The Pillars of the Earth by Ken FollettThe Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz ZafónPerfume by Patrick SüskindLove in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
Best Historical Fiction
7,940 books — 26,426 voters
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled HosseiniThe Help by Kathryn StockettThe Kite Runner by Khaled HosseiniRoom by Emma DonoghueGone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Decent ADULT books for ADULT readers
822 books — 328 voters

The Kite Runner by Khaled HosseiniThe Help by Kathryn StockettA Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled HosseiniThe Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz ZafónFall of Giants by Ken Follett
Best Historical Fiction of the 21st Century
1,503 books — 2,982 voters
The Kite Runner by Khaled HosseiniHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. RowlingThe Help by Kathryn StockettA Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled HosseiniThe Da Vinci Code by Dan    Brown
Best Books of the Decade: 2000s
7,221 books — 28,377 voters

The Help by Kathryn StockettTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeHarry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. RowlingThe Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg LarssonA Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Smart Summer Reads
13,389 books — 11,463 voters
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg LarssonThe Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz ZafónPerfume by Patrick Süskind
Best Crime & Mystery Books
7,463 books — 16,259 voters

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina SimonsMemoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
WWII Historic Fiction
1,507 books — 1,600 voters
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-ExupéryEast of Eden by John SteinbeckOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken KeseyLove in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
Best Books of the 20th Century
7,877 books — 49,834 voters

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled HosseiniThe Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg LarssonKafka on the Shore by Haruki MurakamiThe Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Best Books of the 21st Century
9,846 books — 22,403 voters
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeThe Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-ExupéryThe Kite Runner by Khaled HosseiniOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken KeseyA Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Books That Everyone Should Read At Least Once
32,598 books — 124,067 voters

The Kite Runner by Khaled HosseiniA Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled HosseiniMy Sister's Keeper by Jodi PicoultThe Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg LarssonThe Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Best for Book Clubs
15,326 books — 19,633 voters
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeA Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled HosseiniOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
Best Books Ever
78,441 books — 292,388 voters