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The Guardian

The Guardian Best Books of the Year 2013

The Guardian Best Books of the Year 2013 names 124 books across 11 categories. 42 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Children's

  1. Asterix and the Picts by Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conradsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Dot. by Randi Zuckerberg and Joe Bergersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassensource (opens in a new tab)
  4. How Tom Beat Captain Najork and his Hired Sportsmen by Russell Hoban and Quentin Blakesource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Lockwood & Co: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroudsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyresource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Phoenix by SF Said and Dave McKeansource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoffsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwicksource (opens in a new tab)
  10. WARP: The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin Colfersource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Z Is for Moose by Kelly Bingham and Paul O Zelinskysource (opens in a new tab)

Crime and thrillers

  1. Burial Rites by Hannah Kentsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. City of Blood by MD Villierssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Ghostman by Roger Hobbssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Laidlaw by William McIlvanneysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Norwegian By Night by Derek B Millersource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Ostland by David Thomassource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Ratlines by Stuart Nevillesource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauersource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Honey Guide by Richard Cromptonsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Missing File by DA Mishanisource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The Scent of Death by Andrew Taylorsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Silent Wife by ASA Harrisonsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Twelfth Department by William Ryansource (opens in a new tab)

Drink

  1. Madeira, the Mid-Atlantic Wine by Alex Liddellsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. World's Best Cider by Pete Brown and Bill Bradshawsource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. A Man in Love by Karl Ove Knausgaardsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. All Change by Elizabeth Jane Howardsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichiesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchonsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Chasing the King of Hearts by Hanna Krallsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Doctor Sleep by Stephen Kingsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Harvest by Jim Cracesource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulkssource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Life After Life by Kate Atkinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Longbourn by Jo Bakersource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaimansource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Quesadillas by Juan Pablo Villalobossource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollopesource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Solo by William Boydsource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Strange Bodies by Marcel Therouxsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. The Circle by Dave Eggerssource (opens in a new tab)
  17. The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushnersource (opens in a new tab)
  18. The Goldfinch by Donna Tarttsource (opens in a new tab)
  19. The Guts by Roddy Doylesource (opens in a new tab)
  20. The Infatuations by Javier Maríassource (opens in a new tab)
  21. The Luminaries by Eleanor Cattonsource (opens in a new tab)
  22. The Quarry by Iain Bankssource (opens in a new tab)
  23. The Son by Philipp Meyersource (opens in a new tab)

Food

  1. A Green and Pleasant Land: How England's Gardeners Fought the Second World War by Ursula Buchansource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Cooked by Michael Pollansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Dinner with Mr Darcy by Pen Voglersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Fat Chance by Robert Lustigsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Feeding Frenzy by Paul McMahonsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Historic Heston by Heston Blumenthalsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Breakfast Bible by Seb Emina and Malcolm Eggssource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Great British Bake Off Winter Kitchen by Lizzie Kamenetzkysource (opens in a new tab)

Music

  1. All These Years: Volume One: Tune In by Mark Lewisohnsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Autobiography by Morrisseysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Bedsit Disco Queen by Tracey Thornsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Clampdown: Pop-Cultural Wars on Class and Gender by Rhian E Jonessource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Isle of Noises by Daniel Rachelsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s by Tom Doylesource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Mo' Meta Blues by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band Who Burned a Million Pounds by John Higgssource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop by Bob Stanleysource (opens in a new tab)

Nature

  1. Badgerlands by Patrick Barkhamsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Bird Atlas 2007-11: The Breeding and Wintering Birds of Britain and Ireland by British Trust for Ornithologysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Bird Populations by Ian Newtonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Birds and People by Mark Cocker and David Tiplingsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Crossley ID Guide: Britain and Ireland by Richard Crossley and Dominic Couzenssource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Drawn to the Edge by John Threlfallsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Feral by George Monbiotsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Four Fields by Tim Deesource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Harrap's Wild Flowers by Simon Harrapsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Looking for the Goshawk by Conor Mark Jamesonsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Lost Animals: Extinction and the Photographic Record by Errol Fullersource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Terns by David Cabotsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Guga Stone by Donald S Murraysource (opens in a new tab)
  14. The Natural Eye by Society of Wildlife Artistssource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Vegetation of Britain and Ireland by Michael Proctorsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Dear Boy by Emily Berrysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Dear World & Everyone in It: New Poetry in the UK by Nathan Hamiltonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Glass Wings by Fleur Adcocksource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Hill of Doors by Robin Robertsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Parallax by Sinéad Morrisseysource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Poetry and Privacy: Questioning Public Interpretations of Contemporary British and Irish Poetry by John Redmondsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Six Bad Poets by Christopher Reidsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Sleeping Keys by Jean Spracklandsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Speak, Old Parrot by Dannie Absesource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Only Reason for Time by Fiona Mooresource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The Water Stealer by Maurice Riordansource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Train Songs by Sean O'Brien and Don Patersonsource (opens in a new tab)

Politics

  1. In It Together by Matthew d'Anconasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Not for Turning by Charles Mooresource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Power Trip by Damian McBridesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Blunders of Our Governments by Anthony King and Ivor Crewesource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The State We Need by Michael Meachersource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Wit and Wisdom of Boris Johnson by Harry Mountsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. This Boy by Alan Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Science fiction and fantasy

  1. A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatarsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozekisource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Doctor Sleep by Stephen Kingsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Dust by Hugh Howeysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Gemsigns by Stephanie Saultersource (opens in a new tab)
  6. MaddAddam by Margaret Atwoodsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. On the Steel Breeze by Alastair Reynoldssource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Sunburnt Faces by Shimon Adafsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Terra by Mitch Bennsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Adjacent by Christopher Priestsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The Luminaries by Eleanor Cattonsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Machine by James Smythesource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukessource (opens in a new tab)
  14. The Violent Century by Lavie Tidharsource (opens in a new tab)
  15. The Year of the Ladybird by Graham Joycesource (opens in a new tab)
  16. What Lot's Wife Saw by Ioanna Bourazopoulousource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Wonderbook by Jeff Vandermeersource (opens in a new tab)

Sport

  1. Doped by Jamie Reidsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Fear and Loathing in La Liga by Sid Lowesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Immortal by Duncan Hamiltonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahnsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Little Wonder by Robert Windersource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Wizard by Jon Hendersonsource (opens in a new tab)

About the The Guardian Best Books of the Year

The Guardian's year-end picks, one list per category, each chosen by a Guardian critic (fiction, crime, science fiction and fantasy, poetry, biography, politics, nature, food, sport, children's, graphic novels and others). 2009-2012 lists ran as critics' Christmas books-for-giving pieces. Left out: Observer pieces (a separate source here), roundups where many writers or public figures each name favourites, readers' and publishers' picks, stocking fillers and gift guides, books a critic panned, and picks with no named author. theguardian.com's robots.txt bars Claude crawlers, so pages were read through the Wayback Machine. Missing: 2006-2008 (no qualifying critic list found) and some categories in 2009-2014 and 2016-2017 that Wayback did not capture or index. Approved for use by the site owner on 2026-11-05.

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

The most recommended books of 2013