BookRank

Best of the year

Best books of 1997

53 highest-rated books first published in 1997.

← 19961998 →

Why Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is #1

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (J. K. Rowling) scores 8.6/10 from 11.9K ratings — 0.3 points ahead of Comanche Moon 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. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
    Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneJ. K. Rowling · 1997Filmed 2001 Fantasy11.9K ratings
    8.68.6 / 10
  2. Comanche Moon
    Comanche MoonLarry McMurtry · 199755 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  3. Excalibur: A Novel of Arthur
    Excalibur: A Novel of ArthurBernard Cornwell · 1997 Fantasy100 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  4. The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
    The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and GlassStephen King · 1997 Fantasy980 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  5. Assassin's Quest
    Assassin's QuestRobin Hobb · 1997 Fantasy1.3K ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  6. The Subtle Knife
    The Subtle KnifePhilip Pullman · 1997 Fantasy1.6K ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  7. Into Thin Air
    Into Thin AirJon Krakauer · 1997 Biography & memoir88 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  8. A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again
    A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do AgainDavid Foster Wallace · 1997 Essays174 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  9. Mason & Dixon
    Mason & DixonThomas Pynchon · 1997 Historical fiction61 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  10. Jingo
    JingoTerry Pratchett · 1997 Fantasy464 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  11. The Tower of the Swallow
    The Tower of the SwallowAndrzej Sapkowski · 1997 Fantasy664 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  12. The Rise of Endymion
    The Rise of EndymionDan Simmons · 1997 Science fiction537 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  13. The Long Patrol
    The Long PatrolBrian Jacques · 1997 Fantasy71 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  14. Ella Enchanted
    Ella EnchantedGail Carson Levine · 1997 Fantasy452 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  15. Sharpe's Tiger
    Sharpe's TigerBernard Cornwell · 1997 Historical fiction118 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  16. The Neutronium Alchemist
    The Neutronium AlchemistPeter F. Hamilton · 1997 Science fiction193 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  17. Guns, Germs, and Steel
    Guns, Germs, and SteelJared Diamond · 1997 History874 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  18. How the Mind Works
    How the Mind WorksSteven Pinker · 1997 Psychology57 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  19. Memoirs of a Geisha
    Memoirs of a GeishaArthur Golden · 1997Filmed 2005 Historical fiction1.3K ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  20. She Is the Darkness
    She Is the DarknessGlen Cook · 1997 Fantasy81 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  21. The Power of Now
    The Power of NowEckhart Tolle · 1997 Religion & spirituality123 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  22. Tuesdays with Morrie
    Tuesdays with MorrieMitch Albom · 1997 Biography & memoir958 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  23. Trunk Music
    Trunk MusicMichael Connelly · 1997 Crime & mystery168 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  24. The Bone Collector
    The Bone CollectorJeffery Deaver · 1997 Thriller248 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  25. Diaspora
    DiasporaGreg Egan · 1997 Science fiction162 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  26. Rage of a Demon King
    Rage of a Demon KingRaymond E. Feist · 1997 Fantasy137 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  27. Sandry's Book
    Sandry's BookTamora Pierce · 1997 Fantasy128 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  28. Running with the Demon
    Running with the DemonTerry Brooks · 1997 Fantasy102 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  29. The God of Small Things
    The God of Small ThingsArundhati Roy · 1997 Romance508 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  30. The Capture
    The CaptureKatherine Applegate · 1997 Science fiction59 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  31. Temple of the Winds
    Temple of the WindsTerry Goodkind · 1997 Fantasy259 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  32. The Adventures of Captain Underpants
    The Adventures of Captain UnderpantsDav Pilkey · 1997 Science fiction137 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  33. An Instance of the Fingerpost
    An Instance of the FingerpostIain Pears · 1997 Crime & mystery61 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  34. Three to Get Deadly
    Three to Get DeadlyJanet Evanovich · 1997 Crime & mystery168 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  35. The Killing Dance
    The Killing DanceLaurell K. Hamilton · 1997 Fantasy152 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  36. Polgara The Sorceress
    Polgara The SorceressDavid Eddings · 1997 Fantasy116 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  37. Sacred
    SacredDennis Lehane · 1997 Crime & mystery51 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  38. The Paradise Snare
    The Paradise SnareA. C. Crispin · 1997 Science fiction82 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  39. Nicolae
    NicolaeTim LaHaye · 1997 Fantasy73 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  40. Rich Dad Poor Dad
    Rich Dad Poor DadRobert Kiyosaki · 19972K ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  41. Unnatural Exposure
    Unnatural ExposurePatricia Cornwell · 1997 Crime & mystery53 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  42. Killing Floor
    Killing FloorLee Child · 1997 Thriller859 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  43. Holidays on Ice
    Holidays on IceDavid Sedaris · 1997 Humour208 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  44. Plum Island
    Plum IslandNelson DeMille · 1997NYT bestseller Crime & mystery76 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  45. Cat and Mouse
    Cat and MouseJames Patterson · 1997 Crime & mystery103 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  46. The Winner
    The WinnerDavid Baldacci · 1997 Thriller50 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  47. Flood Tide
    Flood TideClive Cussler · 1997 Adventure54 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  48. Forever Peace
    Forever PeaceJoe Haldeman · 1997 Science fiction141 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  49. Back Spin
    Back SpinHarlan Coben · 1997 Crime & mystery71 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  50. Timequake
    TimequakeKurt Vonnegut · 1997 Science fiction133 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  51. In the Miso soup
    In the Miso soupRyū Murakami · 1997 Thriller233 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  52. Faceless Killers
    Faceless KillersHenning Mankell · 1997 Crime & mystery128 ratings
    7.37.3 / 10
  53. The Bat
    The BatJo Nesbø · 1997 Crime & mystery295 ratings
    7.07.0 / 10

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