BookRank

Best of the year

Best books of 1990

53 highest-rated books first published in 1990.

← 19891991 →

Why Weirdos from Another Planet! is #1

Weirdos from Another Planet! (Bill Watterson) scores 8.8/10 from 80 ratings — 0.4 points ahead of Oh, the Places You'll Go! 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. Weirdos from Another Planet!
    Weirdos from Another Planet!Bill Watterson · 1990 Comics80 ratings
    8.88.8 / 10
  2. Oh, the Places You'll Go!
    Oh, the Places You'll Go!Dr. Seuss · 1990 Children’s books438 ratings
    8.48.4 / 10
  3. Good Omens
    Good OmensTerry Pratchett · 1990NYT bestsellerFilmed 2019 Fantasy2.9K ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  4. The Great Hunt
    The Great HuntRobert Jordan · 1990 Fantasy1.9K ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  5. The Fall of Hyperion
    The Fall of HyperionDan Simmons · 1990 Science fiction1.2K ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  6. The First Man in Rome
    The First Man in RomeColleen McCullough · 1990 Historical fiction73 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  7. Jurassic Park
    Jurassic ParkMichael Crichton · 1990Filmed 1993 Science fiction2.6K ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  8. Servant of the Empire
    Servant of the EmpireRaymond E. Feist · 1990 Fantasy175 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  9. The Things They Carried
    The Things They CarriedTim O'Brien · 1990 Short stories591 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  10. Dealing with Dragons
    Dealing with DragonsPatricia Wrede · 1990 Fantasy261 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  11. Angels in America
    Angels in AmericaTony Kushner · 1990 Drama & theatre87 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  12. The Eye of the World
    The Eye of the WorldRobert Jordan · 1990 Fantasy2.6K ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  13. Tigana
    TiganaGuy Gavriel Kay · 1990 Fantasy296 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  14. Homeland
    HomelandR. A. Salvatore · 1990 Fantasy514 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  15. The Vor Game
    The Vor GameLois McMaster Bujold · 1990 Science fiction200 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  16. Dreams of Steel
    Dreams of SteelGlen Cook · 1990 Fantasy100 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  17. Exile
    ExileR. A. Salvatore · 1990 Fantasy363 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  18. Magic's Promise
    Magic's PromiseMercedes Lackey · 1990 Fantasy78 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  19. Haroun and the Sea of Stories
    Haroun and the Sea of StoriesSalman Rushdie · 1990 Fantasy117 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  20. The Dark Elf Trilogy
    The Dark Elf TrilogyR. A. Salvatore · 1990 Fantasy79 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  21. Use of Weapons
    Use of WeaponsIain Banks · 1990 Science fiction518 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  22. Stone of Farewell
    Stone of FarewellTad Williams · 1990 Fantasy272 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  23. Tehanu
    TehanuUrsula K. Le Guin · 1990 Fantasy357 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  24. Elven Star
    Elven StarMargaret Weis · 1990 Fantasy100 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  25. The Halfling's Gem
    The Halfling's GemR. A. Salvatore · 1990 Fantasy235 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  26. Flow
    FlowMihaly Csikszentmihalyi · 1990 Psychology156 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  27. Zen in the Art of Writing
    Zen in the Art of WritingRay Bradbury · 1990 Essays86 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  28. The Scions of Shannara
    The Scions of ShannaraTerry Brooks · 1990 Fantasy115 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  29. Wings
    WingsTerry Pratchett · 1990 Fantasy65 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  30. L.A. Confidential
    L.A. ConfidentialJames Ellroy · 1990 Crime & mystery76 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  31. Robot Visions
    Robot VisionsIsaac Asimov · 1990 Science fiction63 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  32. Possession
    PossessionA. S. Byatt · 1990 Romance133 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  33. The Mother Tongue
    The Mother TongueBill Bryson · 1990NYT bestseller History160 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  34. The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power
    The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and PowerRobert A. Heinlein · 1990 Science fiction77 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  35. Diggers
    DiggersTerry Pratchett · 1990 Fantasy79 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  36. Dragon Wing
    Dragon WingMargaret Weis · 1990 Fantasy134 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  37. Moving Pictures
    Moving PicturesTerry Pratchett · 1990 Fantasy574 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  38. The Witching Hour
    The Witching HourAnne Rice · 1990 Fantasy198 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  39. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
    The True Confessions of Charlotte DoyleAvi · 1990 Historical fiction128 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  40. Phule's Company
    Phule's CompanyRobert Asprin · 1990 Science fiction52 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  41. Castle in the Air
    Castle in the AirDiana Wynne Jones · 1990 Fantasy229 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  42. The Worthing Saga
    The Worthing SagaOrson Scott Card · 1990 Science fiction59 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  43. And Eternity
    And EternityPiers Anthony · 1990 Fantasy61 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  44. The Plains of Passage
    The Plains of PassageJean M. Auel · 1990 Historical fiction96 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  45. "G" Is for Gumshoe
    "G" Is for GumshoeSue Grafton · 1990 Crime & mystery51 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  46. The Rowan
    The RowanAnne McCaffrey · 1990 Science fiction63 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  47. The Bourne Ultimatum
    The Bourne UltimatumRobert Ludlum · 1990 Spy & espionage171 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  48. Four Past Midnight
    Four Past MidnightStephen King · 1990 Horror266 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  49. Postmortem
    PostmortemPatricia Cornwell · 1990 Crime & mystery248 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  50. The Face on the Milk Carton
    The Face on the Milk CartonCaroline B. Cooney · 1990 Young adult105 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  51. Eric
    EricTerry Pratchett · 1990 Fantasy616 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  52. Esio Trot
    Esio TrotRoald Dahl · 1990 Humour109 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  53. The Difference Engine
    The Difference EngineWilliam Gibson · 1990 Science fiction165 ratings
    7.17.1 / 10

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