Designed to Feel by Peter Burchardt
Bestseller by Peter Burchardt
Designed to Feel
Why Evolution Built Your Emotions, and How to Make Them Work for You
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Literary Canon

Best Books from United Kingdom

Britain's literary tradition is the longest unbroken thread in world literature, running from Chaucer through Shakespeare, Milton, Austen, Dickens, and Woolf, into the postcolonial voices of Salman Rushdie and Kazuo Ishiguro. The English novel, invented here in the 18th century, still carries the imprint of its origins: the social contract, the class system, the empire, and the slow, painful accounting of both. Scotland, Wales, and Ireland have added their own insistent voices, and contemporary British fiction — from Hilary Mantel's Tudor epics to Ali Smith's seasonal quartet — remains among the most formally adventurous in any language.

#1
Cover of The Remains of the Day
literary-fiction

The Remains of the Day

Kazuo Ishiguro· 1989
★Nobel Prize in Literature★Booker Prize
Editorial Score100/100
#2
Cover of Wolf Hall
historical-fiction

Wolf Hall

Hilary Mantel· 2009
★Booker Prize★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score100/100
#3
Cover of Milkman
literary-fiction

Milkman

Anna Burns· 2018
★Booker Prize★Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score100/100
#4
Cover of Shuggie Bain
literary-fiction

Shuggie Bain

Douglas Stuart· 2020
★Booker Prize
Editorial Score94/100
#5
Cover of Piranesi
fantasy

Piranesi

Susanna Clarke· 2020
★Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score94/100
#6
Cover of Never Let Me Go
literary-fiction

Never Let Me Go

Kazuo Ishiguro· 2017
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score91/100
#7
Cover of The Power
science-fiction

The Power

Naomi Alderman· 2016
★Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score90/100
#8
Cover of Bring Up the Bodies
historical-fiction

Bring Up the Bodies

Hilary Mantel· 2012
★Booker Prize
Editorial Score86/100
#9
Cover of How I Live Now
young-adult

How I Live Now

Meg Rosoff· 2004
★Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score79/100
#10
Cover of American Gods
fantasy

American Gods

Neil Gaiman· 2002
★Hugo Award★Bram Stoker Award
Editorial Score79/100
#11
Cover of Mrs Dalloway
literary-fiction

Mrs Dalloway

Virginia Woolf· 1925
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score78/100
#12
Cover of The Fountains of Paradise
science-fiction

The Fountains of Paradise

Arthur C. Clarke· 1980
★Hugo Award★Nebula Award
Editorial Score78/100
#13
Cover of A Life's Work
biography-memoir

A Life's Work

Rachel Cusk· 2001
★Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score75/100
#14
Cover of Amsterdam
literary-fiction

Amsterdam

Ian McEwan· 1998
★Booker Prize
Editorial Score74/100
#15
Cover of Sacred Hunger
historical-fiction

Sacred Hunger

Barry Unsworth· 1992
★Booker Prize
Editorial Score74/100
#16
Cover of Small Island
historical-fiction

Small Island

Andrea Levy· 2004
★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score74/100
#17
Cover of How Late It Was, How Late
literary-fiction

How Late It Was, How Late

James Kelman· 1994
★Booker Prize
Editorial Score73/100
#18
Cover of The Midnight Library
literary-fiction

The Midnight Library

Matt Haig· 2020
Goodreads Choice Award
Editorial Score72/100
#19
Cover of Rebecca
mystery-thriller

Rebecca

Daphne du Maurier· 1938
★Edgar Award
Editorial Score72/100
#20
Cover of The Waves
literary-fiction

The Waves

Virginia Woolf· 1931
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score71/100
#21
Cover of Dear Nobody
young-adult

Dear Nobody

Berlie Doherty· 1991
★Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score71/100
#22
Cover of Day
literary-fiction

Day

A.L. Kennedy· 2007
★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score70/100
#23
Cover of The Tenderness of Wolves
mystery-thriller

The Tenderness of Wolves

Stef Penney· 2006
★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score70/100
#24
Cover of Watership Down
adventure

Watership Down

Richard Adams· 1972
★Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score70/100
#25
Cover of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
literary-fiction

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Mark Haddon· 2003
★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score69/100
#26
Cover of The Electric Michelangelo
literary-fiction

The Electric Michelangelo

Sarah Hall· 2004
★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score69/100
#27
Cover of Case Histories
mystery-thriller

Case Histories

Kate Atkinson· 2004
★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score68/100
#28
Cover of The Graveyard Book
fantasy

The Graveyard Book

Neil Gaiman· 2009
★Hugo Award
Editorial Score68/100
#29
Cover of Among Others
literary-fiction

