Major Award-Winning Fiction Since 1990

National Book Award, PEN/Faulkner, Man Booker, Pulitzer, Whitbread, Prix Goncourt, IMPAC Dublin, and so on. This list is for NON-genre fiction: No Crime- SF- Fantasy- or Romance-Series, or series in general.
(Limited to post-1990 titles). SHORT LISTED ALSO ACCEPTABLE, but you have to really mean it.

flag

All Votes Add Books To This List

1	The Road by Cormac McCarthy 3.98 avg rating — 845,602 ratings score: 11,729, and 120 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	Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author) 3.84 avg rating — 633,721 ratings score: 9,829, and 101 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	The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon 3.89 avg rating — 1,417,571 ratings score: 9,682, and 101 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	Atonement by Ian McEwan (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 499,703 ratings score: 9,535, 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
5	Life of Pi by Yann Martel 3.93 avg rating — 1,557,447 ratings score: 8,721, and 92 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	The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 276,876 ratings score: 7,353, and 77 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	Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides 4.03 avg rating — 626,389 ratings score: 6,438, and 68 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	The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 151,170 ratings score: 6,099, and 64 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	A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry 4.37 avg rating — 144,479 ratings score: 4,683, 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
10	Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam, #1) by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 256,017 ratings score: 4,646, and 51 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 God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 284,680 ratings score: 4,577, 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
12	All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Goodreads Author) 4.32 avg rating — 1,458,982 ratings score: 4,523, and 48 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	Wolf Hall (Thomas Cromwell, #1) by Hilary Mantel 3.90 avg rating — 201,406 ratings score: 4,378, and 48 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	The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje 3.87 avg rating — 127,795 ratings score: 4,171, and 45 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	Bel Canto by Ann Patchett 3.93 avg rating — 271,054 ratings score: 4,153, and 46 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 Shipping News by Annie Proulx 3.87 avg rating — 142,237 ratings score: 4,055, and 43 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	alias Grace. by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 136,424 ratings score: 4,036, and 43 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 Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 4.09 avg rating — 718,771 ratings score: 3,828, and 42 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	The Reader by Bernhard Schlink 3.77 avg rating — 200,277 ratings score: 3,808, and 42 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	The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt 3.93 avg rating — 870,393 ratings score: 3,685, 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
21	The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen 3.83 avg rating — 176,714 ratings score: 3,566, and 38 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	Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee 3.85 avg rating — 101,189 ratings score: 3,557, 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
23	Possession by A.S. Byatt 3.89 avg rating — 78,267 ratings score: 3,526, and 38 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 Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon 4.18 avg rating — 198,120 ratings score: 3,520, 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
25	Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson 3.86 avg rating — 182,455 ratings score: 3,421, 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
26	Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier 3.88 avg rating — 237,887 ratings score: 3,173, 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
27	All the Pretty Horses (The Border Trilogy, #1) by Cormac McCarthy 4.02 avg rating — 112,377 ratings score: 3,168, 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
28	Amsterdam by Ian McEwan (Goodreads Author) 3.45 avg rating — 51,152 ratings score: 3,099, 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 Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes 3.73 avg rating — 172,441 ratings score: 2,988, 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	Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri 4.17 avg rating — 185,554 ratings score: 2,912, 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
31	Room by Emma Donoghue (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 784,982 ratings score: 2,898, 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
32	Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 102,856 ratings score: 2,693, 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
33	Gilead (Gilead, #1) by Marilynne Robinson 3.85 avg rating — 104,934 ratings score: 2,407, 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
34	Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (Goodreads Author) 4.19 avg rating — 564,416 ratings score: 2,387, and 26 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	The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials, #3) by Philip Pullman 4.10 avg rating — 347,348 ratings score: 2,338, 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
36	Bring Up the Bodies (Thomas Cromwell, #2) by Hilary Mantel 4.28 avg rating — 91,558 ratings score: 2,281, and 26 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	A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (Goodreads Author) 3.82 avg rating — 66,400 ratings score: 2,144, and 26 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	The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz 3.89 avg rating — 256,263 ratings score: 2,133, 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
39	American Pastoral by Philip Roth 3.94 avg rating — 76,171 ratings score: 2,040, 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
40	World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 504,072 ratings score: 1,981, 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
41	Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami 4.14 avg rating — 428,541 ratings score: 1,978, 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
42	The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga 3.76 avg rating — 185,885 ratings score: 1,932, 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	My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk 3.86 avg rating — 54,039 ratings score: 1,890, 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
44	The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields 3.88 avg rating — 39,173 ratings score: 1,884, 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
45	Life After Life (Todd Family, #1) by Kate Atkinson 3.77 avg rating — 221,158 ratings score: 1,790, 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
46	White Teeth by Zadie Smith 3.79 avg rating — 148,718 ratings score: 1,748, and 20 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	Sea of Poppies (Ibis Trilogy, #1) by Amitav Ghosh 3.97 avg rating — 26,299 ratings score: 1,647, and 19 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	True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey 3.83 avg rating — 22,029 ratings score: 1,642, and 20 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	A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (Goodreads Author) 3.69 avg rating — 212,228 ratings score: 1,614, and 20 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 Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 445,714 ratings score: 1,557, 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
