Designed to Feel by Peter Burchardt
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Designed to Feel
Why Evolution Built Your Emotions, and How to Make Them Work for You
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Best Books of the 2000s

The most acclaimed books published between 2000 and 2009, ranked by editorial consensus across Nobel Prizes, Booker Awards, Pulitzers, and 40+ critical sources. This era was defined by post-9/11 fiction, digital culture, and world literature.

50 titles ranked · 20002009 · Scored across 40+ editorial sources
#1
Cover of The White Tiger
literary-fiction

The White Tiger

Aravind Adiga· 2008
Nobel Prize in LiteratureBooker Prize
Editorial Score100/100
#2
Cover of The Road
literary-fiction

The Road

Cormac McCarthy· 2007
Pulitzer PrizeHugo Award
Editorial Score100/100
#3
Cover of Wolf Hall
historical-fiction

Wolf Hall

Hilary Mantel· 2009
Booker PrizeCosta Book Award
Editorial Score100/100
#4
Cover of The Sea
literary-fiction

The Sea

John Banville· 2005
Booker PrizeCosta Book Award
Editorial Score100/100
#5
Cover of The Kite Runner
literary-fiction

The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini· 2003
Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score88/100
#6
Cover of The Corrections
literary-fiction

The Corrections

Jonathan Franzen· 2002
National Book Award
Editorial Score88/100
#7
Cover of A Thousand Splendid Suns
literary-fiction

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini· 2007
Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score84/100
#8
Cover of The Lacuna
historical-fiction

The Lacuna

Barbara Kingsolver· 2009
Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score83/100
#9
Cover of Half of a Yellow Sun
historical-fiction

Half of a Yellow Sun

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie· 2007
Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score83/100
#10
Cover of The Blind Assassin
literary-fiction

The Blind Assassin

Margaret Atwood· 2000
Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score82/100
#11
Cover of Middlesex
literary-fiction

Middlesex

Jeffrey Eugenides· 2003
Pulitzer Prize
Editorial Score81/100
#12
Cover of We Need to Talk About Kevin
literary-fiction

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Lionel Shriver· 2005
Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score81/100
#13
Cover of My Name Is Red
literary-fiction

My Name Is Red

Orhan Pamuk· 2006
Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score80/100
#14
Cover of The Elegance of the Hedgehog
literary-fiction

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Muriel Barbery· 2006
Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score80/100
#15
Cover of How I Live Now
young-adult

How I Live Now

Meg Rosoff· 2004
Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score79/100
#16
Cover of American Gods
fantasy

American Gods

Neil Gaiman· 2002
Hugo AwardBram Stoker Award
Editorial Score79/100
#17
Cover of Property
literary-fiction

Property

Lionel Shriver· 2003
Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score78/100
#18
Cover of The News from Paraguay
historical-fiction

The News from Paraguay

Lily Tuck· 2005
National Book Award
Editorial Score78/100
#19
Cover of Life of Pi
literary-fiction

Life of Pi

Yann Martel· 2002
Booker Prize
Editorial Score77/100
#20
Cover of The Idea of Perfection
literary-fiction

The Idea of Perfection

Kate Grenville· 2001
Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score77/100
#21
Cover of The Shadow of the Wind
mystery-thriller

The Shadow of the Wind

Carlos Ruiz Zafón· 2005
National Book Award
Editorial Score77/100
#22
Cover of True History of the Kelly Gang
historical-fiction

True History of the Kelly Gang

Peter Carey· 2001
Booker Prize
Editorial Score75/100
#23
Cover of A Life's Work
biography-memoir

A Life's Work

Rachel Cusk· 2001
Women's Prize for Fiction
Editorial Score75/100
#24
Cover of Olive Kitteridge
literary-fiction

Olive Kitteridge

Elizabeth Strout· 2009
Pulitzer Prize
Editorial Score74/100
#25
Cover of Small Island
historical-fiction

Small Island

Andrea Levy· 2004
Costa Book Award
Editorial Score74/100
#26
Cover of Tree of Smoke
literary-fiction

