Sign in / Join|English|Help
Create new list
Lists home

Best Contemporary Literary Fiction (Around the Last 30 Years)

Members: 29 participating members (show all)

All members' list: [1] 2Sort: Score | Title | Author | Date
1
The Kite Runner
by Khaled Hosseini
35,430 members, 947 reviews
4.22 stars (4.22 stars)

Lists: griffinas (1), susiesharp (1), mmignano11 (2), lyndabriggs (3), SqueakyChu (3), birder4106 (5), LisaMaria_C (8), 1morechapter (31)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 22.19

2
The Name of the Rose
by Umberto Eco
17,714 members, 252 reviews
4.19 stars (4.19 stars)

Lists: mmignano11 (1), SilentInAWay (1), Edward (1), birder4106 (3), LisaMaria_C (5), thorold (10), sturlington (24)

Score: 21.77

3
The Handmaid’s Tale
by Margaret Atwood
20,032 members, 414 reviews
4.13 stars (4.13 stars)

Lists: generalkala (1), lahochstetler (1), Bretzky1 (2), birder4106 (4), LisaMaria_C (4), 1morechapter (6), sturlington (19)

Score: 21.49

4
Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague
by Geraldine Brooks
5,563 members, 252 reviews
3.98 stars (3.98 stars)

Lists: imager (1), lyndabriggs (1), mmignano11 (3), susiesharp (3), lahochstetler (3), LisaMaria_C (42)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 16.69

5
A Prayer for Owen Meany
by John Irving
12,447 members, 196 reviews
4.29 stars (4.29 stars)

Lists: birder4106 (1), greeneyed_ives (1), griffinas (2), mmignano11 (5), sturlington (26)

Score: 15.81

6
The Time Traveler's Wife
by Audrey Niffenegger
29,137 members, 1,007 reviews
4.16 stars (4.16 stars)

Lists: Her_Royal_Orangeness (1), generalkala (2), imager (2), LisaMaria_C (3), mmignano11 (4), sturlington (32)

Thumbs down: birder4106, susiesharp

Score: 14.28

7
High Fidelity
by Nick Hornby
11,091 members, 134 reviews
3.94 stars (3.94 stars)

Lists: Diane-bpcb (1), griffinas (3), greeneyed_ives (8), sturlington (20), LisaMaria_C (39)

Score: 12.91

8
The Hours
by Michael Cunningham
8,834 members, 140 reviews
3.93 stars (3.93 stars)

Lists: sturlington (4), mmignano11 (6), thorold (6), 1morechapter (12), LisaMaria_C (19)

Score: 12.01

9
The Shipping News
by Annie Proulx
9,439 members, 169 reviews
3.87 stars (3.87 stars)

Lists: John_Vaughan (1), sturlington (2), birder4106 (2), griffinas (4), mmignano11 (9)

Thumbs down: stellarexplorer, LisaMaria_C

Score: 11.87

10
Middlesex
by Jeffrey Eugenides
19,147 members, 440 reviews
4.13 stars (4.13 stars)

Lists: greeneyed_ives (4), mmignano11 (7), 1morechapter (11), LisaMaria_C (13), sturlington (22)

Score: 11.44

11
The Accidental Tourist
by Anne Tyler
3,702 members, 55 reviews
3.83 stars (3.83 stars)

Lists: Bretzky1 (1), sturlington (3), barney67 (6), LisaMaria_C (32)

Score: 11.28

12
The Poisonwood Bible
by Barbara Kingsolver
17,830 members, 341 reviews
4.22 stars (4.22 stars)

Lists: lyndabriggs (2), 1morechapter (4), griffinas (5), mmignano11 (10), sturlington (25)

Thumbs down: arrwa

Score: 10.91

13
Midnight's Children
by Salman Rushdie
8,763 members, 145 reviews
4.09 stars (4.09 stars)

Lists: JGKC (1), SilentInAWay (2), thorold (3)

Score: 10.4

14
The Color Purple
by Alice Walker
10,736 members, 159 reviews
4.12 stars (4.12 stars)

Lists: griffinas (6), mmignano11 (12), 1morechapter (15), LisaMaria_C (18), sturlington (31)

Score: 10.38

15
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
by Michael Chabon
12,869 members, 260 reviews
4.24 stars (4.24 stars)

Lists: trandism (1), aulsmith (1), LisaMaria_C (1)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 10

