The 23 most-read and best-loved books first published in 2012, with the numbers behind each one.
The best books first published in 2012, ranked by what readers actually do: how many shelved them, how they rate them, and how many are reading them now. 2012 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 2011Best Books of 2013 →
R. J. Palacio · 2012
A boy with a facial difference starts school for the first time and changes how those around him see kindness. Warm and told from several viewpoints.
Why it’s here: 3,587 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (240 ratings); 263 are reading it right now.
Best for: Ages nine and up, and parents to read along
John Green · 2012
Two teenagers who meet in a cancer support group fall in love and wrestle with what a short life can still mean. Funny, tender, and heartbreaking.
Why it’s here: 4,520 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (223 ratings); 352 are reading it right now.
Best for: Teens and adults who like emotional stories
Kiera Cass · 2012
Thirty-five girls compete for a prince's heart in a palace under threat from rebels. America Singer never wanted a place in the contest, since she loves someone else, but meeting the prince starts to shake her plans.
Why it’s here: 1,167 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (74 ratings); 56 are reading it right now.
Best for: Teen readers who like palace competitions, royal romance, and a reluctant heroine
Raina Telgemeier · 2012
Callie can't sing, so she designs sets for her middle school's musical, determined to impress on a tiny budget. Struggling teammates, falling ticket sales, and tangled crushes make the backstage almost as dramatic as the show.
Why it’s here: 1,090 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (69 ratings); 52 are reading it right now.
Best for: Middle schoolers who love theater, school stories, and graphic novel storytelling
Sarah J. Maas · 2012
An imprisoned assassin is brought to a castle to fight other killers and thieves for the chance to earn her freedom as the king's champion. When rivals start dying, her contest turns into a struggle to survive.
Why it’s here: 2,195 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (85 ratings); 88 are reading it right now.
Best for: Fantasy fans who want a deadly tournament, a fierce heroine, and a castle mystery
Charles Duhigg · 2012
Duhigg explores the science of why habits form and how they can be changed, using stories from a lab, a marketing campaign for Febreze, and a company overhaul at Alcoa to show transformation in action.
Why it’s here: 2,503 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (148 ratings); 143 are reading it right now.
Best for: Curious readers who want science-backed, story-driven insight into changing habits at work and home
Jojo Moyes · 2012
Louisa, whose life has stayed small and ordinary, takes a job caring for Will, a once-adventurous man now using a wheelchair. Her refusal to pamper him grows into deep feeling, and she tries to prove that life still holds joy.
Why it’s here: 1,971 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (70 ratings); 159 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers wanting an emotional love story with heartbreak and a tough question at its center
Shannon Messenger · 2012
Twelve-year-old Sophie hides the fact that she can read minds, until a boy named Fitz reveals she belongs elsewhere. Moving to a strange new world, she must uncover who she really is before time runs out.
Why it’s here: 891 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.7 out of 5 (62 ratings); 49 are reading it right now.
Best for: Middle-grade fantasy fans who like hidden identities, secret powers, and mystery
Susan Cain · 2012
Cain argues that modern culture overvalues extroversion and overlooks what introverts offer. Drawing on research and real-life stories, she looks at business, schools, and relationships, and offers practical advice for introverts and those who live with them.
Why it’s here: 1,055 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (99 ratings); 60 are reading it right now.
Best for: Introverts, and anyone who manages, teaches, or loves one, seeking research-based understanding
Fredrik Backman · 2012
Ove is a gruff, rule-bound neighbor whose quiet routines are upended when a lively young family moves in next door. Humor and warmth emerge as friendship, stray cats, and a hidden sorrow soften him.
Why it’s here: 888 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (70 ratings); 38 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who enjoy funny, heartwarming stories about a grumpy man and unlikely friendships
Tahereh Mafi · 2012
Juliette fled The Reestablishment by shooting Warner, but he survives and is still fixated on her. While he works to keep his soldiers in line and hunt down the traitors who helped her, his father arrives with very different plans for Juliette.
Why it’s here: 1,076 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (23 ratings); 54 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who have finished Shatter Me and want Warner's perspective
Sylvia Day · 2012
Gideon Cross enters the narrator's life like lightning, and she is pulled to him with an intensity she has never felt. Both carry damage and demons from their pasts, and they must hope that torment does not tear their bond apart.
