The ultimate guide to best Kindle books of all time

The best Kindle books of all time - the ultimate list

We are excited to share an extensive set of rankings and comparisons presenting the best Kindle books released since 2007.

It’s over ten years since the first-generation Kindle was introduced, together with 90 thousand books in the Kindle Store.

See also:
[ef-archive number=2 tag=”lists” ]

We thought it would be great to see which of the Kindle ebooks available on Amazon since November 2007 were the ones book lovers appreciated the most.

That’s why we decided to process data widely available for users of the Kindle Store and put the results into rankings that show the most popular books and authors.

This post includes extensive charts and comparisons, together with information how we collected and processed the data. Be assured to see detailed lists soon, accompanied by infographics and visualizations. Stay tuned!

You can jump directly to each chart from here:

Best Kindle books of all time – highlights

This overview is extensive and includes several facts, figures, and comparisons. Below, we highlight the most interesting ones:

  • The best Kindle book of all time is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson’s first book from the Millennium series.
  • Top 10 includes all three parts of the bestselling YA dystopian series by Suzanne Collins, the Hunger Games.
  • The best nonfiction book on the list is Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, which takes the second place.
  • 15 titles in the Top 100 are available via Kindle Unlimited ebook subscription.
  • Two authors – David Baldacci and Lee Child – managed to place their books on all annual Kindle bestseller lists since 2007.
  • The best Kindle author of all time is James Patterson, with 10 books in the Top 100.

Best Kindle books – how the lists were made

Background

So far, Amazon has not revealed a ranking of best or best selling Kindle books of all time. However, the company provides valuable tools for comparison. Besides bestseller lists (both current and annual), weekly charts or Amazon Best Sellers Rank, there are also such factors as customer reviews and ratings.

We are a group of ebook enthusiasts and don’t have access to Amazon’s sales figures and advanced algorithms. Our lists are based on information available for anyone visiting Amazon website.

What we did is simple. We have thoroughly analyzed an archive of annual lists of Top 100 Kindle bestsellers available in the U.S. Amazon Store.

Obviously, the easiest way to create a ranking of best Kindle books of all time would be to pick up title for each year between 2007 and 2017 and publish a list of ten winning books.

We believe, however, that being a one-time bestseller doesn’t represent the real value of the book. A book becomes a classic when it has the power to lure new readers constantly, and its popularity doesn’t fade out with time.

That’s why we’ve decided to go with a more advanced methodology.

Methodology

The idea to rank best Kindle books of all time is quite simple: every book on the annual list of top 100 bestsellers earns points. The higher the book is ranked, the more points it gets.

So, the book on the annual list gets 100 points, and the last title gets 1 point.

Here are a few other rules:

  • if a book is present on more than one annual list, its points are added,
  • if two or more books receive the same number of points, they are ranked at the same place in the Top 100. We decided to keep things clear and give a chance for more books to appear on the ultimate list rather than apply the second-level rule,

Example
A book becomes Kindle bestseller but is present on only one annual bestseller list. It gets 100 points in total. Another book is ranked #50 for two years. It earns 51 points for each year, what makes 102 points in total.

As you, see, the counting method we chose is favoring books that managed to stay on annual Kindle bestseller lists for as long as possible and as high as possible.

Data for annual Top 100 lists for 2007-2016 was gathered between July 25 and August 28, 2017. Data for the 2017 list was collected on November 19, 2017.

Please keep in mind that reviews of the single title are collected from several formats (paperback, hardcover, Kindle, audiobook, etc.) as well as several editions, also the ones that are not available in the Kindle Store any longer.

We’ve collected the data from annual Kindle bestseller lists in this spreadsheet document.

Kindle bestsellers of all time - data intro

Top 100 best Kindle books of all time

Top 100 Kindle books of all time - the ultimate list

We are excited to present the major ranking of the best Kindle books of all time. It includes the greatest titles released in Kindle edition between 2007 and 2017.

It’s worth noting that the total number of annual bestseller lists that we analyzed is not ten but eleven, as we also included the 2007 list.

The Top 100 chart includes the best books (it’s more than 100, due to the counting method we used), out of 901 titles that ever entered an annual Kindle bestseller list since November 2007.

Details you can compare in the ranking are:

  • # – a position of the book in Top 100,
  • Points – a total number of points collected,
  • Title (series) – a title of the book and a name of the series it belongs to,
  • Author – an author or authors of the book,
  • Rats – rating,
  • Revs – number of reviews,
  • Cat – a primary category the book is ranked in.

There is one thing we’d like to point out. It refers to a total number of reviews for books that belong to a series.

In case of some series, for instance, the Millennium saga by Stieg Larsson, reviews are split into parts. It’s the natural way to do it. Some books in a series are better; some are worse. It would inevitably be reflected in the number of reviews as well as the total rating.

For other series, however, the reviews are combined – all books come with the total number of reviews left for any part of the trilogy. The Hunger Games is the most noticeable example of such review count policy.

