The Best Books of 2011

More About Amazon.com's Best Books of 2011

All year, Amazon.com's editorial team reads with an eye for the Best Books of the Month, plus the best books in popular categories like Cooking, Food & Wine books, Literature & Fiction, Children's books, Mystery & Thrillers, Comics & Graphic Novels, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, the best books for teens, and more. We scour reviews and book news for tips on what the earliest readers have loved, trade books amongst ourselves, and fan out to tear through as many of the best books as possible. Then we face off in a monthly Best Books Smackdown meeting to champion the books we think will resonate most with their readership.

In late October, we look forward through the year's end and back at all our favorites before casting our ballots for the Best Books of the Year. The titles that made our Best Books of 2011 lists are the keepers, the ones we couldn't forget. Many of our editorial picks for the best books are also customer favorites and bestsellers, but we strive to spotlight the best books you might not otherwise hear about, too.

The books included in Amazon's Best Books program are entirely editorial selections. We have great passion for uniting readers of all ages and tastes with their next favorite read, helping our customers find terrific gifts for booklovers, and drawing more attention to the best books by exceptional authors of all stripes.