Among Others

Jo Walton· 2012
★Hugo Award
Editorial Score67/100
#30
Cover of The City & The City
mystery-thriller

The City & The City

China Miéville· 2010
★Hugo Award
Editorial Score67/100
#31
Cover of The Other Hand
literary-fiction

The Other Hand

Chris Cleave· 2008
★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score66/100
#32
Cover of To the Lighthouse
literary-fiction

To the Lighthouse

Virginia Woolf· 1927
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score66/100
#33
Cover of The Tulip Touch
young-adult

The Tulip Touch

Anne Fine· 1996
★Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score66/100
#34
Cover of The Sea, The Sea
literary-fiction

The Sea, The Sea

Iris Murdoch· 1978
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score65/100
#35
Cover of Skellig
young-adult

Skellig

David Almond· 1998
★Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score65/100
#36
Cover of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
fantasy

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

J.K. Rowling· 2001
★Hugo Award
Editorial Score65/100
#37
Cover of Flour Babies
young-adult

Flour Babies

Anne Fine· 1992
★Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score64/100
#38
Cover of Wolf
young-adult

Wolf

Gillian Cross· 1990
★Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score63/100
#39
Cover of The Ghost of Thomas Kempe
childrens

The Ghost of Thomas Kempe

Penelope Lively· 1973
★Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score61/100
#40
Cover of Pack of Lies
young-adult

Pack of Lies

Anne Fine· 1986
★Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score60/100
#41
Cover of Coram Boy
historical-fiction

Coram Boy

Jamila Gavin· 2000
★Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score59/100
#42
Cover of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
mystery-thriller

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Alexander McCall Smith· 1998
★Edgar Award
Editorial Score58/100
#43
Cover of Rendezvous with Rama
science-fiction

Rendezvous with Rama

Arthur C. Clarke· 1974
★Hugo Award
Editorial Score58/100
#44
Cover of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
fantasy

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Susanna Clarke· 2005
★Hugo Award
Editorial Score55/100
#45
Cover of 1984
science-fiction

1984

George Orwell· 1949
TIME 100 Best NovelsBBC Big Read
Editorial Score55/100
#46
Cover of Pride and Prejudice
literary-fiction

Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen· 1813
Guardian 100 Best NovelsBBC Big Read
Editorial Score55/100
#47
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
literary-fiction

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll· 1865
Library Journal
Editorial Score55/100
#48
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
literary-fiction

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus

Mary Shelley· 1818
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score55/100
#49
The Hound of the Baskervilles
literary-fiction

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Arthur Conan Doyle· 1900
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score55/100
#50
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes [12 stories]
literary-fiction

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes [12 stories]

Arthur Conan Doyle· 1892
Library Journal
Editorial Score55/100
The Happiness Blueprint
New Release by Peter Burchardt
The Happiness Blueprint
Your Evolutionary Guide to Joy, Purpose, and Lasting Well-Being
Happiness isn’t a destination — it’s a blueprint written in your DNA.
Get It on Amazon →Paperback & Kindle

Genres

Literary Fiction562Classic Literature477Mystery & Thriller262Fantasy143Science Fiction108Biography & Memoir102Short Stories100Travel & Exploration98Romance84Historical Fiction78Religion & Spirituality66Horror64Adventure61Politics & Society53Graphic Novels53Psychology51Art & Design49Cooking & Food39Young Adult24Children's Books15Poetry13Philosophy7History7comedy6Science & Nature6gothic4mythology1

Notable Authors

Kazuo Ishiguro3 booksHilary Mantel2 booksAnna Burns1 bookDouglas Stuart1 bookSusanna Clarke2 booksNaomi Alderman1 bookMeg Rosoff1 bookNeil Gaiman55 booksVirginia Woolf32 booksArthur C. Clarke9 books

United Kingdom Literature — FAQ

What are the best books from United Kingdom?

The top-ranked books from United Kingdom include The Remains of the Day, Wolf Hall, Milkman — all highly scored by international editorial consensus.

Which United Kingdom authors have won the Nobel Prize in Literature?

United Kingdom has produced several Nobel Prize laureates. Our rankings highlight these winners alongside other critically acclaimed authors from the country.

How many books from United Kingdom are ranked on 50 Best Books?

We currently rank 50 books from United Kingdom, spanning fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and more.

What literary traditions is United Kingdom known for?

United Kingdom's literary tradition includes Literary Fiction, Classic Literature, Mystery & Thriller — genres where the country has produced world-class authors.

Where can I read more about United Kingdom literature?

Explore our dedicated guide at /best-books-in/united-kingdom for a comprehensive overview of United Kingdom's literary landscape, key authors, and recommended reading order.