16
Never Let Me Go
by Kazuo Ishiguro
12,484 members, 554 reviews
3.83 stars (3.83 stars)

Lists: generalkala (3), greeneyed_ives (6), 1morechapter (8), sturlington (29)

Score: 9.7

17
Possession
by A. S. Byatt
9,028 members, 174 reviews
4.06 stars (4.06 stars)

Lists: spiphany (1), SilentInAWay (4), LisaMaria_C (6), thorold (9)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 9.69

18
Fall On Your Knees
by Ann-Marie MacDonald
3,959 members, 93 reviews
3.92 stars (3.92 stars)

Lists: arrwa (1), lahochstetler (4), mmignano11 (8)

Score: 9.21

19
Memoirs of a Geisha
by Arthur Golden
25,646 members, 392 reviews
4.02 stars (4.02 stars)

Lists: generalkala (4), SqueakyChu (4), sturlington (30), LisaMaria_C (36)

Score: 9

20
Beloved
by Toni Morrison
12,730 members, 206 reviews
3.89 stars (3.89 stars)

Lists: lahochstetler (6), griffinas (7), 1morechapter (13), LisaMaria_C (21)

Score: 8.99

21
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
by Patrick Süskind
11,379 members, 265 reviews
3.97 stars (3.97 stars)

Lists: imager (4), generalkala (5), birder4106 (7), spiphany (8), LisaMaria_C (37)

Thumbs down: sturlington, thorold

Score: 7.96

22
Atonement
by Ian McEwan
18,125 members, 454 reviews
3.93 stars (3.93 stars)

Lists: greeneyed_ives (2), SilentInAWay (5), mmignano11 (11), sturlington (17), LisaMaria_C (28)

Thumbs down: 1morechapter, JGKC

Score: 7.94

23
The World According to Garp
by John Irving
11,065 members, 124 reviews
4.11 stars (4.11 stars)

Lists: griffinas (8), sturlington (10), mmignano11 (17)

Score: 6.6

24
All the Pretty Horses
by Cormac McCarthy
6,123 members, 111 reviews
3.94 stars (3.94 stars)

Lists: barney67 (5), sturlington (15), mmignano11 (21)

Score: 6.58

25
The Hotel New Hampshire
by John Irving
5,511 members, 50 reviews
3.87 stars (3.87 stars)

Lists: griffinas (9), sturlington (11), mmignano11 (19)

Score: 6.42

26
The Feast of the Goat
by Mario Vargas Llosa
1,529 members, 39 reviews
4.12 stars (4.12 stars)

Lists: trandism (2), birder4106 (6), LisaMaria_C (9)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 6.23

27
Blood Meridian
by Cormac McCarthy
5,834 members, 129 reviews
4.23 stars (4.23 stars)

Lists: barney67 (10), sturlington (14), mmignano11 (20)

Score: 6.21

28
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
by Muriel Barbery
6,764 members, 438 reviews
3.82 stars (3.82 stars)

Lists: Her_Royal_Orangeness (2), griffinas (10)

Score: 5.61

29
Life of Pi
by Yann Martel
29,488 members, 693 reviews
3.94 stars (3.94 stars)

Lists: imager (3), greeneyed_ives (5), mmignano11 (13), sturlington (34)

Thumbs down: generalkala, JGKC

Score: 5.48

30
The Blind Assassin
by Margaret Atwood
10,910 members, 252 reviews
3.96 stars (3.96 stars)

Lists: thorold (2), mmignano11 (14), sturlington (18)

Thumbs down: Diane-bpcb

Score: 5.37

31
Breathing Lessons
by Anne Tyler
2,962 members, 36 reviews
3.59 stars (3.59 stars)

Lists: Her_Royal_Orangeness (4), sturlington (7)

Score: 5.29

32
The Prince of Tides
by Pat Conroy
3,653 members, 62 reviews
4.13 stars (4.13 stars)

Lists: SqueakyChu (2), mmignano11 (15), LisaMaria_C (22)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 5.24

33
2666
by Roberto Bolaño
3,463 members, 110 reviews
4.18 stars (4.18 stars)

Lists: trandism (3), SilentInAWay (11)

Score: 5.24

34
A Thousand Acres: A Novel
by Jane Smiley
4,084 members, 58 reviews
3.7 stars (3.7 stars)

Lists: sturlington (5), griffinas (11), mmignano11 (16)

