What was the top reviewed fiction of the year?
To find out, I looked at the best lists from Publishers Weekly, the Library Journal and School Library Journal, the American Library Association, Kirkus, The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Times, Booklist, BookPage, NPR, Amazon and Barnes&Noble. I included titles that made at least three lists. (You can find my post about the top nonfiction of 2017 here).
The titles link to our catalog if you want to place holds on them or read the descriptions. If our reference desk staff recommended the book in our 2017 Staff Favorites, I included a star after the title and the name of the staffer who read it. Our staff agreed with a lot of the experts on the best books. You can find all of our staff fiction favorites of 2017 compiled in booklets at the reference desks at Cook Park and Aspen Drive Libraries. If you can’t make it to the library, you can see our fiction favorites here.
And now for the top reviewed fiction of the year:
Listed 11 times:
Exit West* by Moshin Hamid (Magical Realism). Recommended by staffers Jo, Erica, Joe, Lindsay, Brooke and Ellen J.
Lincoln in the Bardo* by George Saunders (Historical Fiction). Recommended by staffers Nate, Susie, Andrea, Ellen J., Erica and Jo.
Listed 10 times:
Manhattan Beach* by Jennifer Egan (Historical Fiction). Recommended by Jo.
Sing Unburied Sing* by Jesmyn Ward. Recommended by staffers Andrea, Jo and Erica.
Listed 9 times:
The Ninth Hour* by Alice McDermott (Historical Fiction). Recommended by staffers Jo and Becky.
Listed 8 times:
White Tears by Hari Kunzru (Contemporary).
Listed 7 times:
4321 by Paul Auster (Historical Fiction).
The Hate You Give* by Angie Thomas (Young Adult Contemporary). Recommended by staffers Joe, Haley and Ellen J.
Home Fire* by Kamila Shamsie (Contemporary Fiction). Recommended by Becky.
Turtles All the Way Down* by John Green. Recommended by staffers Ellen J., Andrea, Jo
and Jocelyn
Listed 6 times:
Glass Houses* By Louise Penny (Mystery). Recommended by staffers Jo, Jean, Jenny, Sonia, Erica, Ellen J. and Jane
Little Fires Everywhere* by Celeste Ng. Recommended by staffers Jean, Andrea and Ellen J.
The Magpie Murders* by Anthony Horowitz (Mystery). Recommended by staffers Andrea, Ellen J., Jo, Jane, Jenny, Erica and Melissa
My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent (Contemporary Fiction).
Pachinko* by Min Jin Lee (Historical Fiction). Recommended by staffer Jean.
Listed 5 times:
American War by Omar El Akkad (Science Fiction).
Anything Is Possible* by Elizabeth Strout (Linked Short Stories). Recommended by staffers Ellen J. and Melissa.
The Book of Dust* by Philip Pullman (Fantasy). Recommended by staffer Erica.
Five-Carat Soul by James McBride (Short Stories).
Fresh Complaint: Stories by Jeffrey Eugenides (Short Stories).
The Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich (Dystopian Fiction).
Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado (Short Stories).
lll Will* by Dan Chaon (Suspense). Recommended by staffer Becky.
Legacy of Spies* by John Le Carre (Historical Espionage). Recommended by staffers Andrea and Mary Ann.
Long Way Down* by Jason Reynolds (Young Adult Contemporary Fiction). Recommended by staffer Mark.
Marlena by Julie Buntin (Contemporary Fiction).
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy (Romance).
The Power by Naomi Alderman (Science Fiction).
The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen (Short Stories).
The Stone Sky* by N.K. Jemisin (Fantasy). Recommended by staffer Jo.
Listed 4 times:
Autumn by Ali Smith (Contemporary Fiction).
The Burning Girl by Claire Messud (Contemporary Fiction).
The Changeling by Victor LaValle (Science Fiction).
Days without End by Sebastian Barry (Historical Fiction).
The Force* by Don Winslow (Thriller). Recommended by staffer Andrea.
Golden Hill by Francis Spufford (Historical Fiction).
Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai (Romance).
Landscape with Invisible Hand by M.T. Anderson (Young Adult).
New People by Danzy Senna (Contemporary Fiction).
Norse Mythology* by Neil Gaiman (Fantasy). Recommended by staffer Erica.
What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons (Contemporary Fiction).
When Dimple Met Rishi* by Sandhya Menon (Young Adult Romance). Recommended by staffer Erica.
Listed 3 times:
The Alice Network* by Kate Quinn (Historical Fiction). Recommended by Erica and Mary Ann.
American Street by Ibi Zoboi (Young Adult).
Augustown by Kei Miller (Contemporary Fiction).
Borne* by Jeff VanderMeer (Science Fiction). Recommended by staffer Lindsay.
Column of Fire by Ken Follett (Historical Fiction).
The Cuban Affair* by Nelson Demille (Thriller). Recommended by staffer Jo.
Dark at the Crossing by Elliot Ackerman (Contemporary).
The Duchess Deal: Girl Meets Duke by Tessa Dare (Romance).
The Dry* by Jane Harper (Mystery). Recommended by staffers Jo, Becky and Ellen J.
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry (Historical Fiction).
Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips (Thriller).
The Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Virtue* by Mackenzi Lee (Young Adult Historical Fiction). Recommended by staffer Heather.
Golden House by Salman Rushdie (Contemporary Fiction).
The History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund (Contemporary Fiction).
The Late Show* by Michael Connelly (Mystery). Recommended by staffers Jo and Jane.
The Locals by Jonathan Dee (Contemporary Fiction).
Mississippi Blood by Greg Iles (Suspense).
The Mountain: Stories by Paul Yoon (Short Stories).
Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta (Contemporary Fiction).
My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Kabi Nagata (Graphic Novel).
Reservoir 13* by Jon McGregor (Contemporary Fiction). Recommended by staffer Becky.
Salt Houses by Hala Alyan (Contemporary Fiction).
Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge (Young Adult Paranormal Fiction).
Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny (Contemporary Fiction). Recommended by staffer Jean.
Stay with Me by Ayobami Adebayo (Contemporary Fiction).
They Both Die in the End by Adam Silvera (Young Adult Romance Fiction).
Universal Harvester by John Darnielle (Horror).
Warcross by Marie Lu (Young Adult Fantasy)
Categories: Books and More
Tags: Books and More
