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Smithsonian Magazine Best Books of the Year 2017

Smithsonian Magazine Best Books of the Year 2017 names 60 books across 6 categories. 10 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Children's

  1. Animals of a Bygone Era by Maja Säfströmsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Big Words for Little Geniuses by James Pattersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos by Monica Brownsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 2 by Francesca Cavallosource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Goodnight, Numbers by Danica McKellarsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Grand Canyon by Jason Chinsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Her Right Foot by Dave Eggerssource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Here We Are by Oliver Jefferssource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luykensource (opens in a new tab)
  10. This Is How We Do It by Matt Lamothesource (opens in a new tab)

Food

  1. Ancient Brews by Patrick E. McGovernsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Baking Powder Wars by Linda Civitellosource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Bound to the Fire by Kelley Fanto Deetzsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. By the Smoke and the Smell by Thaddeus Voglersource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Cork Dork by Bianca Boskersource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Cooking Gene by Michael Twittysource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Potlikker Papers by John T. Edgesource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Shermansource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Taste of Empire by E. M. Collinghamsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Where the Wild Coffee Grows by Jeff Koehlersource (opens in a new tab)

History

  1. Ali by Jonathan Eigsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Blitzed by Norman Ohlersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Bunk by Kevin Youngsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Divided We Stand by Marjorie Julian Spruillsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Grant by Ron Chernowsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grannsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. One Long Night by Andrea Pitzersource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Richard Nixon by John A. Farrellsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Jersey Brothers by Sally Mott Freemansource (opens in a new tab)
  10. This Blessed Earth by Ted Genowayssource (opens in a new tab)

Photography

  1. Beyond Drifting by Mandy Barkersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Blind Spot by Teju Colesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Eddie Adams by Eddie Adamssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Endangered by Tim Flachsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Microsculpture by Levon Bisssource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Obama by Pete Souzasource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Same Dream Another Time by Jay Wolkesource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Smithsonian Rock and Roll by Bill Bentleysource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Unseen by Dana Canedysource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Welcome to Camp America by Debi Cornwallsource (opens in a new tab)

Science

  1. Big Chicken by Maryn McKennasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Code Girls by Liza Mundysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Gravity's Kiss by H. M. Collinssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Magnitude by Kimberly K. Arcandsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Numbers and the Making of Us by Caleb Everettsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Paleoart by Zoë Lescazesource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Evolution of Beauty by Richard O. Prumsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. What Future by Torie Boschsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. What It's Like to Be a Dog by Gregory Bernssource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Why Time Flies by Alan Burdicksource (opens in a new tab)

Travel

  1. Aerial Geology by Mary Caperton Mortonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Destination Architecture by Phaidon Editorssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Footsteps by The New York Timessource (opens in a new tab)
  4. From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughtysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Havana by Mark Kurlanskysource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The New Paris by Lindsey Tramutasource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Not-Quite States of America by Doug Macksource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Through Darkness to Light by Jeanine Michna-Balessource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Walden by S. B. Walkersource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Wise Trees by Diane Cooksource (opens in a new tab)

About the Smithsonian Magazine Best Books of the Year

Smithsonian magazine's year-end "Ten Best" subject lists, one category per list: History, Science, Travel, Food and Children's for 2017-2025, and Photography for 2017 and 2020-2025. Each list has ten books; none is ranked. The 2018 and 2019 best-books hubs link no photography list, so those years have none. robots.txt allows all agents, but Cloudflare blocks scripted fetches of smithsonianmag.com, so pages were read from copies. 2017-2019 lists and all Photography lists come from Wayback Machine copies of the Smithsonian articles. 2020-2025 History, Science, Travel, Food and Children's lists come from booklisti.com, which copies each article's full list and links back to it. 2024 History was checked against the Smithsonian article itself: booklisti adds an 11th book, Jon Grinspan's Wide Awake, which the article only mentions in its intro, so it is left out. 2017-2019 articles name books only through Amazon widgets. Their titles drop Amazon's subtitles and series tags, and their authors are Open Library's first-listed author for the linked ISBN (co-authors and illustrators dropped). Exceptions: two 2019 Science authors come from the article text (both linked to Kindle editions), and three Photography books whose heading names no author use a retailer listing (Sneaker Freaker: Simon Wood) or Open Library (I'm So Happy You Are Here: Pauline Vermare; Life Dances On: Robert Frank). booklisti titles and authors are kept, with corporate credits (Atlas Obscura, Britannica) and degree suffixes dropped and three all-caps entries fixed against Open Library. Not included: 2014-2016, where the Wayback Machine has only scattered lists; the Smithsonian scholars' favorite-books roundups, which are staff picks; and one-off gift guides.

Organization: Smithsonian magazine. Official site (opens in a new tab)

The most recommended books of 2017