The 25 most-read and best-loved books first published in 2006, with the numbers behind each one.
The best books first published in 2006, ranked by what readers actually do: how many shelved them, how they rate them, and how many are reading them now. 2006 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 2005Best Books of 2007 →
Rick Riordan · 2006
In the second Percy Jackson book, Percy sails to the Sea of Monsters to save a friend and rescue camp. Fast, funny, and adventure-filled.
Why it’s here: 2,237 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (188 ratings); 148 are reading it right now.
Best for: Fans continuing Percy Jackson
Markus Zusak · 2006
In Nazi Germany, a young girl steals books and shares them with those hiding from the war, and Death himself narrates. Moving, lyrical, and widely loved.
Why it’s here: 2,933 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (145 ratings); 151 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who like moving historical fiction
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie · 2006
Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tells the story of the Biafran War through three characters: Olanna, Ugwu and Richard. The novel was first published by Fourth Estate in 2006.
Why it’s here: 609 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (35 ratings); 40 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers interested in Nigerian fiction and the Biafran War seen through character stories
John Boyne · 2006
This Holocaust novel comes from Irish writer John Boyne and was published in 2006. It is a work of fiction set against the history of the Holocaust.
Why it’s here: 1,607 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (76 ratings); 114 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers drawn to Holocaust-themed fiction by an Irish novelist
Rhonda Byrne · 2006
A popular book on the law of attraction, the idea that focusing on positive thoughts brings positive results. Divisive, and best read with a critical eye.
Why it’s here: 3,186 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.7 out of 5 (67 ratings); 312 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers curious about the law of attraction
Carol S. Dweck · 2006
Carol Dweck draws on over twenty years of research to show how our basic beliefs about ability shape our lives. She contrasts a fixed mindset with a growth mindset and explains how anyone can change theirs.
Why it’s here: 2,530 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.7 out of 5 (59 ratings); 184 are reading it right now.
Best for: Anyone wanting to build talents, motivation and better habits at work, in sports or parenting
Stephenie Meyer · 2006
Bella Swan's love for vampire Edward Cullen proves more dangerous than she imagined, and their relationship threatens everything they hold dear. This sequel to Twilight mixes romance and suspense with a supernatural twist.
Why it’s here: 1,226 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (81 ratings); 80 are reading it right now.
Best for: Twilight fans craving more vampire romance, suspense and star-crossed love
Nancy Springer · 2006
Enola Holmes, sister of Sherlock, sets off for London to find her missing mother. She ends up tangled in a marquess's kidnapping, dodging murderous villains and her sharp older brother while chasing clues.
Why it’s here: 422 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (17 ratings); 29 are reading it right now.
Best for: Young mystery fans who like clever heroines and Sherlock Holmes spin-offs
Sara Shepard · 2006
Four high school juniors, Spencer, Aria, Emily and Hanna, each hide personal secrets. A bigger one has bound them since their friend Alison vanished, and a mysterious narrator claims to know every dirty detail.
Why it’s here: 524 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (33 ratings); 23 are reading it right now.
Best for: Teen readers who enjoy gossipy secrets, friendship drama and a mysterious watcher
Masashi Kishimoto · 2006
Naruto Uzumaki is a mischievous young ninja with a wild sense of humor who takes his goal very seriously. He constantly seeks recognition and dreams of becoming Hokage, the village's strongest ninja and leader, in this manga series by Masashi Kishimoto.
Why it’s here: 361 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.7 out of 5 (26 ratings); 21 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who enjoy manga about ninjas with big dreams and humor
Cormac McCarthy · 2006
A catastrophe of unknown cause has reduced America to ash, with cannibal bands roaming the roads. A father and his young son push a shopping cart south along back roads, hoping to escape the winter and find a milder place.
Why it’s here: 1,235 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (176 ratings); 26 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who can handle a bleak, harrowing post-apocalyptic story of survival
Max Brooks · 2006
Max Brooks gathers first-hand accounts from survivors of the Zombie War, which nearly wiped out humanity. Traveling across the world, he records testimony that captures both the fear of the plague years and the human spirit of resistance.
Why it’s here: 749 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (139 ratings); 38 are reading it right now.
Best for: Fans of zombie apocalypse stories told through survivors' personal testimonies
Dan Abnett · 2006
In the 31st millennium the Imperium of Man is at its peak, and the Emperor hands command of the great crusade to his favorite son, Horus. Can the idealistic new Warmaster fulfill the plan, or will his promotion breed heresy among his brothers?
