Books · 2012
Thrillers, Blockbuster YA, and Historical Masterpieces
In 2012, publishing was defined by runaway cultural phenomena, gripping psychological suspense, and deeply moving literary triumphs. From viral YA tearjerkers to Booker-winning historical fiction, the year delivered stories that dominated headlines and reshaped contemporary reading culture.
- Gillian Flynn · Thriller · Bestseller
Gone Girl
A dark, unpredictable mystery about a vanishing wife and a media-circus marriage that redefined the modern psychological thriller.
- John Green · YA · Cultural Phenomenon
The Fault in Our Stars
A bittersweet romance between two teens meeting in a cancer support group that captured a generation and launched a massive YA publishing boom.
- Hilary Mantel · Fiction · Award-Winning
Bring Up the Bodies
This vivid sequel to Wolf Hall won the Booker Prize for its intricate, devastating portrait of Thomas Cromwell maneuvering Anne Boleyn's downfall.
- Louise Erdrich · Fiction · Award-Winning
The Round House
A gripping coming-of-age story and legal thriller following an Ojibwe boy seeking justice after a violent crime on a North Dakota reservation.
- R. J. Palacio · Middle Grade · Bestseller
Wonder
The inspiring story of a boy with facial differences entering mainstream school for the first time, sparking a global movement around empathy.
- Cheryl Strayed · Memoir · Bestseller
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
A brutally honest memoir detailing a woman's solo 1,100-mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail following personal grief and devastation.
- Zadie Smith · Fiction · Influential Work
NW
An innovative, multi-perspective London novel examining class, race, and friendship through the divergent lives of four adults raised on the same estate.
- Maria Semple · Fiction · Bestseller
Where'd You Go, Bernadette
A sharp, satirical epistolary novel exploring creative frustration through an eccentric mother's sudden disappearance before a trip to Antarctica.
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