Updated October 2026

Best Books of 2007

The 23 most-read and best-loved books first published in 2007, with the numbers behind each one.

Best books of 2007, ranked by readers

The best books first published in 2007, ranked by what readers actually do: how many shelved them, how they rate them, and how many are reading them now. 2007 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.

Top 100RisingOther years

← Best Books of 2006Best Books of 2008 →

1
Cover of Dog Days by Jeff Kinney

Dog Days

Jeff Kinney · 2007

ChildrenMost-read of 2007Reader favoriteBeing read right now

Greg Heffley, a self-described indoor person, wants a summer of video games, drawn shades, no rules and no responsibilities. His mom plans outdoor activities and family togetherness, and a new addition to the family might change everything.

Why it’s here: 2,547 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (170 ratings); 177 are reading it right now.

Best for: Kids who relate to preferring video games over outdoor summer activities

98score
2
Cover of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

J. K. Rowling · 2007

FantasyBeing read right now

Harry leaves Privet Drive for the final time, knowing Voldemort and the Death Eaters are closing in and his old protection has failed. To end the Dark Lord, he must hunt down and destroy the remaining Horcruxes.

Why it’s here: 5,988 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (416 ratings); 346 are reading it right now.

Best for: Fans who want the climactic final chapter of Harry's fight against Voldemort

95score
3
Cover of The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

The Titan's Curse

Rick Riordan · 2007

Young adultReader favoriteBeing read right now

Percy Jackson answers a distress call from Grover and finds two half-bloods of unknown parentage, while Kronos springs a dangerous trap. With Artemis missing and a monster on the loose, Percy and the Hunters have one week to act.

Why it’s here: 1,977 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (155 ratings); 137 are reading it right now.

Best for: Readers who enjoy fast-paced demigod quests with monsters, prophecies and loyal friends

95score
4
Cover of A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini · 2007

Literary fictionBeing read right now

Two women in Afghanistan, brought together by an unlikely marriage, find strength in one another across decades of upheaval. Powerful and heartbreaking.

Why it’s here: 2,549 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (134 ratings); 169 are reading it right now.

Best for: Readers ready for a moving story

94score
5
Cover of Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney

Rodrick Rules

Jeff Kinney · 2007

ChildrenReader favoriteBeing read right now

Greg Heffley recounts his summer and tries to stay out of trouble as middle school starts again. His biggest worry is stopping older brother Rodrick from spilling Greg's most embarrassing secret from the holidays.

Why it’s here: 1,674 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (161 ratings); 118 are reading it right now.

Best for: Kids who like funny, diary-style stories about middle school and annoying siblings

92score
6
Cover of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

The Name of the Wind

Patrick Rothfuss · 2007

FantasyReader favorite

Kvothe, a young man destined to become a notorious magician, tells his own story, from a childhood among traveling players to life as a street orphan and entry into a dangerous school of magic. It explores how a hero can become trapped by his own legend.

Why it’s here: 1,652 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (255 ratings); 77 are reading it right now.

Best for: Epic fantasy lovers who enjoy a first-person tale of magic and myth

90score
7
Cover of Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman

Call Me by Your Name

André Aciman · 2007

Literary fictionBeing read right now

In the summer of 1983, seventeen-year-old Elio meets Oliver, a doctoral student working for his father, at the family's villa in Italy. Together they experience the intense beauty of awakening desire, which changes both their lives.

Why it’s here: 1,400 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (75 ratings); 80 are reading it right now.

Best for: Readers who like sensual, atmospheric love stories set in a sunlit summer

84score
8
Cover of The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

The Well of Ascension

Brandon Sanderson · 2007

FantasyReader favorite

With the Lord Ruler defeated, Vin and Kelsier's crew must learn to govern Luthadel while three armies besiege it and the mists behave strangely. An ancient legend hints at hope, though nobody knows where the Well of Ascension lies.

Why it’s here: 516 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (138 ratings); 24 are reading it right now.

