The 25 most-read and best-loved books first published in 2011, with the numbers behind each one.
The best books first published in 2011, ranked by what readers actually do: how many shelved them, how they rate them, and how many are reading them now. 2011 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 2010Best Books of 2012 →
Yuval Noah Harari · 2011
A sweeping history of humankind, from early hunter-gatherers to the modern day, built around the stories that let large groups cooperate. Big-picture and thought-provoking.
Why it’s here: 5,988 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (212 ratings); 420 are reading it right now.
Best for: Curious readers who enjoy big ideas
Madeline Miller · 2011
A retelling of the Trojan War through the love between Achilles and Patroclus. Lyrical, tragic, and a gateway to Greek myth.
Why it’s here: 3,777 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (139 ratings); 190 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who like myth and lyrical prose
Daniel Kahneman · 2011
A Nobel laureate explains two modes of thinking, one quick and intuitive, one slow and deliberate, and the mistakes we make between them. Long, but full of ideas you will use.
Why it’s here: 6,091 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (237 ratings); 392 are reading it right now.
Best for: Anyone who wants to make better decisions
Walter Isaacson · 2011
Drawing on more than forty interviews with Jobs himself and over a hundred others, Isaacson portrays a perfectionist whose fierce drive reshaped six industries. Jobs gave no control over the text, so friends and rivals speak frankly about him.
Why it’s here: 2,177 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (174 ratings); 130 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers curious about innovation, creative leadership, and an intense, controlling personality
Rick Riordan · 2011
Percy wakes with almost no memory, learns from a wolf that he is a demigod, and finds his way to a camp for half-bloods. Hazel and Frank, each burdened by troubles of their own, join his story.
Why it’s here: 1,574 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (123 ratings); 113 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who like demigod stories with several young heroes and mysterious pasts
Rick Riordan · 2011
Annabeth flies toward Camp Jupiter on the Argo II, hoping to reunite with Percy while fearing he has changed. She also carries a troubling command from her mother, and a perilous quest to Rome lies ahead.
Why it’s here: 1,276 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (125 ratings); 107 are reading it right now.
Best for: Fans of demigod adventures who enjoy shifting narrators and quests across land and sea
Tahereh Mafi · 2011
A girl whose touch is lethal is locked away, until she is offered a choice by a government that wants to use her. Poetic, fast, and romantic YA dystopia.
Why it’s here: 9,047 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (194 ratings); 608 are reading it right now.
Best for: Teens and fans of dystopian romance
E. L. James · 2011
A college student becomes involved with a wealthy, controlling businessman in an erotic romance. Explicit and divisive, and one of the best-selling books of its era.
Why it’s here: 7,012 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (324 ratings); 578 are reading it right now.
Best for: Adult readers only, check content notes
Jenny Han · 2011
Two years after Conrad urged her to choose Jeremiah, Belly finds her relationship with him falling short of her hopes. After a serious betrayal, she must decide where her heart truly belongs.
Why it’s here: 1,599 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (39 ratings); 104 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers wanting a love triangle and college-age heartbreak in a summery series finale
Ransom Riggs · 2011
After a family tragedy, sixteen-year-old Jacob travels to a remote island off Wales and explores the ruined orphanage there. Vintage-style photographs accompany the tale, which hints that its odd children may still be alive.
Why it’s here: 863 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (47 ratings); 40 are reading it right now.
Best for: Teens and adults who enjoy eerie mysteries paired with unusual photographs
Simon Sinek · 2011
Simon Sinek argues that the most successful leaders and organizations share one habit: they begin by clarifying why they do what they do. He shows how that purpose can strengthen culture, hiring, products, sales, and marketing.
Why it’s here: 1,290 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (52 ratings); 53 are reading it right now.
Best for: Leaders and teams wanting to clarify purpose and inspire others
Napoleon Hill · 2011
Written in 1938 but withheld for years because of its controversial nature, this guide lays out seven principles of good. It promises to help readers overcome the obstacles standing between them and their goals.
Why it’s here: 834 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (23 ratings); 44 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers seeking classic personal achievement advice with a historically notable backstory
Eric Ries · 2011
Ries argues that startups fail because they build things nobody wants, not because of poor execution. He urges founders to test ideas continuously with customers and adjust their plans as feedback arrives.
Why it’s here: 1,564 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (76 ratings); 96 are reading it right now.