Thumbs down: Bretzky1

Score: 4.87

35
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
by Mohsin Hamid
2,838 members, 154 reviews
3.69 stars (3.69 stars)

Lists: SqueakyChu (1), Chatterbox (4)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 4.83

36
The Bonfire of the Vanities
by Tom Wolfe
5,858 members, 70 reviews
3.82 stars (3.82 stars)

Lists: sturlington (8), barney67 (13)

Score: 4.49

37
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
by Louis de Bernières
5,545 members, 105 reviews
3.96 stars (3.96 stars)

Lists: LisaMaria_C (10), mmignano11 (18)

Score: 4.19

38
Unless
by Carol Shields
2,268 members, 60 reviews
3.64 stars (3.64 stars)

Lists: 1morechapter (1)

Score: 4

39
Blue Angel
by Francine Prose
755 members, 23 reviews
3.37 stars (3.37 stars)

Lists: sturlington (1)

Score: 4

40
Jayber Crow
by Wendell Berry
645 members, 17 reviews
4.45 stars (4.45 stars)

Lists: barney67 (1)

Score: 4

41
His Dark Materials
by Philip Pullman
9,609 members, 157 reviews
4.31 stars (4.31 stars)

Lists: sturlington (21), mmignano11 (22)

Score: 3.72

42
Misery
by Stephen King
7,684 members, 92 reviews
3.94 stars (3.94 stars)

Lists: mmignano11 (23), sturlington (23)

Score: 3.65

43
Lonesome Dove
by Larry McMurtry
4,388 members, 112 reviews
4.58 stars (4.58 stars)

Lists: LisaMaria_C (12), mmignano11 (24), sturlington (33)

Thumbs down: John_Vaughan

Score: 3.63

44
A Soldier of the Great War
by Mark Helprin
1,189 members, 20 reviews
4.32 stars (4.32 stars)

Lists: barney67 (2)

Score: 3.36

45
Omeros
by Derek Walcott
614 members, 11 reviews
3.83 stars (3.83 stars)

Lists: spiphany (2)

Score: 3.36

46
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon
30,446 members, 928 reviews
3.9 stars (3.9 stars)

Lists: susiesharp (4), 1morechapter (7), LisaMaria_C (17)

Thumbs down: generalkala, sturlington

Score: 3.26

47
Blindness
by José Saramago
7,665 members, 236 reviews
4.13 stars (4.13 stars)

Lists: trandism (5), SilentInAWay (6)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 3.23

48
A Thousand Splendid Suns
by Khaled Hosseini
18,985 members, 644 reviews
4.28 stars (4.28 stars)

Lists: lyndabriggs (4), 1morechapter (10)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 3.08

49
Love in The Time of Cholera
by Gabriel García Márquez
17,151 members, 231 reviews
3.98 stars (3.98 stars)

Lists: SilentInAWay (3)

Score: 3.04

50
A Confederacy of Dunces
by John Kennedy Toole
13,450 members, 266 reviews
4.02 stars (4.02 stars)

Lists: barney67 (3)

Score: 3.04

51
Brooklyn
by Colm Tóibín
2,202 members, 158 reviews
3.7 stars (3.7 stars)

Lists: aulsmith (3)

Score: 3.04

52
Searoad: The Chronicles of Klatsand
by Ursula K. Le Guin
497 members, 6 reviews
3.58 stars (3.58 stars)

Lists: spiphany (3)

Score: 3.04

53
Austerlitz
by W. G. Sebald
2,244 members, 45 reviews
4.22 stars (4.22 stars)

Lists: thorold (1), trandism (4)

Thumbs down: spiphany, birder4106

Score: 2.83

54
Water for Elephants
by Sara Gruen
19,727 members, 954 reviews
4.09 stars (4.09 stars)

Lists: susiesharp (5), imager (6), mmignano11 (25), LisaMaria_C (30)

Thumbs down: sturlington, greeneyed_ives, thorold

Score: 2.73

55
The Line of Beauty
by Alan Hollinghurst
3,150 members, 80 reviews
3.61 stars (3.61 stars)

Lists: thorold (5)

Score: 2.68

56
A Dry White Season
by André Brink
427 members, 10 reviews
3.99 stars (3.99 stars)

Lists: Chatterbox (5)

Score: 2.68

57
The Last World: A Novel with an Ovidian Repertory
by Christoph Ransmayr
374 members, 3 reviews
3.98 stars (3.98 stars)

