Best Books of the Year
Menu

The New York Times

New York Times 100 Notable Books 2007

New York Times 100 Notable Books 2007 names 100 books across 2 categories. 47 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Fiction & Poetry

  1. A Free Life by Ha Jinsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. After Dark by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubinsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Bearing the Body by Ehud Havazeletsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russosource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Call Me by Your Name by André Acimansource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Cheating at Canasta by William Trevorsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Dancing to “Almendra” by Mayra Montero, translated by Edith Grossmansource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Exit Ghost by Philip Rothsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Falling Man by Don DeLillosource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Fellow Travelers by Thomas Mallonsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowlingsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. House Lights by Leah Hager Cohensource (opens in a new tab)
  13. House of Meetings by Martin Amissource (opens in a new tab)
  14. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matarsource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Knots by Nuruddin Farahsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Later, at the Bar by Rebecca Barrysource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name by Vendela Vidasource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Like You’d Understand, Anyway by Jim Shepardsource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Man Gone Down by Michael Thomassource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Matrimony by Joshua Henkinsource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Mothers and Sons by Colm Toibinsource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Next Life by Rae Armantroutsource (opens in a new tab)
  23. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwansource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson, translated by Anne Bornsource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Remainder by Tom McCarthysource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Selected Poems by Derek Walcottsource (opens in a new tab)
  27. Shortcomings by Adrian Tominesource (opens in a new tab)
  28. Sunstroke by Tessa Hadleysource (opens in a new tab)
  29. The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrottasource (opens in a new tab)
  30. The Bad Girl by Mario Vargas Llosa, translated by Edith Grossmansource (opens in a new tab)
  31. The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestusource (opens in a new tab)
  32. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díazsource (opens in a new tab)
  33. The Collected Poems, 1956-1998 by Zbigniew Herbert, translated by Alissa Vallessource (opens in a new tab)
  34. The Gathering by Anne Enrightsource (opens in a new tab)
  35. The Indian Clerk by David Leavittsource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The Maytrees by Annie Dillardsource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englandersource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamidsource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño, translated by Natasha Wimmersource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofersource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munrosource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabonsource (opens in a new tab)
  43. Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferrissource (opens in a new tab)
  44. Throw Like a Girl by Jean Thompsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  45. Time and Materials by Robert Hasssource (opens in a new tab)
  46. Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  47. Twenty Grand by Rebecca Curtissource (opens in a new tab)
  48. Varieties of Disturbance by Lydia Davissource (opens in a new tab)
  49. What Is the What by Dave Eggerssource (opens in a new tab)
  50. Winterton Blue by Trezza Azzopardisource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. A Life of Picasso by John Richardsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyresource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Alexis de Tocqueville by Hugh Brogansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Alice by Stacy A. Corderysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. American Creation by Joseph J. Ellissource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Arsenals of Folly by Richard Rhodessource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticatsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Circling My Mother by Mary Gordonsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Cleopatra’s Nose by Judith Thurmansource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Cultural Amnesia by Clive Jamessource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Down the Nile by Rosemary Mahoneysource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Driven Out by Jean Pfaelzersource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Due Considerations by John Updikesource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Easter Everywhere by Darcey Steinkesource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Edith Wharton by Hermione Leesource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Foreskin’s Lament by Shalom Auslandersource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano, translated by Virginia Jewisssource (opens in a new tab)
  18. How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopmansource (opens in a new tab)
  19. How to Read the Bible by James L. Kugelsource (opens in a new tab)
  20. How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read by Pierre Bayard, translated by Jeffrey Mehlmansource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaransource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Legacy of Ashes by Tim Weinersource (opens in a new tab)
  23. Leni by Steven Bachsource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Leonard Woolf by Victoria Glendinningsource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalishsource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beahsource (opens in a new tab)
  27. Portrait of a Priestess by Joan Breton Connellysource (opens in a new tab)
  28. Ralph Ellison by Arnold Rampersadsource (opens in a new tab)
  29. Schulz and Peanuts by David Michaelissource (opens in a new tab)
  30. Service Included by Phoebe Damroschsource (opens in a new tab)
  31. Soldier’s Heart by Elizabeth D. Sametsource (opens in a new tab)
  32. Stanley by Tim Jealsource (opens in a new tab)
  33. The Argument by Matt Baisource (opens in a new tab)
  34. The Art of Political Murder by Francisco Goldmansource (opens in a new tab)
  35. The Day of Battle by Rick Atkinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brownsource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The Discovery of France by Graham Robbsource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Father of All Things by Tom Bissellsource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Florist’s Daughter by Patricia Hamplsource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The House That George Built by Wilfrid Sheedsource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The Invisible Cure by Helen Epsteinsource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Nine by Jeffrey Toobinsource (opens in a new tab)
  43. The Ordeal of Elizabeth Marsh by Linda Colleysource (opens in a new tab)
  44. The Rest Is Noise by Alex Rosssource (opens in a new tab)
  45. The Stillborn God by Mark Lillasource (opens in a new tab)
  46. The Whisperers by Orlando Figessource (opens in a new tab)
  47. The Years of Extermination by Saul Friedländersource (opens in a new tab)
  48. Thomas Hardy by Claire Tomalinsource (opens in a new tab)
  49. Too Close to the Sun by Sara Wheelersource (opens in a new tab)
  50. Two Lives by Janet Malcolmsource (opens in a new tab)

About the New York Times 100 Notable Books

nytimes.com blocks automated fetches, so counts come from archive.nytimes.com (2006-2013) and Wayback Machine snapshots (2014-2024) of each year's NYT page. NYT blocks archiving of the 2025 page; 2025 counts come from the yearendlists.com copy of the list. Categories follow NYT's Fiction & Poetry / Nonfiction grouping (2018-2022 from each book's genre tag). Titles drop subtitles.

Organization: The New York Times. Official site (opens in a new tab)

The most recommended books of 2007