help adults select quality reading material. They are the first single-book awards for adult books given by the American Library Association and reflect the expert judgment and insight of library professionals who work closely with adult readers.

International Dublin Literary Award

International Dublin Literary Award, 28 Books

The International Dublin Literary Award (Irish: Duais Liteartha Idirnáisiúnta Bhaile Átha Chliath), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. It promotes excellence in world literature and is solely sponsored by Dublin City Council, Ireland. At €100,000, the award is one of the richest literary prizes in the world.

Books of the Decade

The Guardian, 52 Books

The 50 books that defined the decade(2000)

Powell's Essential List: 25 Essential Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books Isn't Enough: Our 25 Honorable Mentions

Powells' City of Books, 25 Books

Powell's Books has unveiled a follow-up to their celebrated Essential List: 25 Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of the 21st Century (So Far), introducing an "Honorable Mentions" list that spotlights outstanding titles which narrowly missed inclusion. After extensive deliberations and contributions from the entire Powell's team, this list comprises exceptional science fiction and fantasy books that have significantly impacted the genre. Despite focusing on works published after 1999, to maintain a contemporary perspective, the list also acknowledges timeless classics that, due to various constraints, couldn't be featured in their initial selection. This Honorable Mentions list serves as a tribute to the depth and diversity of the genre, including both beloved works from the last two decades and enduring favorites that continue to resonate with readers. Powell's encourages readers to explore these selections and share their own indispensable titles, further enriching the ongoing conversation about the essential reads in science fiction and fantasy.

Boston Public Library: Top Genre Books of the 2010s

Boston Public Library, 120 Books

The top 10 genre specific books of the 2010s from the Reader Services Department at the Boston Public Library. Please note that this list only includes specific genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Horror, Memoirs, Middle School, Picture Books, Romance, Science Fiction, Self-Help, Social Justice, Thrillers, and Young Adult. Their general Fiction and Non-fiction are in another list.

Latitude Festival's Top 20 Books by Women

Latitude Festival goers, 20 Books

The Latitude Festival(2016) invited all festival goers to vote for their top 20 favorite books by women. The participants wrote their choices on luggage tags and tied them to The Tree of Stories in the festival’s Faraway Forest.

Latitude Festival is an annual music and arts festival set within the grounds of Henham Park, near Southwold, Suffolk, England

The 50 Books Everyone Needs to Read, 1963-2013

Flavor Wire, 51 Books

The choices here are influenced by the following: the stipulation that any specific author should not be chosen for more than one year, a general focus on fiction over other genres, and the tastes/whims/glaring prejudices of Flavorwire’s literary editor.

The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics

Book, 105 Books

Editor W. John Campbell provides explanations and summaries for 100 of the world's best books.

W. Somerset Maugham’s Ten Greatest Novels of All Time

Great Novelists and Their Novels, 10 Books

Maugham's studies of the lives and masterpieces of ten great novelists are outstanding examples of literary criticism at its finest. Afforded here are some of the formulae of greatness in the genre, as well as the flaws and heresies which enfeeble it. Written by a master of fiction, "Ten Novels and Their Authors" is a unique and invaluable guide.

The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers

The College Board, an American not-for-profit organization, 121 Books

The 101 great books recommended by "The College Board", an American not-for-profit organization that was formed in December 1899 as the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) to expand access to higher education.

One Hundred Best Books (1916)

John Cowper Powys, 98 Books

John Cowper Powys’ Best 100 Books published more than a century ago, in 1916. John Cowper Powys (8 October 1872 – 17 June 1963) was an English novelist, philosopher, lecturer, critic and poet.

The Telegraph’s 100 Novels Everyone Should Read

Telegraph, 104 Books

The best novels of all time from Tolkien to Proust and Middlemarch

The 100 Greatest Novels of All Time: The List

The Observer, 100 Books

The list of essential fiction from the past 300 years from Robert McCrum of The Observer.

