BookRank

Best of the year

Best books of 1963

17 highest-rated books first published in 1963.

← 19621964 →

Why The Fire Next Time is #1

The Fire Next Time (James Baldwin) scores 8.8/10 from 383 ratings — 0.5 points ahead of Where the Wild Things Are in second place.

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 Fire Next Time
    The Fire Next TimeJames Baldwin · 1963 Essays383 ratings6
    8.88.8 / 10
  2. Where the Wild Things Are
    Where the Wild Things AreMaurice Sendak · 1963Filmed 2009 Fantasy920 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  3. Eichmann in Jerusalem
    Eichmann in JerusalemHannah Arendt · 1963 History99 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  4. Cat's Cradle
    Cat's CradleKurt Vonnegut · 1963 Science fiction1.5K ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  5. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
    The Spy Who Came in from the ColdJohn le Carré · 1963 Spy & espionage537 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  6. Way Station
    Way StationClifford D. Simak · 1963 Science fiction192 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  7. V.
    V.Thomas Pynchon · 1963 Literary fiction107 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  8. The Bell Jar
    The Bell JarSylvia Plath · 1963Filmed 1979 Classics1.7K ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  9. The Collector
    The CollectorJohn Fowles · 1963 Classics211 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  10. The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
    The Power of Your Subconscious MindJoseph Murphy · 1963 Business361 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  11. Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective
    Encyclopedia Brown, Boy DetectiveDonald J. Sobol · 1963 Short stories87 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  12. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    On Her Majesty's Secret ServiceIan Fleming · 1963Filmed 1969 Thriller72 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  13. Hop on Pop
    Hop on PopDr. Seuss · 1963 Children’s books84 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  14. Glory Road
    Glory RoadRobert A. Heinlein · 1963 Fantasy55 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  15. Orphans of the Sky
    Orphans of the SkyRobert A. Heinlein · 1963 Science fiction59 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  16. A Wrinkle in Time
    A Wrinkle in TimeMadeleine L'Engle · 1963Filmed 2018 Science fiction1.9K ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  17. The Clocks
    The ClocksAgatha Christie · 1963Filmed 2009 Crime & mystery127 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10

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