Best Books of the Year
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TIME Best Books of the Year 2021

TIME Best Books of the Year 2021 names 120 books across 3 categories. 61 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

100 Must-Read

  1. 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows by Ai Weiweisource (opens in a new tab)
  2. A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqibsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasamsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunderssource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolansource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Afterparties by Anthony Veasna Sosource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Aftershocks by Nadia Owususource (opens in a new tab)
  8. All That She Carried by Tiya Milessource (opens in a new tab)
  9. All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days by Rebecca Donnersource (opens in a new tab)
  10. America on Fire by Elizabeth Hintonsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooneysource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gormansource (opens in a new tab)
  13. China Room by Sunjeev Sahotasource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinkasource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerrsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Covered with Night by Nicole Eustacesource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Crossroads by Jonathan Franzensource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zaunersource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezisource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peterssource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefesource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch by Rivka Galchensource (opens in a new tab)
  23. Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simardsource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkemansource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Girlhood by Melissa Febossource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Great Circle by Maggie Shipsteadsource (opens in a new tab)
  27. Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whiteheadsource (opens in a new tab)
  28. Heaven by Mieko Kawakamisource (opens in a new tab)
  29. Hell of a Book by Jason Mottsource (opens in a new tab)
  30. How the Word Is Passed by Clint Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  31. Intimacies by Katie Kitamurasource (opens in a new tab)
  32. Invisible Child by Andrea Elliottsource (opens in a new tab)
  33. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishigurosource (opens in a new tab)
  34. Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidgesource (opens in a new tab)
  35. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reidsource (opens in a new tab)
  36. Matrix by Lauren Groffsource (opens in a new tab)
  37. Mike Nichols: A Life by Mark Harrissource (opens in a new tab)
  38. Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel W. Monizsource (opens in a new tab)
  39. Milk Fed by Melissa Brodersource (opens in a new tab)
  40. My Darling from the Lions by Rachel Longsource (opens in a new tab)
  41. My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  42. My Year Abroad by Chang-rae Leesource (opens in a new tab)
  43. No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwoodsource (opens in a new tab)
  44. Oh William! by Elizabeth Stroutsource (opens in a new tab)
  45. On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reedsource (opens in a new tab)
  46. One Friday in April by Donald Antrimsource (opens in a new tab)
  47. One Last Stop by Casey McQuistonsource (opens in a new tab)
  48. Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  49. Orwell's Roses by Rebecca Solnitsource (opens in a new tab)
  50. Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngartsource (opens in a new tab)
  51. Pilgrim Bell by Kaveh Akbarsource (opens in a new tab)
  52. Poet Warrior by Joy Harjosource (opens in a new tab)
  53. Pop Song by Larissa Phamsource (opens in a new tab)
  54. Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosbysource (opens in a new tab)
  55. Real Estate by Deborah Levysource (opens in a new tab)
  56. Remote Control by Nnedi Okoraforsource (opens in a new tab)
  57. Sankofa by Chibundu Onuzosource (opens in a new tab)
  58. Second Place by Rachel Cusksource (opens in a new tab)
  59. Seeing Ghosts by Kat Chowsource (opens in a new tab)
  60. Seek You by Kristen Radtkesource (opens in a new tab)
  61. Silverview by John le Carrésource (opens in a new tab)
  62. Smile by Sarah Ruhlsource (opens in a new tab)
  63. Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Fordsource (opens in a new tab)
  64. Something New Under the Sun by Alexandra Kleemansource (opens in a new tab)
  65. Sorrowland by Rivers Solomonsource (opens in a new tab)
  66. Tastes Like War by Grace M. Chosource (opens in a new tab)
  67. The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozekisource (opens in a new tab)
  68. The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vosource (opens in a new tab)
  69. The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  70. The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyensource (opens in a new tab)
  71. The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsensource (opens in a new tab)
  72. The Family Roe by Joshua Pragersource (opens in a new tab)
  73. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrixsource (opens in a new tab)
  74. The Free World by Louis Menandsource (opens in a new tab)
  75. The Kissing Bug by Daisy Hernándezsource (opens in a new tab)
  76. The Life of the Mind by Christine Smallwoodsource (opens in a new tab)
  77. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towlessource (opens in a new tab)
  78. The Loneliest Americans by Jay Caspian Kangsource (opens in a new tab)
  79. The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jefferssource (opens in a new tab)
  80. The Man Who Lived Underground by Richard Wrightsource (opens in a new tab)
  81. The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harrissource (opens in a new tab)
  82. The Promise by Damon Galgutsource (opens in a new tab)
  83. The Prophets by Robert Jonessource (opens in a new tab)
  84. The Removed by Brandon Hobsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  85. The Rib King by Ladee Hubbardsource (opens in a new tab)
  86. The Sum of Us by Heather McGheesource (opens in a new tab)
  87. The Sunflower Cast a Spell to Save Us from the Void by Jackie Wangsource (opens in a new tab)
  88. The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harrissource (opens in a new tab)
  89. The Trees by Percival Everettsource (opens in a new tab)
  90. There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumurasource (opens in a new tab)
  91. Unbound by Tarana Burkesource (opens in a new tab)
  92. Under a White Sky by Elizabeth Kolbertsource (opens in a new tab)
  93. Until Proven Safe by Geoff Manaugh and Nicola Twilleysource (opens in a new tab)
  94. While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillorysource (opens in a new tab)
  95. White Magic by Elissa Washutasource (opens in a new tab)
  96. Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrewssource (opens in a new tab)
  97. Who They Was by Gabriel Krauzesource (opens in a new tab)
  98. Who Will Pay Reparations On My Soul? by Jesse McCarthysource (opens in a new tab)
  99. You Got Anything Stronger? by Gabrielle Unionsource (opens in a new tab)
  100. You're History by Lesley Chowsource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. 1Great Circle by Maggie Shipsteadsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. 2The Prophets by Robert Jonessource (opens in a new tab)
  3. 3My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. 4Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peterssource (opens in a new tab)
  5. 5The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jefferssource (opens in a new tab)
  6. 6The Life of the Mind by Christine Smallwoodsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. 7Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerrsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. 8Afterparties by Anthony Veasna Sosource (opens in a new tab)
  9. 9Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. 10Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishigurosource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. 1A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqibsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. 2Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zaunersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. 3Invisible Child by Andrea Elliottsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. 4How the Word Is Passed by Clint Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. 5Aftershocks by Nadia Owususource (opens in a new tab)
  6. 6Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefesource (opens in a new tab)
  7. 7A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunderssource (opens in a new tab)
  8. 8The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsensource (opens in a new tab)
  9. 9Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simardsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. 10The Kissing Bug by Daisy Hernándezsource (opens in a new tab)

About the TIME Best Books of the Year

Fiction and Nonfiction top 10 lists by year (a single combined top 10 in 2006 and 2025) plus TIME's unranked 100 Must-Read Books, published 2020-2025. Separate YA/children's and genre lists are excluded. 2012-2013 cite entertainment.time.com, TIME's arts site at the time.

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

The most recommended books of 2021