John Lubbock, The Choice of Books (1896)

The Choice of Books (Book), 147 Books

The List that started it all. This is one of the very first "Greatest Books of All Time" lists and caused quite a stir back in it's day. Here's a good article about it: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/sir-john-lubbock-the-book-list-literature-reading-godfather-mustread-listicle-a8320811.html

John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury, 4th Baronet, PC, DL, FRS, FRAI (30 April 1834 – 28 May 1913), known as Sir John Lubbock, 4th Baronet from 1865 until 1900, was an English banker, Liberal politician, philanthropist, scientist and polymath. Lubbock worked in his family company as a banker but made significant contributions in archaeology, ethnography, and several branches of biology. He coined the terms "Paleolithic" and "Neolithic" to denote the Old and New Stone Ages, respectively. He helped establish archaeology as a scientific discipline, and was influential in debates concerning evolutionary theory.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Reading List

Thomas C. Foster, 125 Books

English professor Thomas C. Foster, at the end of his book, includes a recommended "reading list".

The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time

The Novel 100, 127 Books

The list below is from the book The Novel 100: A Ranking of Greatest Novels All Time (Checkmark Books/Facts On File, Inc.: New York, 2004), written by Daniel S. Burt.

James Baldwin, The Book Lover: A Guide to the Best Reading (1910)

Book, 150 Books

The Book Lover: A Guide To The Best Reading is a literary guidebook written by James Baldwin and first published in 1885. The book is a comprehensive guide to the best books and authors of the time, providing readers with an extensive list of recommended reading. Baldwin covers a wide range of genres, including poetry, fiction, drama, and essays, and offers insightful commentary on each work.

The 100 Greatest Novels

greatbooksguide.com, 104 Books

Critic Ted Gioia's selection of the 100 greatest novels ever written.

101 of the World's Greatest Books (1950)

101 of the World's Greatest Books (Book), 101 Books

101 of the World's Greatest Books by Spencer Armstrong, 1950 edition. I could not find much information about Spencer Armstrong.

Greatest Prose Works of the 20th Century

Vladimir Nabokov, 4 Books

Author Vladimir Nabokov's selection of the Top 4 greatest prose works of the 20th century.

How to Read and Why

Harold Bloom, 42 Books

Information is endlessly available to us; where shall wisdom be found?" is the crucial question with which renowned literary critic Harold Bloom begins this impassioned book on the pleasures and benefits of reading well. For more than forty years, Bloom has transformed college students into lifelong readers with his unrivaled love for literature. Now, at a time when faster and easier electronic media threatens to eclipse the practice of reading, Bloom draws on his experience as critic, teacher, and prolific reader to plumb the great books for their sustaining wisdom. - Amazon

Great Books

Anthony O'Hear, 22 Books

A short list of essential works of the Western Canon, as selected scholar Anthony O'Hear.

The 40 best plays of all time

Independent, 41 Books

Paul Taylor and Holly Williams choose 40 brilliant plays to watch, hear or read

25 Books to Read Before you Die: 21st Century

Powell's Books, 25 Books

It’s hard for us to believe that it’s been 17 years since we first toasted the new millennium. In January 2001, a gallon of gas cost $1.46. Facebook was three years from launching. 9/11 hadn’t happened. Huge political and cultural shifts were only months away… and some of the best books we’ve ever read were waiting in the wings. This year, for our fifth annual 25 Books to Read Before You Die list, we’ve selected novels, poetry, short stories, and nonfiction that speak to central concerns of 21st-century life: among them, race, heredity, identity, war, and the vanishing wild. From double agents to Hurricane Katrina to intergalactic travel, these 25 vastly different books create a stunning portrait of the dislocation, perseverance, and hope at the heart of life in 21st-century America.