Top 100 Kindle books of all time: 2007-2017

Data collected between July 25 and November 19, 2017.
# Points Title (series) Author Ratg Revs Cat
1. 439 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Series Book 1) Stieg Larsson 4.30 5,973 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
2. 429 Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption Laura Hillenbrand 4.80 27,592 Biographies & Memoirs
3. 383 Mockingjay (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 3) Suzanne Collins 4.60 56,410 Teen & Young Adult
4. 379 Gone Girl: A Novel Gillian Flynn 3.90 43,926 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
5. 376 The Help Kathryn Stockett 4.70 9,878 Literature & Fiction
6. 354 The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 1) Suzanne Collins 4.60 56,410 Teen & Young Adult
7. 353 Catching Fire (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 2) Suzanne Collins 4.70 17,250 Teen & Young Adult
8. 328 The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium Series Book 2) Stieg Larsson 4.60 8,493 Thriller & Suspense
9. 323 Water for Elephants: A Novel Sara Gruen 4.50 7,979 Literature & Fiction
10. 285 Divergent (Divergent Trilogy, Book 1) Veronica Roth 4.50 36,367 Teen & Young Adult
11. 283 Insurgent (Divergent Trilogy, Book 2) Veronica Roth 4.50 36,368 Teen & Young Adult
12. 274 The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (Millennium Series Book 3) Stieg Larsson 4.60 8,494 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
13. 271 The Husband’s Secret Liane Moriarty 4.30 18,432 Literature & Fiction
14. 269 A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) George R. R. Martin 4.70 19,069 Science Fiction & Fantasy
15. 263 All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel Anthony Doerr 4.60 27,187 Literature & Fiction
16. 261 Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga Book 4) Stephenie Meyer 4.50 7,089 Teen & Young Adult
17. 260 Me Before You: A Novel Jojo Moyes 4.60 18,176 Literature & Fiction
18. 256 Fifty Shades Freed (Fifty Shades, Book 3) E L James 4.20 84,708 Literature & Fiction
19. 246 The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge Book 1) Ken Follett 4.50 5,394 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
20. 240 Eclipse (The Twilight Saga Book 3) Stephenie Meyer 4.60 3,236 Teen & Young Adult
21. 232 Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back Todd Burpo 4.70 14,376 Religion & Spirituality
22. 229 The Girl on the Train: A Novel Paula Hawkins 4.10 57,697 Literature & Fiction
23. 225 Allegiant (Divergent Trilogy, Book 3) Veronica Roth 3.70 18,115 Teen & Young Adult
24. 224 Outlander: A Novel (Outlander, Book 1) Diana Gabaldon 4.60 33,209 Literature & Fiction
25. 215 Big Little Lies Liane Moriarty 4.50 15,219 Literature & Fiction
26. 214 A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 5) George R. R. Martin 4.30 9,631 Science Fiction & Fantasy
27. 211 Safe Haven Nicholas Sparks 4.60 7,408 Literature & Fiction
28. 210 Eat Pray Love 10th-Anniversary Edition: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia Elizabeth Gilbert 4.20 4,147 Religion & Spirituality, Travel
29. 200 The Shack William P. Young 4.70 16,030 Literature & Fiction
30. 198 The Fault in Our Stars John Green 4.70 37,904 Teen & Young Adult
31. 195 New Moon (The Twilight Saga Book 2) Stephenie Meyer 4.60 3,608 Teen & Young Adult
32. 193 The Nightingale: A Novel Kristin Hannah 4.80 34,591 Literature & Fiction
33. 190 Twilight (The Twilight Saga Book 1) Stephenie Meyer 4.60 11,701 Teen & Young Adult
34. 187 A Shade of Vampire Bella Forrest 4.30 9,471 Teen & Young Adult
34. 187 World Without End (Kingsbridge Book 2) Ken Follett 4.50 3,102 Literature & Fiction
35. 185 Everything We Keep: A Novel (The Everything Series Book 1) Kerry Lonsdale 4.20 11,671 Romance
36. 183 The Lost Symbol: Featuring Robert Langdon Dan Brown 4.00 5,418 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
37. 181 Sycamore Row: A Novel (Jake Brigance Book 2) John Grisham 4.50 18,977 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
38. 180 When I’m Gone: A Novel Emily Bleeker 4.30 5,684 Literature & Fiction
39. 179 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone J.K. Rowling 4.80 58,334 Teen & Young Adult
39. 179 Orphan Train: A Novel Christina Baker Kline 4.60 20,045 Literature & Fiction
40. 177 The Goldfinch: A Novel (Pulitzer Prize for Fiction) Donna Tartt 3.80 25,432 Literature & Fiction
41. 173 The Light Between Oceans: A Novel M.L. Stedman 4.50 13,785 Literature & Fiction
42. 170 The Lucky One Nicholas Sparks 4.50 1,898 Literature & Fiction
43. 168 The Confession: A Novel John Grisham 4.10 2,425 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
44. 167 Cutting for Stone Abraham Verghese 4.60 3,927 Literature & Fiction
44. 167 My Sister’s Grave (The Tracy Crosswhite Series Book 1) Robert Dugoni 4.40 12,931 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
45. 166 The Book Thief Markus Zusak 4.60 17,421 Teen & Young Adult
45. 166 The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics Daniel James Brown 4.80 20,189 Nonfiction
45. 166 The Longest Ride Nicholas Sparks 4.60 9,473 Literature & Fiction
46. 165 Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 1) Cheryl Strayed 4.40 13,062 Nonfiction
47. 156 The Litigators John Grisham 4.30 3,912 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
48. 154 The Hunger Games Trilogy Suzanne Collins 4.60 56,413 Teen & Young Adult
49. 153 Dark Places: A Novel Gillian Flynn 4.10 9,405 Literature & Fiction
49. 153 Defending Jacob: A Novel William Landay 4.30 8,415 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
50. 151 Room: A Novel Emma Donoghue 4.30 4,596 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
50. 151 The Racketeer John Grisham 4.20 10,885 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
51. 148 A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini 4.70 4,442 Literature & Fiction
52. 147 11/22/63: A Novel Stephen King 4.60 11,448 Literature & Fiction
52. 147 The Atlantis Gene: A Thriller (The Origin Mystery, Book 1) A.G. Riddle 4.10 15,220 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
53. 144 Gray Mountain: A Novel John Grisham 3.80 18,022 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
53. 144 Steve Jobs Walter Isaacson 4.60 5,321 Computers & Technology
54. 143 Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace… One School at a Time Greg Mortenson,David Oliver Relin 4.30 3,173 Biographies & Memoirs
