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TIME Best Books of the Year 2011

TIME Best Books of the Year 2011 names 20 books across 2 categories. 9 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Fiction

  1. 1A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martinsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. 2The Pale King by David Foster Wallacesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. 3State of Wonder by Ann Patchettsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. 4Open City by Teju Colesource (opens in a new tab)
  5. 5Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. 6The Family Fang by Kevin Wilsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. 7Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beatonsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. 8The Hypnotist by Lars Keplersource (opens in a new tab)
  9. 9Maine by J. Courtney Sullivansource (opens in a new tab)
  10. 10The Death-Ray by Daniel Clowessource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. 11493 by Charles C. Mannsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. 2Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. 3Inferno: The World at War, 1939-1945 by Max Hastingssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. 4Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge by Mark Yarmsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. 5The Information by James Gleicksource (opens in a new tab)
  6. 6Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivansource (opens in a new tab)
  7. 7A Singular Woman by Janny Scottsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. 8Boomerang by Michael Lewissource (opens in a new tab)
  9. 9Blue Nights by Joan Didionsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. 10A Book of Secrets by Michael Holroydsource (opens in a new tab)

About the TIME Best Books of the Year

Fiction and Nonfiction top 10 lists by year (a single combined top 10 in 2006 and 2025) plus TIME's unranked 100 Must-Read Books, published 2020-2025. Separate YA/children's and genre lists are excluded. 2012-2013 cite entertainment.time.com, TIME's arts site at the time.

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

The most recommended books of 2011