Best for: Readers wanting a sequel of political intrigue, siege warfare and Mistborn powers

83score
9
Cover of Marked by P. C. Cast

Marked

P. C. Cast · 2007

Young adult

Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird enters the House of Night to train as a vampyre, though not every fledgling survives the Change. Marked as special by the goddess Nyx, she must find courage when a powerful classmate misuses her own gifts.

Why it’s here: 351 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.7 out of 5 (24 ratings).

Best for: Teens who enjoy vampire school stories with friendship and a chosen heroine

79score
10
Cover of A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

A Long Way Gone

Ishmael Beah · 2007

Biography

Ishmael Beah recounts fleeing his village at twelve during Sierra Leone's civil war and being forced into an army unit as a child soldier. He describes his rescue by UNICEF, his rehabilitation, and his adoption by his uncle.

Why it’s here: 516 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (37 ratings); 31 are reading it right now.

Best for: Readers seeking a harrowing, true survival account of war and recovery

75score
11
Cover of There Is a Bird on Your Head! by Mo Willems

There Is a Bird on Your Head!

Mo Willems · 2007

Children

Gerald the elephant learns that a bird on your head is bad, but two birds on your head is even worse. His best friend Piggie steps in to try to help him out.

Why it’s here: 345 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.6 out of 5 (26 ratings).

Best for: Young children and new readers who love silly, friendship-focused picture books

75score
12
Cover of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones

Cassandra Clare · 2007

Young adult

Clary Fray starts seeing vampires in Brooklyn and werewolves in Manhattan. Drawn to a group of attractive demon hunters, she discovers New York's darker side and the risks of a forbidden romance.

Why it’s here: 1,211 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (95 ratings); 63 are reading it right now.

Best for: Teens who enjoy urban fantasy mixing demon hunters, monsters and dangerous romance

72score
13
Cover of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why

Jay Asher · 2007

Young adult

Clay Jenkins finds a box of cassette tapes left by Hannah Baker, a classmate and crush who died by suicide two weeks earlier. Her recordings name thirteen reasons for her choice, and Clay is on the list.

Why it’s here: 1,237 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.7 out of 5 (88 ratings); 66 are reading it right now.

Best for: Teen readers who want a heartfelt story told through two alternating voices

69score
14
Cover of Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Eclipse

Stephenie Meyer · 2007

Romance

As mysterious killings ravage Seattle and a vengeful vampire hunts for revenge, Bella is surrounded by danger once more. She must choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob, while graduation brings one more decision.

Why it’s here: 1,078 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.5 out of 5 (118 ratings); 49 are reading it right now.

Best for: Readers who enjoy action-packed vampire romance with a difficult choice at its heart

64score
15
Cover of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Sherman Alexie · 2007

Young adult

Junior is a budding cartoonist who decides to leave his struggling school on the Spokane Indian Reservation. He enrolls at an all-white farm town school, where the only other Indian is the mascot.

Why it’s here: 473 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.7 out of 5 (34 ratings); 29 are reading it right now.

Best for: Young readers drawn to stories about a cartoonist caught between two worlds

62score
16
Cover of Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Nineteen Minutes

Jodi Picoult · 2007

Literary fiction

A small town reels after a horrific school shooting in this emotionally charged novel by Jodi Picoult. A lawyer and a detective return, and a judge's daughter becomes key witness, as questions about justice, power and being different emerge.

Why it’s here: 320 readers have shelved it on Open Library.

Best for: Readers who like emotionally charged novels exploring justice after a school shooting

62score
17
Cover of Schooled by Gordon Korman

Schooled

Gordon Korman · 2007

Children

Thirteen-year-old Anderson has been raised at home by his hippie grandmother, Rain, and has never watched television or tried pizza. When she is injured, he lands in foster care and faces the prospect of regular school.

Why it’s here: 315 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (16 ratings); 27 are reading it right now.