55. 141 Outliers: The Story of Success Malcolm Gladwell 4.60 4,778 Nonfiction
56. 137 A Man Called Ove: A Novel Fredrik Backman 4.60 15,068 Literature & Fiction
56. 137 Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis J. D. Vance 4.40 8,757 Nonfiction
57. 135 The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner, Book 1) James Dashner 4.40 11,188 Teen & Young Adult
58. 134 And Then She Was GONE Christopher Greyson 4.00 2,706 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
59. 132 Bared to You (Crossfire, Book 1) Sylvia Day 4.30 6,771 Literature & Fiction
59. 132 I, Alex Cross James Patterson 4.40 824 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
59. 132 Rogue Lawyer John Grisham 4.00 9,359 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
59. 132 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot 4.60 5,615 Nonfiction
59. 132 The Martian: A Novel Andy Weir 4.70 30,012 Science Fiction & Fantasy
60. 131 A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2) George R. R. Martin 4.60 4,246 Literature & Fiction
60. 131 Reflected in You (Crossfire, Book 2) Sylvia Day 4.60 5,688 Literature & Fiction
60. 131 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel Annie Barrows,Mary Ann Shaffer 4.60 4,000 Literature & Fiction
61. 127 The Host: A Novel Stephenie Meyer 4.50 6,097 Science Fiction & Fantasy
62. 123 What Alice Forgot Liane Moriarty 4.40 7,861 Literature & Fiction
63. 122 Inferno: (Robert Langdon Book 4) Dan Brown 4.10 20,925 Literature & Fiction
64. 120 Stone Cold (The Camel Club Book 3) David Baldacci 4.50 2,007 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
64. 120 The Escape (John Puller Book 3) David Baldacci 4.60 7,701 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
65. 119 The Forgotten (John Puller Book 2) David Baldacci 4.40 5,015 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
66. 117 The Hangman’s Daughter (A Hangman’s Daughter Tale Book 1) Oliver Pötzsch 4.10 4,790 Literature & Fiction
67. 116 Dragonfly In Amber (Outlander, Book 2) Diana Gabaldon 4.60 33,209 Romance
67. 116 The Surgeon: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel Tess Gerritsen 4.40 1,062 Literature & Fiction
68. 115 A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3) George R. R. Martin 4.70 4,490 Science Fiction & Fantasy
69. 113 The Road (Vintage International) Cormac McCarthy 4.10 4,412 Literature & Fiction
70. 111 Sarah’s Key Tatiana de Rosnay 4.60 2,713 Literature & Fiction
71. 107 The Billionaire’s Obsession: The Complete Collection Boxed Set J.S. Scott 4.30 3,120 Romance
72. 106 Dark Witch (The Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy, Book 1) Nora Roberts 4.40 6,190 Romance
72. 106 The Best of Me Nicholas Sparks 4.50 4,027 Literature & Fiction
73. 104 American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History Chris Kyle 4.60 15,601 History
73. 104 The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing Marie Kondo 4.40 12,334 Crafts, Hobbies & Home
74. 103 The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini 4.70 5,837 Literature & Fiction
74. 103 The Last Song Nicholas Sparks 4.60 1,202 Literature & Fiction
75. 100 The Complete User’s Guide To the Amazing Amazon Kindle Stephen Windwalker 3.70 133 Reference
75. 100 The Handmaid’s Tale Margaret Atwood 4.10 9,605 Literature & Fiction
75. 100 The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner, Book 2) James Dashner 4.50 3,963 Teen & Young Adult
76. 99 Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel Mark Sullivan 4.80 12,850 Literature & Fiction
76. 99 Cross Fire (Alex Cross Book 17) James Patterson 4.50 921 Literature & Fiction
76. 99 Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian (Fifty Shades of Grey Series) E L James 4.30 14,320 Literature & Fiction
76. 99 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 4.5 1,826 Literature & Fiction
76. 99 The Girl in the Ice (Detective Erika Foster Book 1) Robert Bryndza 4.40 8,098 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
77. 98 Double Cross (Alex Cross Book 13) James Patterson 4.30 649 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
77. 98 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts One and Two (Special Rehearsal Edition) J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany 3.80 11,461 Literature & Fiction
77. 98 Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen 4.5 4,067 Literature & Fiction
77. 98 The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel David Wroblewski 3.80 2,509 Literature & Fiction
77. 98 Unfinished Business Nora Roberts 4.30 1,123 Literature & Fiction
78. 97 Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life Steve Martin 4.40 993 Biographies & Memoirs
78. 97 Midnight in Madrid (The Russian Trilogy) Noel Hynd 3.3 125 Literature & Fiction
79. 96 In Farleigh Field: A Novel of World War II Rhys Bowen 4.20 3,511 Literature & Fiction
79. 96 Sisters One, Two, Three Nancy Star 3.90 3,096 Literature & Fiction
80. 95 Decision Points George W. Bush 4.60 1,965 Biographies & Memoirs
80. 95 Go Set a Watchman: A Novel Harper Lee 3.50 11,712 Literature & Fiction
80. 95 Stillhouse Lake (Stillhouse Lake Series Book 1) Rachel Caine 4.50 7,021 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
80. 95 The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride, Book 1) James Patterson 4.40 1,299 Teen & Young Adult
81. 94 Assassin’s Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1) Robin Hobb 4.40 1,534 Science Fiction & Fantasy
81. 94 Memory Man (Memory Man series Book 1) David Baldacci 4.40 9,551 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
81. 94 T is for Trespass: A Kinsey Millhone Novel Sue Grafton 4.40 598 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
81. 94 Walk Into Silence (Jo Larsen Book 1) Susan McBride 4.30 2,271 Literature & Fiction
82. 93 Freedom: A Novel (Oprah’s Book Club) Jonathan Franzen 3.30 1,472 Literature & Fiction
82. 93 I Am America (And So Can You!) Stephen Colbert 4.20 636 Humor & Entertainment
82. 93 Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Recipes for Entertaining Beth Hensperger,Julie Kaufmann 4.10 28 Cookbooks, Food & Wine
82. 93 Silent Child Sarah A. Denzil 4.30 4,209 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
82. 93 Takedown Twenty: A Stephanie Plum Novel Janet Evanovich 4.30 5,907 Literature & Fiction
82. 93 The Last Lecture Randy Pausch 4.70 2,822 Biographies & Memoirs
82. 93 The Rosie Project: A Novel (Don Tillman Book 1) Graeme Simsion 4.40 10,206 Literature & Fiction
83. 92 1984 George Orwell 4.50 6,071 Literature & Fiction
