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Best Books of 2003
Return to Fiction_L Booklists Menu
January 2004
Compiled by Robin Beerbower,
of Salem (OR) Public Library, from contributions by the members of Fiction_L.
(To use this list in your library, book club, etc., please include the following credit line: "Compiled by the subscribers of the Fiction_L mailing list." This list may not be used for commercial purposes.)
THE BEST OF THE BEST:
Following are the top nine titles mentioned by FL members. The number in parentheses is the number
of times it was listed.
Rowling, J. K. - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (18)
Brown, Dan - Da Vinci Code (16)
Haddon, Mark - Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (15)
Niffengegger, Audrey - Time Traveler's Wife (11)
Ray, Jeanne - Eat Cake (9)
Tracy, P. J. - Monkeewrench (9)
Landvik, Lorna - Angry Housewives Eating Bon-Bons (8)
Lehane, Dennis - Shutter Island (7)
Picoult, Jodi - Second Glance (7)
Honorable Mention:
Atwood, Margaret - Oryx and Crake (6)
Connelly, Michael - Lost Light (6)
Pratchett, Terry - Monstrous Regiment (6)
Fforde, Jasper - Lost in a Good Book (5)
McCall Smith, Alexander - No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series (5)
McKinley, Robin - Sunshine (5)
Nix, Garth - Abhorsen (5)
Box, C. J. - Winterkill (4)
Bujold, Lois - Paladin of Souls (4)
Deaver, Jeffery - Vanished Man (4)
Harris, Charlaine - Club Dead (4)
James, P. D. - Murder Room (4)
Lahiri, Jhumpa - Namesake (4)
Lippman, Laura - Every Secret Thing (4)
Paolini, Christopher - Eragon (YA) (4)
Parkhurt, Carolyn - Dogs of Babel (4)
Spencer-Fleming, Julia - Fountain Filled with Blood (4)
Best of 2003 - Fiction, 2003 publication dates (unless something was missed).
A-L
Akunin, Boris - Winter Queen
Ali, Monica - Brick Lane
Andrews, Donna - Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon (2)
Asimov, Isaac - Return of the Black Widowers
Auster, Paul - Book of Illusions (2)
Bacarr, Jina - Dangerous Curves (e-book)
Bagshaw, Judy - Lady Blue (e-book)
Baker, Kage - Anvil of the World (2)
Baldacci, David - Split Second (2)
Balogh, Mary - Slightly series
Banks, Leanne - Some Girls Do
Bannister, Jo - Echoes of Lies
Barry, Max - Jennifer Government
Barton, Beverly - Fifth Victim
Basch, Rachel - Passion of Reverend Nash
Bayard, Louis - Mr. Timothy
Bell, Hilari - Flame The Goblin Wood.
Benebine, Mahl - Welcome to Paradise
Berry, Steve - Amber Room
Bowen, Rhys - For the Love of Mike
Boyd, William - Any Human Heart (2)
Brennan, Herbie - Faerie Wars
Brichoux, Karen - Coffee and Kung Fu
Broadbent, Tony - Smoke (2)
Brockmann, Suzanne - Troubleshooter series
Brodrick, William - Sixth Lamentation
Brown, Dan - Angels and Demons (2)
Brown, Jim - Black Valley
Bruen, Ken - White Trilogy
Burdett, John - Bangkok 8 (3)
Butcher, Jim - Death Masks (and others in Dresden Files series)
Byers, Michael - Long for This World (2)
Cabot, Meg - Boy Next Door (2)
Carey, Edward - Alva & Irva: The Twins Who Saved a City
Carroll, Jonathan - Secret Father
Chappell, Helen - A Whole World of Trouble
Chase-Riboud, Barbara - Hottentot Venus
Chiang, Doug & Card, Orson - Robota
Child, Lee - Persuader
Clark, Nancy - Hills of Home
Coben, Harlan - No Second Chance (3)
Cole, Dorianne - Once in a Blue Moon
Colfer, Eion - Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident (juvenile)
Colfer, Eoin - Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code (juvenile) (2)
Corriveau, Art - Housewrights
Craig, Amanda - Love in Idleness
