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Best Books of the 2000s
The most acclaimed books published between 2000 and 2009, ranked by editorial consensus across Nobel Prizes, Booker Awards, Pulitzers, and 40+ critical sources. This era was defined by post-9/11 fiction, digital culture, and world literature.
50 titles ranked · 2000–2009 · Scored across 40+ editorial sources
#1
literary-fiction
The White Tiger
Aravind Adiga· 2008
★Nobel Prize in Literature★Booker Prize
Editorial Score100/100
#2
literary-fiction
The Road
Cormac McCarthy· 2007
★Pulitzer Prize★Hugo Award
Editorial Score100/100
#3
historical-fiction
Wolf Hall
Hilary Mantel· 2009
★Booker Prize★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score100/100
#4
literary-fiction
The Sea
John Banville· 2005
★Booker Prize★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score100/100
#5
literary-fiction
The Kite Runner
Khaled Hosseini· 2003
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score88/100
#6
literary-fiction
The Corrections
Jonathan Franzen· 2002
★National Book Award
Editorial Score88/100
#7
literary-fiction
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Khaled Hosseini· 2007
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score84/100
#8
historical-fiction
The Lacuna
Barbara Kingsolver· 2009
★Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score83/100
#9
historical-fiction
Half of a Yellow Sun
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie· 2007
★Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score83/100
#10
literary-fiction
The Blind Assassin
Margaret Atwood· 2000
★Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score82/100
#11
literary-fiction
Middlesex
Jeffrey Eugenides· 2003
★Pulitzer Prize
Editorial Score81/100
#12
literary-fiction
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Lionel Shriver· 2005
★Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score81/100
#13
literary-fiction
My Name Is Red
Orhan Pamuk· 2006
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score80/100
#14
literary-fiction
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
Muriel Barbery· 2006
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score80/100
#15
young-adult
How I Live Now
Meg Rosoff· 2004
★Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score79/100
#16
fantasy
American Gods
Neil Gaiman· 2002
★Hugo Award★Bram Stoker Award
Editorial Score79/100
#17
literary-fiction
Property
Lionel Shriver· 2003
★Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score78/100
#18
historical-fiction
The News from Paraguay
Lily Tuck· 2005
★National Book Award
Editorial Score78/100
#19
literary-fiction
Life of Pi
Yann Martel· 2002
★Booker Prize
Editorial Score77/100
#20
literary-fiction
The Idea of Perfection
Kate Grenville· 2001
★Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score77/100
#21
mystery-thriller
The Shadow of the Wind
Carlos Ruiz Zafón· 2005
★National Book Award
Editorial Score77/100
#22
historical-fiction
True History of the Kelly Gang
Peter Carey· 2001
★Booker Prize
Editorial Score75/100
#23
biography-memoir
A Life's Work
Rachel Cusk· 2001
★Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score75/100
#24
literary-fiction
Olive Kitteridge
Elizabeth Strout· 2009
★Pulitzer Prize
Editorial Score74/100
#25
historical-fiction
Small Island
Andrea Levy· 2004
★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score74/100
#26
literary-fiction
Tree of Smoke
Denis Johnson· 2008
★National Book Award
Editorial Score72/100
#27
literary-fiction
The Gathering
Anne Enright· 2007
★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score71/100
#28
literary-fiction
Day
A.L. Kennedy· 2007
★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score70/100
#29
historical-fiction
Europe Central
William T. Vollmann· 2006
★National Book Award
Editorial Score70/100
#30
mystery-thriller
The Tenderness of Wolves
Stef Penney· 2006
★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score70/100
#31
literary-fiction
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
Michael Chabon· 2001
★Pulitzer Prize
Editorial Score70/100
#32
historical-fiction
In America
Susan Sontag· 2001
★National Book Award
Editorial Score70/100
#33
literary-fiction
Three Junes
Julia Glass· 2003
★National Book Award
Editorial Score69/100
#34
literary-fiction
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Mark Haddon· 2003
★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score69/100
#35
literary-fiction
The Electric Michelangelo
Sarah Hall· 2004
★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score69/100
#36
literary-fiction
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Junot Díaz· 2008
★Pulitzer Prize
Editorial Score68/100
#37
mystery-thriller
Case Histories
Kate Atkinson· 2004
★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score68/100
#38
fantasy
The Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman· 2009
★Hugo Award
Editorial Score68/100
#39
literary-fiction
The Echo Maker
Richard Powers· 2007
★National Book Award
Editorial Score67/100
#40
literary-fiction
Empire Falls
Richard Russo· 2002
★Pulitzer Prize
Editorial Score67/100
#41
young-adult
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins· 2008
Goodreads Choice Award
Editorial Score67/100
#42
literary-fiction
The Other Hand
Chris Cleave· 2008
★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score66/100
#43
science-fiction
Spin
Robert Charles Wilson· 2006
★Hugo Award
Editorial Score66/100
#44
fantasy
Paladin of Souls
Lois McMaster Bujold· 2004
★Hugo Award
Editorial Score66/100
#45
mystery-thriller
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Stieg Larsson· 2005
★Edgar Award
Editorial Score66/100
#46
historical-fiction
The Years of Rice and Salt
Kim Stanley Robinson· 2003
★Hugo Award
Editorial Score66/100
#47
literary-fiction
The Maytrees
Annie Dillard· 2007
★PEN/Faulkner Award
Editorial Score65/100
#48
fantasy
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
J.K. Rowling· 2001
★Hugo Award
Editorial Score65/100
#49
literary-fiction
Old School
Tobias Wolff· 2004
★PEN/Faulkner Award
Editorial Score62/100
#50
historical-fiction
Coram Boy
Jamila Gavin· 2000
★Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score59/100



















































