BookRank

Best of the year

Best books of 1979

19 highest-rated books first published in 1979.

← 19781980 →

Why Gödel, Escher, Bach is #1

Gödel, Escher, Bach (Douglas Hofstadter) scores 8.6/10 from 309 ratings — level with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 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. Gödel, Escher, Bach
    Gödel, Escher, BachDouglas Hofstadter · 1979 Popular science309 ratings
    8.68.6 / 10
  2. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
    The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyDouglas Adams · 1979Filmed 2005 Science fiction6.1K ratings
    8.68.6 / 10
  3. Kindred
    KindredOctavia E. Butler · 1979 Fantasy800 ratings
    8.68.6 / 10
  4. The Fortune of War
    The Fortune of WarPatrick O'Brian · 1979 Historical fiction56 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  5. The White Album
    The White AlbumJoan Didion · 1979 Essays82 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  6. The Neverending Story
    The Neverending StoryMichael Ende · 1979Filmed 1984 Fantasy59 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  7. Smiley's People
    Smiley's PeopleJohn le Carré · 1979 Spy & espionage101 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  8. The Power that Preserves
    The Power that PreservesStephen R. Donaldson · 1979 Fantasy102 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  9. Ramona and Her Mother
    Ramona and Her MotherBeverly Cleary · 1979 Children’s books52 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  10. The Fountains of Paradise
    The Fountains of ParadiseArthur C. Clarke · 1979 Science fiction148 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  11. The Long Walk
    The Long WalkStephen King · 1979 Horror997 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  12. The Dead Zone
    The Dead ZoneStephen King · 1979Filmed 1983 Science fiction620 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  13. Titan
    TitanJohn Varley · 1979 Science fiction63 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  14. Dragondrums
    DragondrumsAnne McCaffrey · 1979 Science fiction145 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  15. Castle Roogna
    Castle RoognaPiers Anthony · 1979 Fantasy120 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  16. Sophie's Choice
    Sophie's ChoiceWilliam Styron · 1979Filmed 1982 Classics73 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  17. The Source of Magic
    The Source of MagicPiers Anthony · 1979 Fantasy115 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  18. The Matarese Circle
    The Matarese CircleRobert Ludlum · 1979 Thriller51 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  19. The Ringworld Engineers
    The Ringworld EngineersLarry Niven · 1979 Science fiction245 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10

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