The Color Purple by Alice WalkerA Prayer for Owen Meany by John IrvingThe Pillars of the Earth by Ken FollettA Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy TooleDifferent Seasons by Stephen  King
Best Books of the Decade: 1980s
2,258 books — 2,433 voters
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz ZafónExtremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Best Books of the Decade: 2000s
7,185 books — 28,365 voters