Harold Bloom's The Western Canon

The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom, 1501 Books

The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages is a 1994 book about Western literature by the American literary critic Harold Bloom, in which the author defends the concept of the Western canon by discussing 26 writers whom he sees as central to the canon.
The Western Canon includes four appendices listing works that Bloom at the time considered canonical, stretching from the earliest scriptures to Tony Kushner's Angels in America. Bloom later disowned the list, saying that it was written at his editor's insistence and distracted from the book's intention.
In adding this list, I did expand certain titles into multiple books, and combined some, since some are single short stories. This was a difficult list to add since there are so many books.

50 Books to Read Before You Die

Barnes and Noble, 55 Books

Barnes and Noble's selection of the 50 most essential books.

The 100 Best Books in the World

AbeBooks.de (in German), 101 Books

German bookseller website AbeBooks.de makes their selection for the "100 greatest books ever written".

National Book Critics Circle Award - Nonfiction

National Book Critics Circle, 45 Books

The National Book Critics Circle Award is an annual award given by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote the finest books and reviews published in English.

National Book Critics Circle Award - Fiction

National Book Critics Circle, 48 Books

The National Book Critics Circle Award is an annual award given by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote the finest books and reviews published in English.

The Ultimate Book Bucket List: The 75 Best Books Of All Time

Refinery29, 75 Books

What is the best book of all time? This question is impossible to answer — to some, the best book of all time might be Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. To others, it could be A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. If we’re looking at plain numbers, it appears that The Bible is the best-selling book of all time — but does that really make it the best book of all time?
Because there are just so many books well worth a read, we’ve collated some of the very best stories ever told for you in the list below. They’re even sorted by genre, so you can pick your favourite and get started — do you like fiction, non-fiction, romance, or even fantasy? We’ve got you covered.

Great Books of the Western World

Great Books Foundation, 130 Books

Great Books of the Western World is a series of books originally published in the United States in 1952 by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. to present the western canon in a single package of 54 volume...

Top 50 Books

The Folio Society, 49 Books

These top 50 books were voted on by The Folio Society members in 1997. The Folio Society is a London-based publisher, founded by Charles Ede in 1947 and incorporated in 1971.

James Tait Black Memorial Prize: Fiction

James Tait Black Memorial Prize, 111 Books

The James Tait Black Memorial Prizes are literary prizes awarded for literature written in the English language.
The winners are chosen by the Professor of English Literature at the university, who is assisted by postgraduate students in the shortlisting phase, a structure which is seen to lend the prizes a considerable gravitas.

For the book prizes works of fiction and biographies must be written in English. The nationality of the author does not matter, but submissions must be first published (or co-published) in Britain during the calendar year of the award. Any given author can only win each prize once. However, he or she can win both prizes at the same time.

The 100 Most Influential Books Ever Written

Martin Seymour-Smith, 101 Books

The 100 Most Influential Books Ever Written: The History of Thought from Ancient Times to Today (1998) is a book of intellectual history written by Martin Seymour-Smith (1928–1998), a British poet, critic, and biographer.

The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written

Easton Press, 102 Books

Easton Press's selection of the greatest books of the Western Canon.

The 80 Books Every Man Should Read

Esquire, 80 Books

An unranked, incomplete, utterly biased list of the greatest works of literature ever published.

The Well-Educated Mind

Book, 178 Books

In her best-selling work on home education, The Well-Trained Mind, Susan Wise Bauer provided a road map of classical education for parents wishing to home-school their children; that book is now the premier resource for home-schoolers. In The Well-Educated Mind, Bauer takes the same elements and techniques and adapts them to the use of adult readers who want both enjoyment and self-improvement from the time they spend reading. Followed carefully, her advice will restore and expand the pleasure of the written word.

D. G. Myers’ 50 Greatest English Language Novels

D. G. Myers, 50 Books

D. G. Myers’, critic and literary historian’s 50 Greatest English Language Novels.

A critic and literary historian for nearly a quarter of a century at Texas A&M and Ohio State.