51	The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 3.83 avg rating — 45,434 ratings score: 1,518, and 20 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	The Year of the Flood (MaddAddam, #2) by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.06 avg rating — 120,428 ratings score: 1,436, 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
53	Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson 3.80 avg rating — 34,179 ratings score: 1,409, 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
54	A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (Goodreads Author) 4.34 avg rating — 464,129 ratings score: 1,382, 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
55	Snow by Orhan Pamuk 3.61 avg rating — 45,223 ratings score: 1,289, 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
56	The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson 4.06 avg rating — 98,104 ratings score: 1,271, 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 Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng 4.13 avg rating — 23,632 ratings score: 1,250, 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
58	Waiting by Ha Jin 3.53 avg rating — 21,663 ratings score: 1,230, 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
59	Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell 4.01 avg rating — 241,246 ratings score: 1,203, 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	Olive Kitteridge (Olive Kitteridge, #1) by Elizabeth Strout (Goodreads Author) 3.85 avg rating — 224,439 ratings score: 1,197, 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
61	When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author) 3.53 avg rating — 37,781 ratings score: 1,195, 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
62	The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Goodreads Author) 4.36 avg rating — 1,200,435 ratings score: 1,159, 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	2666 by Roberto Bolaño 4.19 avg rating — 39,338 ratings score: 1,142, 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
64	The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst 3.74 avg rating — 27,126 ratings score: 1,131, 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
65	Vernon God Little by D.B.C. Pierre 3.60 avg rating — 31,820 ratings score: 1,109, 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
66	Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 567,506 ratings score: 1,045, 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
67	Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle 3.76 avg rating — 22,027 ratings score: 1,037, 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
68	The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 39,239 ratings score: 1,027, 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
69	The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan 4.02 avg rating — 54,786 ratings score: 991, 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
70	The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling 3.30 avg rating — 323,800 ratings score: 989, 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
71	Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 4.33 avg rating — 146,890 ratings score: 988, 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
72	Rabbit at Rest (Rabbit Angstrom, #4) by John Updike 3.99 avg rating — 15,266 ratings score: 981, 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
72	The Ghost Road (Regeneration, #3) by Pat Barker 4.09 avg rating — 16,994 ratings score: 981, 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
74	The Secret River by Kate Grenville 3.81 avg rating — 21,843 ratings score: 955, 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
75	Stupeur et tremblements by Amélie Nothomb 3.73 avg rating — 33,109 ratings score: 949, 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
76	The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht (Goodreads Author) 3.41 avg rating — 97,937 ratings score: 948, 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
77	Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald 3.99 avg rating — 20,571 ratings score: 947, 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
78	The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell 4.02 avg rating — 62,445 ratings score: 943, 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
79	Sacred Hunger (Sacred Hunger #1) by Barry Unsworth 4.11 avg rating — 6,967 ratings score: 939, 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
80	The Sea by John Banville 3.54 avg rating — 30,364 ratings score: 937, 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
81	State of Wonder by Ann Patchett 3.89 avg rating — 181,854 ratings score: 931, 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
82	Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 60,293 ratings score: 904, 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
83	Arthur & George by Julian Barnes 3.72 avg rating — 17,702 ratings score: 898, 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
84	Moo by Jane Smiley (Goodreads Author) 3.47 avg rating — 8,132 ratings score: 890, 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
85	The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai 3.45 avg rating — 51,548 ratings score: 864, 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
86	Everyman by Philip Roth 3.61 avg rating — 19,022 ratings score: 811, 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
87	Fingersmith by Sarah Waters 4.02 avg rating — 100,783 ratings score: 794, 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
88	The Master by Colm Tóibín 3.84 avg rating — 10,277 ratings score: 784, 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
89	The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (Harold Fry, #1) by Rachel Joyce 3.93 avg rating — 172,598 ratings score: 775, 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
90	Three Junes by Julia Glass (Goodreads Author) 3.57 avg rating — 44,196 ratings score: 760, 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
91	The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon 3.71 avg rating — 74,842 ratings score: 750, 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
92	The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton 3.74 avg rating — 77,364 ratings score: 746, 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
93	The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry 3.82 avg rating — 20,353 ratings score: 717, 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
94	The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 104,265 ratings score: 709, 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
95	The Hours by Michael Cunningham (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 136,855 ratings score: 690, 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
96	The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters 3.56 avg rating — 53,204 ratings score: 666, 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
97	No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod 4.02 avg rating — 11,303 ratings score: 658, 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
98	The Night Watch by Sarah Waters 3.70 avg rating — 30,418 ratings score: 637, 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
99	On Beauty by Zadie Smith 3.76 avg rating — 78,868 ratings score: 633, 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
100	The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos 3.67 avg rating — 12,172 ratings score: 618, 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