Best for: Middle-grade readers who enjoy quirky humor about an outsider starting school

59score
18
Cover of Burned by Ellen Hopkins

Burned

Ellen Hopkins · 2007

Young adult

A young woman faces abuse from her father, the person she adores most, and begins doubting her family, her faith and her capacity for love. Sent to live with a barely known aunt in rural Nevada, she finds acceptance, yet her demons follow.

Why it’s here: 318 readers have shelved it on Open Library.

Best for: Teen readers who want an emotional story about family, faith and finding acceptance

59score
19
Cover of The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein

The Shock Doctrine

Naomi Klein · 2007

History

Naomi Klein argues that free market policies championed by Milton Friedman spread by exploiting national crises, when people are too shaken to respond. She also suggests some man-made events, such as the Iraq War, were meant to enable this.

Why it’s here: 242 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (24 ratings).

Best for: Readers curious about politics and economics who enjoy provocative, debated arguments

56score
20
Cover of Double Take by Catherine Coulter

Double Take

Catherine Coulter · 2007

Thriller and mystery

Julia Ransom is rebuilding her life after her psychic husband's murder when a stranger attacks her at San Francisco's Pier 39. FBI agent Cheney Stone rescues her and reopens the case, while a Virginia sheriff chases a lookalike of his missing wife.

Why it’s here: 286 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (29 ratings).

Best for: Suspense fans who like linked crimes, a protector hero, and a series setting

55score
21
Cover of Tweak by Nic Sheff

Tweak

Nic Sheff · 2007

Other

Nic Sheff began drinking at eleven and went on to cocaine, Ecstasy, crystal meth and heroin, always believing he could quit. This raw memoir recounts a violent relapse in California and his difficult path toward recovery.

Why it’s here: 281 readers have shelved it on Open Library.

Best for: Readers who want an unflinching, honest, yet hopeful true story about addiction

54score
22
Cover of The Mysterious Benedict Society (the Mysterious Benedict Society #1) by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Mysterious Benedict Society (the Mysterious Benedict Society #1)

Trenton Lee Stewart · 2007

Children

A newspaper ad for gifted children leads dozens of kids through puzzling tests, and only four pass. The winners go undercover at a school with no rules, where hidden underground tunnels hold surprises.

Why it’s here: 267 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (26 ratings).

Best for: Clever young readers who love puzzles, secret missions, and inventive adventures

54score
23
Cover of An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

An Abundance of Katherines

John Green · 2007

Young adult

Colin Singleton, a washed-up child prodigy, keeps getting dumped by girls named Katherine, nineteen times so far. On a road trip with his best friend, he sets out to prove a theorem predicting relationships, in a comic novel about reinventing oneself.

Why it’s here: 291 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (37 ratings).

Best for: Fans of funny, layered stories about love, friendship and starting over

51score

← Best Books of 2006Best Books of 2008 →

Other years: 2025 · 2024 · 2023 · 2022 · 2021 · 2020 · 2019 · 2018 · 2017 · 2016 · 2015 · 2014 · 2013 · 2012 · 2011 · 2010 · 2009 · 2008 · 2007 · 2006 · 2005 · 2004 · 2003 · 2002 · 2001 · 2000 · 1999 · 1998 · 1997 · 1996 · 1995 · 1994 · 1993 · 1992 · 1991 · 1990 · All years

Methodology

How we pick the best books of 2007

We start with every book first published in 2007 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. 53 books cleared that bar for 2007, 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.

SignalWeightWhat it captures
Reach55%How many readers have shelved the book on Open Library (want to read, reading, or read).
Reader love25%Average reader rating, adjusted so a handful of ratings cannot inflate it.
Being read right now20%How many Open Library readers are in the middle of it.

Each signal is scored from 0 to 100 against the other 2007 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.

Find your own best books

Add what you have read, rate it, and BookWard will recommend what to read next.

Free while in beta. No credit card needed.