Gone with the Wind by Margaret MitchellThe Pillars of the Earth by Ken FollettKatherine by Anya SetonThe Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
Best Historical Fiction
7,433 books — 25,610 voters
The Color Purple by Alice WalkerThe Poisonwood Bible by Barbara KingsolverThe Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret AtwoodThe Red Tent by Anita DiamantA Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Best Page-Turners with Redeeming Social Value
8,064 books — 5,736 voters

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette WintersonThe Color Purple by Alice WalkerThe Red Tent by Anita DiamantThe Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing
Best Feminist Fiction
1,500 books — 2,674 voters