Most Rated Books by Year of the 20th Century (100 books)

For each year from Jan 1 to Dec 31 for the year 1900 to 1999, select among the books with the most ratings

One book per year - The book with the most number of ratings on goodreads. Books with less ratings in that year will be deleted. This list uses goodreads publication years NOT actual publication years. If the book in goodreads is wrong, you should fix it.

As of 2025-10 this list was changed. It originally covered books of all time, but now only covers 20th century.

If you find a book with more ratings than what is already on the list - please add a message in the discussion.

Most Rated Books by Year By Century
21st, 20th, 19th, 18th, BEFORE 18th

Best Books By Century:
21st, 20th,
19th, 18th, 17th, 16th, 15th,14th, 13th, 12th, 11th, 10th,
9th, 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th

Best Books by Decade
1990-1999, 1980-1989, 1970-1979, 1960-1969, 1950-1959,
1940-1949, 1930-1939, 1920-1929, 1910-1919, 1900-1909,

By year:
1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909
1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999

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All Votes Add Books To This List

1	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling 4.47 avg rating — 11,317,773 ratings score: 27,127, and 276 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.30 avg rating — 4,429,166 ratings score: 14,382, and 149 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3) by J.K. Rowling 4.58 avg rating — 4,800,104 ratings score: 12,011, and 128 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	1984 by George Orwell 4.20 avg rating — 5,402,788 ratings score: 11,634, and 123 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 4.26 avg rating — 6,829,564 ratings score: 11,360, and 122 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2) by J.K. Rowling 4.43 avg rating — 4,456,022 ratings score: 10,298, and 112 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3.93 avg rating — 5,864,948 ratings score: 9,802, and 105 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin 4.45 avg rating — 2,719,494 ratings score: 9,603, and 100 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Animal Farm by George Orwell 4.02 avg rating — 4,501,457 ratings score: 9,416, and 102 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 4.33 avg rating — 2,450,503 ratings score: 9,263, and 99 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 4.20 avg rating — 4,159,912 ratings score: 9,041, and 96 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1) by C.S. Lewis 4.24 avg rating — 3,129,699 ratings score: 7,221, and 79 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 3.97 avg rating — 2,807,134 ratings score: 6,789, and 75 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 4.31 avg rating — 1,254,007 ratings score: 6,575, and 71 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 3.99 avg rating — 2,063,048 ratings score: 6,471, and 73 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett 4.17 avg rating — 1,288,053 ratings score: 5,921, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1) by Douglas Adams 4.22 avg rating — 2,005,353 ratings score: 5,325, and 61 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Giver (The Giver, #1) by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 2,787,906 ratings score: 4,962, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Lord of the Flies by William Golding 3.70 avg rating — 3,178,488 ratings score: 4,815, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 4.25 avg rating — 714,644 ratings score: 4,807, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 3,534,849 ratings score: 4,427, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 3.80 avg rating — 3,869,873 ratings score: 4,214, and 49 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1) by L.M. Montgomery 4.33 avg rating — 1,105,663 ratings score: 3,809, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Shining (The Shining, #1) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.28 avg rating — 1,693,999 ratings score: 3,398, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White 4.21 avg rating — 2,032,876 ratings score: 3,346, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1) by Philip Pullman 4.03 avg rating — 1,611,877 ratings score: 3,325, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Catch-22 by Joseph Heller 3.99 avg rating — 883,944 ratings score: 3,230, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	The Princess Bride by William Goldman 4.27 avg rating — 945,441 ratings score: 3,072, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein 4.39 avg rating — 1,228,936 ratings score: 2,882, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes 4.24 avg rating — 787,793 ratings score: 2,798, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot, #10) by Agatha Christie 4.20 avg rating — 724,976 ratings score: 2,763, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Watership Down (Watership Down, #1) by Richard Adams 4.09 avg rating — 504,360 ratings score: 2,588, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	The Color Purple by Alice Walker 4.28 avg rating — 749,144 ratings score: 2,565, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Call of the Wild by Jack London 3.91 avg rating — 470,038 ratings score: 2,549, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1) by Anne Rice 4.02 avg rating — 646,777 ratings score: 2,431, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 2,398,044 ratings score: 2,360, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque 4.11 avg rating — 517,220 ratings score: 2,358, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1) by Michael Crichton 4.13 avg rating — 1,055,701 ratings score: 2,333, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	The Stand by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.35 avg rating — 830,743 ratings score: 2,323, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	It by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.24 avg rating — 1,258,125 ratings score: 2,173, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	The Cat in the Hat (Cat in the Hat, #1) by Dr. Seuss 4.19 avg rating — 583,835 ratings score: 2,148, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3) by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.58 avg rating — 1,032,672 ratings score: 1,969, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein 4.35 avg rating — 1,501,556 ratings score: 1,951, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick 4.09 avg rating — 509,409 ratings score: 1,869, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett 4.23 avg rating — 323,548 ratings score: 1,857, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway 3.79 avg rating — 491,577 ratings score: 1,825, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	