Books are timeless, it doesn’t matter if they were written over a hundred years ago or just yesterday, if they are written well then the story is just as vibrant and beautiful as the day it was first penned. Books don’t rely on special effects or owning a compatible device all you need to be able to do to enjoy a book from any era is read and I don’t know about you but I think I am pretty good at reading.
I’ve read classics written 300 years ago and books that will stay with me forever that still have wet ink and loved them all but have I read the most popular book from the year I was born? I had no idea but thanks to Good Housekeeping I can find out and (as long as you were born after 1930) now so can you.
The years 1976 -2016 are in this list, a link to the books from 1930 to 1975 can be found on the link at the bottom of this page.
1976 – Sleeping Murder
With the Queen of Crime dying in this year Miss Marple’s final case received a boost to its sales as people renewed their acquaintance with Agatha Christie.
1977 – The Thorn Birds
Three generations long this epic novel about a family from the outback by Colleen McCullough was a smash hit upon its release.
1978 – Fools Die
Mario Puzi’s novel about the complex and corrupt world of gambling benefited from the success of the Godfather films.
1979 – Sophie’s Choice
It’s not until the final third of this dark depiction of post war Brooklyn that we discover just what choice Sophie has to make.
1980 – The Bourne Identity
Robert Ludlum introduced us to Jason Bourne and spawned a whole series of books and films about a man with amnesia who must try and find out why everyone is trying to kill him.
1981 – Cujo
King’s storytelling ability is showcased perfectly in this book about a woman and her son trapped in a broken down car by a rabid dog.
1982 – E.T
A bit of anomaly here as E.T is the novelisation of a film, it was obviously a success though despite its unusual origin.
1983 – The Color Purple
Violent and hard to read at times Alice Walker’s novel is ultimately a tale of three women’s journey to salvation through friendship.
1984 – The Sicilian
Mario Puzo and Michael Corleone return to the top of the book of the year charts with the sequel to the first of the Godfather books.
1985 – Secrets
Danielle Steele makes her debut with this juicy novel about two celebrities hose love affair is played out on and off screen.
1986 – The Prince of Tides
A brother tries desperately to unravel the family secret that is tormenting his schizophrenic sister.
1987 – Patriot Games
The second Jack Ryan book from author Tom Clancy had everyone reading about the CIA agent’s exploits.
1988 – The Queen of the Damned
The third novel in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles series was the best seller for 1988.
1989 – The Satanic Verses
It may have won critical acclaim but it also brought its author to the attention of the Ayatollah Khomeini who was so incensed by Rushdie’s examination of a controversial passage from the Quran that he immediately placed a Fatwa on Rushdie causing the author to go into hiding.
1990 – The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love
Oscar Hijuelos became the first Hispanic author to win a Pulitzer prize for this wonderful book about musical brothers who emigrate from Cuba to live in NYC.
The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love US
The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love UK
1991 – The Things They Carried
A blurred and hazy mix of short stories, memoirs and novel about Vietnam based on the experiences of author Tim O’Brien.
1992 – Waiting to Exhale
A beautiful book of friendship about four African American women waiting for a man who will take their breath away.
1993 – The Bridges of Madison County
Imagine meeting your soul mate, the love of your life, the person who completes you and having little to no time left to enjoy them.
The Bridges of Madison County US
The Bridges of Madison County UK
1994 – Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
The sordid scandals occurring behind the walls of Savannah’s gorgeous mansions are chronicled by John Berendt.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil US
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil UK
1995 – High Fidelity
Nick Hornby burst onto the scenes with this debut novel about a record shop owner and his memories of his top five reationships.
1996 – The Deep End of the Ocean
The power of Oprah, in creating a national book club and selecting this as her first recommendation it was inevitable that tale of tragedy and a missing boy would do well.
1997 – Cold Mountain
The record breaking narrative of a Civil War soldier who abandons his post and begins a slow pilgrimage back home.
1998 – Paradise
Toni Morrison’s seventh publication is another book that benefited from being recommended by Oprah.
1999 – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
After the slow burn of the first book JK Rowling’s second novel would begin a worldwide obsession with the boy wizard.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets US
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets UK
2000 – The Rescue
The Rescue may only have been Nicholas Sparks’ fourth novel but the world already knew they were bound to cry when reading this novel.
2001 – The Corrections
A richly realistic and darkly hilarious masterpiece about a family breakdown in an age of easy fixes saw Franzen’s third novel at the top of the charts for 2001.
2002 – The Lovely Bones
Alice Sebold’s novel written from the perspective a murdered fourteen year old girl haunted millions.
2003 – The Da Vinci Code
Secret symbols in plain sight and clues that lead to something that has been searched for for centuries held us all in thrall.
2004 – The Five People you Meet in Heaven
Upon his death a man meets five people in Heaven who explain the meaning of his life to him.
The Five People you Meet in Heaven US
The Five People you Meet in Heaven UK
2005 – The Mermaid Chair
Sue Monk Kiddd’s magical Island where the inhabitant’s believe that an ancient chair owned by a saint possesses magical powers.
2006 – Marley and Me
John Grogan’s memoir of life with his exasperatingly gorgeous dog Marley had us crying with laughter and sorrow in equal measures..
2007 – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The release of the final novel in the story of Harry Potter had people dressing up and queuing for hours so it’s no surprise this topped the charts for the year.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows US
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows UK
2008 – Twilight
Vampires and werewolves and a teenage girl with no sense of danger had girls everywhere hoping that their boyfriend sparkled in the sunshine.
2009 – My Sister’s Keeper
Jodi Picoult tugs at the heartstrings with this story of a daughter’s battle with her parents to have the right to do with her body what she wishes, including donating parts of it to her older sister who has cancer.
2010 – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The first of Stieg Larsson’s Millenium trilogy, published posthumously and an instant hit.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo US
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo UK
2011 – The Help
Hearing everything and saying nothing, after you have read this book you will never look at pie without suspicion again.
2012 – Fifty Shades of Grey
The success of EL James’ book came as a shock to many including the author herself who had initially just thought of this as fanfiction.
2013 – Gone Girl
Did he didn’t he? Is she isn’t she? This truly twisted story from Gillian Flynn entertained and incensed us all.
2014 – The Fault in Our Stars
John Green single handedly trebled tissue sales with this heartbreaking story of the love between two cancer stricken teens.
2015 – The Girl on the Train
Rachel is our narrator in this intriguing and irritating tale; unreliable and an alcoholic she will fascinate and frustrate you in equal measure.
2016 – Alexander Hamilton
An unexpected best seller, Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow received a boost from the hugely popular musical.
And that’s the lot, some of the titles on this list really have surprised me and many are books I have never heard of before but you can be certain I will be adding a few (including the book from my birth year) to my TBR list.
Jurgis Bielinis and the Day of the Book Smugglers
Word of the Day – Nonpareil
10 Hot New Releases for May 2022
Freudian picture placement?
YAY! I actually have read the most popular book from the year I was born (1976)! I love Agathe Christie! Just sad it was so popular because she died that year.
When you click the “the satanic verses us version” it brings up. A tree grows in Brooklyn….still a good book.