BookRank

Best of the year

Best books of 2009

89 highest-rated books first published in 2009.

← 20082010 →

Why The Gathering Storm is #1

The Gathering Storm (Robert Jordan) scores 8.7/10 from 978 ratings — level with The Last Olympian 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. The Gathering Storm
    The Gathering StormRobert Jordan · 2009 Fantasy978 ratings1
    8.78.7 / 10
  2. The Last Olympian
    The Last OlympianRick Riordan · 2009 Fantasy2K ratings
    8.78.7 / 10
  3. Turn Coat
    Turn CoatJim Butcher · 2009 Fantasy688 ratings
    8.68.6 / 10
  4. This Is Water
    This Is WaterDavid Foster Wallace · 2009 Philosophy160 ratings
    8.58.5 / 10
  5. Warbreaker
    WarbreakerBrandon Sanderson · 2009 Fantasy2.2K ratings
    8.48.4 / 10
  6. First Lord's Fury
    First Lord's FuryJim Butcher · 2009 Fantasy375 ratings
    8.48.4 / 10
  7. The Help
    The HelpKathryn Stockett · 2009NYT bestsellerFilmed 2011 Historical fiction1.3K ratings
    8.48.4 / 10
  8. Dust of Dreams
    Dust of DreamsSteven Erikson · 2009 Fantasy279 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  9. Clean Code
    Clean CodeRobert Cecil Martin · 2009 Technology & IT270 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  10. Stitches
    StitchesDavid Small · 2009 Graphic novels83 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  11. Daemon
    DaemonDaniel Suarez · 2009 Science fiction624 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  12. Catching Fire
    Catching FireSuzanne Collins · 2009 Dystopian5.4K ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  13. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
    Where the Mountain Meets the MoonGrace Lin · 2009 Fantasy91 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  14. An Echo in the Bone
    An Echo in the BoneDiana Gabaldon · 2009 Fantasy147 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  15. Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary
    Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon SanctuaryBrandon Mull · 2009 Fantasy153 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  16. Bone Crossed
    Bone CrossedPatricia Briggs · 2009 Fantasy239 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  17. Bloodhound
    BloodhoundTamora Pierce · 2009 Fantasy103 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  18. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
    Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog DaysJeff Kinney · 2009 Middle grade327 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  19. The Burning Land
    The Burning LandBernard Cornwell · 2009 Historical fiction133 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  20. The Soldiers of Halla
    The Soldiers of HallaD. J. MacHale · 2009 Fantasy75 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  21. Too Big to Fail
    Too Big to FailAndrew Ross Sorkin · 2009 Business86 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  22. Hunting Ground
    Hunting GroundPatricia Briggs · 2009 Fantasy123 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  23. Have a Little Faith
    Have a Little FaithMitch Albom · 2009NYT bestseller Biography & memoir59 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  24. Wolf Hall
    Wolf HallHilary Mantel · 2009 Historical fiction431 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  25. Blood Promise
    Blood PromiseRichelle Mead · 2009 Fantasy373 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  26. The Ask and the Answer
    The Ask and the AnswerPatrick Ness · 2009 Science fiction260 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  27. Unseen Academicals
    Unseen AcademicalsTerry Pratchett · 2009 Fantasy334 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  28. City of Glass
    City of GlassCassandra Clare · 2009 Fantasy1.1K ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  29. Start with Why
    Start with WhySimon Sinek · 2009 Business62 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  30. The City & the City
    The City & the CityChina Miéville · 2009 Fantasy644 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  31. The Spook's Sacrifice
    The Spook's SacrificeJoseph Delaney · 2009 Fantasy59 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  32. The Brutal Telling
    The Brutal TellingLouise Penny · 2009 Crime & mystery119 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  33. Rides a Dread Legion
    Rides a Dread LegionRaymond E. Feist · 2009 Fantasy66 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  34. Gone Tomorrow
    Gone TomorrowLee Child · 2009 Thriller254 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  35. Fire
    FireKristin Cashore · 2009 Fantasy300 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  36. The Magician's Apprentice
    The Magician's ApprenticeTrudi Canavan · 2009 Fantasy109 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  37. The Year of the Flood
    The Year of the FloodMargaret Atwood · 2009 Science fiction405 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  38. The Windup Girl
    The Windup GirlPaolo Bacigalupi · 2009 Science fiction550 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  39. Food Rules: An Eater's Manual
    Food Rules: An Eater's ManualMichael Pollan · 2009150 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  40. Crocodile Tears
    Crocodile TearsAnthony Horowitz · 2009 Adventure110 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  41. The Sorceress
    The SorceressMichael Scott · 2009 Fantasy225 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  42. I Will Teach You to Be Rich
    I Will Teach You to Be RichRamit Sethi · 2009 Business252 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  43. Inherent Vice