Powell's Essential List: 25 Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of the 21st Century

Powells' City of Books, 25 Books

Powell's Books has curated a compelling list of the 21st century's best science fiction and fantasy novels, offering an escape into realms far beyond the mundane realities of our current world. This collection is a vibrant tapestry of narratives, featuring distant planets, formidable dragons, and epic space romances. It brings together a diverse array of characters—from mutants and robots to prophets and space creatures—embarking on adventures filled with mythology, galactic wars, and profound philosophical inquiries. These selections are not just about escapism; they boldly tackle significant contemporary issues such as climate change, race, gender identity, sexuality, and class, while also delving into the universal themes of love, loss, heartache, and hope. Highlighting the imaginative potential of the 21st century, Powell's list presents 25 essential reads that promise to enchant, challenge, and inspire readers with their visionary insights and fantastical worlds.

The 50 Best Sci-Fi Books for Every Kind of Reader

Men's Health, 49 Books

Joshua St. Clair and Milan Polk created this list for Men's Health titled "The 50 Best Sci-Fi Books for Every Kind of Reader"

Extreme Classics: The 100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time

National Geographic Adventure Magazine, 101 Books

The 100 greatest adventure books chosen by National Geographic.

1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List

1,000 Books to Read Before You Die(Book), 970 Books

A list written by James Mustich, a bookseller, editor, and writer. Here's the publisher's description:

Celebrate the pleasure of reading and the thrill of discovering new titles in an extraordinary book that’s as compulsively readable, entertaining, surprising, and enlightening as the 1,000-plus titles it recommends.

Covering fiction, poetry, science and science fiction, memoir, travel writing, biography, children’s books, history, and more, 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die ranges across cultures and through time to offer an eclectic collection of works that each deserve to come with the recommendation, You have to read this. But it’s not a proscriptive list of the “great works”—rather, it’s a celebration of the glorious mosaic that is our literary heritage.

Der Kanon (The Canon)

Der Kanon, 20 Books

Der Kanon (German pronunciation: [deːɐ̯ ˈkaːnɔn], "The Canon") or more precisely Marcel-Reich-Ranickis Kanon is a large anthology of exemplary works of German literature.
Edited by the literary critic Marcel Reich-Ranicki (1920–2013), he called the anthology, announced on 18 June 2001 in the German news magazine Der Spiegel under the title
"The Canon of worthwhile German Works", his magnum opus. This list is not the full Canon, this is only the novels.

The Dream of the Great American Novel

Book, 16 Books

Writer Lawrence Buell discusses the primary contenders for the title of the "Great American Novel".

Recommended Reading List for Students (China 2020)

Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 99 Books

This is the official recommended reading list of books for Students from the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (2020)

The Indian Fiction Top 25

Jerry Pinto, Indian poet and novelist, 25 Books

This is a list of the top 25 Indian fiction books by Jerry Pinto. Jerry is a Mumbai-based Indian-English poet, novelist, short story writer, translator, as well as journalist. Pinto's works include Helen: The Life and Times of an H-Bomb, which won the Best Book on Cinema Award at the 54th National Film Awards, Surviving Women and Asylum and Other Poems.

Top 100 Fantasy Books

Fantasy Book Review, 103 Books

Fantasy Book Review lists their Top 100 Fantasy Books of all time, with links to their reviews of each one. Here's what their description says:

The 100 fantasy books that we - and other readers - simply cannot recommend highly enough; books that we've all loved reading. Click on a book title to read the full review.

One Hundred Best American Novels, 1770 to 1985

The American Scholar, 100 Books

This list is by David Handlin, posted by The American Scholar, the quarterly literary magazine of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, established as far back as 1932.

David Handlin is an American architect and architectural historian. He presents it as 'A reading enthusiast’s list' but reading the intro
suggests a fair amount of scholarship went into it. It is what you might call a respectable list of the 100 Best American Novels, 1770–1985.

A Response to David Handlin’s “One Hundred Best American Novels”

The American Scholar, 101 Books

This is a contrasting list of One Hundred Best American Novels, 1770 to 1985 by author and feminist scholar Sandra M. Gilbert

I highly recommend reading her description of this list.