← Previous 1 2 3 Next →

232 books · 552 voters · list created March 3rd, 2010 by Thom Dunn (votes) .

Tags: awards, booker, fiction, major, man-booker, national, pen-faulkner, prix, prize, pulitzer, whitbread, winning

562 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (552)

Thom 6022 books
298 friends

Angie 2943 books
83 friends

Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) 546 books
369 friends

Bettie 15672 books
19 friends

Cammy 3660 books
149 friends

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads 3317 books
860 friends

Reese 1116 books
32 friends

ღ Carol jinx~☆~☔ʚϊɞ 3740 books
462 friends

More voters…

Post a comment »
Comments Showing 1-30 of 30 (30 new)

date

newest »

message 1: by Bettie (new)

Mar 03, 2010 11:31AM

IMPAC winners?

reply | flag

message 2: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Mar 03, 2010 12:36PM) (new)

Mar 03, 2010 12:32PM

What is IMPAC?

Is the Whitbread Prize an acceptable one?

reply | flag

message 3: by Thom (new)

Mar 03, 2010 03:35PM

Susanna wrote: "What is IMPAC?

Is the Whitbread Prize an acceptable one?"

Bettie wrote: "IMPAC winners?"

The basic concept as I imagined it is what you might call "straight up" fiction, anything that literary societies around the world would consider "serious" fiction, though that doesn't mean it has to be solemn. Typically a book will get attention from several quarters at once. The thing we want to avoid is clones. We all have our guilty pleasures, but one-a-year crank-em-out formulaic fiction is the antithesis of what we want to see on this list. By sticking to Prize winners (& runners-up) we limit our voting to works already considered special by those who make their living in that world where writing is a fine-art form.

reply | flag

message 4: by Reese (new)

Mar 03, 2010 09:50PM

T,
I apologize for wasting your time with my inquiry about the eligibility of RABBIT AT REST. If I had checked the publication date of POSSESSION earlier today, I would have realized that you did not intend to exclude fiction published in 1990.

reply | flag

message 5: by Thom (new)

Mar 04, 2010 05:50AM

Susanna wrote: "What is IMPAC?

Is the Whitbread Prize an acceptable one?"

Susanna, I've emended the description to include both Whitbread and IMPAC (Try Googling "IMPAC Dublin")

reply | flag

message 6: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Mar 04, 2010 11:46AM) (new)

Mar 04, 2010 11:45AM

Hm. The Amber Spyglass is a Whitbread winner; but it's also "fantasy." Add it or not, LOL?

ETA: Presumably also things like the Priz Goncourt winners; though I haven't read any of the recent winners.

reply | flag

message 7: by Thom (last edited Mar 04, 2010 04:04PM) (new)

Mar 04, 2010 12:13PM

Susanna wrote: "Hm. The Amber Spyglass is a Whitbread winner; but it's also "fantasy." Add it or not, LOL?

ETA: Presumably also things like the Priz Goncourt winners; though I haven't read any of the recent win..."

