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Best Books of the 1960s

The most acclaimed books published between 1960 and 1969, ranked by editorial consensus across Nobel Prizes, Booker Awards, Pulitzers, and 40+ critical sources. This era was defined by postmodernism, counterculture, and magical realism.

50 titles ranked · 1960–1969 · Scored across 40+ editorial sources
#1
Cover of The Grapes of Wrath
literary-fiction

The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck· 1962
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score90/100
#2
Cover of The Green House
literary-fiction

The Green House

Mario Vargas Llosa· 1966
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score84/100
#3
Cover of The Golden Notebook
literary-fiction

The Golden Notebook

Doris Lessing· 1962
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score81/100
#4
Cover of The Trial
literary-fiction

The Trial

Franz Kafka· 1963
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score80/100
#5
Cover of To Kill a Mockingbird
literary-fiction

To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee· 1961
★Pulitzer Prize
Editorial Score78/100
#6
Cover of Snow Country
literary-fiction

Snow Country

Yasunari Kawabata· 1968
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score71/100
#7
Cover of The Master and Margarita
literary-fiction

The Master and Margarita

Mikhail Bulgakov· 1967
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score69/100
#8
Cover of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
young-adult

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

E.L. Konigsburg· 1968
★Newbery Medal
Editorial Score69/100
#9
Cover of The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea
literary-fiction

The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea

Yukio Mishima· 1963
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score66/100
#10
Cover of My Side of the Mountain
adventure

My Side of the Mountain

Jean Craighead George· 1960
★Newbery Medal
Editorial Score62/100
#11
Cover of Dune
science-fiction

Dune

Frank Herbert· 1966
★Hugo Award
Editorial Score60/100
#12
Cover of The Mirror of Lida Sal
short-stories

The Mirror of Lida Sal

Miguel Ángel Asturias· 1967
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score60/100
#13
Cover of Mulata de Tal
fantasy

Mulata de Tal

Miguel Ángel Asturias· 1963
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score60/100
#14
Cover of The Interpreters
literary-fiction

The Interpreters

Wole Soyinka· 1965
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score60/100
#15
Cover of In Cold Blood
biography-memoir

In Cold Blood

Truman Capote· 1966
★Edgar Award
Editorial Score58/100
#16
Cover of The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
science-fiction

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

Robert A. Heinlein· 1967
★Hugo Award
Editorial Score57/100
#17
Cover of Lord of Light
science-fiction

Lord of Light

Roger Zelazny· 1968
★Hugo Award
Editorial Score55/100
#18
Cover of Selected Writings of Edgar Allan Poe
literary-fiction

Selected Writings of Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe· 1967
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score55/100
#19
Cover of Selected Tales
literary-fiction

Selected Tales

Edgar Allan Poe· 1967
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score55/100
#20
Cover of Catch-22
literary-fiction

Catch-22

Joseph Heller· 1961
TIME 100 Best NovelsBBC Big Read
Editorial Score54/100
#21
Cover of A Wrinkle in Time
literary-fiction

A Wrinkle in Time

Madeleine L'Engle· 1962
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#22
Cover of Island of the Blue Dolphins
literary-fiction

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Scott O’Dell· 1960
Library Journal
Editorial Score50/100
#23
Cover of Cat's Cradle
literary-fiction

Cat's Cradle

Kurt Vonnegut· 1963
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#24
Cover of Novels (The Call of the Wild / White Fang)
literary-fiction

Novels (The Call of the Wild / White Fang)

Jack London· 1962
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score50/100
#25
Cover of Night Shift
literary-fiction

Night Shift

Stephen King· 1960
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#26
Cover of Something Wicked This Way Comes
literary-fiction

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Ray Bradbury· 1962
Library Journal
Editorial Score50/100
#27
Cover of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn / Billy Budd / Red Badge of Courage / Scarlet Letter
literary-fiction

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn / Billy Budd / Red Badge of Courage / Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne· 1969
Library Journal
Editorial Score50/100
#28
Cover of The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales [15 stories]
literary-fiction

The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales [15 stories]

Edgar Allan Poe· 1960
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#29
Cover of Ten Great Mysteries [10 stories, 5 poems]
literary-fiction