The Good Earth (House of Earth, #1) by Pearl S. Buck 4.01 avg rating — 260,115 ratings score: 1,762, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Night by Elie Wiesel 4.38 avg rating — 1,355,524 ratings score: 1,716, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	’Salem’s Lot by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 655,616 ratings score: 1,308, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1) by L. Frank Baum really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 508,999 ratings score: 1,283, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 3.90 avg rating — 1,406,045 ratings score: 1,219, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Dune (Dune #1) by Frank Herbert 4.29 avg rating — 1,614,626 ratings score: 1,140, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Pet Sematary by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 693,655 ratings score: 1,122, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	The Stranger by Albert Camus 4.03 avg rating — 1,381,608 ratings score: 1,112, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Little House on the Prairie (Little House, #3) by Laura Ingalls Wilder 4.21 avg rating — 301,549 ratings score: 1,069, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet, #1) by Madeleine L'Engle 3.97 avg rating — 1,278,680 ratings score: 986, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 4.05 avg rating — 1,206,402 ratings score: 965, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 4.10 avg rating — 1,476,051 ratings score: 953, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 1,585,163 ratings score: 894, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	A Time to Kill (Jake Brigance, #1) by John Grisham (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 825,026 ratings score: 888, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes, #5) by Arthur Conan Doyle 4.13 avg rating — 385,797 ratings score: 877, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway 3.99 avg rating — 316,830 ratings score: 819, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot, #1) by Agatha Christie really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 501,569 ratings score: 804, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Misery by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 841,467 ratings score: 755, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Anne of Avonlea (Anne of Green Gables, #2) by L.M. Montgomery 4.23 avg rating — 224,115 ratings score: 737, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Dubliners by James Joyce 3.83 avg rating — 174,932 ratings score: 716, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	Curious George by H.A. Rey 4.17 avg rating — 139,884 ratings score: 692, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein 4.36 avg rating — 475,104 ratings score: 653, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse 4.08 avg rating — 870,631 ratings score: 560, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, #1) by Janet Evanovich (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 577,678 ratings score: 555, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	Anne's House of Dreams (Anne of Green Gables, #5) by L.M. Montgomery 4.18 avg rating — 118,870 ratings score: 545, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera 4.11 avg rating — 540,099 ratings score: 521, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce 3.64 avg rating — 163,538 ratings score: 515, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway 3.82 avg rating — 351,911 ratings score: 512, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The Bourne Identity (Jason Bourne, #1) by Robert Ludlum 4.05 avg rating — 440,972 ratings score: 510, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Outlander (Outlander, #1) by Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author) 4.26 avg rating — 1,147,921 ratings score: 428, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl 4.37 avg rating — 866,677 ratings score: 394, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	The Man in the Brown Suit (Colonel Race, #1) by Agatha Christie 3.95 avg rating — 124,488 ratings score: 350, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream by Hunter S. Thompson 4.06 avg rating — 376,926 ratings score: 335, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	Demian: Die Geschichte von Emil Sinclairs Jugend by Hermann Hesse 4.14 avg rating — 134,430 ratings score: 267, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	How to Stop Worrying and Start Living: Time-Tested Methods for Conquering Worry by Dale Carnegie 4.16 avg rating — 115,535 ratings score: 248, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Rilla of Ingleside (Anne of Green Gables, #8) by L.M. Montgomery 4.25 avg rating — 56,353 ratings score: 242, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple, #1) by Agatha Christie 4.04 avg rating — 212,149 ratings score: 242, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 4.27 avg rating — 1,598,019 ratings score: 231, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1) by Chinua Achebe 3.74 avg rating — 410,653 ratings score: 209, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	My Ántonia by Willa Cather 3.84 avg rating — 147,093 ratings score: 133, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	The Secret History by Donna Tartt 4.15 avg rating — 1,012,872 ratings score: 103, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	Kim by Rudyard Kipling 3.70 avg rating — 39,913 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	Ozma of Oz (Oz, #3) by L. Frank Baum 3.95 avg rating — 27,073 ratings score: 97, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	Il fu Mattia Pascal by Luigi Pirandello really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 35,763 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	White Fang by Jack London 4.03 avg rating — 206,327 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux 3.96 avg rating — 275,485 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	Concerning the Spiritual in Art by Wassily Kandinsky 3.83 avg rating — 92,518 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw 3.89 avg rating — 109,489 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf 3.78 avg rating — 354,123 ratings score: 77, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf 3.81 avg rating — 213,395 ratings score: 73, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell 4.09 avg rating — 100,494 ratings score: 67, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai 3.94 avg rating — 248,113 ratings score: 52, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 3.81 avg rating — 390,343 ratings score: 41, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 4.13 avg rating — 298,378 ratings score: 30, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

