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 Note: Australian authors #BookAuthorYearCountry of origin1Boy Swallows UniverseTrent Dalton2018Australia2The Book ThiefMarkus Zusak2005Australia3A Gentleman in MoscowAmor Towles2016United States4All The Light We Cannot SeeAnthony Doerr2014United States5Lessons in ChemistryBonnie Garmus2022United States6Burial RitesHannah Kent2013Australia7The Dictionary of Lost WordsPip Williams2020Australia8Demon CopperheadBarbara Kingsolver2022United States9A Little LifeHanya Yanagihara2015United States10Wolf HallHilary Mantel2009United Kingdom11Small Things Like TheseClaire Keegan2021Ireland12Where the Crawdads SingDelia Owens2018United States13The Narrow Road to the Deep NorthRichard Flanagan2013Australia14Eleanor Oliphant is Completely FineGail Honeyman2017United Kingdom15Year of WondersGeraldine Brooks2001Australia/United States16Still LifeSarah Winman2021United Kingdom17WifedomAnna Funder2023Australia18Dark EmuBruce Pascoe2014Australia19The RoadCormac McCarthy2006United States20The Secret RiverKate Grenville2005Australia21AtonementIan McEwan2001United Kingdom22The Kite RunnerKhaled Hosseini2003Afghanistan/United States23Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and TomorrowGabrielle Zevin2022United States24Jasper JonesCraig Silvey2009Australia25HoneybeeCraig Silvey2020Australia26The Hunger GamesSuzanne Collins2008United States27My Brilliant FriendElena Ferrante2011Italy28The DryJane Harper2016Australia29Lola in the MirrorTrent Dalton2023Australia30StasilandAnna Funder2002Australia31The GoldfinchDonna Tartt2013United States32Normal PeopleSally Rooney2018Ireland33PachinkoMin Jin Lee2017United States/South Korea34Never Let Me GoKazuo Ishiguro2005United Kingdom/Japan35Olive KitteridgeElizabeth Strout2008United States36The Thursday Murder ClubRichard Osman2020United Kingdom37The SlapChristos Tsiolkas2008Australia38BreathTim Winton2008Australia39HamnetMaggie O'Farrell2020United Kingdom40Dirt MusicTim Winton2002Australia41Shuggie BainDouglas Stuart2020United Kingdom/United States42A Man Called OveFredrik Backman2012Sweden43All That I AmAnna Funder2011Australia44LimberlostRobbie Arnott2022Australia45The Time Traveler's WifeAudrey Niffenegger2003United States46HorseGeraldine Brooks2022Australia/United States47Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireJ. K. Rowling2000United Kingdom48Life of PiYann Martel2001Canada49A Thousand Splendid SunsKhaled Hosseini2007Afghanistan/United States50The Lovely BonesAlice Sebold2002United States51The Seven Husbands of Evelyn HugoTaylor Jenkins Reid2017United States52The Girl with the Dragon TattooStieg Larsson2005Sweden53Prophet SongPaul Lynch2023Ireland54The Rosie ProjectGraeme Simsion2013Australia55Girl, Woman, OtherBernardine Evaristo2018United Kingdom56The No. 1 Ladies' Detective AgencyAlexander McCall Smith 2003United Kingdom/Zimbabwe57SapiensYuval Noah Harari2014Israel58JamesPercival Everett2024United States59The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-TimeMark Haddon2003United Kingdom60The Song of AchillesMadeline Miller2011United States61Joe Cinque's ConsolationHelen Garner2004Australia62The Covenant of WaterAbraham Verghese2023Ethiopia/United States63We Need to Talk About KevinLionel Shriver2003United States64Bel CantoAnn Patchett2001United States65Question 7Richard Flanagan2023Australia66The Tattooist of AuschwitzHeather Morris2018New Zealand67CirceMadeline Miller2018United States68EducatedTara Westover2018United States69The Midnight LibraryMatt Haig2020United Kingdom70Station ElevenEmily St. John Mandel2014Canada71The Bee StingPaul Murray2023Ireland72The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie SocietyMary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows2008United States73The Happiest Man on EarthEddie Jaku2020Germany/Australia74The OverstoryRichard Powers2018United States75The Happiest RefugeeAnh Do2010Australia76Where is the Green Sheep?Mem Fox and Judy Horacek2004Australia77Life After LifeKate Atkinson2013United Kingdom78The WomenKristin Hannah2024United States79BrooklynColm Tóibín2009Ireland80A Short History of Nearly EverythingBill Bryson2003United Kingdom/United States81Too Much LipMelissa Lucashenko2018Australia82CarpentariaAlexis Wright2006Australia83The Lost Flowers of Alice HartHolly Ringland2018Australia84Stone Yard DevotionalCharlotte Wood2024Australia85Chai Time at Cinnamon GardensShankari Chandran2022Australia86Cloud AtlasDavid Mitchell2004United Kingdom87Fourth WingRebecca Yarros2023United States88This House of GriefHelen Garner2014Australia89People of the BookGeraldine Brooks2008Australia/United States90This Is Going to HurtAdam Kay2017United Kingdom91The Bookbinder of JerichoPip Williams2023Australia92Gone GirlGillian Flynn2012United States93Project Hail MaryAndy Weir2021United States94Lincoln in the BardoGeorge Saunders2017United States95PiranesiSusanna Clarke2020United Kingdom96Tom LakeAnn Patchett2023United States97True History of the Kelly GangPeter Carey2000Australia98The Heart's Invisible FuriesJohn Boyne 2017Ireland99MiddlesexJeffrey Eugenides2002United States100Big Little LiesLiane Moriarty2014Australia
Statistics
Authors with multiple entries #ArtistTracks3Geraldine Brooks15, 46, 89Anna Funder17, 30, 432Trent Dalton1, 29Pip Williams7, 91Richard Flanagan13, 65Khaled Hosseini22, 49Craig Silvey24, 25Tim Winton38, 40Madeline Miller60, 67Helen Garner61, 88Ann Patchett64, 96
Countries represented Country#United States38Australia36United Kingdom18Ireland6Afghanistan2Canada2Sweden2Ethiopia1Germany1Israel1Italy1Japan1New Zealand1South Korea1Zimbabwe1
Reception Writing for The Conversation, Melanie Saward found the list lacked diversity.
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