BookRank

Best of the year

Best books of 2010

100 highest-rated books first published in 2010.

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Why The Way of Kings is #1

The Way of Kings (Brandon Sanderson) scores 9.2/10 from 3.9K ratings — 0.4 points ahead of Changes 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. The Way of Kings
    The Way of KingsBrandon Sanderson · 2010 Fantasy3.9K ratings
    9.29.2 / 10
  2. Changes
    ChangesJim Butcher · 2010 Fantasy697 ratings
    8.88.8 / 10
  3. The New Jim Crow
    The New Jim CrowMichelle Alexander · 2010NYT bestseller Popular science306 ratings
    8.88.8 / 10
  4. Towers of Midnight
    Towers of MidnightRobert Jordan · 2010 Fantasy911 ratings
    8.78.7 / 10
  5. I Shall Wear Midnight
    I Shall Wear MidnightTerry Pratchett · 2010 Fantasy286 ratings
    8.58.5 / 10
  6. Just Kids
    Just KidsPatti Smith · 2010 Biography & memoir377 ratings
    8.48.4 / 10
  7. Smile
    SmileRaina Telgemeier · 2010 Graphic novels281 ratings
    8.48.4 / 10
  8. Freedom
    FreedomDaniel Suarez · 2010 Science fiction416 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  9. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
    The Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksRebecca Skloot · 2010NYT bestseller Biography & memoir741 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  10. The Emperor of All Maladies
    The Emperor of All MaladiesSiddhartha Mukherjee · 2010NYT bestseller History225 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  11. Surface Detail
    Surface DetailIain Banks · 2010 Science fiction258 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  12. Fall of Giants
    Fall of GiantsKen Follett · 2010NYT bestseller Historical fiction420 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  13. The Lost Hero
    The Lost HeroRick Riordan · 2010 Fantasy1.5K ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  14. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
    The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de ZoetDavid Mitchell · 2010 Historical fiction182 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  15. The Black Prism
    The Black PrismBrent Weeks · 2010 Fantasy700 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  16. Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison
    Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon PrisonBrandon Mull · 2010 Fantasy128 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  17. The Emperor of Nihon-Ja
    The Emperor of Nihon-JaJohn Flanagan · 2010 Fantasy168 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  18. The Evolutionary Void
    The Evolutionary VoidPeter F. Hamilton · 2010 Science fiction233 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  19. Last Sacrifice
    Last SacrificeRichelle Mead · 2010 Fantasy307 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  20. Silver Borne
    Silver BornePatricia Briggs · 2010 Fantasy228 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  21. The Desert Spear
    The Desert SpearPeter V. Brett · 2010 Fantasy443 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  22. Clockwork Angel
    Clockwork AngelCassandra Clare · 2010 Young adult966 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  23. Monsters of Men
    Monsters of MenPatrick Ness · 2010 Young adult220 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  24. The Mystery Knight
    The Mystery KnightGeorge R. R. Martin · 2010 Fantasy151 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  25. War Horse
    War HorseMichael Morpurgo · 2010Filmed 201166 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  26. The Ring of Solomon
    The Ring of SolomonJonathan Stroud · 2010 Fantasy151 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  27. The Reckoning
    The ReckoningKelley Armstrong · 2010 Fantasy116 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  28. The Broken Kingdoms
    The Broken KingdomsN. K. Jemisin · 2010 Fantasy265 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  29. Bury Your Dead
    Bury Your DeadLouise Penny · 2010 Crime & mystery108 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  30. The Fuller Memorandum
    The Fuller MemorandumCharles Stross · 2010 Fantasy189 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  31. Life
    LifeKeith Richards · 2010NYT bestseller Biography & memoir90 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  32. Decision Points
    Decision PointsGeorge W. Bush · 2010NYT bestseller Biography & memoir52 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  33. A Thousand Sons
    A Thousand SonsGraham McNeill · 2010 Science fiction74 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  34. Behemoth
    BehemothScott Westerfeld · 2010 Young adult152 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  35. Dragon Haven
    Dragon HavenRobin Hobb · 2010 Fantasy259 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  36. The Grand Design
    The Grand DesignStephen Hawking · 2010 Popular science187 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  37. The Thing Around Your Neck
    The Thing Around Your NeckChimamanda Ngozi Adichie · 2010 Short stories92 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  38. ReWork
    ReWorkJason Fried · 2010 Business523 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  39. The Spook's Nightmare
    The Spook's NightmareJoseph Delaney · 2010 Fantasy52 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  40. Worth Dying For
    Worth Dying ForLee Child · 2010NYT bestseller Thriller244 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  41. Spirit Bound
    Spirit BoundRichelle Mead · 2010 Young adult322 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  42. Lord Sunday
    Lord SundayGarth Nix · 2010 Fantasy78 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  43. Erebos
    ErebosUrsula Poznanski · 2010 Science fiction68 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  44. Who Fears Death
    Who Fears DeathNnedi Okorafor · 2010 Fantasy140 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  45. The personal MBA
    The personal MBAJosh Kaufman · 2010 Business119 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  46. The Necromancer: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
    The Necromancer: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas FlamelMichael Scott · 2010 Fantasy187 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  47. At the Gates of Darkness
    At the Gates of DarknessRaymond E. Feist · 2010 Fantasy65 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  48. Room
    RoomEmma Donoghue · 2010NYT bestseller Literary fiction752 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  49. The Red Pyramid