100 books · 723 voters · list created September 27th, 2013 by Mitchell Friedman (votes) .

Tags: 20th, 20th-century, by-year, mjf, most-popular, most-rated, most-ratings

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message 1: by Mitchell (last edited Jun 27, 2015 12:25PM) (new)

Jan 24, 2014 04:11PM

My Popular Book by year according to https://www.goodreads.com/book/popula...
2014 The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden
2013 Allegiant - replaces Inferno
2012 The Fault in Our Stars - replaces Gone Girl
2011 Fifty Shades of Grey
2010 Mockingjay
2009 Catching Fire
2008 The Hunger Games
2007 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
2006 New Moon

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message 2: by Mitchell (last edited Sep 11, 2016 03:04PM) (new)

Aug 07, 2014 03:04PM

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message 3: by Mitchell (new)

Jan 03, 2015 10:39AM

A Child Called "It" removed for 1995 and replaced with The Golden Compass

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message 4: by Mitchell (new)

Mar 16, 2015 09:08PM

The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for? replaces City of Heavenly Fire for 2014

The Girl on the Train is the top book for 2015

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message 5: by Sophie (new)

May 18, 2015 06:02AM

All the Light We Cannot See has reached the top of the 2014 list.

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message 6: by Sophie (new)

May 18, 2015 03:58PM

How are you getting the older ones?

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message 7: by Mitchell (new)

May 18, 2015 04:53PM

Sophie wrote: "How are you getting the older ones?" by working very hard. I go to the highest rated book lists and look for old books and record the year. And as long as I work my way down then I've got the biggest book for that year. There's definitely more years to figure out. It would be nice to have 1900 thru 1913.

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message 8: by Mitchell (new)

Aug 05, 2015 11:39PM

I'll say again as I said in the list description. One book per year - The book with the most number of ratings on goodreads. Books with less ratings in that year will be deleted.

A hint - if the book is over a year old and less than 20 years old, it is going to need to have over 500,000 ratings. And putting 10 books on the list all published in the same year will never be right.

I've got my best guess on the top books for each year posted in a previous comment.

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message 9: by Mitchell (new)

Oct 17, 2015 09:26PM

I found another somewhat useful way of finding books by year with a lot of ratings.

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

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message 10: by Pairpair (new)

Feb 22, 2016 07:57AM

Thanks!

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message 11: by Mitchell (new)

Jun 15, 2016 10:29PM

Lady Midnight is currently winning for 2016

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message 12: by Mitchell (new)

Sep 05, 2016 11:55PM

If you add a book to this list PLEASE put a comment indicating that you found a book with more than ratings than a specific previous book. Or you found a popular book for a year not on this list.

I'll say again as I said in the list description. One book per year - The book with the most number of ratings on goodreads. Books with less ratings in that year will be deleted.

