BookRank

Best of the year

Best books of 1987

36 highest-rated books first published in 1987.

← 19861988 →

Why Mort is #1

Mort (Terry Pratchett) scores 8.3/10 from 1.7K ratings — 0.1 points ahead of Misery 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. Mort
    MortTerry Pratchett · 1987 Fantasy1.7K ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  2. Misery
    MiseryStephen King · 1987Filmed 1990 Horror1.6K ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  3. Daughter of the Empire
    Daughter of the EmpireRaymond E. Feist · 1987 Fantasy227 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  4. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
    Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop CafeFannie Flagg · 1987 Romance282 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  5. Crossing to Safety
    Crossing to SafetyWallace Stegner · 1987 Classics61 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  6. Beloved
    BelovedToni Morrison · 1987NYT bestsellerFilmed 1998 Historical fiction680 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  7. Dawn
    DawnOctavia E. Butler · 1987 Science fiction451 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  8. Equal Rites
    Equal RitesTerry Pratchett · 1987 Fantasy1.3K ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  9. Sign of Chaos
    Sign of ChaosRoger Zelazny · 1987 Fantasy92 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  10. Weaveworld
    WeaveworldClive Barker · 1987 Fantasy131 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  11. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
    Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective AgencyDouglas Adams · 1987 Fantasy752 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  12. A Child Called "It"
    A Child Called "It"David J. Pelzer · 1987 Biography & memoir396 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  13. The Urth of the New Sun
    The Urth of the New SunGene Wolfe · 1987 Science fiction94 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  14. Watchers
    WatchersDean Koontz · 1987 Horror235 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  15. Swan Song
    Swan SongRobert R. McCammon · 1987 Horror284 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  16. Bluebeard
    BluebeardKurt Vonnegut · 1987 Classics121 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  17. Guardians of the West
    Guardians of the WestDavid Eddings · 1987 Fantasy189 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  18. Sweet Silver Blues
    Sweet Silver BluesGlen Cook · 1987 Fantasy61 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  19. Arrow's Flight
    Arrow's FlightMercedes Lackey · 1987 Fantasy93 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  20. Being a Green Mother
    Being a Green MotherPiers Anthony · 1987 Fantasy85 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  21. Arrows of the Queen
    Arrows of the QueenMercedes Lackey · 1987 Fantasy125 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  22. Presumed Innocent
    Presumed InnocentScott Turow · 1987Filmed 1990 Crime & mystery111 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  23. Patriot Games
    Patriot GamesTom Clancy · 1987 Thriller324 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  24. Seventh Son
    Seventh SonOrson Scott Card · 1987 Fantasy134 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  25. Taliesin
    TaliesinStephen R. Lawhead · 1987 Fantasy67 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  26. The Black Unicorn
    The Black UnicornTerry Brooks · 1987 Fantasy76 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  27. The Forge of God
    The Forge of GodGreg Bear · 1987 Science fiction122 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  28. To Sail Beyond the Sunset
    To Sail Beyond the SunsetRobert A. Heinlein · 1987 Science fiction54 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  29. The Rules of Attraction
    The Rules of AttractionBret Easton Ellis · 1987 Literary fiction105 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  30. The Black Dahlia
    The Black DahliaJames Ellroy · 1987Filmed 2006 Crime & mystery161 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  31. Hatchet
    HatchetGary Paulsen · 1987 Adventure755 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  32. Sphere
    SphereMichael Crichton · 1987 Science fiction753 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  33. Knots and Crosses
    Knots and CrossesIan Rankin · 1987 Crime & mystery123 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  34. Wild Cards
    Wild CardsGeorge R. R. Martin · 1987 Science fiction128 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  35. Consider Phlebas
    Consider PhlebasIain Banks · 1987 Science fiction985 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  36. The Tommyknockers
    The TommyknockersStephen King · 1987Filmed 1993 Science fiction382 ratings
    7.17.1 / 10

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