Tree of Smoke

Denis Johnson· 2008
National Book Award
Editorial Score72/100
#27
Cover of The Gathering
literary-fiction

The Gathering

Anne Enright· 2007
Costa Book Award
Editorial Score71/100
#28
Cover of Day
literary-fiction

Day

A.L. Kennedy· 2007
Costa Book Award
Editorial Score70/100
#29
Cover of Europe Central
historical-fiction

Europe Central

William T. Vollmann· 2006
National Book Award
Editorial Score70/100
#30
Cover of The Tenderness of Wolves
mystery-thriller

The Tenderness of Wolves

Stef Penney· 2006
Costa Book Award
Editorial Score70/100
#31
Cover of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
literary-fiction

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

Michael Chabon· 2001
Pulitzer Prize
Editorial Score70/100
#32
Cover of In America
historical-fiction

In America

Susan Sontag· 2001
National Book Award
Editorial Score70/100
#33
Cover of Three Junes
literary-fiction

Three Junes

Julia Glass· 2003
National Book Award
Editorial Score69/100
#34
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
#35
Cover of The Electric Michelangelo
literary-fiction

The Electric Michelangelo

Sarah Hall· 2004
Costa Book Award
Editorial Score69/100
#36
Cover of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
literary-fiction

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Junot Díaz· 2008
Pulitzer Prize
Editorial Score68/100
#37
Cover of Case Histories
mystery-thriller

Case Histories

Kate Atkinson· 2004
Costa Book Award
Editorial Score68/100
#38
Cover of The Graveyard Book
fantasy

The Graveyard Book

Neil Gaiman· 2009
Hugo Award
Editorial Score68/100
#39
Cover of The Echo Maker
literary-fiction

The Echo Maker

Richard Powers· 2007
National Book Award
Editorial Score67/100
#40
Cover of Empire Falls
literary-fiction

Empire Falls

Richard Russo· 2002
Pulitzer Prize
Editorial Score67/100
#41
Cover of The Hunger Games
young-adult

The Hunger Games

Suzanne Collins· 2008
Goodreads Choice Award
Editorial Score67/100
#42
Cover of The Other Hand
literary-fiction

The Other Hand

Chris Cleave· 2008
Costa Book Award
Editorial Score66/100
#43
Cover of Spin
science-fiction

Spin

Robert Charles Wilson· 2006
Hugo Award
Editorial Score66/100
#44
Cover of Paladin of Souls
fantasy

Paladin of Souls

Lois McMaster Bujold· 2004
Hugo Award
Editorial Score66/100
#45
Cover of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
mystery-thriller

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Stieg Larsson· 2005
Edgar Award
Editorial Score66/100
#46
Cover of The Years of Rice and Salt
historical-fiction

The Years of Rice and Salt

Kim Stanley Robinson· 2003
Hugo Award
Editorial Score66/100
#47
Cover of The Maytrees
literary-fiction

The Maytrees

Annie Dillard· 2007
PEN/Faulkner Award
Editorial Score65/100
#48
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
#49
Cover of Old School
literary-fiction

Old School

Tobias Wolff· 2004
PEN/Faulkner Award
Editorial Score62/100
#50
Cover of Coram Boy
historical-fiction

Coram Boy

Jamila Gavin· 2000
Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score59/100
Happy Employees
The Management Companion
Happy Employees
What Evolution Tells You About Leading People
Lead with human nature, and your team won’t just perform — they’ll thrive.
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Books of the 2000s — FAQ

What are the best books of the 2000s?

The top-ranked books of the 2000s include The White Tiger, The Road, Wolf Hall — all with high editorial consensus scores across major literary prizes and critic lists.

Which authors defined the 2000s?

Key authors of the 2000s include Aravind Adiga, Cormac McCarthy, Hilary Mantel, whose works from this era consistently appear across major prize lists and critic selections.

What literary movements shaped the 2000s?

The 2000s were defined by post-9/11 fiction, digital culture, and world literature, producing some of the most enduring works in world literature. These themes are reflected across the top-ranked titles from this period.