Top books
Catch-22 — Joseph Helleron 2 of 3 rankings
1984 — George Orwellon 2 of 3 rankings
Boy Swallows Universe — Trent Daltonon 1 of 3 rankings
The Lord of the Rings — J.R.R. Tolkienon 1 of 3 rankings
Ulysses — James Joyceon 1 of 3 rankings
The Great Gatsby — F. Scott Fitzgeraldon 1 of 3 rankings
The Book Thief — Markus Zusakon 1 of 3 rankings
Pride and Prejudice — Jane Austenon 1 of 3 rankings
A Gentleman in Moscow — Amor Towleson 1 of 3 rankings
His Dark Materials — Philip Pullmanon 1 of 3 rankings
A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man — James Joyceon 1 of 3 rankings
All The Light We Cannot See — Anthony Doerron 1 of 3 rankings
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy — Douglas Adamson 1 of 3 rankings
Lolita — Vladimir Nabokovon 1 of 3 rankings
Lessons in Chemistry — Bonnie Garmuson 1 of 3 rankings
Brave New World — Aldous Huxleyon 1 of 3 rankings
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire — J. K. Rowlingon 1 of 3 rankings
Burial Rites — Hannah Kenton 1 of 3 rankings
To Kill a Mockingbird — Harper Leeon 1 of 3 rankings
The Sound And The Fury — William Faulkneron 1 of 3 rankings
The Dictionary of Lost Words — Pip Williamson 1 of 3 rankings
Winnie the Pooh — A. A. Milneon 1 of 3 rankings
Demon Copperhead — Barbara Kingsolveron 1 of 3 rankings
Darkness At Noon — Arthur Koestleron 1 of 3 rankings
A Little Life — Hanya Yanagiharaon 1 of 3 rankings
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe — C. S. Lewison 1 of 3 rankings
Sons And Lovers — D. H. Lawrenceon 1 of 3 rankings
Jane Eyre — Charlotte Brontëon 1 of 3 rankings
The Grapes Of Wrath — John Steinbeckon 1 of 3 rankings
Wolf Hall — Hilary Mantelon 1 of 3 rankings
Small Things Like These — Claire Keeganon 1 of 3 rankings
Under The Volcano — Malcolm Lowryon 1 of 3 rankings
Where the Crawdads Sing — Delia Owenson 1 of 3 rankings
Wuthering Heights — Emily Brontëon 1 of 3 rankings
The Way Of All Flesh — Samuel Butleron 1 of 3 rankings
The Narrow Road to the Deep North — Richard Flanaganon 1 of 3 rankings
Birdsong — Sebastian Faulkson 1 of 3 rankings
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine — Gail Honeymanon 1 of 3 rankings
Rebecca — Daphne du Maurieron 1 of 3 rankings
I, Claudius — Robert Graveson 1 of 3 rankings
Year of Wonders — Geraldine Brookson 1 of 3 rankings
The Catcher in the Rye — J. D. Salingeron 1 of 3 rankings
To The Lighthouse — Virginia Woolfon 1 of 3 rankings
An American Tragedy — Theodore Dreiseron 1 of 3 rankings
Still Life — Sarah Winmanon 1 of 3 rankings
The Wind in the Willows — Kenneth Grahameon 1 of 3 rankings
The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter — Carson McCullerson 1 of 3 rankings
Wifedom — Anna Funderon 1 of 3 rankings
Great Expectations — Charles Dickenson 1 of 3 rankings
Dark Emu — Bruce Pascoeon 1 of 3 rankings
Little Women — Louisa May Alcotton 1 of 3 rankings
Slaughterhouse-Five — Kurt Vonneguton 1 of 3 rankings
The Road — Cormac McCarthyon 1 of 3 rankings
Invisible Man — Ralph Ellisonon 1 of 3 rankings
Captain Corelli's Mandolin — Louis de Bernièreson 1 of 3 rankings
War and Peace — Leo Tolstoyon 1 of 3 rankings
Native Son — Richard Wrighton 1 of 3 rankings
The Secret River — Kate Grenvilleon 1 of 3 rankingsHow this ranking is made
According to Made the Cut's census of 3 independent rankings, recounted 16 October 2026, the best book of all time is Catch-22 — Joseph Heller, followed by 1984 — George Orwell and Boy Swallows Universe — Trent Dalton.
Each title’s place is its average position across 3 independent rankings, one contribution per member or source. A title left off a ranking counts as tied with its last place.
How this is counted
This chart counts 3 ranking sources, one voice each: their longest published ranking of books. A title's place is its average position across all sources counted: a title someone left off their ranking counts as tied with their last place. A small pull toward the middle keeps one enthusiastic list from crowning a #1. Every title in the computed chart has a numbered position, with its source count shown beside it. It is recounted whenever a ranking is published, changed or removed, last on 16 October 2026. Member rankings and attributed external lists use the same calculation. Multiple lists from one member or external author count once; linked slices add no extra vote. Frozen links, private or unlisted lists and unmatched titles are never counted. The full method.
Counts down the community's Top 10, recounted 16 October 2026.
See how your order compares with the 3 rankings counted.
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