Why it’s here: 459 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (25 ratings); 43 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers starting an epic galactic civil war series from its first book
Stephen King · 2006
A mysterious signal sent over the global cell phone network turns most people into mindless, vicious animals. A New England artist struggles to reunite with his young son in this apocalyptic horror novel by Stephen King.
Why it’s here: 830 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.6 out of 5 (123 ratings); 33 are reading it right now.
Best for: Horror fans who like apocalyptic stories driven by a man's struggle to reach his son
Gillian Flynn · 2006
Reporter Camille Preaker, just out of a psychiatric hospital, returns to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. Staying with her difficult family, she must face her own painful past while chasing the truth about the crimes.
Why it’s here: 539 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (33 ratings); 28 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who like dark psychological mysteries with a haunted, troubled narrator
Brandon Mull · 2006
Fablehaven is a hidden refuge where mystical creatures were gathered to save them from extinction. When its rules are broken and an arcane evil is released, Kendra and her brother Seth, whose grandfather is the caretaker, must face the greatest challenge of their lives.
Why it’s here: 287 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (16 ratings).
Best for: Readers who like magical creature adventures with sibling heroes
Stephen King · 2006
Two years after her novelist husband Scott died, Lisey Landon starts clearing out his office and refuses to sell his unpublished papers. A threatening man who calls himself Zack McCool begins stalking her, while buried memories from her marriage may hold clues to survival.
Why it’s here: 485 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (24 ratings); 25 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who enjoy suspense about a widow, buried memories, and a stalker
Michael Pollan · 2006
Michael Pollan asks what we should eat for dinner and argues that the answer matters for our health and the planet. He traces industrial, organic and foraged food chains from source to meal, building a portrait of how Americans eat.
Why it’s here: 272 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (46 ratings).
Best for: Curious readers wanting to understand where their food comes from and its impact
Barbara Park · 2006
Junie B. Jones is an excitable girl who finds trouble both before and during a trip to Hawaii. Each mishap gets recorded in a photo journal that her teacher gave her, making this Barbara Park story a lively vacation tale.
Why it’s here: 235 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (23 ratings).
Best for: Young readers who enjoy mischievous characters and trouble-filled trips to Hawaii
Mo Willems · 2006
A bus driver has to brush his teeth, so he asks the reader to make sure the pigeon goes to bed on time. The bird, however, has plenty of excuses for staying awake, and readers must hold firm.
Why it’s here: 222 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (27 ratings).
Best for: Children who enjoy interactive stories and a pigeon with excuses at bedtime
Barack Obama · 2006
Barack Obama calls for a politics that moves beyond bitter partisanship and rests on faith, inclusiveness and a noble spirit. He examines money, media, economic insecurity, racial and religious tension, and global threats, urging a return to Constitutional principles.
Why it’s here: 337 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.5 out of 5 (22 ratings); 20 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers weary of partisan politics who want a hopeful look at American democracy
Gene Luen Yang · 2006
Three interrelated stories alternate to explore the problems faced by young Chinese Americans trying to take part in popular culture. Gene Luen Yang tells them in comic book format, with the stories linked together.
Why it’s here: 228 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (23 ratings).
Best for: Comic readers interested in the experiences of young Chinese Americans and popular culture
John Grisham · 2006
Grisham's first non-fiction book follows a former baseball prospect from Oklahoma who is convicted of a murder in his hometown. It questions small-town justice, flimsy evidence and the death penalty.
Why it’s here: 217 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (11 ratings).
Best for: Readers curious about wrongful convictions and the fairness of the justice system
Terry Pratchett · 2006
In Terry Pratchett's 2006 novel, Tiffany Aching begins turning into a personification of Summer because she cannot resist dancing, while the Wintersmith hunts for his destined bride. It is the third entry in a lively, funny series.
Why it’s here: 240 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (29 ratings).
Best for: Readers who have enjoyed The Wee Free Men and Hat Full of Sky
Dean Koontz · 2006
A landscape gardener gets a call from a stranger who claims to hold his wife and demands a huge ransom. With only sixty hours on the clock, he must decide how far love will push him.
Why it’s here: 228 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (18 ratings).
Best for: Readers who want a fast, high-stakes suspense story built around devotion
← Best Books of 2005Best Books of 2007 →
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We start with every book first published in 2006 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. 46 books cleared that bar for 2006, and the 25 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 2006 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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