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New York Times 100 Notable Books 2016

New York Times 100 Notable Books 2016 names 100 books across 2 categories. 53 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Fiction & Poetry

  1. A Gambler’s Anatomy by Jonathan Lethemsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. All That Man Is by David Szalaysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Barkskins by Annie Proulxsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Before the Fall by Noah Hawleysource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbuesource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Black Water by Louise Doughtysource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Children of the New World by Alexander Weinsteinsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Collected Poems 1950-2012 by Adrienne Richsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Commonwealth by Ann Patchettsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thiensource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Don’t Let My Baby Do Rodeo by Boris Fishmansource (opens in a new tab)
  13. End of Watch by Stephen Kingsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Everybody’s Fool by Richard Russosource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Portersource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Bennsource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foersource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasisource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Hot Milk by Deborah Levysource (opens in a new tab)
  20. House of Lords and Commons by Ishion Hutchinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  21. I Must Be Living Twice by Eileen Mylessource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Iza’s Ballad by Magda Szabo, translated by George Szirtessource (opens in a new tab)
  23. Larose by Louise Erdrichsource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Look by Solmaz Sharifsource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Mischling by Affinity Konarsource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Mister Monkey by Francine Prosesource (opens in a new tab)
  27. Moonglow by Michael Chabonsource (opens in a new tab)
  28. My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Stroutsource (opens in a new tab)
  29. Ninety-Nine Stories of God by Joy Williamssource (opens in a new tab)
  30. Nutshell by Ian McEwansource (opens in a new tab)
  31. Reputations by Juan Gabriel Vásquez, translated by Anne McLeansource (opens in a new tab)
  32. Still Here by Lara Vapnyarsource (opens in a new tab)
  33. Swing Time by Zadie Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  34. The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajansource (opens in a new tab)
  35. The Fortunes by Peter Ho Daviessource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The Gloaming by Melanie Finnsource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The Life-Writer by David Constantinesource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Little Red Chairs by Edna O’Briensource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Mirror Thief by Martin Seaysource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The Mortifications by Derek Palaciosource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The Nix by Nathan Hillsource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The North Water by Ian McGuiresource (opens in a new tab)
  43. The Sport of Kings by C. E. Morgansource (opens in a new tab)
  44. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whiteheadsource (opens in a new tab)
  45. The Vegetarian by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  46. Today Will Be Different by Maria Semplesource (opens in a new tab)
  47. Valiant Gentlemen by Sabina Murraysource (opens in a new tab)
  48. War and Turpentine by Stefan Hertmans, translated by David McKaysource (opens in a new tab)
  49. Weathering by Lucy Woodsource (opens in a new tab)
  50. Zero K by Don DeLillosource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. A Rage for Order by Robert F. Worthsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. All the Single Ladies by Rebecca Traistersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. American Heiress by Jeffrey Toobinsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. An Iron Wind by Peter Fritzschesource (opens in a new tab)
  5. At the Existentialist Café by Sarah Bakewellsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Blood at the Root by Patrick Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Blood in the Water by Heather Ann Thompsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteensource (opens in a new tab)
  9. City of Dreams by Tyler Anbindersource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Dark Money by Jane Mayersource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Eleanor Roosevelt by Blanche Wiesen Cooksource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Evicted by Matthew Desmondsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Far and Away. Reporting from the Brink of Change by Andrew Solomonsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime by Elizabeth Hintonsource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Ghetto by Mitchell Duneiersource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Hero of the Empire by Candice Millardsource (opens in a new tab)
  17. His Final Battle by Joseph Lelyveldsource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Hitler by Volker Ullrich, translated by Jefferson Chasesource (opens in a new tab)
  19. How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything by Rosa Brookssource (opens in a new tab)
  20. How to Survive a Plague by David Francesource (opens in a new tab)
  21. I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yongsource (opens in a new tab)
  22. In Gratitude by Jenny Diskisource (opens in a new tab)
  23. In the Darkroom by Susan Faludisource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Lab Girl by Hope Jahrensource (opens in a new tab)
  25. New England Bound by Wendy Warrensource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Orson Welles by Simon Callowsource (opens in a new tab)
  27. Playing to the Edge by Michael V. Haydensource (opens in a new tab)
  28. Pretentiousness by Dan Foxsource (opens in a new tab)
  29. Pumpkinflowers by Matti Friedmansource (opens in a new tab)
  30. Secondhand Time by Svetlana Alexievich, translated by Bela Shayevichsource (opens in a new tab)
  31. Shirley Jackson by Ruth Franklinsource (opens in a new tab)
  32. Sing for Your Life by Daniel Bergnersource (opens in a new tab)
  33. Strangers in Their Own Land by Arlie Russell Hochschildsource (opens in a new tab)
  34. The Defender by Ethan Michaelisource (opens in a new tab)
  35. The English and Their History by Robert Tombssource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The Face of Britain by Simon Schamasource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjeesource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Limousine Liberal by Steve Frasersource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Man Who Knew by Sebastian Mallabysource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The People and the Books by Adam Kirschsource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The Return by Hisham Matarsource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Rise and Fall of American Growth by Robert J. Gordonsource (opens in a new tab)
  43. Truevine by Beth Macysource (opens in a new tab)
  44. Unforbidden Pleasures by Adam Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)
  45. Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neilsource (opens in a new tab)
  46. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithisource (opens in a new tab)
  47. When in French by Lauren Collinssource (opens in a new tab)
  48. White Rage by Carol Andersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  49. White Trash by Nancy Isenbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  50. You’ll Grow Out of It by Jessi Kleinsource (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)

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