The Best Fiction of 2017

With so many stellar novels and short story collections, 2017 can easily be dubbed the Year of Fiction. I’ve been compiling “best of” lists for years and cannot recall a year in which there were so many great novels and short story collections. Go to my annual list for a synopsis of each title. Books with complete reviews have links within the title.
 

The Best Novel of 2017

·         Beartown by Fredrik Backman

The Most Original Fiction of 2017

·         Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

The Aesop Award for the Best Fables of 2017

·         Tales of Falling and Flying by Ben Loory

The Best Novels of 2017

·         Beartown by Fredrik Backman

·         The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter by Kia Corthron (published in 2016)

·         Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

·         Exit West  by Mohsin Hamid

·         Father’s Day by Simon Van Booy (published in 2016)

·         The Hearts of Men by Nickolas Butler

·         The Leavers by Lisa Ko

·         Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney

·         Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

·         Marlena by Julie Buntin

·         My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent

·         One Good Mama Bone by Bren McLain

·         Stephen Florida by Gabe Habash

·         Sing, Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward

·         The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotose

The Best Short Stories of 2017

·         Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

·         Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

·         The Illusion of Separateness by Simon Van Booy (published in 2013

·         Tales of Falling and Flying by Ben Loory

·         To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts by Caitlin Hamilton Summie

The Best Debut Fiction of 2017

·         The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter by Kia Corthron (published in 2016)

·         Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

·         Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

·         The Leavers by Lisa Ko

·         Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney

·         Marlena by Julie Buntin

·         My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent

·        One Good Mama Bone by Bren McLain

·         Stephen Florida by Gabe Habash

·         To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts by Caitlin Hamilton Summie

The Best Fiction to Make You Think About the State of the World

·         The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter by Kia Corthron (published in 2016)

·         Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

·         Everybody’s Son by Thrity Umrigar

·         Exit West by Mosin Hamid

·         The Leavers by Lisa Ko

·         Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

·         Marlena by Julie Buntin

·         Sing, Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward

·         The Talented Ribkins by Ladee Hubbard

·         This is How it Begins by Joan Dempsey

The Best Fiction for a Delightful Escape

·         Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson

·         The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

·         Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

·         The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

·         The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak