Best Novels of 2011

The best novels of 2011 did what a truly great novel can do: Take readers on a fictional journey that allows them to escape, even for just a few hours. Some of these great novels combine elements of historical fiction, science fiction and other genres to create amazing stories that stick with a reader long after the book is finished. What is your favorite novel of 2011? Trying to put together a list of the absolute best is a bit of a challenge, and I probably left a few off on accident. Add your favorite if you don't see it on this list and by all means, vote for your personal favorites if they made the cut!

2011's best novels include best-sellers and debut novels ('The Art of Fielding' by Chad Harbach comes to mind immediately), as well as books by very well-established authors (like Jeffrey Eugenides, whose novel 'The Marriage Plot' is topping best of lists far and wide). Whether your tastes run towards the thriller ('Before I Go to Sleep' by S.J. Watson is a great literary thriller) or the f*turistic ('1Q84' by Haruki Murakami is simply amazing), this list includes the best of the year. I've also included 2011's National Book Award winner for fiction: Jesmyn Ward's 'Salvage the Bones,' and the 2011 Man Booker Prize winner, 'The Sense of an Ending' by Julian Barnes (some believe that Barnes' 11th novel is among his best).

Again, I ask you, the reading fanatic, for help with this list. I'd love to have a great, comprehensive list of the absolute best novels released in 2011. Bookworms looking for fantastic new reads can check these off one by one. So if you know of one (or two, or five) that I left off of this list, add them, please.

If you're looking for some great new reads, check out these lists for the best free eBooks, non-fiction books, and eBooks sites.