83. 92 If I Stay (If I Stay, Book 1) Gayle Forman 4.30 10,022 Teen & Young Adult
83. 92 Kindle Shortcuts Aaron Steinhardt PhD 3.50 94 Nonfiction
83. 92 Scarpetta: Scarpetta (Book 16) (The Scarpetta Series) Patricia Cornwell 3.70 552 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
83. 92 The Cuckoo’s Calling (Cormoran Strike Book 1) Robert Galbraith 4.10 10,380 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
83. 92 The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials Philip Pullman 4.30 1,907 Science Fiction & Fantasy
83. 92 The Mill River Recluse: A Novel Darcie Chan 4.20 2,127 Literature & Fiction
83. 92 The Whistler: A Novel John Grisham 4.20 6,827 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
83. 92 Treasure Island Robert Louis Stevenson 4.10 1,691 Literature & Fiction
84. 91 A Criminal Defense William L. Myers Jr. 4.40 4,124 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
84. 91 The Brass Verdict: A Novel (A Harry Bosch Novel Book 14) Michael Connelly 4.50 2,660 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
84. 91 The Lincoln Lawyer: A Novel (Mickey Haller Book 1) Michael Connelly 4.60 1,443 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
85. 90 And the Mountains Echoed Khaled Hosseini 4.20 8,044 Literature & Fiction
85. 90 Dead Certain: A Novel Adam Mitzner 4.20 3,050 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
85. 90 The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World Alan Greenspan 4.20 338 Biographies & Memoirs
85. 90 The Art of War Baron Henri De Jomini 4.50 415 History
85. 90 The Good Neighbor A. J. Banner 3.60 7,752 Literature & Fiction
85. 90 The Last Mile (Memory Man Series Book 2) David Baldacci 4.60 5,846 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
86. 89 Maude Donna Foley Mabry 4.40 13,272 Biographies & Memoirs
86. 89 Spirit House: A Vincent Calvino Crime Novel Christopher G. Moore 3.80 35 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
86. 89 The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin 4.30 1,342 Biographies & Memoirs
86. 89 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald 4.40 7,848 Literature & Fiction
86. 89 The Letter Kathryn Hughes 4.50 4,663 Literature & Fiction
86. 89 Truly Madly Guilty Liane Moriarty 3.70 3,416 Literature & Fiction
86. 89 War Brides Helen Bryan 4.30 11,003 Literature & Fiction
87. 88 A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4) George R. R. Martin 4.20 4,906 Science Fiction & Fantasy
87. 88 Beach Lawyer (Beach Lawyer Series) Avery Duff 4.10 3,331 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
87. 88 Irresistible Forces (Mills & Boon Kimani) (Kimani Romance) Brenda Jackson 4.00 1,061 Literature & Fiction
87. 88 Make Me (with bonus short story Small Wars): A Jack Reacher Novel Lee Child 3.90 7,702 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
87. 88 Sh*t My Dad Says Justin Halpern 4.50 3,530 Humor & Entertainment
87. 88 The Hit (Will Robie Book 2) David Baldacci 4.40 5,719 Literature & Fiction
87. 88 You: Staying Young: The Owner’s Manual for Extending Your Warranty Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet Oz 4.20 331 Health, Fitness & Dieting
88. 87 I Am Watching You Teresa Driscoll 4.50 3,189 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
88. 87 Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever Bill O’Reilly, Martin Dugard 4.70 9,477 History
88. 87 Silent Scream (Detective Kim Stone Crime Thriller Series Book 1) Angela Marsons 4.30 3,872 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
88. 87 The Burning Room (A Harry Bosch Novel Book 17) Michael Connelly 4.40 6,398 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
88. 87 The Innocent (Will Robie Book 1) David Baldacci 4.50 3,958 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
88. 87 The Kindle 2 Cookbook: How To Do Everything the Manual Doesn’t Tell You David Emberson 4.00 91 Reference
88. 87 The Wedding Dress Rachel Hauck 4.30 3,835 Romance
88. 87 Wool Omnibus Edition (Wool 1 – 5) Hugh Howey 4.60 13,282 Science Fiction & Fantasy
89. 86 Atonement: A Novel Ian McEwan 3.90 1,238 Literature & Fiction
89. 86 Cross Country (Alex Cross Book 14) James Patterson 3.90 854 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
89. 86 Ender’s Game (The Ender Quartet series Book 1) Orson Scott Card 4.50 9,992 Science Fiction & Fantasy
89. 86 No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden Mark Owen, Kevin Maurer 4.60 7,044 Biographies & Memoirs
89. 86 The Divergent Series Complete Collection Veronica Roth 4.40 8,141 Teen & Young Adult
89. 86 The Night Bird (Frost Easton Mystery Book 1) Brian Freeman 4.50 3,351 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
90. 85 Divine Justice (The Camel Club Book 4) David Baldacci 4.60 933 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
90. 85 From Sand and Ash Amy Harmon 4.70 3,707 Literature & Fiction
90. 85 Hopeless Colleen Hoover 4.60 8,811 Literature & Fiction
90. 85 Night School: A Jack Reacher Novel Lee Child 3.90 5,280 Literature & Fiction
90. 85 The Abbey (Ash Rashid Book 1) Chris Culver 4.20 897 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
90. 85 The Darkest Evening of the Year: A Novel Dean Koontz 3.90 435 Literature & Fiction
90. 85 Twilight: 1/4 (The Twilight Saga) Stephenie Meyer 4.60 11,701 Teen & Young Adult
91. 84 A Stolen Life: A Memoir Jaycee Dugard 4.60 2,973 Health, Fitness & Dieting
91. 84 Boom!: Voices of the Sixties Personal Reflections on the ’60s and Today Tom Brokaw 4.10 181 History
91. 84 Entwined with You (Crossfire, Book 3) Sylvia Day 4.10 7,911 Literature & Fiction
91. 84 His Majesty’s Dragon: A Novel of Temeraire Naomi Novik 4.50 713 Science Fiction & Fantasy
91. 84 Hope’s Peak (Harper and Lane) Tony Healey 3.80 1,750 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
91. 84 The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream Barack Obama 4.10 1,266 Nonfiction
91. 84 The Naturalist (The Naturalist Series Book 1) Andrew Mayne 4.40 3,431 Science Fiction & Fantasy
92. 83 Bossypants Tina Fey 4.30 4,608 Biographies & Memoirs
92. 83 Never Go Back (Jack Reacher, Book 18) Lee Child 4.30 6,583 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
92. 83 Ocean of Storms Christopher Mari, Jeremy K. Brown 3.90 2,346 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
92. 83 P.S. from Paris Marc Levy 4.10 2,450 Literature & Fiction
92. 83 Paper Towns John Green 4.20 5,302 Teen & Young Adult