Crais, Robert - Last Detective (3)
Cumyn, Alan - Losing It
Curtiss, Huston - Sins of the Seventh Sister
Cussler, Clive - The Trojan Odyssey
Daum, Meghan - Quality of Life Report
De Castrique, Mark - Dangerous Undertaking
Dexter, Kathleen - Fifth Life of the Cat Woman
Dexter, Pete - Train
DiCamillo, Kate - Tale of Despereaux (juvenile)
Dickinson, Charles - Shortcut in Time
Dickinson, Matt - Black Ice
Dobson, Joanne - Maltese Manuscript
Docx, Edward - Calligrapher (2)
Donnelly, Jennifer - Northern Light (YA)
Donohue, John - Sensei
Dreyer, Eileen - With a Vengeance
Duncan, Alice - Fine Spirits
Dunkle, Clare B. - Hollow Kingdom
DuPrau, Jeanne - City of Ember (juvenile) (2)
Eco, Umberto - Baudolino
Edgerton, Clyde - Lunch at the Piccadilly
Ellis, David - Life Sentence
Ellis, Kate - Skeleton Room
Erdrich, Louise - Master Butcher's Singing Club
Erickson, K. J. - Last Witness
Evanovich, Janet - To the Nines (3)
Fairstein, Linda - Bone Vault (2)
Farmer, Nancy - House of the Scorpion (YA)
Fielding, Liz - Bridesmaid's Reward
Fleming, Anne Taylor - Marriage: A Duet
Flint, Eric & David Weber - Crown of Slaves
Flora, Kate - Liberty or Death
Frank, Dorothea Benton - Isle of Palms
French, Nicci - Land of the Living
Freymann-Weyr, Garret - My Heartbeat
Funke, Cornelia - Inkheart (juvenile)
Fusilli, Jim - Closing Time
Gaiman, Nail - Neverwhere
Gamain, Neil - Endless Nights
Garcia, Cristina - Monkey Hunting
Gardner, Lisa - Killing Hour
Garner, Laura - Ain't Nobody's Bizness (sic)
Gavenas, Mary Lisa - Color Stories
Gibson, William - Pattern Recognition
Godwin, Gail - Evenings at Five
Goodman, Carol - Seduction of Water (2)
Goodman, Alison - Singing in the Dogstar Blues
Goodweather, Hartley - Dreadful Water Shows Up
Gordon, Alan - Widow of Jerusalem
Govier, Katherine - Creation
Granger, Pip - Not All Tarts Are Apple (2)
Grant, Tracy - Beneath a Silent Moon
Grant, Susan - Star Princess
Green, Simon - Agents of Light and Darkness
Green, Jane - Babyville
Green, Simon - Something from the Nightside
Grindle, Lucretia - Nightspinners
Grisham, John - Bleachers
Haig, Brian - Kingmaker
Hamilton, Laurell K. - Cerulean Sins
Hamilton, Steve - Blood is the Sky
Hansen, Ron - Isn't It Romantic?
Harris, Robert - Pompeii (2)
Harris, Lee - Murder in Hell's Kitchen
Hart, Carolyn - Letter From Home (3)
Hart, Erin - Haunted Ground
Hartinger, Brent - Geography Club
Hautman, Pete - Sweetblood (YA)
Hayden, Patrick Nielsen, ed - New Skies
Hazzard, Shirley - Great Fire
Heller, Zoe - What was She Thinking?: Notes on a Scandal
Hendricks, Judith - Isabel's Daughter
Hickham, Homer - Keeper's Son
Higgs, Liz Curtis - Thorn in My Heart
Hill, Reginald - Death's Jest Book
Hime, James - Night of the Dance
Hodgen, Christie - A Jeweler's Eye for Flaw: Stories
Hoffman, Alice - Probable Future
Hooper, Kay - Sense of Evil
Hopkinson, Nalo - The Salt Road
Hospital, Janet - Due Preparations for the Plague (2)
Hosseini, Khaled - Kite Runner (2)
Howard, Linda - Cry No More
Iles, Greg - Footprints of God
Itani, Frances - Deafening (2)
Jaffarian, Sue Ann - Curse of the Holy Pail
Jaffe, John - Thief of Words
Jance, J. A. - Exit Wounds
Johansen, Iris - Fatal Tide (2)
Johnson, Claire - Beat Until Stiff
Jones, Edward P. - Known World (3)
Juby, Susan - Alice, I Think (YA)
Juska, Elise - Getting over Jack Wagner
Kaplow, Robert - The Cat Who Killed Lilian Jackson Braun
Kaufmann, Lynne - Slow Hands
Keillor, Garrison - Love Me
Kenyon, Sherrilyn - Night Embrace
Kimmel, Haven - Solace of Leaving Early
King, Laurie R. - Keeping Watch