ANY Prix Goncourt or Whitbread is eligible.....The essential premise of this list is that winners are somehow SINGULAR, but even here, Updike's Rabbit Quartet won prizes....Some committee who reads a lot, maybe even writes alot sat down and said something like "What is the BEST such-and-such book this year ?" They spent time on it, worked on it, thought about it, and so on. These committees are all searching for a work that STANDS OUT FOR SOME SORT OF RARE EXCELLENCE. At stake for them, too, is the very prestige of the award itself. If they consistently pick weak books (It happens sometimes), their voice will fade.

reply | flag

message 8: by Lobstergirl (new)

Mar 05, 2010 01:19AM

Zombies, and Confessions of an Economic Hit Man were award winners?

reply | flag

message 9: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Mar 05, 2010 01:26AM

Yes, I'd just been wondering about that as well ...

reply | flag

message 10: by Lobstergirl (new)

Mar 05, 2010 01:29AM

I removed "Confessions" because it's not fiction.

reply | flag

message 11: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Mar 05, 2010 01:34AM

Which awards did Chuck Palahniuk's "Choke" and "Survivor" win? (I only found listings for "Fight Club" and "Lullaby.")

reply | flag

message 12: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Mar 05, 2010 02:16AM

Lobstergirl wrote: "I removed "Confessions" because it's not fiction."

So is The Secret History of the American Empire: Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and the Truth about Global Corruption. Removed that book as well.

reply | flag

message 13: by Thom (new)

Mar 05, 2010 07:10AM

Themis-Athena wrote: "Lobstergirl wrote: "I removed "Confessions" because it's not fiction."

So is [book:The Secret History of the American Empire: Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and the Truth about Global Corruption|61117..."

Lobstergirl wrote: "I removed "Confessions" because it's not fiction."

I appreciate your work police-ing up this List, --L,T.

reply | flag

message 14: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Mar 05, 2010 12:05PM) (new)

Mar 05, 2010 12:02PM

Themis-Athena wrote: "Which awards did Chuck Palahniuk's "Choke" and "Survivor" win? (I only found listings for "Fight Club" and "Lullaby.")"

As far as I'm aware, those books are not award-winners.

What awards did Fight Club and Lullaby win? How about World War Z?

reply | flag

message 15: by Thom (new)

Mar 05, 2010 03:35PM

Susanna wrote: "Themis-Athena wrote: "Which awards did Chuck Palahniuk's "Choke" and "Survivor" win? (I only found listings for "Fight Club" and "Lullaby.")"

As far as I'm aware, those books are not award-winner..."

I am of two minds about all the silliness that creeps into these lists. One is to run around stamping out brushfires, the other, to let a kite-tail of 1-vote wonders alone until some other jokester pushes it to 2 or 3. Whoever awarded Zombies Ubiquitous anything would do better to send the money to Haiti....where I'm told they DO have zombies.

HEY, OUT THERE ! IF YOU'RE PULLING MY CHAIN BECAUSE I SAID "NO VAMPIRES" please note my self-deprecating retraction.

reply | flag

message 16: by Thom (last edited Mar 05, 2010 03:43PM) (new)

Mar 05, 2010 03:42PM

Susanna wrote: "Themis-Athena wrote: "Which awards did Chuck Palahniuk's "Choke" and "Survivor" win? (I only found listings for "Fight Club" and "Lullaby.")"

As far as I'm aware, those books are not award-winner..."

Actually, both have won awards (Pacific North-West Booksellers Association, etc.) but certainly not MAJOR awards. But LET THE PEOPLE VOTE etc. I guess I WOULD draw the line if Fox News started giving awards to Ann Coulter, but I hope that day never dawns.

reply | flag

message 17: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jan 06, 2011 08:36PM

Removed for not qualifying for the list:

The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks, by Max Brooks
The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead, by Max Brooks

Also, what the heck is an Audie Award when it's at home?

reply | flag

message 18: by Lobstergirl (new)

Sep 04, 2011 03:12PM

So this is only for post-1990 winners? Perhaps that should be in the title.

reply | flag

message 19: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Sep 05, 2011 02:11AM

If it's only post-1990, then both "To Kill a Mockingbird" and Flannery O'Connor's "Complete Stories" will (alas) have to go. So will "A Death in the Family" ... (?)

reply | flag

message 20: by Thom (new)

Sep 05, 2011 06:51AM

Themis-Athena wrote: "If it's only post-1990, then both "To Kill a Mockingbird" and Flannery O'Connor's "Complete Stories" will (alas) have to go. So will "A Death in the Family" ... (?)"

