Best books read in 2004 (listed alphabetically by author)
- Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed
- Eugenides, Jeffrey. Middlesex
- Franzen, Jonathan. The Corrections
- Goodman, Carol. The Seduction of Water
- Gross, Joel. The Books of Rachel
- Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
- Haruf, Kent. Eventide
- Hoffman, Alice. Blue Diary
- Larson, Erik. The Devil in the White City
- Niffenegger, Audrey. The Time Traveler's Wife
Honorable Mention
- Anderson, Laurie Halse. Fever 1793
- Hammett, Dashiell. The Maltese Falcon
- McGahern, John. By the Lake
- Pert, Candace B. Molecules of Emotion
- Taylor, Daniel. Tell Me a Story: The Life-Shaping Power of Our Stories