Lists: spiphany (5)

Score: 2.68

58
Ahab's Wife
by Sena Jeter Naslund
2,397 members, 80 reviews
4.04 stars (4.04 stars)

Lists: spiphany (4), LisaMaria_C (23)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 2.66

59
No Country for Old Men
by Cormac McCarthy
6,467 members, 166 reviews
4.01 stars (4.01 stars)

Lists: barney67 (7), birder4106 (8), mmignano11 (27)

Thumbs down: sturlington, LisaMaria_C

Score: 2.59

60
The Night Circus
by Erin Morgenstern
4,853 members, 528 reviews
4.1 stars (4.1 stars)

Lists: generalkala (6)

Score: 2.56

61
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant
by Anne Tyler
2,366 members, 39 reviews
3.87 stars (3.87 stars)

Lists: sturlington (6)

Score: 2.56

62
Riddley Walker
by Russell Hoban
1,648 members, 46 reviews
4.23 stars (4.23 stars)

Lists: spiphany (6)

Score: 2.56

63
Bright Lights, Big City
by Jay McInerney
1,892 members, 22 reviews
3.58 stars (3.58 stars)

Lists: barney67 (4), LisaMaria_C (29)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 2.55

64
The Sparrow
by Mary Doria Russell
4,467 members, 232 reviews
4.23 stars (4.23 stars)

Lists: spiphany (7)

Score: 2.46

65
The Prestige
by Christopher Priest
2,306 members, 86 reviews
3.79 stars (3.79 stars)

Lists: generalkala (7)

Score: 2.46

66
White Noise
by Don DeLillo
6,779 members, 73 reviews
3.79 stars (3.79 stars)

Lists: barney67 (8)

Score: 2.38

67
Maus: A Survivor's Tale
by Art Spiegelman
3,607 members, 106 reviews
4.54 stars (4.54 stars)

Lists: SilentInAWay (9)

Score: 2.31

68
Wonder Boys
by Michael Chabon
3,056 members, 58 reviews
3.95 stars (3.95 stars)

Lists: sturlington (9)

Score: 2.31

69
The Bone People
by Keri Hulme
2,420 members, 58 reviews
4.13 stars (4.13 stars)

Lists: spiphany (9)

Score: 2.31

70
Eifelheim
by Michael Flynn
655 members, 44 reviews
3.71 stars (3.71 stars)

Lists: barney67 (9)

Score: 2.31

71
The Famished Road
by Ben Okri
1,402 members, 21 reviews
3.72 stars (3.72 stars)

Lists: spiphany (10)

Score: 2.25

72
Atmospheric Disturbances: A Novel
by Rivka Galchen
603 members, 36 reviews
3.19 stars (3.19 stars)

Lists: Her_Royal_Orangeness (10), 1morechapter (17)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 2.22

73
Written on the Body
by Jeanette Winterson
2,772 members, 36 reviews
4.01 stars (4.01 stars)

Lists: spiphany (11)

Score: 2.2

74
More Shapes Than One: A Book of Stories
by Fred Chappell
69 members, 0 reviews
3.92 stars (3.92 stars)

Lists: barney67 (11)

Score: 2.2

75
Look Back All the Green Valley: A Novel
by Fred Chappell
78 members, 2 reviews
4 stars (4 stars)

Lists: barney67 (12)

Score: 2.15

76
Hester Among the Ruins (Harvest Book)
by Binnie Kirshenbaum
45 members, 0 reviews
4.11 stars (4.11 stars)

Lists: spiphany (12)

Score: 2.15

77
Bel Canto
by Ann Patchett
8,749 members, 283 reviews
3.94 stars (3.94 stars)

Lists: 1morechapter (14), LisaMaria_C (14)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 2.14

78
Housekeeping
by Marilynne Robinson
3,506 members, 100 reviews
3.98 stars (3.98 stars)

Lists: sturlington (13)

Score: 2.11

79
Das verborgene Wort
by Ulla Hahn
94 members, 1 review
4.33 stars (4.33 stars)

Lists: spiphany (13)

Score: 2.11

80
Measuring the World
by Daniel Kehlmann
1,955 members, 81 reviews
3.81 stars (3.81 stars)

Lists: spiphany (14)

Score: 2.07

81
The Things They Carried
by Tim O'Brien
7,339 members, 192 reviews
4.21 stars (4.21 stars)

Lists: sturlington (16)