Right. And if you could remove them, I would be grateful. BTW, as a librarian, should I not also be able to de-list stuff ?

reply | flag

message 21: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Sep 05, 2011 07:07AM

Removed "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Billy Bathgate" (1989) -- the other two already seemed to have been deleted by someone else.

And, yes, all librarians can remove books ... click on "edit" (at the end of your list description up top), and on the page then appearing click on "remove specific books." That will give you a version of the list with the option to remove individual books. You'll see a warning that you're only supposed to remove books if you're sure they have absolutely no business being on the list (or face harshest penalties) ... but the good news is that as the list's creator, it's your prerogative to determine what books should be on the list in the first place! :)

reply | flag

message 22: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Sep 05, 2011 07:11AM

Susanna wrote: "... Also, what the heck is an Audie Award when it's at home?"

The description given on GR says that Audies are "[a]wards recognizing distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association (APA)."

Sounds more like an award for the recording, not for the substantive content of the book (i.e., the actual fiction) to me?

reply | flag

message 23: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Sep 05, 2011 11:08AM

Ah.

reply | flag

message 24: by Phillip (new)

Sep 05, 2011 03:28PM

"Never Let Me Go" is incompatible with the "No CLONES" instruction.
Something has to give...

reply | flag

message 25: by Thom (new)

Sep 05, 2011 03:31PM

Phillip wrote: ""Never Let Me Go" is incompatible with the "No CLONES" instruction.
Something has to give..."

Ishiguru's great novel is a Clone ? Pray, biteth thou thy tongue, Philip. I see it as taking an old mold (the alternate history, "If this goes on") and breaking it, much as Hamlet greatly transcends the old Senecan Revenge Tragedy.

reply | flag

message 26: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Sep 06, 2011 07:18AM

Thom wrote: "Phillip wrote: ""Never Let Me Go" is incompatible with the "No CLONES" instruction.
Something has to give..."

Ishiguru's great novel is a Clone ? Pray, biteth thou thy tongue, Philip. I see it as..."

Yeah, but it deals with clones. I take it, though, the "no clones" rule applies not so much to a given book's contents as to the type of book?

reply | flag

message 27: by Thom (new)

Sep 06, 2011 08:52AM

Themis-Athena wrote: "Thom wrote: "Phillip wrote: ""Never Let Me Go" is incompatible with the "No CLONES" instruction.
Something has to give..."

Ishiguru's great novel is a Clone ? Pray, biteth thou thy tongue, Philip..."

Oh. Apologies, Philip: Your British wit went over my verschlagener American head.

reply | flag

message 28: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jan 10, 2015 03:19AM) (new)

Jan 10, 2015 03:11AM

Should Troubles (currently #73) be on here? Or The Lieutenant (currently # 115)?

Different question :-) : How about Vogel Award Winners (Australian)? Or the Dutch AKO and Libris Award winners? I haven't added any even though the two Dutch awards are major ones in a small country like the Netherlands...

reply | flag

message 29: by Thom (new)

Jan 10, 2015 09:04AM

Booklovinglady wrote: "Should Troubles (currently #73) be on here? Or The Lieutenant (currently # 115)?

Different question :-) : How about Vogel Award Winners (Australian)? Or the Dutch AKO and Libris Award winners? I h..."

My philosophy for this list says go ahead and ADD THEM. And BTW, are there awards in Iceland ? Bulgaria ? Lilongwe ? Maseru ? Bangui ? Let's seek to broaden our view. "Correctness" takes a back seat, IMO.

reply | flag

message 30: by Richp (last edited May 23, 2016 11:07AM) (new)

May 23, 2016 11:06AM

There are a number of books here that qualify as genre fiction. I presume they are on the list because the authors are not usually considered genre writers. This comes across as not excluding books by category of books but by categorizing authors.

I can understand limiting eligibility to non-genre awards. If that was the intent this should be made explicit.

I note Cormac McCarthy is best known for his genre books including the 2 I noticed on this list.

The Prize by Yergin is nonfiction.

reply | flag