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message 13: by Mitchell (new)

Sep 08, 2016 09:59PM

Along Came a Spider has 286,000 ratings
and The Pelican Brief has 269,000 ratings
so the 1992 book has changed

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message 14: by Allison (new)

Sep 13, 2016 09:05AM

The 1956 book is now The Last Battle with 162,267. Howl and Other Poems only has 68,235.

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message 15: by Mitchell (new)

Sep 13, 2016 01:33PM

Allison wrote: "The 1956 book is now The Last Battle with 162,267. Howl and Other Poems only has 68,235."

I agree and I removed Howl and Other Poems and added The Last Battle.

Thanks so much - good find.

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message 16: by Sophie (new)

Oct 20, 2016 09:38PM

The pub date for Jurassic Park seems to have been changed from 1990 to 1991.

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message 17: by Anna (new)

Jan 27, 2017 03:49PM

I think the 1986 book should be The Handmaid's Tale, since that has over 500,000 ratings while the Watchman only has ~388,000.

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message 18: by Mitchell (new)

Jan 27, 2017 07:43PM

Anna wrote: "I think the 1986 book should be The Handmaid's Tale, since that has over 500,000 ratings while the Watchman only has ~388,000."

I agree that Handmaid's Tale seems to be the right choice for 1986. But Watchman is now listed as 1987 anyway. And it has more than Misery. So Watchmen moves to 1987 and Misery goes away.

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message 19: by Mitchell (new)

Feb 20, 2017 04:15PM

For 1965 I have In Cold Blood with 390k ratings. But Dune has 500k ratings

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message 20: by Anna (new)

Feb 23, 2017 11:12AM

I've been having fun exploring more of this list! A few more changes that I've found:
2014 - The Martian now has more ratings than All the Light We Cannot See
2003 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix now has more ratings than The Da Vinci Code
I see that someone's already added A Game of Thrones for 1996, which has more ratings than The Notebook
1991 - Outlander now has more ratings than The Firm
1955 - The Return of the King now has more ratings than Lolita

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message 21: by Anna (new)

Feb 23, 2017 11:17AM

Oh, and I also propose The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, for 1749.

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message 22: by Allison (new)

Feb 23, 2017 03:18PM

Interesting what these changes say about reading patterns!

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message 23: by Lauren Elizabeth (new)

Jul 25, 2017 03:19PM

Based on these comments and what I've seen on the list as I voted, it looks like there hasn't been an update in awhile....
But I agree with Allison ^^ that it's interesting to see how this list and the previous updates reflect reading patterns over time.

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message 24: by Mitchell (new)

Jul 25, 2017 03:29PM

Lauren wrote: "Based on these comments and what I've seen on the list as I voted, it looks like there hasn't been an update in awhile....
But I agree with Allison ^^ that it's interesting to see how this list and..."

It would be awesome if someone wanted to run through and regenerate the list for a set of years - say 2000 thru 2017.

I'm also okay with leaving a book that used to be #1 on the list for awhile. Mostly books only come off of this list when I remove them as a librarian.

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message 25: by Mitchell (new)

Jul 28, 2017 09:42PM

So looking at https://www.goodreads.com/book/popula... and the equivalent for various years - taking a shot at an update.

2016 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2
2015 The Girl on the Train
2014 All the Light We Cannot See
2013 Allegiant
2012 The Fault in Our Stars
2011 Divergent
2010 Mockingjay

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message 26: by Malin (new)

Aug 18, 2017 12:57PM

Great list! I tried to fill the gaps of the 19th century, and propose the following:

1899 Heart of Darkness
1898 The Turn of the Screw
1897 Dracula
1896 The Island of Dr. Moreau
1895 The Time Machine
1892 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
1891 The Picture of Dorian Gray
1890 The Sign of Four

1889 Three Men in a Boat
1888 The Happy Prince
1887 A Study in Scarlet
1886 The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
1885 Bel-Ami
1884 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
1883 Thus Spoke Zarathustra
1882 Treasure Island
1881 The Portrait of a Lady
1880 The Brothers Karamazov

1879 A Doll's House
1877 Anna Karenina
1876 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
1874 Far from the Madding Crowd
1872 Around the World in Eighty Days
1871 Middlemarch

