The 23 most-read and best-loved books first published in 2003, with the numbers behind each one.
The best books first published in 2003, ranked by what readers actually do: how many shelved them, how they rate them, and how many are reading them now. 2003 is complete, so this list updates only when reader numbers move meaningfully.
For the books readers love across all years see the Top 100. For the hottest brand-new releases see Rising.
← Best Books of 2002Best Books of 2004 →
J. K. Rowling · 2003
After the Dementors attack his cousin Dudley, Harry knows he is about to become Voldemort's next target. While many deny the Dark Lord's return, a secret order gathers at Grimmauld Place to fight the dark forces.
Why it’s here: 4,622 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (320 ratings); 293 are reading it right now.
Best for: Harry Potter readers following the series.
Erin Hunter · 2003
A house cat named Rusty joins a Clan of wild cats and faces terrible events and a suspicious warrior named Tigerclaw. A prophecy told to the clan leader Bluestar says fire alone will save the Clan.
Why it’s here: 1,156 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (100 ratings); 80 are reading it right now.
Best for: Young readers who like animal adventure series.
Khaled Hosseini · 2003
A man returns to Afghanistan to atone for a childhood betrayal. Moving, painful, and a landmark novel of friendship and guilt.
Why it’s here: 3,002 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (148 ratings); 232 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers ready for a powerful, emotional story
Mo Willems · 2003
The pigeon is not supposed to drive the bus while the driver is away, but he tries every persuasive trick a young child knows to get the reader to say yes. A picture book that talks straight to the reader.
Why it’s here: 999 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (97 ratings); 39 are reading it right now.
Best for: Parents reading aloud to young children.
Bill Bryson · 2003
Bill Bryson's popular science book explains areas of science in easily accessible language that appeals to the general public more than most books on the subject.
Why it’s here: 1,295 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (101 ratings); 56 are reading it right now.
Best for: Curious readers who want science explained plainly.
Dan Brown · 2003
A symbologist races across Europe following clues hidden in art and history. A fast, cliffhanger-driven thriller that was a phenomenon.
Why it’s here: 3,503 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (193 ratings); 219 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who like puzzles and quick chapters
Mark Haddon · 2003
Christopher, a boy who cannot lie and dislikes strangers, certain colours and being touched, sets out to learn who killed a neighbour's dog. His knowledge of countries and prime numbers meets a mystery that grows far trickier than expected.
Why it’s here: 1,767 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (242 ratings); 93 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who enjoy mysteries told through an unusual and distinctive narrator
Kate DiCamillo · 2003
The adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess he loves, a servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.
Why it’s here: 554 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (54 ratings); 33 are reading it right now.
Best for: Children who like fairy-tale adventures with unlikely heroes.
Audrey Niffenegger · 2003
Audrey Niffenegger's debut tells the story of Clare, an art student, and Henry, an adventuresome librarian. They have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty.
Why it’s here: 585 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (57 ratings); 24 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who like love stories with a time-travel twist.
Cressida Cowell · 2003
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was an awesome sword-fighter, a dragon-whisperer and the greatest Viking hero who ever lived. But in the beginning he was the most put-upon Viking you ever saw.
Why it’s here: 476 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (29 ratings); 27 are reading it right now.
Best for: Young readers who like funny dragon and Viking stories.
Lionel Shriver · 2003
An international bestseller about motherhood gone awry. Eva never really wanted to be a mother, and certainly not the mother of the boy who murdered seven of his fellow high school students, a cafeteria worker and a teacher.
Why it’s here: 397 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (26 ratings); 22 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who can handle a dark, unsettling novel about family.
Erik Larson · 2003
Erik Larson brings Chicago in 1893 to life by weaving together the true stories of two men: the architect behind the World's Fair, striving to secure America's place in the world, and a very different man in the same city.
Why it’s here: 531 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (63 ratings); 24 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who like narrative non-fiction that reads like a thriller.
Reverend W. Awdry · 2003
An unfolding giant track lets children wind up Thomas and watch him travel around Sodor, past the station, level crossing and seaside, all the way to the circus, followed by the story of his journey.
Why it’s here: 332 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.7 out of 5 (14 ratings).
Best for: Parents of young children who love trains.
