The Greatest Books of All Time on Diaries

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This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 759 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page.

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Rank Book Authors Year Country Language Actions
61 The Golden Notebook Doris May Lessing 1962 British English
575 I Capture the Castle Dodie Smith 1948 British English
641 Bridget Jones's Diary Helen Fielding 1996 British English
791 Gone Girl Gillian Flynn 2012 American English
987 Harriet the Spy Louise Fitzhugh 1964 American English
1741 The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 Sue Townsend 1982 British English
1777 Flowering Nettle Harry Martinson 1935 Swedish Swedish
1891 The Journal of Jules Renard Jules Renard 1887 French French
4849 Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey Lillian Schiessel 1982 American English
5620 Diary of a Wimpy Kid Jeff Kinney 2007 American English
5743 Diaries Alan Clark 1993 British English
6092 Good Company Frances Partridge 1977 British English
7216 The Journals Of James Boswell James Boswell 1791 British English
8791 The Diaries Of Emilio Renzi Ricardo Piglia 2015 Argentinian Spanish
9686 The Englishwoman's Diary Harriet Blodgett 1994 American English
9851 A Midwife's Tale Laurel Thatcher Ulrich 1990 American English
10037 Hannah Senesh Hannah Senesh 1971 Hungarian Hebrew
11049 Untold Stories Alan Bennett 2005 British English
12033 Secrets Jacqueline Wilson 2002 British English
13362 The Diary of Fanny Burney Fanny Burney 1768 British English
13543 The Spectator Bird Wallace Stegner 1976 American English
14232 This Is Going To Hurt Adam Kay 2017 British English
14880 War In Val D'orcia Iris Origo 1947 Italian English
15916 Boswell's London Journal, 1762-1763 James Boswell 1950 British English
15916 The Journal Of A Disappointed Man W. N. P. Barbellion 1919 British English
17165 Samuel Pepys Claire Tomalin 2002 British English
17165 The Fringes Of Power John Colville 1985 British English
17165 A Book Of One's Own Thomas Mallon 1984 American English
17165 The Book Of Secrets M.G. Vassanji 1994 Canadian English
17165 The Diary Keepers Nina Siegal 2023 Unknown English