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New York Times 100 Notable Books 2011

New York Times 100 Notable Books 2011 names 100 books across 2 categories. 52 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Fiction & Poetry

  1. 11/22/63 by Stephen Kingsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin and Philip Gabrielsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. A Moment in the Sun by John Saylessource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Big Questions by Anders Brekhus Nilsensource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Canti by Giacomo Leopardi, translated by Jonathan Galassisource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Changó’s Beads and Two-Tone Shoes by William Kennedysource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Come on All You Ghosts by Matthew Zaprudersource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Ghost Lights by Lydia Milletsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Gryphon by Charles Baxtersource (opens in a new tab)
  10. House of Holes by Nicholson Bakersource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Long, Last, Happy by Barry Hannahsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Bankssource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemisource (opens in a new tab)
  15. My New American Life by Francine Prosesource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Open City by Teju Colesource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Parallel Stories by Peter Nadas, translated by Imre Goldsteinsource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Say Her Name by Francisco Goldmansource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Scenes from Village Life by Amos Oz, translated by Nicholas de Langesource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Seven Years by Peter Stamm, translated by Michael Hofmannsource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Shards by Ismet Prcicsource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Space, in Chains by Laura Kasischkesource (opens in a new tab)
  23. Stone Arabia by Dana Spiottasource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Swamplandia! by Karen Russellsource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Taller When Prone by Les Murraysource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Ten Thousand Saints by Eleanor Hendersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  27. The Angel Esmeralda by Don DeLillosource (opens in a new tab)
  28. The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbachsource (opens in a new tab)
  29. The Barbarian Nurseries by Héctor Tobarsource (opens in a new tab)
  30. The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsukasource (opens in a new tab)
  31. The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatjesource (opens in a new tab)
  32. The Free World by David Bezmozgissource (opens in a new tab)
  33. The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohensource (opens in a new tab)
  34. The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncansource (opens in a new tab)
  35. The Leftovers by Tom Perrottasource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The London Train by Tessa Hadleysource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenidessource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Pale King by David Foster Wallacesource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnessource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The Stranger’s Child by Alan Hollinghurstsource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The Submission by Amy Waldmansource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obrehtsource (opens in a new tab)
  43. The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)
  44. This Beautiful Life by Helen Schulmansource (opens in a new tab)
  45. Train Dreams by Denis Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. 1493 by Charles C. Mannsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. 1861 by Adam Goodheartsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. A Train in Winter by Caroline Mooreheadsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. A World on Fire by Amanda Foremansource (opens in a new tab)
  5. And So It Goes by Charles J. Shieldssource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Arguably by Christopher Hitchenssource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Assassins of the Turquoise Palace by Roya Hakakiansource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Believing Is Seeing by Errol Morrissource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamiltonsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Blue Nights by Joan Didionsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Caravaggio by Andrew Graham-Dixonsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Catherine the Great by Robert K. Massiesource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Clarence Darrow by John A. Farrellsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fullersource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millardsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Examined Lives by James Millersource (opens in a new tab)
  17. George F. Kennan by John Lewis Gaddissource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Great Soul by Joseph Lelyveldsource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Harlem Is Nowhere by Sharifa Rhodes-Pittssource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Holy War by Nigel Cliffsource (opens in a new tab)
  21. In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Inferno by Max Hastingssource (opens in a new tab)
  23. Inside Scientology by Janet Reitmansource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Is That a Fish in Your Ear? by David Bellossource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Jerusalem by Simon Sebag Montefioresource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Knocking on Heaven’s Door by Lisa Randallsource (opens in a new tab)
  27. Malcolm X by Manning Marablesource (opens in a new tab)
  28. Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitzsource (opens in a new tab)
  29. Moby-Duck by Donovan Hohnsource (opens in a new tab)
  30. My Song by Harry Belafontesource (opens in a new tab)
  31. One Day I Will Write About This Place by Binyavanga Wainainasource (opens in a new tab)
  32. Pauline Kael by Brian Kellowsource (opens in a new tab)
  33. Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivansource (opens in a new tab)
  34. Rights Gone Wrong by Richard Thompson Fordsource (opens in a new tab)
  35. Rin Tin Tin by Susan Orleansource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The Art of Cruelty by Maggie Nelsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutschsource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinkersource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Boy in the Moon by Ian Brownsource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The Ecstasy of Influence by Jonathan Lethemsource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The Information by James Gleicksource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Keats Brothers by Denise Gigantesource (opens in a new tab)
  43. The Memory Chalet by Tony Judtsource (opens in a new tab)
  44. The Net Delusion by Evgeny Morozovsource (opens in a new tab)
  45. The Origins of Political Order by Francis Fukuyamasource (opens in a new tab)
  46. The Quest by Daniel Yerginsource (opens in a new tab)
  47. The Storm of War by Andrew Robertssource (opens in a new tab)
  48. The Swerve by Stephen Greenblattsource (opens in a new tab)
  49. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahnemansource (opens in a new tab)
  50. To End All Wars by Adam Hochschildsource (opens in a new tab)
  51. To a Mountain in Tibet by Colin Thubronsource (opens in a new tab)
  52. Van Gogh by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  53. Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness? by Tourésource (opens in a new tab)
  54. Why the West Rules — For Now by Ian Morrissource (opens in a new tab)
  55. [Sic] by Joshua Codysource (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)

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