Best Books of the Year
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Washington Post Best Books of the Year 2012

Washington Post Best Books of the Year 2012 names 110 books across 3 categories. 35 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

10 Best Books

  1. Arcadia by Lauren Groffsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boosource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountainsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantelsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Broken Harbor by Tana Frenchsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Canada by Richard Fordsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East by Anthony Shadidsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1944-1956 by Anne Applebaumsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Marigold: The Lost Chance for Peace in Vietnam by James G. Hershbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Notable Fiction

  1. A Lovesong for India by Ruth Prawer Jhabvalasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Waltersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Breed by Chase Novaksource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munrosource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Dream of the Celt by Mario Vargas Llosasource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolversource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Gathering of Waters by Bernice L. McFaddensource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Gods Without Men by Hari Kunzrusource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Hide Me Among the Graves by Tim Powerssource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Home by Toni Morrisonsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. I Am an Executioner: Love Stories by Rajesh Parameswaransource (opens in a new tab)
  13. In Sunlight and in Shadow by Mark Helprinsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Live by Night by Dennis Lehanesource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Ministers of Fire by Mark Harril Saunderssource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Nw by Zadie Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Requiem by Frances Itanisource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Skios by Michael Fraynsource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Stay Awake: Stories by Dan Chaonsource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabonsource (opens in a new tab)
  21. The Bartender’s Tale by Ivan Doigsource (opens in a new tab)
  22. The Chaperone by Laura Moriartysource (opens in a new tab)
  23. The Devil in Silver by Victor LaVallesource (opens in a new tab)
  24. The Hot Country by Robert Olen Butlersource (opens in a new tab)
  25. The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenbergersource (opens in a new tab)
  26. The Odds: A Love Story by Stewart O’Nansource (opens in a new tab)
  27. The Orchardist by Amanda Coplinsource (opens in a new tab)
  28. The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  29. The Queen’s Lover by Francine du Plessix Graysource (opens in a new tab)
  30. The Racketeer by John Grishamsource (opens in a new tab)
  31. The Red House by Mark Haddonsource (opens in a new tab)
  32. The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evisonsource (opens in a new tab)
  33. The Round House by Louise Erdrichsource (opens in a new tab)
  34. The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjaliansource (opens in a new tab)
  35. The Snow Child by Eowyn Iveysource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Millersource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The St. Zita Society by Ruth Rendellsource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Stonecutter by Camilla Lackbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jonessource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joycesource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The Unreal Life of Sergey Nabokov by Paul Russellsource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniaksource (opens in a new tab)
  43. The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powerssource (opens in a new tab)
  44. This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diazsource (opens in a new tab)
  45. True Believers by Kurt Andersensource (opens in a new tab)
  46. Watergate by Thomas Mallonsource (opens in a new tab)
  47. What Happened to Sophie Wilder by Christopher R. Behasource (opens in a new tab)
  48. What It Was by George Pelecanossource (opens in a new tab)
  49. Winter of the World by Ken Follettsource (opens in a new tab)
  50. Wish You Were Here by Graham Swiftsource (opens in a new tab)

