Best Books of the Year
Menu

The New York Times

New York Times 100 Notable Books 2008

New York Times 100 Notable Books 2008 names 100 books across 2 categories. 38 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Fiction & Poetry

  1. 2666 by Roberto Bolaño, translated by Natasha Wimmersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. A Better Angel by Chris Adriansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. A Mercy by Toni Morrisonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. A Most Wanted Man by John le Carrésource (opens in a new tab)
  5. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeldsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Atmospheric Disturbances by Rivka Galchensource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Bass Cathedral by Nathaniel Mackeysource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Beautiful Children by Charles Bocksource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Beijing Coma by Ma Jian, translated by Flora Drewsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Black Flies by Shannon Burkesource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Breath by Tim Wintonsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Dangerous Laughter by Steven Millhausersource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Dear American Airlines by Jonathan Milessource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Diary of a Bad Year by J. M. Coetzeesource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Dictation by Cynthia Ozicksource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Elegy by Mary Jo Bangsource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Fanon by John Edgar Widemansource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Fine Just the Way It Is by Annie Proulxsource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Half of the World in Light by Juan Felipe Herrerasource (opens in a new tab)
  20. His Illegal Self by Peter Careysource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Home by Marilynne Robins o nsource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Indignation by Philip Rothsource (opens in a new tab)
  23. Legend of a Suicide by David Vannsource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Life Class by Pat Barkersource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Lush Life by Richard Pricesource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Modern Life by Matthea Harveysource (opens in a new tab)
  27. My Revolutions by Hari Kunzrusource (opens in a new tab)
  28. Netherland by Joseph O’Neillsource (opens in a new tab)
  29. Opal Sunset by Clive Jamessource (opens in a new tab)
  30. Our Story Begins by Tobias Wolffsource (opens in a new tab)
  31. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Simon Armitagesource (opens in a new tab)
  32. Sleeping It Off in Rapid City by August Kleinzahlersource (opens in a new tab)
  33. Telex from Cuba by Rachel Kushnersource (opens in a new tab)
  34. The Blue Star by Tony Earleysource (opens in a new tab)
  35. The Boat by Nam Lesource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The English Major by Jim Harrisonsource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The Finder by Colin Harrisonsource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Good Thief by Hannah Tintisource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemonsource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The Other by David Gutersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The Road Home by Rose Tremainsource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Sacred Book of the Werewolf by Victor Pelevin, translated by Andrew Bromfieldsource (opens in a new tab)
  43. The School on Heart’s Content Road by Carolyn Chutesource (opens in a new tab)
  44. The Unfortunates by B. S. Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  45. The Widows of Eastwick by John Updikesource (opens in a new tab)
  46. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahirisource (opens in a new tab)
  47. When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  48. Yesterday’s Weather by Anne Enrightsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. A Great Idea at the Time by Alex Beamsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. A Secular Age by Charles Taylorsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. A Voyage Long and Strange by Tony Horwitzsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. American Lion by Jon Meachamsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Elizabeth McCrackensource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Angler by Barton Gellmansource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba by Tom Gjeltensource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Blood Matters by Masha Gessensource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Capitol Men by Philip Draysource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Champlain’s Dream by David Hackett Fischersource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Chasing the Flame by Samantha Powersource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Condoleezza Rice by Elisabeth Bumillersource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Delta Blues by Ted Gioiasource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Descartes’ Bones by Russell Shortosource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Dreams and Shadows by Robin Wrightsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Factory Girls by Leslie T. Changsource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Freedom’s Battle by Gary J. Basssource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Hallelujah Junction by John Adamssource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedmansource (opens in a new tab)
  20. How Fiction Works by James Woodsource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Moral Clarity by Susan Neimansource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Nixonland by Rick Perlsteinsource (opens in a new tab)
  23. Nothing to Be Frightened Of by Julian Barnessource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Nureyev by Julie Kavanaghsource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Pictures at a Revolution by Mark Harrissource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Predictably Irrational by Dan Arielysource (opens in a new tab)
  27. Retribution by Max Hastingssource (opens in a new tab)
  28. Shakespeare’s Wife by Germaine Greersource (opens in a new tab)
  29. Tell Me How This Ends by Linda Robinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  30. The Big Sort by Bill Bishopsource (opens in a new tab)
  31. The Challenge by Jonathan Mahlersource (opens in a new tab)
  32. The Dark Side by Jane Mayersource (opens in a new tab)
  33. The Drunkard’s Walk by Leonard Mlodinowsource (opens in a new tab)
  34. The Forever War by Dexter Filkinssource (opens in a new tab)
  35. The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reedsource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Coopersource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The Night of the Gun by David Carrsource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Post-American World by Fareed Zakariasource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Race Card by Richard Thompson Fordsource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The Superorganism by Bert Hölldobler and Edward O. Wilsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The Ten-Cent Plague by David Hajdusource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Three of Us by Julia Blackburnsource (opens in a new tab)
  43. The Trillion Dollar Meltdown by Charles R. Morrissource (opens in a new tab)
  44. The Wild Places by Robert Macfarlanesource (opens in a new tab)
  45. The World Is What It Is by Patrick Frenchsource (opens in a new tab)
  46. They Knew They Were Right by Jacob Heilbrunnsource (opens in a new tab)
  47. This Republic of Suffering by Drew Gilpin Faustsource (opens in a new tab)
  48. Thrumpton Hall by Miranda Seymoursource (opens in a new tab)
  49. Traffic by Tom Vanderbiltsource (opens in a new tab)
  50. Waking Giant by David S. Reynoldssource (opens in a new tab)
  51. While They Slept by Kathryn Harrisonsource (opens in a new tab)
  52. White Heat by Brenda Wineapplesource (opens in a new tab)

About the New York Times 100 Notable Books

nytimes.com blocks automated fetches, so counts come from archive.nytimes.com (2006-2013) and Wayback Machine snapshots (2014-2024) of each year's NYT page. NYT blocks archiving of the 2025 page; 2025 counts come from the yearendlists.com copy of the list. Categories follow NYT's Fiction & Poetry / Nonfiction grouping (2018-2022 from each book's genre tag). Titles drop subtitles.

Organization: The New York Times. Official site (opens in a new tab)

The most recommended books of 2008