Best for: Founders and corporate teams launching new products under uncertainty
Marissa Meyer · 2011
In New Beijing, Cinder is a gifted mechanic and cyborg who is looked down on by society and her stepmother. A connection with Prince Kai pulls her into a struggle that threatens Earth's future.
Why it’s here: 900 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (55 ratings); 48 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who enjoy futuristic fairy-tale retellings with cyborgs, royalty, and forbidden attraction
Gillian Flynn · 2011
This crime thriller by Gillian Flynn centers on the disappearance of Amy Dunne. Its tension comes from wondering whether her husband Nick had a hand in it, and it reached bestseller lists.
Why it’s here: 1,415 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.7 out of 5 (72 ratings); 64 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who like suspenseful crime stories built around a suspicious husband
Katherine Applegate · 2011
After 27 years in a mall enclosure, Ivan passes his days with television, painting, and his friends Stella and Bob. Meeting Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, makes him see his home and art differently.
Why it’s here: 658 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (46 ratings); 34 are reading it right now.
Best for: Young readers who enjoy animal narrators and gentle stories about friendship and perspective
Rolf Dobelli · 2011
Dobelli explains the cognitive biases that quietly distort our judgment, such as sticking with something not worth the effort. Across 99 short chapters, he shows how to recognize these errors and make better decisions at work and at home.
Why it’s here: 972 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (26 ratings); 43 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers wanting short, practical lessons on avoiding thinking errors in daily decisions
Patrick Rothfuss · 2011
Kvothe pursues the truth about the Amyr, the Chandrian and his parents' deaths. His path takes him through a trial before the Adem mercenaries and into the Fae realm, where fame begins to weigh on him.
Why it’s here: 556 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (161 ratings); 21 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers of epic fantasy who have finished The Name of the Wind
Russell Brunson · 2011
Russell Brunson argues that weak traffic and poor conversions point to a deeper problem: your sales funnel. This updated edition offers frameworks and scripts, drawn from thousands of split tests, to turn leads into customers.
Why it’s here: 577 readers have shelved it on Open Library; 38 are reading it right now.
Best for: Online business owners and marketers wanting to fix their sales funnel
Veronica Roth · 2011
After a tragic initiation day, Tris Prior faces a looming war between the factions. Grief, guilt and shifting loyalties push her to accept her Divergence, whatever the cost, in this dystopian sequel.
Why it’s here: 796 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (117 ratings); 47 are reading it right now.
Best for: Dystopian fans who read the first Divergent book and want the sequel
E. L. James · 2011
Anastasia Steele has left Christian Grey, yet cannot stop thinking of him. When he offers new terms, they reunite, and she uncovers more about his painful past while facing a jealous rival.
Why it’s here: 1,000 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.6 out of 5 (49 ratings); 50 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers of steamy contemporary romance continuing the Fifty Shades trilogy
Erin Morgenstern · 2011
A mysterious circus appears overnight and opens only after dark. Inside its striped tents, two young magicians, Celia and Marco, are bound to a deadly contest of imagination, even as they fall in love.
Why it’s here: 781 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (68 ratings); 23 are reading it right now.
Best for: Lovers of lush, magical romance and atmospheric, sensory storytelling
Hugh Howey · 2011
People live underground in a self-made prison, glimpsing a toxic world outside on a fading view. Criminals are sent out to clean it and die, and Sheriff Holston is about to learn why they go.
Why it’s here: 474 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (14 ratings); 33 are reading it right now.
Best for: Dystopian sci-fi readers who enjoy claustrophobic worlds and buried secrets
Amish Tripathi · 2011
Shiva hunts the Naga warrior who killed his friend and now stalks his wife. His quest across ancient India uncovers hidden truths, shaky alliances and a puppeteer behind the scenes, in this Shiva Trilogy sequel.
Why it’s here: 436 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (18 ratings); 52 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers of Indian mythological fantasy who loved The Immortals of Meluha
David Graeber · 2011
David Graeber traces how debt came before money and has divided societies into debtors and creditors for 5,000 years. He shows how it shaped politics, law, religion and our ideas of guilt and redemption.
Why it’s here: 367 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.6 out of 5 (45 ratings); 23 are reading it right now.
Best for: Curious readers interested in the long history of debt and morality
← Best Books of 2010Best Books of 2012 →
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
We start with every book first published in 2011 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 2011, 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 2011 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.
Add what you have read, rate it, and BookWard will recommend what to read next.
Free while in beta. No credit card needed.
