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Amazon Editors' Best Books of the Year 2012

Amazon Editors' Best Books of the Year 2012 names 100 books. 50 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

  1. 500 Days: Secrets and Lies in the Terror Wars by Kurt Eichenwaldsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Afterwards by Rosamund Luptonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't by Stephen Colbertsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Talebsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Waltersource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Birds of a Lesser Paradise: Stories by Megan Mayhew Bergmansource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantelsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. By Blood by Ellen Ullmansource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Carry the One by Carol Anshawsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. City of Fortune: How Venice Ruled the Seas by Roger Crowleysource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Connectome: How the Brain's Wiring Makes Us Who We Are by Sebastian Seungsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Dare Me by Megan E. Abbottsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt by Chris Hedgessource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munrosource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Defending Jacob by William Landaysource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Delicacy by David Foenkinossource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek and Steve Friedmansource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Every Day by David Levithansource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity by Andrew Solomonsource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolversource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Fobbit by David Abramssource (opens in a new tab)
  23. Fraternity: In 1968, a visionary priest recruited 20 black men to the College of the Holy Cross and changed their lives and the course of history. by Diane Bradysource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyansource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Hallucinations by Oliver Sackssource (opens in a new tab)
  26. How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Toughsource (opens in a new tab)
  27. How Much is Enough?: Money and the Good Life by Robert Jacob Alexander Skidelskysource (opens in a new tab)
  28. How to Be a Person: The Stranger's Guide to College, Sex, Intoxicants, Tacos, and Life Itself by Dan Savagesource (opens in a new tab)
  29. I Am an Executioner: Love Stories by Rajesh Parameswaransource (opens in a new tab)
  30. In Sunlight and in Shadow by Mark Helprinsource (opens in a new tab)
  31. Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1944-1956 by Anne Applebaumsource (opens in a new tab)
  32. Island of Vice: Theodore Roosevelt's Doomed Quest to Clean Up Sin-Loving New York by Richard Zackssource (opens in a new tab)
  33. Joseph Anton: A Memoir by Salman Rushdiesource (opens in a new tab)
  34. Life Among Giants by Bill Roorbachsource (opens in a new tab)
  35. Lionel Asbo: State of England by Martin Amissource (opens in a new tab)
  36. Live by Night by Dennis Lehanesource (opens in a new tab)
  37. May We Be Forgiven by A. M. Homessource (opens in a new tab)
  38. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloansource (opens in a new tab)
  39. My Heart Is an Idiot: Essays by Davy Rothbartsource (opens in a new tab)
  40. My Mother Was Nuts by Penny Marshallsource (opens in a new tab)
  41. NW by Zadie Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  42. No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden by Kevin Maurersource (opens in a new tab)
  43. People Who Eat Darkness: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo--and the Evil That Swallowed Her Up by Richard Lloyd Parrysource (opens in a new tab)
  44. Phantom by Jo Nesbøsource (opens in a new tab)
  45. Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power by Steve Collsource (opens in a new tab)
  46. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cainsource (opens in a new tab)
  47. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugosource (opens in a new tab)
  48. Shine Shine Shine by Lydia Netzersource (opens in a new tab)
  49. Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis by Timothy Egansource (opens in a new tab)
  50. Suddenly, a Knock on the Door: Stories by Etgar Keretsource (opens in a new tab)
  51. Sutton by J. R. Moehringersource (opens in a new tab)
  52. Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwansource (opens in a new tab)
  53. Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabonsource (opens in a new tab)
  54. Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Bruntsource (opens in a new tab)
  55. The Absolutist by John Boynesource (opens in a new tab)
  56. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walkersource (opens in a new tab)
  57. The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkemansource (opens in a new tab)
  58. The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reisssource (opens in a new tab)
  59. The Coldest Night by Robert Olmsteadsource (opens in a new tab)
  60. The Dog Stars by Peter Hellersource (opens in a new tab)
  61. The End of Money: Counterfeiters, Preachers, Techies, Dreamers--and the Coming Cashless Society by David Wolmansource (opens in a new tab)
  62. The Finish: The Killing of Osama Bin Laden by Mark Bowdensource (opens in a new tab)
  63. The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City by Alan Ehrenhaltsource (opens in a new tab)
  64. The Headmaster's Wager by Vincent Lamsource (opens in a new tab)
  65. The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winterssource (opens in a new tab)
  66. The Long Walk: A Story of War and the Life That Follows by Brian Castnersource (opens in a new tab)
  67. The Orchardist by Amanda Coplinsource (opens in a new tab)
  68. The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  69. The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Carosource (opens in a new tab)
  70. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhiggsource (opens in a new tab)
  71. The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evisonsource (opens in a new tab)
  72. The Signal and the Noise: Why Most Predictions Fail but Some Don't by Nate Silversource (opens in a new tab)
  73. The Snow Child by Eowyn Iveysource (opens in a new tab)
  74. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Millersource (opens in a new tab)
  75. The Thief by Fuminori Nakamurasource (opens in a new tab)
  76. The Twelve by Justin Croninsource (opens in a new tab)
  77. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joycesource (opens in a new tab)
  78. This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díazsource (opens in a new tab)
  79. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meachamsource (opens in a new tab)
  80. Threats by Amelia Graysource (opens in a new tab)
  81. Toby's Room by Pat Barkersource (opens in a new tab)
  82. Truth Like the Sun by Jim Lynchsource (opens in a new tab)
  83. Untouchable: The Strange Life and Tragic Death of Michael Jackson by Randall Sullivansource (opens in a new tab)
  84. What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank: Stories by Nathan Englandersource (opens in a new tab)
  85. When It Happens to You: A Novel in Stories by Molly Ringwaldsource (opens in a new tab)
  86. Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Wintersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  87. Why We Broke Up by Maira Kalmansource (opens in a new tab)
  88. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayedsource (opens in a new tab)
  89. Wilderness by Lance Wellersource (opens in a new tab)
  90. Winter of the World: Book Two of the Century Trilogy by Ken Follettsource (opens in a new tab)
  91. 1The Round House by Louise Erdrichsource (opens in a new tab)
  92. 2The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powerssource (opens in a new tab)
  93. 3Gone Girl by Gillian Flynnsource (opens in a new tab)
  94. 4The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbesource (opens in a new tab)
  95. 5Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountainsource (opens in a new tab)
  96. 6Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boosource (opens in a new tab)
  97. 7A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggerssource (opens in a new tab)
  98. 8The Middlesteins by Jami Attenbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  99. 9Mortality by Christopher Hitchenssource (opens in a new tab)
  100. 10The Fault in Our Stars by John Greensource (opens in a new tab)

About the Amazon Editors' Best Books of the Year

2006 is the editors' Top 50 and 2007-2012 the editors' Top 100, taken from archived Amazon list pages (Wayback Machine); 2006-2010 ranks are printed on the page, 2011-2012 ranks cover only the press release's top 10. 2013-2023 hold the ranked Top 10 from Amazon's press releases and 2024-2025 the ranked Top 20 from About Amazon, because the full Top 100 for 2013 onward survives only as paginated Amazon search pages that the Wayback Machine did not capture.

Organization: Amazon. Official site (opens in a new tab)

The most recommended books of 2012