BookRank

Best of the year

Best books of 1978

14 highest-rated books first published in 1978.

← 19771979 →

Why The Secret of the Unicorn is #1

The Secret of the Unicorn (Hergé) scores 8.5/10 from 61 ratings — 0.1 points ahead of The Stand 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 Secret of the Unicorn
    The Secret of the UnicornHergé · 1978 Comics61 ratings
    8.58.5 / 10
  2. The Stand
    The StandStephen King · 1978Filmed 1994 Horror2K ratings
    8.48.4 / 10
  3. Desolation Island
    Desolation IslandPatrick O'Brian · 1978 Historical fiction60 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  4. Roadside Picnic
    Roadside PicnicArkady Strugatsky · 1978 Science fiction717 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  5. Sideways Stories From Wayside School
    Sideways Stories From Wayside SchoolLouis Sachar · 1978 Short stories209 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  6. The Illearth War
    The Illearth WarStephen R. Donaldson · 1978 Fantasy122 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  7. The Courts of Chaos
    The Courts of ChaosRoger Zelazny · 1978 Fantasy152 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  8. Eye of the Needle
    Eye of the NeedleKen Follett · 1978NYT bestsellerFilmed 1981 Thriller236 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  9. Vixen 03
    Vixen 03Clive Cussler · 1978 Adventure76 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  10. Night Shift
    Night ShiftStephen King · 1978 Horror383 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  11. The White Dragon
    The White DragonAnne McCaffrey · 1978 Science fiction192 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  12. A Swiftly Tilting Planet
    A Swiftly Tilting PlanetMadeleine L'Engle · 1978 Science fiction244 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  13. Night's Master
    Night's MasterTanith Lee · 1978 Fantasy60 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  14. Beauty
    BeautyRobin McKinley · 1978 Young adult147 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10

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