BookRank

Best of the year

Best books of 1972

16 highest-rated books first published in 1972.

← 19711973 →

Why Frog and Toad Together is #1

Frog and Toad Together (Arnold Lobel) scores 8.3/10 from 70 ratings — 0.1 points ahead of Post Captain 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. Frog and Toad Together
    Frog and Toad TogetherArnold Lobel · 1972 Picture books70 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  2. Post Captain
    Post CaptainPatrick O'Brian · 1972 Historical fiction106 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  3. Watership Down
    Watership DownRichard Adams · 1972Filmed 1978 Fantasy945 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  4. The Gods Themselves
    The Gods ThemselvesIsaac Asimov · 1972 Science fiction388 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  5. The Farthest Shore
    The Farthest ShoreUrsula K. Le Guin · 1972 Fantasy589 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  6. The Word for World Is Forest
    The Word for World Is ForestUrsula K. Le Guin · 1972 Science fiction313 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  7. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
    Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad DayJudith Viorst · 1972 Children’s books175 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  8. The Guns of Avalon
    The Guns of AvalonRoger Zelazny · 1972 Fantasy165 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  9. The Stepford Wives
    The Stepford WivesIra Levin · 1972Filmed 2004 Science fiction210 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  10. Julie of the Wolves
    Julie of the WolvesJean Craighead George · 1972 Middle grade94 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  11. Nemesis
    NemesisAgatha Christie · 1972 Crime & mystery100 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  12. The Halloween Tree
    The Halloween TreeRay Bradbury · 1972 Fantasy146 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  13. The Odessa File
    The Odessa FileFrederick Forsyth · 1972 Thriller84 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  14. The Terminal Man
    The Terminal ManMichael Crichton · 1972Filmed 1974 Science fiction134 ratings
    7.37.3 / 10
  15. Elephants Can Remember
    Elephants Can RememberAgatha Christie · 1972 Crime & mystery140 ratings
    7.37.3 / 10
  16. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
    Charlie and the Great Glass ElevatorRoald Dahl · 1972 Fantasy351 ratings
    7.27.2 / 10

Other years