The New York Times Best Books of the Past 125 Years 

The New York Times is one of the most trusted news institutes in the world. They are a household name and one that most other news outlets turn to. While they are mostly known to cover the news, they in fact cover a lot of things, books being one of them. We decided to take a look at the New York Times best books of the past 125 years! 

Before we get onto the list, we must mention that the books were ultimately chosen by the readers. The New York Times asked its readers to nominate a book. After that, the NY Times created a list of the 25 most nominated books (only one book per author) and let the readers decide. After over 200,000 votes, this was the answer: 

The New York Times Best Books of the Past 125 Years 

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 
• The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien 
• 1984 by George Orwell 
• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez 
• Beloved by Toni Morrison 

Science Fiction 

• Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler 

Nonfiction 

• The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson 

Horror 

• Dracula by Bram Stoker 

Self Help 

• The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck 

The Winners and How it Happened 

I have to say, the New York Times went all out for this list. With that many voters, this list is one of the biggest of its kind. People from all 50 states participated in it as well as 67 countries. The winner ended up being To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. That book made me a fan of reading books so I am not shocked seeing it win.  

More than 1,300 different books were nominated for this list. Almost two thirds of them received only one vote. Only 31 percents of the books nominated by readers made it to the final 25 selections.  

To Kill a Mockingbird

Like many readers, I first read To Kill a Mockingbird in high school and couldn’t put the novel down even if I wanted to. The story is told by the viewpoint of Jean Louise Finch and tells the story of Atticus Finch defending Tom Robinson, a black man who has been accused of raping a white woman in Maycomb, Alabama. This novel feels like it is always in the running, topping lists like these often, surprising few people.

The Fellowship of the Ring

When you think of fantasy novels, the first series that comes to mind is J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The classic fantasy novel is a simple good versus evil adventure novel that has resonated with millions of readers. That is why it should come as no surprise that it made the New York Times list as one of the most influential novels of time.

1984

1984 is a classic dystopian novel by George Orwell that imagines a future where the government watches and controls our every movement. The novel is based on Soviet Union in the era of Stalinism, and Nazi Germany. But when Americans realized that their government was secretly spying on them, this novel soared in popularity.

The relevency of this novel has made it a lot more important then it should have been. If it weren’t for Edward Snowden exposing the NSA, then this novel would have been another great dystopian novel. But this is the reality we live in and this is a novel that readers should check out to see what the worst case scenario of a totalitarian goverment would look like.

Dracula

A classic horror novel that has become mainstream is Dracula by Bram Stoker. First published in 1897, the novel was considered the best vampire novel written in its time and labeled as too frightening for many readers. While Stoker didn’t invent vampires, his take on the creatures is the one that has come to define them.

Conclusion 

That is all for this list. What did you think of the New York Times best books of the past 125 years? What did you think of their process? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, happy reading! 

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