Fiction & literature · 2016

Best Fiction & Literature Books of 2016

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett was the most-recognized fiction & literature book of 2016, named by 12 of the 153 sources we track. The table ranks all 74 by how many sources named them.

Sources is the number of distinct awards and year-end lists that name the book's ISBN, in any year. 2016 is the award or list year in our catalog.

#BookAuthorSourcesNamed by
1CommonwealthAnn Patchett12
2The Lesser Bohemians: A NovelEimear McBride10
3All That Man Is: A NovelDavid Szalay9
4The Mothers: A NovelBrit Bennett9
5Today Will Be DifferentMaria Semple8
6The Portable Veblen: A NovelElizabeth McKenzie5
7Modern LoversEmma Straub4
8ReputationsJuan Gabriel Vásquez, translated by Anne McLean4
9Multiple ChoiceAlejandro Zambra, translated by Megan McDowell3
10A Change Of HeartSonali Dev2
11Swing TimeZadie Smith2
12Homegoing: A NovelYaa Gyasi1
13The Nix: A NovelNathan Hill1
14UmamiLaia Jufresa, translated by Sophie Hughes1
1513 Ways Of Looking At A Fat Girl: FictionMona Awad0
    16A Gentleman In Moscow: A NovelAmor Towles0
      17Addlands: A NovelTom Bullough0
        18Another Brooklyn: A NovelJacqueline Woodson0
          19As Good As Gone: A NovelLarry Watson0
            20Behold The Dreamers: A NovelImbolo Mbue0
              21Chronicle Of A Last Summer: A Novel Of EgyptYasmine El Rashidi0
                22Eleven HoursPamela Erens0
                  23Eligible: A Modern Retelling Of Pride And PrejudiceCurtis Sittenfeld0
                    24Everybody's Fool: A NovelRichard Russo0
                      25ForbiddenBeverly Jenkins0
                        26Grief Is The Thing With Feathers: A NovelMax Porter0
                          27Hag-SeedMargaret Atwood0
                            28Heat And Light: A NovelJennifer Haigh0
                              29Here Comes The Sun: A NovelNicole Dennis-Benn0
                                30His Bloody Project: Documents Relating To The Case Of Roderick MacraeGraeme MaCrae Burnet0
                                  31Hunters In The Dark: A NovelLawrence Osborne0
                                    32Imagine Me GoneAdam Haslett0
                                      33Kill The Boy BandGoldy Moldavsky0
                                        34Loner: A NovelTeddy Wayne0
                                          35Losing It: A NovelEmma Rathbone0
                                            36Mothering Sunday: A RomanceGraham Swift0
                                              37My Name Is Lucy Barton: A NovelElizabeth Strout0
                                                38Nitro Mountain: A NovelLee Clay Johnson0
                                                  39Noonday: A NovelPat Barker0
                                                    40Nutshell: A NovelIan McEwan0
                                                      41Over The Plain Houses: A NovelJulia Franks0
                                                        42Sons And Daughters Of Ease And Plenty: A NovelRamona Ausubel0
                                                          43Spill Simmer Falter WitherSara Baume0
                                                            44The Angel Of History: A NovelRabih Alameddine0
                                                              45The Association of Small BombsKaran Mahajan0
                                                                46The Border Of Paradise: A NovelEsmé Weijun Wang0
                                                                  47The Bricks That Built The HousesKate Tempest0
                                                                    48The FortunesPeter Ho Davies0
                                                                      49The Fox Was Ever The Hunter: A NovelHerta Müller0
                                                                        50The GirlsEmma Cline0
                                                                          51The Hating GameSally Thorne0
                                                                            52The Heavenly Table: A NovelDonald Ray Pollock0
                                                                              53The High Mountains Of Portugal: A NovelYann Martel0
                                                                                54The House At The Edge Of Night: A NovelCatherine Banner0
                                                                                  55The Little Red ChairsEdna O'Brien0
                                                                                    56The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047Lionel Shriver0
                                                                                      57The NestCynthia D'Aprix Sweeney0
                                                                                        58The North WaterIan McGuire0
                                                                                          59The Queen Of The NightAlexander Chee0
                                                                                            60The Sport Of KingsC.E. Morgan0
                                                                                              61The Story Of A Brief Marriage: A NovelAnuk Arudpragasam0
                                                                                                62The Summer Before The War: A NovelHelen Simonson0
                                                                                                  63The VegetarianHan Kang. Translated by Deborah Smith0
                                                                                                    64The Vegetarian: A NovelHan Kang0
                                                                                                      65The Wangs Vs. The WorldJade Chang0
                                                                                                        66The WonderEmma Donoghue0
                                                                                                          67The Year Of The Runaways: A NovelSunjeev Sahota0
                                                                                                            68The YidPaul Goldberg0
                                                                                                              69They May Not Mean To, But They Do: A NovelCathleen Schine0
                                                                                                                70War and TurpentineStefan Hertmans. Translated by David McKay0
                                                                                                                  71Ways To DisappearIdra Novey0
                                                                                                                    72What Belongs To You: A NovelGarth Greenwell0
                                                                                                                      73Why We Came To The CityKristopher Jansma0
                                                                                                                        74Zero KDon DeLillo0