Score: 2

82
The Cat's Table
by Michael Ondaatje
1,145 members, 79 reviews
3.8 stars (3.8 stars)

Lists: Chatterbox (1)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 2

83
Practical Magic
by Alice Hoffman
2,741 members, 77 reviews
3.79 stars (3.79 stars)

Lists: LisaMaria_C (11), mmignano11 (26)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 1.97

84
The Secret History
by Donna Tartt
9,797 members, 211 reviews
4.1 stars (4.1 stars)

Lists: sturlington (27), mmignano11 (32)

Thumbs down: LisaMaria_C

Score: 1.44

85
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
by Milan Kundera
14,609 members, 152 reviews
4.04 stars (4.04 stars)

Lists: LisaMaria_C (2)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 1.36

86
Gilead
by Marilynne Robinson
6,110 members, 211 reviews
3.88 stars (3.88 stars)

Lists: 1morechapter (2)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 1.36

87
The enigma of arrival
by V. S. Naipaul
623 members, 5 reviews
3.49 stars (3.49 stars)

Lists: Chatterbox (2)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 1.36

88
Exiles in America: A Novel
by Christopher Bram
85 members, 2 reviews
3.53 stars (3.53 stars)

Lists: aulsmith (2)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 1.36

89
Dark Places
by Gillian Flynn
1,504 members, 96 reviews
3.85 stars (3.85 stars)

Lists: mmignano11 (30), LisaMaria_C (35)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 1.35

90
The Probable Future
by Alice Hoffman
1,321 members, 41 reviews
3.78 stars (3.78 stars)

Lists: mmignano11 (31), LisaMaria_C (34)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 1.35

91
The Red Tent
by Anita Diamant
11,677 members, 260 reviews
4.07 stars (4.07 stars)

Lists: mmignano11 (29), LisaMaria_C (38)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 1.34

92
Cold Sassy Tree
by Olive Ann Burns
2,685 members, 46 reviews
3.95 stars (3.95 stars)

Lists: susiesharp (2), LisaMaria_C (27)

Thumbs down: sturlington, greeneyed_ives

Score: 1.12

93
The Double Bind
by Chris Bohjalian
1,980 members, 136 reviews
3.65 stars (3.65 stars)

Lists: Her_Royal_Orangeness (3)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 1.04

94
Three Day Road
by Joseph Boyden
1,072 members, 47 reviews
4.29 stars (4.29 stars)

Lists: Chatterbox (3)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 1.04

95
The Buddha in the Attic
by Julie Otsuka
976 members, 98 reviews
3.77 stars (3.77 stars)

Lists: 1morechapter (3)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 1.04

96
The Thirteenth Tale
by Diane Setterfield
11,446 members, 631 reviews
4.02 stars (4.02 stars)

Lists: lahochstetler (2), LisaMaria_C (25), mmignano11 (28)

Thumbs down: sturlington, SilentInAWay, greeneyed_ives

Score: 0.89

97
My Name is Red
by Orhan Pamuk
4,379 members, 110 reviews
3.77 stars (3.77 stars)

Lists: thorold (4)

Thumbs down: trandism

Score: 0.83

98
Cat's Eye
by Margaret Atwood
6,129 members, 95 reviews
3.95 stars (3.95 stars)

Lists: 1morechapter (5)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 0.68

99
Small Island
by Andrea Levy
2,769 members, 103 reviews
3.88 stars (3.88 stars)

Lists: lahochstetler (5)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 0.68

100
Bitter in the Mouth
by Monique Truong
169 members, 10 reviews
3.97 stars (3.97 stars)

Lists: Her_Royal_Orangeness (5)

Thumbs down: sturlington

Score: 0.68

All members' list: [1] 2Sort: Score | Title | Author | Date

About this list

Started by: LisaMaria_C (January 2012)

Type: Numbered

Related tags

1001 (2,854) 20th century (4,661) Afghanistan (4,220) American (4,421) American literature (3,726) contemporary fiction (3,607) dystopia (3,519) family (3,847) fantasy (8,188) fiction (116,038) historical fiction (11,323) literature (8,234) mystery (5,412) novel (17,620) own (4,318) read (12,506) religion (3,093) romance (3,629) science fiction (8,978) to-read (9,824) unread (5,239) war (3,014) women (2,799) WWII (5,502) young adult (3,548)