1869 War and Peace
1868 Little Women
1867 Thérèse Raquin
1866 Crime and Punishment
1865 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
1864 Journey to the Center of the Earth
1862 Les Misérables
1861 Silas Marner
1860 Great Expectations

1859 A Tale of Two Cities
1857 Les Fleurs du Mal
1856 Madame Bovary
1855 North and South
1854 Walden
1853 Bleak House
1852 Uncle Tom's Cabin
1851 Moby-Dick or, The Whale
1850 The Scarlet Letter

1849 David Copperfield
1848 The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
1847 Jane Eyre
1845 The Little Match Girl
1844 The Count of Monte Cristo
1843 A Christmas Carol
1842 Dead Souls
1840 A Hero of Our Time

1839 Nicholas Nickleby
1837 Oliver Twist
1835 The Complete Fairy Tales
1834 Père Goriot
1833 Eugene Onegin
1832 Faust
1831 The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

1826 The Last of the Mohicans
1821 Confessions of an English Opium Eater

1819 Ivanhoe
1818 Frankenstein
1817 Persuasion
1815 Emma
1814 Mansfield Park
1813 Pride and Prejudice
1812 The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales
1811 Sense and Sensibility

1808 Faust: First Part
1804 Wilhelm Tell

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message 27: by Mitchell (new)

Aug 18, 2017 01:30PM

Malin wrote: "Great list! I tried to fill the gaps of the 19th century, and propose the following:

1899 Heart of Darkness
1898 The Turn of the Screw
1897 Dracula
1896 [book..."

good show. Now we just need people with enough open votes to vote for them.

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message 28: by Mitchell (new)

Aug 18, 2017 01:59PM

Mitchell wrote: "Malin wrote: "Great list! I tried to fill the gaps of the 19th century, and propose the following:

1899 Heart of Darkness
1898 The Turn of the Screw
1897 [book:Dracula|172..."

and all of those books are now on this list. And if anyone sees a bigger book for a year, as always, announce on the message board.

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message 29: by Mitchell (new)

Sep 17, 2017 10:25PM

The Book Thief was first published in 2005 and has 1.3 million ratings, which is a lot.

Twilight was also first published in 2005 and has 3.9 million ratings, which is a LOT more.

So Book Thief will be removed.

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message 30: by Mitchell (new)

Sep 17, 2017 10:32PM

What Alice Forgot was first published in 2009 and has 209,000 ratings.

Catching Fire was also first published in 2009 and has 1.9 million ratings, which is a LOT more.

So What Alice Forgot will be removed.

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message 31: by Mitchell (new)

Sep 17, 2017 10:36PM

A Gentleman in Moscow was first published in 2016 and has only 51 thousand ratings.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 was also first published in 2016 and has 407 thousand ratings.

So A Gentleman in Moscow will be removed.

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message 32: by Sophie (new)

Jan 14, 2018 06:59AM

So it's 2018, can we add Into the Water as 2017's official book?

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message 33: by Mitchell (new)

Jan 14, 2018 09:05AM

Sophie wrote: "So it's 2018, can we add Into the Water as 2017's official book?"

Looking at https://www.goodreads.com/book/popular_by_date/2017/

It would seem like Into the Water is absolutely the top book for 2017 at this point.

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message 34: by Sophie (new)

Jan 14, 2018 10:47AM

Also, Eat, Pray, Love has edged out New Moon as 2006's top book.

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message 35: by Sophie (last edited Jan 15, 2018 10:03AM) (new)

Jan 15, 2018 10:02AM

So this is weird. How can a book have more ratings than adds?

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message 36: by Mitchell (new)

Mar 12, 2018 12:17PM

Patrick Rothfuss two books The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear are fine popular books.

Name of the Wind was published in 2007 and has 498 thousand ratings. This was the same year that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was published and it has 1.9 MILLION ratings. So Name of the Wind will be removed.

Similarly, The Wise Man's Fear was published in 2011 and has 307 thousand ratings. This was the same year that Divergent was published and it has 2.3 MILLION ratings. So Wise Man's Fear will be removed.

The books with the most ratings are listed in this discussion. If you find a book that should be on the list but is missing - please call it in the discussion.