    The Red PyramidRick Riordan · 2010 Fantasy725 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  50. The Ambassador's Mission
    The Ambassador's MissionTrudi Canavan · 2010 Fantasy94 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  51. Zero History
    Zero HistoryWilliam Gibson · 2010 Science fiction152 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  52. The Purity of Vengeance
    The Purity of VengeanceJussi Adler-Olsen · 2010 Crime & mystery55 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  53. The Passage
    The PassageJustin Cronin · 2010Filmed 2019 Horror705 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  54. Pathfinder
    PathfinderOrson Scott Card · 2010 Science fiction120 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  55. Slow Horses
    Slow HorsesMick Herron · 2010 Thriller372 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  56. The Lifecycle of Software Objects
    The Lifecycle of Software ObjectsTed Chiang · 2010 Science fiction106 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  57. 61 Hours
    61 HoursLee Child · 2010 Thriller283 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  58. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
    The Hundred Thousand KingdomsN. K. Jemisin · 2010 Fantasy501 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  59. Broken
    BrokenKarin Slaughter · 2010 Crime & mystery78 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  60. Faithful Place
    Faithful PlaceTana French · 2010 Crime & mystery214 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  61. An Artificial Night
    An Artificial NightSeanan McGuire · 2010 Crime & mystery110 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  62. The Bed of Procrustes
    The Bed of ProcrustesNassim Nicholas Taleb · 2010 Philosophy55 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  63. Heaven Is for Real
    Heaven Is for RealTodd Burpo · 2010NYT bestseller Biography & memoir94 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  64. Full Dark, No Stars
    Full Dark, No StarsStephen King · 2010 Horror345 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  65. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth
    Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly TruthJeff Kinney · 2010 Children’s books221 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  66. Virals
    ViralsBrendan Reichs · 2010 Science fiction73 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  67. Wicked Appetite
    Wicked AppetiteJanet Evanovich · 2010 Fantasy55 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  68. Hell's Corner
    Hell's CornerDavid Baldacci · 2010NYT bestseller Crime & mystery59 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  69. A Visit from the Goon Squad
    A Visit from the Goon SquadJennifer Egan · 2010 Literary fiction536 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  70. The Petrified Flesh
    The Petrified FleshCornelia Funke · 2010 Young adult51 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  71. Cryoburn
    CryoburnLois McMaster Bujold · 2010 Science fiction136 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  72. The Mongoliad
    The MongoliadGreg Bear · 2010 Fantasy82 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  73. Ship Breaker
    Ship BreakerPaolo Bacigalupi · 2010 Young adult147 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  74. Mockingjay
    MockingjaySuzanne Collins · 2010Filmed 2014 Young adult5.5K ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  75. Caught
    CaughtHarlan Coben · 2010 Crime & mystery103 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  76. For the Win
    For the WinCory Doctorow · 2010 Science fiction97 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  77. Terminal World
    Terminal WorldAlastair Reynolds · 2010 Science fiction75 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  78. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
    Abraham Lincoln, Vampire HunterSeth Grahame-Smith · 2010NYT bestseller Horror56 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  79. Linchpin
    LinchpinSeth Godin · 2010 Business129 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  80. 1Q84
    1Q84Haruki Murakami · 2010NYT bestseller Fantasy896 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  81. Fang
    FangJames Patterson · 2010 Young adult92 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  82. The Fall
    The FallGuillermo del Toro · 2010 Horror151 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  83. Burned
    BurnedKristin Cast · 2010 Fantasy144 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  84. Tongues of Serpents
    Tongues of SerpentsNaomi Novik · 2010 Fantasy162 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  85. The 4-Hour Body
    The 4-Hour BodyTim Ferriss · 2010233 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  86. The Confession
    The ConfessionJohn Grisham · 2010NYT bestseller Thriller83 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  87. Kraken
    KrakenChina Miéville · 2010 Fantasy209 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  88. Torment
    TormentLauren Kate · 2010 Fantasy144 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  89. Dead or Alive
    Dead or AliveTom Clancy · 2010NYT bestseller Thriller56 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  90. The Scorch Trials
    The Scorch TrialsJames Dashner · 2010 Young adult1.2K ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  91. Dead in the Family
    Dead in the FamilyCharlaine Harris · 2010 Fantasy252 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  92. Solar
    SolarIan McEwan · 2010 Humour53 ratings
    7.37.3 / 10
  93. Hull Zero Three
    Hull Zero ThreeGreg Bear · 2010 Science fiction85 ratings
    7.37.3 / 10
  94. Crescendo
    CrescendoBecca Fitzpatrick · 2010 Young adult255 ratings
    7.37.3 / 10
  95. Private
    PrivateJames Patterson · 2010 Thriller70 ratings
    7.37.3 / 10
  96. Beautiful Darkness
    Beautiful DarknessKami Garcia · 2010 Romance174 ratings
    7.27.2 / 10
  97. Bullet
    BulletLaurell K. Hamilton · 2010 Horror59 ratings
    7.27.2 / 10
  98. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk
    Squirrel Seeks ChipmunkDavid Sedaris · 2010 Humour127 ratings
    7.27.2 / 10
  99. Flirt
    FlirtLaurell K. Hamilton · 2010 Horror62 ratings
    7.17.1 / 10
  100. How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
    How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional UniverseCharles Yu · 2010 Science fiction186 ratings
    7.07.0 / 10

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