    Inherent ViceThomas Pynchon · 2009 Crime & mystery157 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  44. Soccernomics
    SoccernomicsSimon Kuper · 200965 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  45. Wintergirls
    WintergirlsLaurie Halse Anderson · 2009 Contemporary fiction159 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  46. The Awakening
    The AwakeningKelley Armstrong · 2009 Horror135 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  47. SuperFreakonomics
    SuperFreakonomicsSteven D. Levitt · 2009 Business361 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  48. Undone
    UndoneKarin Slaughter · 2009 Thriller82 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  49. Nine Dragons
    Nine DragonsMichael Connelly · 2009 Crime & mystery117 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  50. The Arctic Incident: The Graphic Novel
    The Arctic Incident: The Graphic NovelEoin Colfer · 2009 Middle grade466 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  51. Drood
    DroodDan Simmons · 2009 Historical fiction76 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  52. Stargazer
    StargazerClaudia Gray · 2009 Fantasy59 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  53. The Lost City of Z
    The Lost City of ZDavid Grann · 2009NYT bestseller History303 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  54. The Demigod Files
    The Demigod FilesRick Riordan · 2009 Fantasy305 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  55. Carpe Corpus
    Carpe CorpusRachel Caine · 2009 Horror73 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  56. Leviathan
    LeviathanScott Westerfeld · 2009 Science fiction298 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  57. Live Wire
    Live WireHarlan Coben · 2009NYT bestseller Crime & mystery54 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  58. Transition
    TransitionIain Banks · 2009 Science fiction86 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  59. Vision in White
    Vision in WhiteNora Roberts · 2009 Romance79 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  60. The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag
    The Weed that Strings the Hangman's BagAlan Bradley · 2009 Crime & mystery112 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  61. Bed of Roses
    Bed of RosesNora Roberts · 2009 Romance67 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  62. The Maze Runner
    The Maze RunnerJames Dashner · 2009 Young adult2.1K ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  63. Under the Dome
    Under the DomeStephen King · 2009 Science fiction780 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  64. The 8th Confession
    The 8th ConfessionJames Patterson · 2009 Crime & mystery55 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  65. Nocturnes
    NocturnesKazuo Ishiguro · 2009 Short stories76 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  66. Dark Places
    Dark PlacesGillian Flynn · 2009NYT bestsellerFilmed 2015 Crime & mystery942 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  67. I, Alex Cross
    I, Alex CrossJames Patterson · 2009 Thriller70 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  68. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
    The Sweetness at the Bottom of the PieAlan Bradley · 2009 Crime & mystery266 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  69. First Family
    First FamilyDavid Baldacci · 2009 Thriller67 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  70. Rosemary and Rue
    Rosemary and RueSeanan McGuire · 2009 Urban fantasy215 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  71. Tempted
    TemptedKristin Cast · 2009 Fantasy180 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  72. Dead and Gone
    Dead and GoneCharlaine Harris · 2009 Romance282 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  73. If I Stay
    If I StayGayle Forman · 2009 Young adult727 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  74. The Strain
    The StrainGuillermo del Toro · 2009 Horror295 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  75. Hunted
    HuntedKristin Cast · 2009 Fantasy224 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  76. Shiver
    ShiverMaggie Stiefvater · 2009 Fantasy405 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  77. The 4-Hour Workweek
    The 4-Hour WorkweekTim Ferriss · 2009 Business676 ratings
    7.37.3 / 10
  78. The Siren
    The SirenKiera Cass · 2009 Young adult136 ratings
    7.37.3 / 10
  79. Beautiful Creatures
    Beautiful CreaturesKami Garcia · 2009 Fantasy404 ratings
    7.37.3 / 10
  80. Skin Trade
    Skin TradeLaurell K. Hamilton · 2009 Horror72 ratings
    7.37.3 / 10
  81. The Associate
    The AssociateJohn Grisham · 2009 Thriller99 ratings
    7.27.2 / 10
  82. Pirate Latitudes
    Pirate LatitudesMichael Crichton · 2009 Adventure173 ratings
    7.27.2 / 10
  83. Metro 2034
    Metro 2034Dmitry Glukhovsky · 2009 Science fiction138 ratings
    7.27.2 / 10
  84. Marked
    MarkedKristin Cast · 2009 Fantasy459 ratings
    7.27.2 / 10
  85. Pygmy
    PygmyChuck Palahniuk · 2009 Humour97 ratings
    7.17.1 / 10
  86. The Lost Symbol
    The Lost SymbolDan Brown · 2009Filmed 2021 Crime & mystery1.5K ratings
    7.07.0 / 10
  87. Hush, Hush
    Hush, HushBecca Fitzpatrick · 2009 Romance417 ratings
    7.07.0 / 10
  88. Evermore
    EvermoreAlyson Noël · 2009 Fantasy260 ratings
    6.86.8 / 10
  89. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
    Pride and Prejudice and ZombiesSeth Grahame-Smith · 2009 Humour316 ratings
    6.76.7 / 10

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