King, Stephen - Wolves of the Calla (3)
King, Katy - City of Suspects
Koontz, Dean - By the Light of the Moon
Krich, Rochelle - Blues in the Night
Lackey, Mercedes - Joust
Landay, William - Mission Flats
Landsdale, Joe - Fine Dark Line
LeGuin, Ursula K. - Changing Planes
Lipman, Elinor - Pursuit of Alice Thrift (2)
Longyear, Barry - God Box
Lynch, Sara Kate - Blessed are the Cheesemakers
Lyons, Andrew - Darkness in Him
M - Z
MacDonald, Ann-Marie - Way the Crow Flies (2)
Maillard, Keith - Clarinet Polka (2)
Marillier, Juliet - Wolfskin (2)
Martin, Valerie - Property
Martin, Steve - Pleasure of My Company
Mason, Daniel - Piano Tuner
Mass, Wendy - A Mango-Shaped Space (juvenile)
McCafferty, Megan - Second Helpings (YA) (2)
McCammon, Robert - Speaks the Nightbird
McCoy, Judi - Heaven in Your Eyes
McCrumb, Sharyn - Ghost Riders
McDermid, Val - Distant Echo (2)
McKillip, Patricia - In the Forests of Serre
McLarty, Ron - Memory of Running (audio format only)
Mcleod, Ian - The Light Ages
Meloy, Maile - Liars and Saints
Mendelson, Cheryl - Morningside Heights (3)
Miles, Rosalind - Maid of the White Hands
Miller, Linda Lael - Don't Look Now
Monsour, Theresa - Clean Cut
Moon, Elizabeth - Speed of Dark (3)
Morgan, Richard - Altered Carbon
Moriarty, Laura - Center of Everything
Morrison, Toni - Love
Morton, Brian - Window Across the River
Moses, Kate - Wintering: A Novel of Sylvia Plath
Moyer, Marsha - Last of the Honky Tonk Angels (3)
Muller, Eddie - Distance
Murray, John - A Few Short Notes on Tropical Butterflies
Nelson, Kent - Land that Moves, Land that Stands Still (2)
Newman, Sandra - The Only Good Thing Anyone has Ever Done For Me
Newman, Sharan - Heresy
Nix, Garth - Mr. Monday (juvenile)
Novak, Karen - Innocence
Owens, Robin D. - Heart Thief
Ozeki, Ruth - All Over Creation (2)
Packer, ZZ - Drinking Coffee Elsewhere
Palahniuk, Chuck - Diary
Paretsky, Sara - Blacklist (2)
Parker, Robert B. - Stone Cold
Parker, T. J. - Cold Pursuit
Parks, Suzan-Lori - Getting Mother's Body
Paton Walsh, Jill - Presumption of Death
Patterson, James - Jester
Patterson, James - Big Bad Wolf
Pearl, Matthew - Dante Club (2)
Pedersen, Laura - Beginner's Luck
Pelecanos, George - Soul Circus (2)
Peters, Elizabeth - Children of the Storm
Phillips, Debra - High Price of a Good Man
Pierce, Tamora - Trickster's Choice (YA) (2)
Pottinger, Stanley - Last Nazi
Pratchett, Terry - Wee Free Men (YA) (2)
Preston, Douglas - Still Life with Crows
Price, Susan - Sterkarm Handshake (YA)
Proulx, Annie - That Old Ace in the Hole
Pullman, Philip - Lyra's Oxford (YA?)
Putney, Mary Jo - Twist of Fate
Raleigh, Michael - Blue Moon Circus
Rankin, Ian - A Question of Blood
Ray, Francis - Someone's Knocking on My Door
Rennison, Louise - Dancing in My Nuddy Pants (YA)
Rice, Luanne - Perfect Summer
Richard, T. Dawn - Death for Dessert
Ridley, John - Those Who Walk in Darkness
Riordan, Rick - Cold Springs
Robins, Madeline E. - Point of Honour (2)
Robinson, Roxana - Sweetwater
Rosenfelt, David - First Degree
Ross, Ann B. - Miss Julia Hits the Road
Sanchez, Patrick - The Way It Is
Sandlin, Tim - Honey Don't
Sands, Lynsay - Single White Vampire
Saramago, Jose - Cave (2)
Satrapi, Marjorie - Pesepolis (2)
Scillian, Devin - Cosmo's Moon (juvenile)
Scott, Manda - Dreaming the Eagle (2)
Shannon, John - City of Strangers
Shapiro, Dani - Family History
Sher, Ira - Gentlemen of Space
Shreve, Anita - All He Ever Wanted
Shriver, Lionel - We Need to Talk About Kevin (2)
Siegel, Sheldon - Final Verdict
Siegel, James - Derailed
