BookRank

Best of the year

Best books of 1961

21 highest-rated books first published in 1961.

← 19581962 →

Why The Phantom Tollbooth is #1

The Phantom Tollbooth (Norton Juster) scores 8.3/10 from 703 ratings — level with Mother Night at one decimal, and ahead on the exact score.

The score is a weighted average across 3 independent rating sources. A title with few ratings is pulled toward the category average, so a handful of enthusiastic reviews cannot outrank a book that thousands of readers have judged. Method →

  1. The Phantom Tollbooth
    The Phantom TollboothNorton Juster · 1961Filmed 1970 Fantasy703 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  2. Mother Night
    Mother NightKurt Vonnegut · 1961 Classics443 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  3. A Grief Observed
    A Grief ObservedC. S. Lewis · 1961 Religion & spirituality164 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  4. Black Like Me
    Black Like MeJohn Howard Griffin · 1961 Biography & memoir60 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  5. The Agony and the Ecstasy
    The Agony and the EcstasyIrving Stone · 1961 Historical fiction52 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  6. The Bronze Bow
    The Bronze BowElizabeth George Speare · 1961 Children’s books59 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  7. Catch-22
    Catch-22Joseph Heller · 1961Filmed 1970 Humour1.8K ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  8. Go, Dog. Go!
    Go, Dog. Go!P. D. Eastman · 1961 Children’s books95 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  9. Where the Red Fern Grows
    Where the Red Fern GrowsWilson Rawls · 1961 Young adult570 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  10. Franny and Zooey
    Franny and ZooeyJ. D. Salinger · 1961 Classics387 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  11. Stranger in a Strange Land
    Stranger in a Strange LandRobert A. Heinlein · 1961 Science fiction1K ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  12. James and the Giant Peach
    James and the Giant PeachRoald Dahl · 1961Filmed 1996 Children’s books762 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  13. The Winter of Our Discontent
    The Winter of Our DiscontentJohn Steinbeck · 1961 Classics80 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  14. Solaris
    SolarisStanisław Lem · 1961Filmed 1972 Science fiction844 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  15. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
    The Prime of Miss Jean BrodieMuriel Spark · 1961 Literary fiction104 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  16. A Fall of Moondust
    A Fall of MoondustArthur C. Clarke · 1961 Science fiction56 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  17. Call for the Dead
    Call for the DeadJohn le Carré · 1961 Thriller237 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  18. The Stainless Steel Rat
    The Stainless Steel RatHarry Harrison · 1961 Science fiction136 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  19. The Moviegoer
    The MoviegoerWalker Percy · 1961 Classics66 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  20. Thunderball
    ThunderballIan Fleming · 1961Filmed 1965 Thriller75 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  21. The Pale Horse
    The Pale HorseAgatha Christie · 1961Filmed 2020 Crime & mystery82 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10

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