92. 83 Personal (with bonus short story Not a Drill): A Jack Reacher Novel Lee Child 3.90 8,419 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
92. 83 The Subtle Knife: His Dark Materials Philip Pullman 4.30 863 Teen & Young Adult
93. 82 A Merciful Death (Mercy Kilpatrick Book 1) Kendra Elliot 4.50 2,286 Romance
93. 82 Snowbound Janice Kay Johnson 4.20 100 Literature & Fiction
93. 82 The Chase (An Isaac Bell Adventure) Clive Cussler 4.50 2,089 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
93. 82 The Girl in the Spider’s Web: A Lisbeth Salander novel, continuing Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Series David Lagercrantz 3.90 9,417 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
93. 82 The Paris Wife: A Novel Paula McLain 4.30 2,948 Literature & Fiction
93. 82 The Target (Will Robie Book 3) David Baldacci 4.40 5,462 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
93. 82 The Wrong Side of Goodbye (A Harry Bosch Novel Book 19) Michael Connelly 4.70 5,200 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
94. 81 Alex Cross, Run James Patterson 4.50 2,920 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
94. 81 Hide in Plain Sight (The Three Sisters Inn Book 1) Marta Perry 4.30 1,765 Literature & Fiction
94. 81 No Country for Old Men (Vintage International) Cormac McCarthy 4.40 947 Literature & Fiction
94. 81 Saving Rachel (Donovan Creed series Book 3) John Locke 3.20 567 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
94. 81 The Gate House (John Sutter Book 2) Nelson DeMille 3.70 741 Literature & Fiction
94. 81 The Secret Wife: A captivating story of romance, passion and mystery Gill Paul 4.60 3,881 Literature & Fiction
94. 81 When I Found You Catherine Ryan Hyde 4.40 8,622 Literature & Fiction
95. 80 61 Hours (Jack Reacher, Book 14) Lee Child 4.30 2,206 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
95. 80 An Inconvenient Book: Real Solutions to the World’s Biggest Problems Glenn Beck, Kevin Balfe 4.20 530 Humor & Entertainment
95. 80 By Reason of Insanity Randy Singer 4.20 200 Literature & Fiction
95. 80 Now You See Her James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge 4.40 818 Literature & Fiction
95. 80 The Missing Ones Patricia Gibney 4.40 2,746 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
95. 80 The Witness Nora Roberts 4.70 3,406 Literature & Fiction
95. 80 Top Secret Twenty-One: A Stephanie Plum Novel Janet Evanovich 4.40 5,274 Romance
95. 80 When You Are Engulfed in Flames David Sedaris 4.30 705 Humor & Entertainment
96. 79 11th Hour (Women’s Murder Club) James Patterson 4.60 1,790 Literature & Fiction
96. 79 14th Deadly Sin (Women’s Murder Club) James Patterson, Maxine Paetro 4.30 4,072 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
96. 79 Camino Island: A Novel John Grisham 3.90 6,203 Literature & Fiction
96. 79 In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin Erik Larson 4.30 3,430 History
96. 79 Paranoia: A Novel Joseph Finder 4.10 408 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
96. 79 The Amber Spyglass: His Dark Materials Philip Pullman 4.40 2,779 Teen & Young Adult
96. 79 The Invention of Wings: With Notes (Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 3) Sue Monk Kidd 4.70 11,864 Literature & Fiction
96. 79 When Breath Becomes Air Paul Kalanithi 4.70 7,156 Biographies & Memoirs
96. 79 Worth Dying For (Jack Reacher, Book 15) Lee Child 4.50 2,159 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
97. 78 After You: A Novel Jojo Moyes 4.20 4,969 Literature & Fiction
97. 78 Caught Harlan Coben 4.40 895 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
97. 78 Damaged: The Ferro Family (Damaged series Book 1) H.M. Ward 4.20 2,199 Romance
97. 78 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: A Novel Jonathan Safran Foer 3.70 1,445 Literature & Fiction
97. 78 Musicophilia Oliver Sacks 4.40 373 Arts & Photography
97. 78 Serial Jack Kilborn, Blake Crouch 3.20 625 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
97. 78 The Unremembered Girl: A Novel Eliza Maxwell 4.30 972 Literature & Fiction
97. 78 To Kill a Mockingbird (Harperperennial Modern Classics) Harper Lee 4.80 10,088 Literature & Fiction
98. 77 American Assassin: A Thriller (The Mitch Rapp Prequel Series Book 1) Vince Flynn 4.50 1,992 Literature & Fiction
98. 77 Book of the Dead: Scarpetta (Book 15) (The Scarpetta Series) Patricia Cornwell 3.30 775 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
98. 77 Split Second Douglas E. Richards 4.20 5,413 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
98. 77 The Black Widow (Gabriel Allon Series Book 16) Daniel Silva 4.60 5,308 Literature & Fiction
98. 77 The Storyteller Jodi Picoult 4.60 5,933 Literature & Fiction
98. 77 Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Jules Verne 4.20 680 Literature & Fiction
98. 77 Unlucky 13 (Women’s Murder Club) James Patterson, Maxine Paetro 4.50 4,245 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
99. 76 Dear John Nicholas Sparks 4.40 1,101 Literature & Fiction
99. 76 Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know Hamilton Wright Mabie 4.20 1,269 Children’s eBooks
99. 76 The Crossing (A Harry Bosch Novel Book 18) Michael Connelly 4.50 3,162 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
99. 76 The Hobbit (Lord of the Rings) J.R.R. Tolkien 4.70 20,674 Science Fiction & Fantasy
99. 76 The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals Michael Pollan 4.50 1,478 Politics & Social Sciences
99. 76 The Reincarnationist M. J. Rose 3.80 185 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
99. 76 Wait For Me (Against All Odds Book 1) Elisabeth Naughton 4.30 2,878 Romance
100. 75 Alone: A Detective D. D. Warren Novel (Detective D.D. Warren Book 1) Lisa Gardner 4.20 600 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
100. 75 Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania Erik Larson 4.50 6,265 History
100. 75 Leaving Time (with bonus novella Larger Than Life): A Novel Jodi Picoult 4.30 7,498 Literature & Fiction
100. 75 Little Boy Lost J. D. Trafford 4.20 2,209 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
100. 75 The Holy Bible: New International Version 3.90 561 Religion & Spirituality
100. 75 The Sister: A psychological thriller with a brilliant twist you won’t see coming Louise Jensen 4.10 2,463 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
100. 75 The Whiskey Rebels: A Novel David Liss 4.10 260 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Top 100 best Kindle books of all time 2007-2017, based on Amazon annual bestseller lists

