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The Globe and Mail Globe 100 2012

The Globe and Mail Globe 100 2012 names 100 books across 4 categories. 39 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Fiction

  1. 419 by Will Fergusonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggerssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Above All Things by Tanis Rideoutsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. All Men Are Liars by Alberto Manguelsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. American Dervish by Ayad Akhtarsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Arcadia by Lauren Groffsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Astray by Emma Donoghuesource (opens in a new tab)
  8. At Last by Edward St. Aubynsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantelsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Canada by Richard Fordsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Carnival by Rawi Hagesource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Dear Life by Alice Munrosource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Dr. Brinkley’s Tower by Robert Houghsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Enchantments by Kathryn Harrisonsource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Everybody Has Everything by Katrina Onstadsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Fairy Tales From the Brothers Grimm by Philip Pullmansource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Flight by Adam Thorpesource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolversource (opens in a new tab)
  19. HHhH by Laurent Binet, translated by Sam Taylorsource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Inside by Alix Ohlinsource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Mad Hope by Heather Birrellsource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Magnified World by Grace O’Connellsource (opens in a new tab)
  23. NW by Zadie Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  24. One Good Hustle by Billie Livingstonsource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Seen Reading by Julie Wilsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwansource (opens in a new tab)
  27. The Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 by Mary Henley Rubio and Elizabeth Hillman Waterstonsource (opens in a new tab)
  28. The Emperor of Paris by C. S. Richardsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  29. The Fat Years by Chan Koonchung, translated by Michael S. Dukesource (opens in a new tab)
  30. The Hunger Angel by Herta Müller, translated by Philip Boehmsource (opens in a new tab)
  31. The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richlersource (opens in a new tab)
  32. The Juliet Stories by Carrie Snydersource (opens in a new tab)
  33. The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogansource (opens in a new tab)
  34. The Lower River by Paul Therouxsource (opens in a new tab)
  35. The Magic of Saida by M. G. Vassanjisource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The Odds by Stewart O’Nansource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The Purchase by Linda Spaldingsource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Red House by Mark Haddonsource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Round House by Louise Erdrichsource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The Strange Truth About Us by M. A. C. Farrantsource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlmansource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jonessource (opens in a new tab)
  43. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joycesource (opens in a new tab)
  44. The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniaksource (opens in a new tab)
  45. The World by Bill Gastonsource (opens in a new tab)
  46. This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díazsource (opens in a new tab)
  47. Treasure Island!!! by Sara Levinesource (opens in a new tab)
  48. Waiting for Sunrise by William Boydsource (opens in a new tab)
  49. Watergate by Thomas Mallonsource (opens in a new tab)
  50. Waterline by Ross Raisinsource (opens in a new tab)
  51. What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englandersource (opens in a new tab)
  52. Whirl Away by Russell Wangerskysource (opens in a new tab)
  53. Y by Marjorie Celonasource (opens in a new tab)

Graphic Literature

  1. Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdelsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Building Stories by Chris Waresource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beatonsource (opens in a new tab)

Non-Fiction

  1. A Geography of Blood by Candace Savagesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. A More Perfect Heaven: How Copernicus Revolutionized the Cosmos by Dava Sobelsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. A Thousand Farewells by Nahlah Ayedsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Aftermath by Rachel Cusksource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Among the Islands: Adventures in the Pacific by Tim Flannerysource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Attack of the Copula Spiders: And Other Essays on Writing by Douglas Gloversource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Ballerina: Sex, Scandal, and Suffering Behind the Symbol of Perfection by Deirdre Kellysource (opens in a new tab)
  8. How Music Works by David Byrnesource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Human Happiness by Brian Fawcettsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. In the Shadow of the Sword by Tom Hollandsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Intolerable by Kamal Al-Solayleesource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1945-1956 by Anne Applebaumsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. John Huston by Jeffrey Meyerssource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Joseph Anton by Salman Rushdiesource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Leonardo and the Last Supper by Ross Kingsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Mortality by Christopher Hitchenssource (opens in a new tab)
  17. One Day I Will Write About This Place by Binyavanga Wainainasource (opens in a new tab)
  18. One Story, One Song by Richard Wagamesesource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Pinboy by George Boweringsource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Plutocrats by Chrystia Freelandsource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Religion for Atheists by Alain de Bottonsource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Solar Dance by Modris Eksteinssource (opens in a new tab)
  23. Straphanger: Saving Our Cities and Ourselves from the Automobile by Taras Grescoesource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Survival of the Beautiful: Art, Science, and Evolution by David Rothenbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Sword Of The Spirit, Shield Of Faith by Andrew Prestonsource (opens in a new tab)
  26. The Book of Marvels: A Compendium of Everyday Things by Lorna Croziersource (opens in a new tab)
  27. The Conflict: How Modern Motherhood Undermines The Status of Women by Elisabeth Badinter, translated by Adriana Huntersource (opens in a new tab)
  28. The Escape Artists: How Obama's Team Fumbled the Recovery by Noam Scheibersource (opens in a new tab)
  29. The Last Viking by Stephen R. Bownsource (opens in a new tab)
  30. The Obamas by Jodi Kantorsource (opens in a new tab)
  31. The Pursuit of Perfection: A Life of Celia Franca by Carol Bishop-Gwynsource (opens in a new tab)
  32. The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidtsource (opens in a new tab)
  33. The Second World War by Antony Beevorsource (opens in a new tab)
  34. The Tower of Babble: Sins, Secrets and Successes Inside the CBC by Richard Stursbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  35. Thinking the Twentieth Century by Tony Judt and Timothy Snydersource (opens in a new tab)
  36. Turing’s Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe by George Dysonsource (opens in a new tab)
  37. Voluptuous Pleasure: The Truth about the Writing Life by Marianne Apostolidessource (opens in a new tab)
  38. Walls: Travels Along the Barricades by Marcello Di Cintiosource (opens in a new tab)
  39. When I Was a Child I Read Books by Marilynne Robinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  40. Who’s in Charge? Free Will and the Science of the Brain by Michael S. Gazzanigasource (opens in a new tab)
  41. Wild by Cheryl Strayedsource (opens in a new tab)
  42. Working the Dead Beat by Sandra Martinsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Antigonick by Anne Carsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Monkey Ranch by Julie Brucksource (opens in a new tab)

About the The Globe and Mail Globe 100

The Globe 100, The Globe and Mail's annual books-section pick of the year's best books, 2006-2025. All rows come from the Globe's own Globe 100 archive (an interactive on theglobeandmail.com, read from its public data file). Categories are the archive's genre labels: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Graphic Literature, Kids' Books, Young Adult Fiction and Cookbooks. Fiction and Non-Fiction merge the paper's Canadian and international sections; thrillers sit under Fiction. Every year has 100 books except 2007, which the archive lists with 101. Checks against the annual Globe 100 articles for 2009, 2017 and 2019-2024 matched. Eight archive typos were fixed from the annual article, a publisher or retailer page, or other lists in this catalog: Killers of the Flower Moon (2017), Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder (2024), and the author names Andrew O’Hagan, Ian McEwan, Linden MacIntyre, Sara Cassidy, Andrew Larsen and Kenneth Oppel. Illustrators and volume editors are dropped from the author field; translators are kept. Reader-pick follow-ups and writers' favourite-books columns are left out. The list is not ranked.

Organization: The Globe and Mail. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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