Big Books of 2026

Listopia > Book Lists Voted on by Beth Shultz (20 Lists)



Nickel and Dimed by Barbara EhrenreichMystic River by Dennis LehaneSeabiscuit by Laura HillenbrandPeace Like a River by Leif EngerBlindsighted by Karin Slaughter
Best Books of 2001
553 books — 282 voters
A Walk in the Woods by Bill BrysonInto the Wild by Jon KrakauerI'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill BrysonBlue Highways by William Least Heat-MoonThe Lost Continent by Bill Bryson
Favorite Travel Books
2,022 books — 3,944 voters

Gone Girl by Gillian FlynnA Time to Kill by John GrishamA Great Deliverance by Elizabeth GeorgeKilling Floor by Lee Child
100 Mysteries and Thrillers to Read in a Lifetime: Readers' Picks
2,206 books — 4,464 voters
Seabiscuit by Laura HillenbrandUnder the Banner of Heaven by Jon KrakauerThe Children's Blizzard by David LaskinAnd the Band Played On by Randy Shilts
Microhistory: Social Histories of Just One Thing
1,825 books — 2,213 voters

Gone with the Wind by Margaret MitchellThe Pillars of the Earth by Ken FollettThe Help by Kathryn StockettRoots by Alex HaleyWorld Without End by Ken Follett
Recommended Historical Fiction
3,644 books — 3,586 voters
In Cold Blood by Truman CapoteThe Bone Collector by Jeffery DeaverKilling Floor by Lee ChildA Great Deliverance by Elizabeth GeorgeDifferent Seasons by Stephen King
Best Crime & Mystery Books
7,306 books — 15,547 voters

The Help by Kathryn StockettTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeThe Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk KiddFried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie FlaggDivine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
Quirky Southern Fiction
968 books — 1,906 voters
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeGone with the Wind by Margaret MitchellThe Stand by Stephen KingA Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Best Books Ever
76,082 books — 282,674 voters

The Help by Kathryn StockettThe Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk KiddThe Glass Castle by Jeannette WallsMarley and Me by John GroganRoom by Emma Donoghue
Best Books of the 21st Century
9,835 books — 21,937 voters
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeGone with the Wind by Margaret MitchellThe Help by Kathryn StockettFried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie FlaggThe Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Best Southern Literature
1,342 books — 2,574 voters

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeThe Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
50 Books That Will Change Your Life - Chapters/Indigo
441 books — 1,191 voters
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeGone with the Wind by Margaret MitchellThe Help by Kathryn StockettA Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty SmithThe Stand by Stephen King
Books That Everyone Should Read At Least Once
31,477 books — 119,898 voters

Voices of a People's History of the United States by Howard ZinnAngela's Ashes by Frank McCourtFried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
Social Justice: Books on Racism, Sexism, and Class
2,096 books — 1,534 voters
Mere Christianity by C.S. LewisThe Shack by William Paul YoungMy Utmost for His Highest by Oswald ChambersThe Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Recommended Books (Besides the Bible) Written by Christian Authors
4,311 books — 3,513 voters

Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon KrakauerA People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Best Non-Fiction (no biographies)
6,227 books — 8,062 voters
Gone with the Wind by Margaret MitchellThe Pillars of the Earth by Ken FollettThe Thorn Birds by Colleen McCulloughWorld Without End by Ken Follett
Best Historical Fiction
7,392 books — 25,577 voters

Gone with the Wind by Margaret MitchellA Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty SmithThe Stand by Stephen King
Best Books of the 20th Century
7,807 books — 49,789 voters
A People’s History of the United States by Howard ZinnWorking by Studs Terkel
Best American History Books
2,119 books — 2,489 voters