Top 10 Kindle books of all time – details

Take a look at more details about the best of the best.

Each Kindle book from the all-time Top 10 comes with information about how long it stayed on annual charts, and the highest place it reached, among others.

All data was gathered between July 25 and November 19, 2017.

Top 10 Kindle books of all time:  #1 - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Author: Stieg Larsson
Part of the series: Yes, book 1 of the Millennium series
Main Category: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Publication Date: September 16, 2008
Kindle Unlimited: No

Total number of points: 439
First year in Top 100: 2008
Last year in Top 100: 2012
Highest place: 1 (2010)
Lowest place: 23 (2008)
Number of years in Top 100: 5
Number of years in Top 10: 2

Murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue combine into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel, the first in Stieg Larsson’s thrilling Millennium series featuring Lisbeth Salander. ⇢ Read more.

Top 10 Kindle books of all time: #2 - Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption - Laura Hillenbrand

2. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Author: Laura Hillenbrand
Part of the series: No
Main Category: Biographies & Memoirs
Publication Date: November 16, 2010
Kindle Unlimited: No

Total number of points: 429
First year in Top 100: 2010
Last year in Top 100: 2015
Highest place: 6 (2011)
Lowest place: 26 (2012)
Number of years in Top 100: 5
Number of years in Top 10: 2

A story of an Army Air Forces bombardier Louis Zamperini, who, after his plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean in 1943, was fighting to survive on a foundering life raft. ⇢ Read more.

Top 10 Kindle books of all time: #3 - Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

3. Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins

Part of the series: Yes, book 3 of the Hunger Games series
Main Category: Teen & Young Adult
Publication Date: August 24, 2010
Kindle Unlimited: Yes

Total number of points: 383
First year in Top 100: 2010
Last year in Top 100: 2014
Highest place: 4 (2011)
Lowest place: 78 (2014)
Number of years in Top 100: 5
Number of years in Top 10: 2

The final book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins will have hearts racing, pages turning, and everyone talking about one of the biggest and most talked-about books and authors in recent publishing history. ⇢ Read more.

Top 10 Kindle books of all time: #4 - Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

4. Gone Girl

Author: Gillian Flynn
Part of the series: No
Main Category: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Publication Date: June 5, 2012
Kindle Unlimited: No

Total number of points: 379
First year in Top 100: 2012
Last year in Top 100: 2015
Highest place: 2 (2014)
Lowest place: 15 (2015)
Number of years in Top 100: 4
Number of years in Top 10: 3

One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. ⇢ Read more.

Top 10 Kindle books of all time: #5 - The Help - Kathryn Stockett

5. The Help

Author: Kathryn Stockett
Part of the series: No
Main Category: Literature & Fiction
Publication Date: February 10, 2009
Kindle Unlimited: No

Total number of points: 376
First year in Top 100: 2009
Last year in Top 100: 2012
Highest place: 1 (2011)
Lowest place: 18 (2012)
Number of years in Top 100: 4
Number of years in Top 10: 3

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women – mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends – view one another. ⇢ Read more.

Top 10 Kindle books of all time: #6 - The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

6. The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins
Part of the series: Yes, book 1 of the Hunger Games series
Main Category: Teen & Young Adult
Publication Date: September 1, 2009
Kindle Unlimited: Yes

Total number of points: 354
First year in Top 100: 2010
Last year in Top 100: 2017
Highest place: 2 (2011, 2012)
Lowest place: 93 (2017)
Number of years in Top 100: 5
Number of years in Top 10: 3

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem. The Capitol keeps the districts in line by forcing them to send teenagers to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. ⇢ Read more.

Top 10 Kindle books of all time: #7 - Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

7. Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins
Part of the series: Yes, book 2 of the Hunger Games series
Main Category: Teen & Young Adult
Publication Date: June 1, 2010
Kindle Unlimited: Yes

Total number of points: 353
First year in Top 100: 2010
Last year in Top 100: 2013
Highest place: 3 (2011, 2012)
Lowest place: 26
Number of years in Top 100: 4
Number of years in Top 10: 2

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. The Capitol wants revenge. ⇢ Read more.

Top 10 Kindle books of all time: #8 - The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson

8. The Girl Who Played with Fire

Author: Stieg Larsson
Part of the series: Yes, book 2 of the Millennium series
Main Category: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Publication Date: July 28, 2009
Kindle Unlimited: No

Total number of points: 328
First year in Top 100: 2009
Last year in Top 100: 2012
Highest place: 3 (2010)
Lowest place: 31 (2012)
Number of years in Top 100: 4
Number of years in Top 10: 1

Part blistering espionage thriller, part riveting police procedural, and part piercing exposé on social injustice, this second book in the Millennium series is a masterful, endlessly satisfying novel. ⇢ Read more.

Top 10 Kindle books of all time: #9 - Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen

9. Water for Elephants

Author: Sara Gruen
Part of the series: No
Main Category: Literature & Fiction
Publication Date: May 1, 2007
Kindle Unlimited: No

Total number of points: 323
First year in Top 100: 2007
Last year in Top 100: 2012
Highest place: 11 (2011)
Lowest place: 65 (2012)
Number of years in Top 100: 5
Number of years in Top 10: 0

Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski’s ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. ⇢ Read more.

Top 10 Kindle books of all time: #10 - Divergent - Veronica Roth

10. Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth
Part of the series: Yes, book 1 of the Divergent series
Main Category: Teen & Young Adult
Publication Date: May 3, 2011
Kindle Unlimited: No

Total number of points: 285
First year in Top 100: 2012
Last year in Top 100: 2015
Highest place: 2 (2013)
Lowest place: 77 (2015)
Number of years in Top 100: 4
Number of years in Top 10: 2

The first book in Veronica Roth’s bestselling Divergent trilogy is the gripping story of a dystopian world transformed by courage, self-sacrifice, and love. ⇢ Read more.

Best Kindle Unlimited books of all time

Many Kindle users consider getting Kindle Unlimited subscription, and most of them try to find out how many bestsellers are available via Amazon’s popular ebook subscription service.

Kindle Unlimited is growing fast – and it starts to affect Kindle bestseller lists. Most subscribers are only reading what’s available in the service, and don’t get interested in Kindle books that have to be bought separately.

In 2017 alone, as much as 82 books from the Top 100 were available via Kindle Unlimited. In 2014, when the service was launched, it was only 7.

So, how many all-time Kindle bestsellers are available via ebook subscription? The Top 100 includes 15 Kindle Unlimited books. We list them in the table below.

The columns are the same as in the main chart, with one exception. A column with a header #/100 shows a place of the book in the main Top 100 ranking.

