I had so much fun putting together my list of books published in the 1970s that I decided to put together a list of books published in the 1980s.
Readers loved my last list, Books Published in the 1970s, as much as I did, so today I am sharing a list of books from the 1980s. I plan to keep sharing more lists like this of books published over the decades.
It is so much fun to take a look at what books were popular in the past.
These lists are a little bit different than our normal lists because they include some books that we have read and some books that we have not read.
The list is also a mix of bestsellers, books that were popular, and books that caught my attention because they are so well known. This month’s list even includes a few well known kids’ books.
I find it so interesting that books may not have necessarily been popular the year they were published but have gained in popularity over the years.
Popular Books Published In the 1980s
Books Published In 1980
- The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
- The Indian In the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
- Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
- Catch Me If You Can by Frank W. Abagnale
Books Published In 1981
- A Light In the Attic by Shel Silverstein
- Ramona Quimby Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
- Mornings On Horseback by David McCullough
Books Published In 1982
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
- Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally
- North and South by John Jakes
Books Published In 1983
- The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis
- Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
- When Calls the Heart by Janette Oke
Books Published In 1984
- The Hunt For Red October by Tom Clancy
- Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
Books Published In 1985
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
- The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
- Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty
- The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber ( I had no idea this book was that old. It is still a fairly popular business book. )
Books Published In 1986
- It by Stephen King
- Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
- Redwall by Brian Jacques
- Forrest Gump by Winston Groom
- Desiring God by John Piper ( This is another one that I did not realize was almost forty years old. )
Books Published In 1987
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
- Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg
- Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
- The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
Books Published In 1988
- Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
- Matilda by Ronald R. Dahl
- Dead Poets Society by N.H. Kleinbaum
Books Published In 1989
- The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
- The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
- Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
- The Mitten by Jan Brett
- A Time To Kill by John Grisham