Why it’s here: 761 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (20 ratings); 55 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who like intense, emotionally charged love stories between wounded, drawn-together characters
Joe Dispenza · 2012
Dispenza contends that anyone can break free from ingrained beliefs and habits to reshape their life. He offers step-by-step methods that connect scientific ideas with spiritual understanding.
Why it’s here: 1,712 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (47 ratings); 117 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers seeking practical steps for personal change that blend science and spirituality
Benjamin Alire Sáenz · 2012
Fifteen-year-old Ari Mendoza is an angry loner whose brother is in prison. Meeting Dante and becoming his friend leads Ari to ask new questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he had never raised until now.
Why it’s here: 751 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (54 ratings); 38 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories about friendship and self-questioning
Tui T. Sutherland · 2012
Five young dragonets are bound to save the world from a war among three queens. Raised under a mountain, they meet Queen Scarlet, and the story turns tense before several are captured and taken to the Sky Kingdom.
Why it’s here: 626 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (33 ratings); 46 are reading it right now.
Best for: Fans of fun, sometimes tense dragon adventures who want to follow a series
Austin Kleon · 2012
Austin Kleon turned a list of ten pieces of advice he gave to students into a short illustrated guide to the creative life. It mixes anecdotes and mini-exercises with practical actions for anyone making things in the digital age.
Why it’s here: 828 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (48 ratings); 29 are reading it right now.
Best for: Writers, artists, designers, and other makers seeking brief, practical creative inspiration
Shannon Messenger · 2012
Sophie is settling into life in the lost cities at Havenfield, where she helps train the first female Alicorn, a creature who trusts only her. But buried secrets in her memories pull her into danger again as she hunts for answers.
Why it’s here: 382 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.7 out of 5 (29 ratings); 26 are reading it right now.
Best for: Fans of magical creatures and series about a girl uncovering hidden secrets
Leigh Bardugo · 2012
Alina Starkov, orphaned by the Border Wars, is separated from her only friend Mal when the mysterious Darkling takes her as his protegé. He trains her for the magical elite, believing she is the Sun Summoner who can destroy the monsters of the Fold.
Why it’s here: 1,023 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (37 ratings); 51 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who enjoy tales of a chosen heroine training among a magical elite
Rick Riordan · 2012
Carter and Sadie Kane face the chaos serpent Apophis in the final Kane Chronicles adventure. With magicians divided and gods split, their best hope is a lost ancient spell, guided by a dangerous ghost who may betray them.
Why it’s here: 420 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (33 ratings).
Best for: Readers who have followed the Kane Chronicles and want its finale
Alexandra Bracken · 2012
After surviving a disease that killed most children, Ruby emerges with frightening abilities and is sent to a brutal camp. Now sixteen, she runs, joins other escaped kids, and heads for a supposed safe haven where she faces a terrible choice.
Why it’s here: 692 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (40 ratings); 47 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who like dystopian escapes with kids who have dangerous powers
Tui Sutherland · 2012
Glory, a sharp and secretly venomous dragonet, shelters with her fellow dragonets in the rain forest home of the RainWings. When tribe members start vanishing, she must search for them, even if it pulls the sleepy kingdom into war.
Why it’s here: 317 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.6 out of 5 (29 ratings).
Best for: Young readers who enjoy dragon adventures and underdog heroines
Daron Acemoglu · 2012
Acemoglu and Robinson argue that wealth and poverty stem from political and economic institutions, not culture, weather, or geography. They support the theory with evidence from the Roman Empire to the two Koreas, and apply it to today's big questions.
Why it’s here: 714 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.7 out of 5 (34 ratings); 51 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers curious about why some countries prosper while others stay poor
Nassim Nicholas Taleb · 2012
Taleb introduces the antifragile: people, systems, and institutions that do not merely survive shocks but gain from them. Following The Black Swan, he offers a bold view of how to live well amid chaos and uncertainty.
Why it’s here: 465 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (37 ratings); 21 are reading it right now.
Best for: Thinkers and decision-makers wanting to handle uncertainty, volatility, and risk better
← Best Books of 2011Best Books of 2013 →
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We start with every book first published in 2012 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. 58 books cleared that bar for 2012, 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 2012 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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