Top 15 Kindle Unlimited books of all time

Data collected between July 25 and November 19, 2017.
# #/100 Title (series) Author Ratg Revs Cat
1. 3. Mockingjay (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 3) Suzanne Collins 4.60 56,410 Teen & Young Adult
2. 6. The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 1) Suzanne Collins 4.60 56,410 Teen & Young Adult
3. 7. Catching Fire (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 2) Suzanne Collins 4.60 56,410 Teen & Young Adult
4. 34. A Shade of Vampire Bella Forrest 4.30 9,471 Teen & Young Adult
5. 36. Everything We Keep: A Novel (The Everything Series Book 1) Kerry Lonsdale 4.20 11,671 Romance
6. 39. When I’m Gone: A Novel Emily Bleeker 4.30 5,684 Literature & Fiction
7. 40. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone J.K. Rowling 4.80 58,334 Teen & Young Adult
8. 47. My Sister’s Grave (The Tracy Crosswhite Series Book 1) Robert Dugoni 4.40 12,931 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
9. 60. The Atlantis Gene: A Thriller (The Origin Mystery, Book 1) A.G. Riddle 4.10 15,220 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
10. 68. And Then She Was GONE Christopher Greyson 4.00 2,706 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
11. 83. The Hangman’s Daughter (A Hangman’s Daughter Tale Book 1) Oliver Pötzsch 4.10 4,790 Literature & Fiction
12. 89. The Billionaire’s Obsession: The Complete Collection Boxed Set J.S. Scott 4.30 3,120 Romance
13. 96. The Complete User’s Guide To the Amazing Amazon Kindle Stephen Windwalker 3.70 133 Reference
14. 97. The Handmaid’s Tale Margaret Atwood 4.10 9,605 Literature & Fiction
15. 99. Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel Mark Sullivan 4.80 12,850 Literature & Fiction

Best Kindle authors of all time

Top 100 Kindle authors of all time - the ultimate list

Let’s now take a look at the chart putting together most popular Kindle authors. It is an excellent material for analysis.

Five authors (James Patterson, Lee Child, David Baldacci, Nicholas Sparks and Michael Connelly) were present on annual Kindle bestseller lists for at least ten years.

Other big names in publishing, naming only J.K. Rowling, would easily join the club if they had decided to release their books in Kindle edition soon enough.

The chart also shows authors’ working style and attitude. James Patterson wins thanks to being a prolific writer. As much as 46 of books he had written or co-written landed on annual bestseller lists. 10 of them made it to the all-time Top 100.

Suzanne Collins is on the opposite side of the landscape. She published three books from the Hunger Games series, plus a bundle collecting them in a single edition. All four publications were ranked very high on annual lists. And 100% of them landed in the main ranking of Top 100 Kindle books of all time.

Details you can compare in the ranking are:

  • # – a position of the author, based on the number of points collected,
  • Points – a total number of points collected,
  • Books in Top 100 – a total number of author’s books in the Top 100 ranking of Kindle books,
  • Books on annual lists – a total number of author’s books on annual lists of Kindle bestsellers for years 2007-2017,
  • Years on annual lists – how many years author’s books were present on annual lists of Kindle bestsellers for years 2007-2017.

Here are the rules for the ranking of the best Kindle authors of all time:

  • if two or more authors get the same number of points, they are ranked at the same position in the Top 100. It means the list includes more than 100 authors,
  • books co-written by authors are added to their total score,
  • co-authors (naming only writers who work with James Patterson) are listed separately.

Top 100 Kindle authors of all time

Data collected between July 25 and November 19, 2017.
# Author Points Books in Top 100 Books on annual lists Years on annual lists
1. James Patterson 2315 10 46 10
2. David Baldacci 1412 9 20 11
3. Suzanne Collins 1244 4 4 6
4. John Grisham 1186 8 11 8
5. Stephenie Meyer 1115 6 6 6
6. Nora Roberts 1050 3 18 9
7. Stieg Larsson 1041 4 4 5
8. Lee Child 1017 6 19 11
9. Nicholas Sparks 999 6 10 10
10. George R. R. Martin 912 5 7 7
11. Veronica Roth 879 4 4 4
12. Liane Moriarty 774 4 6 5
13. Michael Connelly 744 5 15 10
14. Stephen King 602 1 12 9
15. Gillian Flynn 558 2 3 4
16. Ken Follett 555 2 5 5
17. Maxine Paetro 547 2 10 8
18. J.K. Rowling 533 2 10 3
19. Janet Evanovich 531 2 8 7
20. Diana Gabaldon 489 2 6 3
21. Sylvia Day 480 3 5 4
22. E L James 440 2 4 4
23. Laura Hillenbrand 429 1 1 5
24. Harlan Coben 410 1 7 6
25. John Sandford 398 11 8
26. Kathryn Stockett 376 1 1 4
27. Dan Brown 372 2 4 5
28. Vince Flynn 361 1 6 5
29. Rick Riordan 354 11 5
30. Daniel Silva 342 1 7 7
31. Khaled Hosseini 341 3 3 3
32. Jojo Moyes 338 2 2 4
33. Sara Gruen 323 1 1 5
34. John Green 321 2 3 4
35. John Locke 298 1 7 1
36. James Dashner 297 2 3 2
37. Jodi Picoult 283 2 4 6
38. Bella Forrest 280 1 4 4
39. Charlaine Harris 272 10 6
40. Anthony Doerr 263 1 1 3
41. Michael Ledwidge 257 1 7 6
42. Philip Pullman 254 3 3 1
43. Charlie Huston 250 4 2
44. Bill O’Reilly 237 1 5 5
44. Martin Dugard 237 1 5 5
45. Todd Burpo 232 1 1 3
46. Kerry Lonsdale 230 1 3 2
47. Paula Hawkins 229 1 1 2
48. Robert Dugoni 228 1 2 3
49. Patricia Cornwell 226 2 5 5
50. Walter Isaacson 217 1 2 3
51. Malcolm Gladwell 212 1 3 3
52. Elizabeth Gilbert 210 1 1 3
53. Nelson DeMille 206 1 4 4
54. Sue Grafton 205 1 5 5
55. William P. Young 200 1 1 4
56. Cormac McCarthy 194 2 2 2
57. Kristin Hannah 193 1 1 2
58. Emily Bleeker 190 1 2 3
59. A.G. Riddle 187 1 2 3
60. Christina Baker Kline 179 1 1 4
61. Brad Thor 178 5 5
62. Donna Tartt 177 1 1 2
63. Michael Prescott 175 4 1
64. Harper Lee 173 2 2 1
64. M.L. Stedman 173 1 1 3
65. Emily Giffin 170 4 3
66. Abraham Verghese 167 1 1 2
67. Daniel James Brown 166 1 1 2
67. Erik Larson 166 2 3 3
67. Markus Zusak 166 1 1 2
67. Noel Hynd 166 1 2 1
68. Cheryl Strayed 165 1 1 3
68. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 165 1 2 1
69. David Ellis 164 2 3
70. Gayle Forman 161 1 2 1
71. Marshall Karp 154 5 5
72. William Landay 153 1 1 2
73. Emma Donoghue 151 1 1 2
74. Tess Gerritsen 150 1 2 2
75. Barack Obama 149 1 2 1
76. Cassandra Clare 145 4 2
77. Greg Mortenson 143 1 1 2
78. Kathryn Croft 144 3 2
79. Fredrik Backman 137 1 1 2
79. J. D. Vance 137 1 1 2
80. Lisa Gardner 136 3 2
81. Christopher Greyson 134 1 1 2
81. Michael F. Roizen 134 1 2 1
81. Mehmet C. Oz 134 2 1
82. Andy Weir 132 1 1 3
82. Rebecca Skloot 132 1 1 2
83. Annie Barrows 131 1 1 2
83. Mary Ann Shaffer 131 1 1 2
83. Robert Bryndza 131 1 2 1
84. Sandra Brown 129 5 3
85. Christopher Hitchens 125 2 1
86. Douglas E. Richards 124 1 2 2
87. Howard Roughan 122 2 2
87. Kami Garcia 122 3 1
87. Margaret Stohl 122 3 1
88. Oliver Pötzsch 117 1 1 2
89. Sue Monk Kidd 116 1 2 2
90. Ann Patchett 113 3 3
90. Robert Galbraith 113 1 2 2
91. Tatiana de Rosnay 111 1 1 2
92. Karen McQuestion 110 2 2
93. J.S. Scott 107 1 1 2
94. Chris Kyle 104 1 1 2
94. Marie Kondo 104 1 1 2
95. Glenn Beck 103 1 2 2
95. Kevin Balfe 103 1 2 2
96. J. S. Cooper 102 4 2
96. Helen Cooper 102 4 2
96. J.C. Reed 102 2 1
96. Paula McLain 102 1 2 2
97. Margaret Atwood 100 1 1 1
97. Stephen Windwalker 100 1 1 1
98. Mark Sullivan 99 1 1 1
99. Clive Cussler 98 1 2 2
99. David Wroblewski 98 1 1 1
99. Jane Austen 98 1 1 1
100. Steve Martin 97 1 1 1