Notable Nonfiction

  1. 500 Days: Secrets and Lies in the Terror Wars by Kurt Eichenwaldsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. All the Missing Souls: A Personal History of the War Crimes Tribunals by David Scheffersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. America’s Great Debate: Henry Clay, Stephen A. Douglas, and the Compromise That Preserved the Union by Fergus M. Bordewichsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. America’s Unwritten Constitution: The Precedents and Principles We Live By by Akhil Reed Amarsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War by Stephen R. Plattsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Confront and Conceal: Obama’s Secret Wars and Surprising Use of American Power by David E. Sangersource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Cronkite by Douglas Brinkleysource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child by Bob Spitzsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies by Ben Macintyresource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power by Rachel Maddowsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Elsewhere: A Memoir by Richard Russosource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America’s Vietnam by Fredrik Logevallsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Enemies: A History of the FBI by Tim Weinersource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Freedom and the Arts: Essays on Music and Literature by Charles Rosensource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Immortal Bird: A Family Memoir by Doron Webersource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Interventions: A Life in War and Peace by Kofi Annan and Nader Mousavizadehsource (opens in a new tab)
  17. It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism by Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornsteinsource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Kill or Capture: The War on Terror and the Soul of the Obama Presidency by Daniel Klaidmansource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Little America: The War Within the War for Afghanistan by Rajiv Chandrasekaransource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden From 9/11 to Abbottabad by Peter L. Bergensource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China by Paul Frenchsource (opens in a new tab)
  22. On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines — and Future by Karen Elliott Housesource (opens in a new tab)
  23. On the Eve: The Jews of Europe Before the Second World War by Bernard Wassersteinsource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Pakistan on the Brink: The Future of America, Pakistan and Afghanistan by Ahmed Rashidsource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Patriot of Persia: Muhammad Mossadegh and a Tragic Anglo-American Coup by Christopher de Bellaiguesource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Prairie Fever: British Aristocrats in the American West 1830-1890 by Peter Pagnamentasource (opens in a new tab)
  27. Representing the Race: The Creation of the Civil Rights Lawyer by Kenneth W. Macksource (opens in a new tab)
  28. Running for My Life: One Lost Boy’s Journey From the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games by Lopez Lomong and Mark Tabbsource (opens in a new tab)
  29. Swim: Why We Love the Water by Lynn Sherrsource (opens in a new tab)
  30. The Boy Kings of Texas: A Memoir by Domingo Martinezsource (opens in a new tab)
  31. The Collected Writings of Joe Brainard by Joe Brainardsource (opens in a new tab)
  32. The End of Men: And the Rise of Women by Hanna Rosinsource (opens in a new tab)
  33. The Generals: American Military Command From World War II to Today by Thomas E. Rickssource (opens in a new tab)
  34. The Great American Railroad War: How Ambrose Bierce and Frank Norris Took on the Central Pacific Railroad by Dennis Drabellesource (opens in a new tab)
  35. The Hunt for KSM: Inside the Pursuit and Takedown of the Real 9/11 Mastermind, Khalid Sheik Mohammed by Terry McDermott and Josh Meyersource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The Last Pre-Raphaelite: Edward Burne-Jones and the Victorian Imagination by Fiona MacCarthysource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The Little Red Guard: A Family Memoir by Wenguang Huangsource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Man Who Changed the Way We Eat: Craig Claiborne and the American Food Renaissance by Thomas McNameesource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobinsource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Carosource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The Playground by Terrence M. McCoysource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Presidents Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffysource (opens in a new tab)
  43. The Price of Inequality: How Today’s Divided Society Endangers Our Future by Joseph E. Stiglitzsource (opens in a new tab)
  44. The Price of Politics by Bob Woodwardsource (opens in a new tab)
  45. The Richer Sex: How the New Majority of Female Breadwinners Is Transforming Sex, Love, and Family by Liza Mundysource (opens in a new tab)
  46. The Social Conquest of Earth by Edward O. Wilsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  47. The Tender Hour of Twilight: Paris in the ’50s, New York in the ’60s: A Memoir of Publishing’s Golden Age by Richard Seaversource (opens in a new tab)
  48. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meachamsource (opens in a new tab)
  49. War on the Waters: The Union and Confederate Navies, 1861-1865 by James M. McPhersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  50. Winter Journal by Paul Austersource (opens in a new tab)

About the Washington Post Best Books of the Year

Three lists a year: 10 Best Books, Notable Fiction, and Notable Nonfiction. 2011-2025 notable lists are WaPo's 50 notable works of fiction and nonfiction. 2006-2010 notable lists are Book World's holiday Best Books of the year, whose genre subsections are folded into fiction and nonfiction; 2006 and 2011 top lists are top five fiction plus top five nonfiction. WaPo pages were read through the Wayback Machine because washingtonpost.com blocks direct fetches. Secondary sources where no WaPo copy was readable: the 2008 top 10 and nine of the 2010 top 10 come from Publishers Lunch; the 2025 lists are cut off by the paywall in every archived copy and come from yearendlists.com (item 1 on each WaPo page matches). WaPo's separate genre lists (thrillers, SF, poetry, graphic novels) and critics' personal picks are left out. No list is ranked.

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

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