Ten Great Mysteries [10 stories, 5 poems]

Edgar Allan Poe· 1960
Library Journal
Editorial Score50/100
#30
Cover of Tales of Mystery and Terror (Black Cat / Descent into the Maelstrom / Fall of the House of Usher / Hop-Frog / Masque of the Red Death / MS. Found in a Bottle / Oblong Box / Oval Portrait / Pit and the Pendulum / Some Words With a Mummy / Sphinx / Tell-Tale Heart / William Wilson)
literary-fiction

Tales of Mystery and Terror (Black Cat / Descent into the Maelstrom / Fall of the House of Usher / Hop-Frog / Masque of the Red Death / MS. Found in a Bottle / Oblong Box / Oval Portrait / Pit and the Pendulum / Some Words With a Mummy / Sphinx / Tell-Tale Heart / William Wilson)

Edgar Allan Poe· 1967
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#31
Cover of Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
literary-fiction

Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe· 1966
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score50/100
#32
Cover of Billy Budd and Other Tales
classic-literature

Billy Budd and Other Tales

Herman Melville· 1961
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#33
Cover of 21 Great Stories
classic-literature

21 Great Stories

Abraham Harold Lass· 1969
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score50/100
#34
Cover of Edgar Allan Poe
horror

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe· 1968
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score50/100
#35
Cover of Island of the Blue Dolphins
adventure

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Scott O'Dell· 1961
★Newbery Medal
Editorial Score48/100
#36
Cover of The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark
childrens

The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark

Jill Tomlinson· 1968
★Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score48/100
#37
Cover of Slaughterhouse-Five
science-fiction

Slaughterhouse-Five

Kurt Vonnegut· 1969
TIME 100 Best Novels
Editorial Score46/100
#38
Cover of Pale Fire
literary-fiction

Pale Fire

Vladimir Nabokov· 1962
TIME 100 Best Novels
Editorial Score45/100
#39
Cover of Wide Sargasso Sea
literary-fiction

Wide Sargasso Sea

Jean Rhys· 1966
TIME 100 Best Novels
Editorial Score45/100
#40
Cover of Tales of Terror and Mystery
literary-fiction

Tales of Terror and Mystery

Arthur Conan Doyle· 1963
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#41
Cover of The Spy Who Loved Me
literary-fiction

The Spy Who Loved Me

Ian Fleming· 1962
Library Journal
Editorial Score45/100
#42
Cover of You Only Live Twice
literary-fiction

You Only Live Twice

Ian Fleming· 1964
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score45/100
#43
Cover of The Man with the Golden Gun
literary-fiction

The Man with the Golden Gun

Ian Fleming· 1965
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#44
Cover of Travels with Charley
literary-fiction

Travels with Charley

John Steinbeck· 1962
Library Journal
Editorial Score45/100
#45
Cover of Bartleby, the Scrivener
literary-fiction

Bartleby, the Scrivener

Herman Melville· 1966
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#46
Cover of My Secret Life
literary-fiction

My Secret Life

Walter· 1966
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#47
Cover of The Phantom Tollbooth
literary-fiction

The Phantom Tollbooth

Norton Juster· 1961
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#48
Cover of New maps of hell
literary-fiction

New maps of hell

Kingsley Amis· 1960
Library Journal
Editorial Score45/100
#49
Cover of 18 Best Stories
literary-fiction

18 Best Stories

Edgar Allan Poe· 1969
Library Journal
Editorial Score45/100
#50
Cover of Selected Stories and Poems [10 stories, 12 poems]
literary-fiction

Selected Stories and Poems [10 stories, 12 poems]

Edgar Allan Poe· 1967
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
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Books of the 1960s — FAQ

What are the best books of the 1960s?

The top-ranked books of the 1960s include The Grapes of Wrath, The Green House, The Golden Notebook — all with high editorial consensus scores across major literary prizes and critic lists.

Which authors defined the 1960s?

Key authors of the 1960s include John Steinbeck, Mario Vargas Llosa, Doris Lessing, whose works from this era consistently appear across major prize lists and critic selections.

What literary movements shaped the 1960s?

The 1960s were defined by postmodernism, counterculture, and magical realism, producing some of the most enduring works in world literature. These themes are reflected across the top-ranked titles from this period.