And as it says in the list description, if the book is less than 20 years old (okay not this year or last year YET), it's going to need a MILLION ratings.

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message 37: by Mitchell (new)

Mar 12, 2018 12:24PM

As with Rothfuss, none of Rick Riordan's books have the most ratings the year they were published so will be removed.

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message 38: by Mitchell (new)

Mar 12, 2018 12:30PM

But apparently 1948 is listed wrong in earlier messages. It should be I Capture the Castle.

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message 39: by Mitchell (last edited May 24, 2021 08:14PM) (new)

Feb 16, 2019 08:56PM

So I hadn't checked in awhile - so let's see what might have changed:
2019 24,394 - The Wicked King
2018 203,458 - The Woman in the Window
2017 314,262 - Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
2016 540,284 - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two
2015 1.649.927 - The Girl on the Train
2014 764,273 - All the Light We Cannot See
2013 731,224 - Allegiant
2012 2,960,847 - The Fault in Our Stars
2011 2,546,278 - Divergent
2010 2,040,603 - Mockingjay

2009 2,165,624 - Catching Fire
2008 5,632,734 - The Hunger Games
2007 1,411,067 - City of Bones
2006 1,325,049 - Eat, Pray, Love
2005 4,356,240 - Twilight
2004 968,414 - My Sister's Keeper
2003 2,122,363 - The Kite Runner
2002 1,812,287 - The Lovely Bones
2001 1,174,328 - Life of Pi
2000 2,342,771 - Angels & Demons

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message 40: by Mitchell (new)

Feb 16, 2019 09:40PM

1919 - 59,151 Demian. Die Geschichte von Emil Sinclairs Jugend
1918 - 110,281 My Ántonia
1917 - 76,786 Anne's House of Dreams
1916 - 113,001 A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
1915 - 506,758 The Metamorphosis
1914 - 104,324 Dubliners
1913 - 42,401 Sons and Lovers
1912 - 49,834 The Lost World
1911 - 778,090 The Secret Garden
1910 - 67,586 Howards End
1909 - 120,490 Anne of Avonlea

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message 41: by Mitchell (new)

May 30, 2020 10:43AM

According to https://www.goodreads.com/book/popular_by_date/2017/

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine has the most ratings with 622,370

and not

Into the Water which has 257,191 ratings

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message 42: by Mitchell (new)

May 30, 2020 10:46AM

According to https://www.goodreads.com/book/popular_by_date/2015/

The Girl on the Train has the most ratings with 1,997,221 ratings

and not

The Nightingale with 638,230 ratings

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message 43: by Mitchell (new)

May 30, 2020 10:50AM

According to https://www.goodreads.com/book/popular_by_date/2018/

Where the Crawdads Sing has the most ratings with 752,069 ratings

and not
Educated with 665,152 ratings

and not
Becoming with 460,286 ratings

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message 44: by Mitchell (new)

May 30, 2020 10:53AM

According to https://www.goodreads.com/book/popular_by_date/2019/

The Silent Patient has the most ratings with 366,274 ratings

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message 45: by Mitchell (new)

May 30, 2020 10:57AM

According to https://www.goodreads.com/book/popular_by_date/2010/

Mockingjay has the most ratings with 2,251,317 ratings

and not
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements with 39,168 ratings

and not
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York with 27,220 ratings

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message 46: by Mitchell (new)

May 30, 2020 10:59AM

According to https://www.goodreads.com/book/popular_by_date/2005/

Twilight has the most ratings with 4,791,448 ratings

and not
Never Let Me Go with 446,128 ratings

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message 47: by Mitchell (new)

May 30, 2020 06:10PM

According to https://www.goodreads.com/book/popular_by_date/2003/

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has the most ratings with 2,397,213

and not
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers with 166,074 ratings

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message 48: by Mitchell (new)

Jul 07, 2020 08:31PM

So the date urls are not working well at the moment, however.

In 2003 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has the most ratings with 2,428,009 ratings.

And not Inkheart with 357,748

And in 2012 The Fault in Our Stars has the most ratings with 3,436,900 ratings

And not The Martian with 788,381

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message 49: by Mitchell (last edited May 24, 2021 08:13PM) (new)

Jan 03, 2021 12:28PM