Erin Hunter · 2003
Fireheart is now a ThunderClan warrior cat, but danger still lurks in the forest. As winter sets in, the rival RiverClan cats grow restless while WindClan turns against them.
Why it’s here: 316 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (24 ratings).
Best for: Young readers following the Warriors series.
Paulo Coelho · 2003
The story of Maria, a young girl from a Brazilian village whose first brushes with love leave her heartbroken. She becomes convinced she will never find true love and believes that love is a terrible thing.
Why it’s here: 484 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (26 ratings); 45 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers of Paulo Coelho who like stories about love and self-discovery.
Mitch Albom · 2003
A 2003 novel by Mitch Albom about Eddie, a ride mechanic killed in an amusement park accident. In heaven he meets five people who had a significant impact on his life.
Why it’s here: 396 readers have shelved it on Open Library; 26 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who like gentle, reflective stories about meaning and loss.
Susan Nolen-Hoeksema · 2003
Offers advice on how women can overcome negative thinking and behaviors that lead to anxiety and depression. It challenges the habit of analyzing personal emotions and presents strategies for living more productively.
Why it’s here: 546 readers have shelved it on Open Library; 31 are reading it right now.
Best for: Women who tend to overthink and want practical strategies.
Elisabetta Dami · 2003
Geronimo Stilton is a timid mouse whose fears have grown so large that he hardly leaves home. His relatives drag him to a jungle, where bug soup, towering trees, raging rivers and snakes test his nerve.
Why it’s here: 260 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.7 out of 5 (25 ratings).
Best for: Kids aged 7 to 10 who like funny, fast-paced illustrated adventures
Margaret Atwood · 2003
Snowman may be the last human after a plague, grieving his friend Crake and the elusive Oryx. With the green-eyed Children of Crake, he crosses wilderness that was once a city, ruined by corporate genetic engineering.
Why it’s here: 360 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (48 ratings).
Best for: Fans of near-future dystopias mixing a love story with genetic engineering warnings
Eoin Colfer · 2003
After Artemis uses stolen fairy technology to build a powerful microcomputer, a dangerous American businessman snatches it. Artemis, Juliet, Mulch and the fairies join forces to get it back.
Why it’s here: 334 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (25 ratings).
Best for: Young readers who like clever, fast-moving fantasy adventures.
Sophie Kinsella · 2003
Emma is like every girl in the world: she has a few little secrets, from her mother and from her boyfriend. A comic novel built around the things she hopes no one finds out.
Why it’s here: 285 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (24 ratings); 21 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who want a light, funny romance.
Dean Koontz · 2003
Over two days, Odd Thomas, his soulmate Stormy Llewellyn and a group of allies move through a dark, terrifying world where past and present, and life and death, collide as they try to avert a cataclysm.
Why it’s here: 281 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (32 ratings).
Best for: Readers who like supernatural suspense.
Daisy Meadows · 2003
The seven Rainbow Fairies, sisters who keep Fairyland dazzling and bright, are missing after evil Jack Frost sends them far away. If they cannot be returned, the sisters are in big trouble.
Why it’s here: 240 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (21 ratings).
Best for: Early chapter-book readers who love fairies.
← Best Books of 2002Best Books of 2004 →
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We start with every book first published in 2003 on Open Library, then keep the ones with real evidence behind them: at least 300 readers and at least 3 editions, with a cover, in English. 52 books cleared that bar for 2003, and the 23 below scored highest. No author appears more than twice. We publish a year only when at least 15 books clear the bar, so no list is thin.
| Signal | Weight | What it captures |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 55% | How many readers have shelved the book on Open Library (want to read, reading, or read). |
| Reader love | 25% | Average reader rating, adjusted so a handful of ratings cannot inflate it. |
| Being read right now | 20% | How many Open Library readers are in the middle of it. |
Each signal is scored from 0 to 100 against the other 2003 books and blended with the weights above. The “why it’s here” line on each book is built from its real numbers. Descriptions are paraphrased from real source text.
This list reflects reading interest on public data, not quality, sales or awards, and it can be affected by data gaps. Open Library counts grow over time, so older books have had longer to gather readers; every book on this page is compared only against books from the same year.
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