Silva, Daniel - Confessor
Slaughter, Karin - Faint Cold Fear
Smiley, Jane - Good Faith (2)
Smith, Alexander McCall (see McCall Smith, Alexander)
Smith, Deborah - Sweet Hush (2)
Smith, Sarah - Chasing Shakespeares
Smith, Mitchell - Kingdom River
Smith, Brad - All Hat
Smith, Sherri - Lucy the Giant (juvenile)
Smith, Haywood - Red Hat Club
Solomon, Nina - Single Wife
Sones, Sonya - What My Mother Doesn't Know (YA)
Spencer, Scott - Ship Made of Paper (2)
Spencer, Wen - Bitter Waters
Spencer, Wen - Tinker
Spoor, Ryk - Digital Knight
Stabenow, Dana - Grave Denied (2)
Straub, Peter - Lost Boy, Lost Girl
Stroud, Jonathan - Amulet of Samarkand (2)
Takami, Koushon - Battle Royale
Taylor, Timothy - Stanley Park
Tessaro, Kathleen - Elegance (2)
Thompson, Craig - Blankets
Tremain, Rose - The Colour (2)
Trigiani, Adriana - Lucia, Lucia (2)
Upadhyay, Samrat - Guru of Love
Valdes-Rodriquez, Alisa - Dirty Girls Social Club
Varley, John - Red Thunder
Venderbes, Jennifer - Easter Island (2)
Viets, Elaine - Shop Till You Drop
Ward, Amanda - Sleep Toward Heaven
Watson, Larry - Orchard
Webb, Betty - Desert Wives (2)
Weber, Katharine - Little Women
White, Randy Wayne - Everglades
Whithead, Colson - The Colossus of New York
Willett, Marcia - A Week in Winter
Willett, Marcia - A Summer in the Country
Willett, Sabin - Present Value
Willett, Jincy - Winner of the National Book Award
Wingate, Lisa - Good Hope Road
Wolitzer, Meg - The Wife
Wrede, Patricia C. - Sorcery and Cecelia (2)
Wright, Edward - Clea's Moon
Wright, Richard B. - Clara Callan
Zahn, Timothey - Dragon and Thief
Best Books Read During 2003 (pre-2003 publication date)
Andrews, Donna - Murder with Peacocks
Anshaw, Carol - Lucky in the Corner
Bakis, Kirsten - Lives of the Monster Dogs
Bardi, Abby - The Book of Fred
Bear, Greg - Darwin's Radio. Darwin's Children
Brin, David - Kiln People
Brooks, Geraldine - Year of Wonders
Card, Orson Scott - Ender's Game
Chevalier, Tracy - Girl with a Pearl Earring
Cisneros, Sandra - Caramelo
David, Cathryn - Versailles
Eugenides, Jeffrey - Middlesex
Fforde, Jasper - Eyre Affair
Glass, Julia - Three Junes (2)
Gwande, Atul - Complications (NF)
Henley, Patricia - In the River Sweet
Henry, April - Learning to Fly
Hillenbrand, Laura - Seabiscuit (2)
Hoffman, Nina Kiriki - Fistful of Sky
Hornby, Nick - Songbook (NF)
Iles, Greg - Dead Sleep
Kidd, Sue Monk - Secret Life of Bees (5)
Kunzru, Hari - The Impressionist
Lamott, Annie - Bird by Bird
Lehane, Dennis - Mystic River
Lessing, Doris - Fifth Child
Martel, Yan - Life of Pi (2)
Martin, George R. R. - Game of Thrones. Clash of Kings.
Mason, Daniel - Piano Tuner
McCaffrey, Anne - Masterharper of Pern
McCullough, David - Great Bridge (NF)
McEwan, Ian - Atonement
Michener, James - Alaska
Mistry, Rohinton - Family Matters
Moore, Christopher - Lamb
Morrison, Toni - Beloved
Neville, Katherine - The Eight
Otsuka, Julia - When the Emperor was Divine (2)
Patchett, Ann - Bel Canto (3)
Pears, Iain - Incident of the Fingerpost
Pratchett, Terry - Discworld series
Pratchett, Terry - Nightwatch
Pullman, Philip - Dark Materials trilogy
Shields, Carol - Unless
Spencer-Fleming, Julia - In the Bleak Midwinter
Tartt, Donna - Little Friend
Udall, Brady - Miracle Life of Edgar Mint
Van Draanen, Wendelin - Flipped (young adult)
Vreeland, Sussan - Passion of Artemisia
Wallace, David Foster - Infinite Jest
White, Edmund - The Flaneur
Willis, Connie - Passage
Willis, Connie - Doomsday Book
Willis, Connie - To Say Nothing of the Dog
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