Top 100 Books of the 21st Century


The Top 100 Books of the 21st Century was a countdown by Australian radio station ABC Radio National over 18 and 19 October 2025. It was the first annual countdown by the nationwide public service radio network. According To Variety, it ”followed a similar structure to triple j’s highly successful Hottest 100 countdowns of music”.
Australian author Trent Dalton's semi-autobiographical novel Boy Swallows Universe was voted into number one, while Australian authors Anna Funder and Geraldine Brooks scored the most entries, with three.

Background

In May 2025, Radio National announced a new annual countdown called the Top 100 Books, inspired by Triple J's Hottest 100 music countdown. Each year will feature a different theme, with the inaugural edition focusing on the Top 100 Books of the 21st Century. All books published between 1 January 2000 and 31 August 2025 were eligible for voting, regardless of genre.

Full list

#BookAuthorYearCountry of origin
1Boy Swallows UniverseTrent Dalton2018Australia
2The Book ThiefMarkus Zusak2005Australia
3A Gentleman in MoscowAmor Towles2016United States
4All The Light We Cannot SeeAnthony Doerr2014United States
5Lessons in ChemistryBonnie Garmus2022United States
6Burial RitesHannah Kent2013Australia
7The Dictionary of Lost WordsPip Williams2020Australia
8Demon CopperheadBarbara Kingsolver2022United States
9A Little LifeHanya Yanagihara2015United States
10Wolf HallHilary Mantel2009United Kingdom
11Small Things Like TheseClaire Keegan2021Ireland
12Where the Crawdads SingDelia Owens2018United States
13The Narrow Road to the Deep NorthRichard Flanagan2013Australia
14Eleanor Oliphant is Completely FineGail Honeyman2017United Kingdom
15Year of WondersGeraldine Brooks2001Australia/United States
16Still LifeSarah Winman2021United Kingdom
17WifedomAnna Funder2023Australia
18Dark EmuBruce Pascoe2014Australia
19The RoadCormac McCarthy2006United States
20The Secret RiverKate Grenville2005Australia
21AtonementIan McEwan2001United Kingdom
22The Kite RunnerKhaled Hosseini2003Afghanistan/United States
23Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and TomorrowGabrielle Zevin2022United States
24Jasper JonesCraig Silvey2009Australia
25HoneybeeCraig Silvey2020Australia
26The Hunger GamesSuzanne Collins2008United States
27My Brilliant FriendElena Ferrante2011Italy
28The DryJane Harper2016Australia
29Lola in the MirrorTrent Dalton2023Australia
30StasilandAnna Funder2002Australia
31The GoldfinchDonna Tartt2013United States
32Normal PeopleSally Rooney2018Ireland
33PachinkoMin Jin Lee2017United States/South Korea
34Never Let Me GoKazuo Ishiguro2005United Kingdom/Japan
35Olive KitteridgeElizabeth Strout2008United States
36The Thursday Murder ClubRichard Osman2020United Kingdom
37The SlapChristos Tsiolkas2008Australia
38BreathTim Winton2008Australia
39HamnetMaggie O'Farrell2020United Kingdom
40Dirt MusicTim Winton2002Australia
41Shuggie BainDouglas Stuart2020United Kingdom/United States
42A Man Called OveFredrik Backman2012Sweden
43All That I AmAnna Funder2011Australia
44LimberlostRobbie Arnott2022Australia
45The Time Traveler's WifeAudrey Niffenegger2003United States
46HorseGeraldine Brooks2022Australia/United States
47Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireJ. K. Rowling2000United Kingdom
48Life of PiYann Martel2001Canada
49A Thousand Splendid SunsKhaled Hosseini2007Afghanistan/United States
50The Lovely BonesAlice Sebold2002United States
51The Seven Husbands of Evelyn HugoTaylor Jenkins Reid2017United States
52The Girl with the Dragon TattooStieg Larsson2005Sweden
53Prophet SongPaul Lynch2023Ireland
54The Rosie ProjectGraeme Simsion2013Australia
55Girl, Woman, OtherBernardine Evaristo2018United Kingdom
56The No. 1 Ladies' Detective AgencyAlexander McCall Smith2003United Kingdom/Zimbabwe
57SapiensYuval Noah Harari2014Israel
58JamesPercival Everett2024United States
59The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-TimeMark Haddon2003United Kingdom
60The Song of AchillesMadeline Miller2011United States
61Joe Cinque's ConsolationHelen Garner2004Australia
62The Covenant of WaterAbraham Verghese2023Ethiopia/United States
63We Need to Talk About KevinLionel Shriver2003United States
64Bel CantoAnn Patchett2001United States
65Question 7Richard Flanagan2023Australia
66The Tattooist of AuschwitzHeather Morris2018New Zealand
67CirceMadeline Miller2018United States
68EducatedTara Westover2018United States
69The Midnight LibraryMatt Haig2020United Kingdom
70Station ElevenEmily St. John Mandel2014Canada
71The Bee StingPaul Murray2023Ireland
72The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie SocietyMary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows2008United States
73The Happiest Man on EarthEddie Jaku2020Germany/Australia
74The OverstoryRichard Powers2018United States
75The Happiest RefugeeAnh Do2010Australia
76Where is the Green Sheep?Mem Fox and Judy Horacek2004Australia
77Life After LifeKate Atkinson2013United Kingdom
78The WomenKristin Hannah2024United States
79BrooklynColm Tóibín2009Ireland
80A Short History of Nearly EverythingBill Bryson2003United Kingdom/United States
81Too Much LipMelissa Lucashenko2018Australia
82CarpentariaAlexis Wright2006Australia
83The Lost Flowers of Alice HartHolly Ringland2018Australia
84Stone Yard DevotionalCharlotte Wood2024Australia
85Chai Time at Cinnamon GardensShankari Chandran2022Australia
86Cloud AtlasDavid Mitchell2004United Kingdom
87Fourth WingRebecca Yarros2023United States
88This House of GriefHelen Garner2014Australia
89People of the BookGeraldine Brooks2008Australia/United States
90This Is Going to HurtAdam Kay2017United Kingdom
91The Bookbinder of JerichoPip Williams2023Australia
92Gone GirlGillian Flynn2012United States
93Project Hail MaryAndy Weir2021United States
94Lincoln in the BardoGeorge Saunders2017United States
95PiranesiSusanna Clarke2020United Kingdom
96Tom LakeAnn Patchett2023United States
97True History of the Kelly GangPeter Carey2000Australia
98The Heart's Invisible FuriesJohn Boyne2017Ireland
99MiddlesexJeffrey Eugenides2002United States
100Big Little LiesLiane Moriarty2014Australia

Reception

Writing for The Conversation, Melanie Saward found the list lacked diversity.