Best Kindle books of all time by category

After putting together the books and authors, it’s time for a more general comparison.

Let’s take a look at the table comparing categories.

How we attached categories to single titles? As you know, most books on Amazon appear in more than one category.

To pick up the most representative genre, we used Amazon Best Sellers Rank. It shows how well the book is selling compared to other titles in the same category.

Amazon Best Sellers Rank is shown on a book page, in “Product details” section. With only few exceptions, we were picking up the first child category in the directory: “Kindle Store » Kindle eBooks » …”

Best Kindle books of all time: categories

Data collected between July 25 and November 19, 2017.
Category % in Top 100
Literature & Fiction 37.25%
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense 28.24%
Teen & Young Adult 9.41%
Biographies & Memoirs 7.45%
Science Fiction & Fantasy 5.10%
Romance 3.53%
Nonfiction 2.75%
History 2.35%
Humor & Entertainment 1.57%
Religion & Spirituality 1.18%
Health, Fitness & Dieting 0.78%
Reference 0.78%
Other categories 1.95%

The last thing we would like to share is two lists of top Kindle books released between 2007 and 2017 that filter books by type. First one shows top 10 fiction books, the other one puts together nonfiction titles.

The list of fiction books is very similar to what you see in the overall ranking. It’s worth taking a look at the list of nonfiction books, as they are spread across the main ranking.

A column #/100 shows a position on the main list of top 100 Kindle books of all time.

Top 10 fiction Kindle books of all time

Data collected between July 25 and November 19, 2017.
# #/100 Title (series) Author Ratg Revs Cat
1. 1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Series Book 1) Stieg Larsson 4.30 5,973 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
2. 3. Mockingjay (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 3) Suzanne Collins 4.60 56,410 Teen & Young Adult
3. 4. Gone Girl: A Novel Gillian Flynn 3.90 43,926 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
4. 5. The Help Kathryn Stockett 4.70 9,878 Literature & Fiction
5. 6. The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 1) Suzanne Collins 4.60 56,410 Teen & Young Adult
6. 7. Catching Fire (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 2) Suzanne Collins 4.60 56,410 Teen & Young Adult
7. 8. The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium Series Book 2) Stieg Larsson 4.60 8,493 Thriller & Suspense
8. 9. Water for Elephants: A Novel Sara Gruen 4.50 7,979 Literature & Fiction
9. 10. Divergent (Divergent Trilogy, Book 1) Veronica Roth 4.50 36,367 Teen & Young Adult
10. 11. Insurgent (Divergent Trilogy, Book 2) Veronica Roth 4.50 36,368 Teen & Young Adult

Top 10 nonfiction Kindle books of all time

Data collected between July 25 and November 19, 2017.
# #/100 Title (series) Author Ratg Revs Cat
1. 2. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption Laura Hillenbrand 4.80 27,592 Biographies & Memoirs
2. 21. Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back Todd Burpo 4.70 14,376 Religion & Spirituality
3. 28. Eat Pray Love 10th-Anniversary Edition: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia Elizabeth Gilbert 4.20 4,147 Religion & Spirituality, Travel
4. 49. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics Daniel James Brown 4.80 20,189 Sports
5. 51. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 1) Cheryl Strayed 4.40 13,062 Travel
6. 62. Steve Jobs Walter Isaacson 4.60 5,321 Biographies & Memoirs
7. 63. Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace… One School at a Time Greg Mortenson,David Oliver Relin 4.30 3,173 Biographies & Memoirs
8. 64. Outliers: The Story of Success Malcolm Gladwell 4.60 4,778 Politics & Social Sciences
9. 66. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis J. D. Vance 4.40 8,757 Politics & Social Sciences
10. 72. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot 4.60 5,615 History

• • •

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4 responses to “The ultimate guide to best Kindle books of all time”

  1. […] Therefore, we recommend that you take a look at the table below. It includes Kindle Unlimited books that made it to the ultimate list of best Kindle books of all time. […]

  2. […] and authors rule in the world of electronic books, make sure to check out out epic overview of best Kindle books of all time. It lists top 100 Kindle books, top 100 authors, best Kindle Unlimited reads, and […]

  3. […] mood to discover and read the best of the best, make sure to take a look at our extensive guide to the best Kindle books of all time. It collects Top 100 books, Top 100 authors, and other detailed […]

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