Order of Joan Didion Books

Joan Didion is an American writer known for her diverse body of fiction and non-fiction. She began her career in the 1960s, focusing on the counterculture and Hollywood lifestyle, and has written extensively on political topics. Didion is most recognized for her works, including Play It As It Lays and The Year of Magical Thinking. Throughout her career, she has received many honors, including the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2005 for The Year of Magical Thinking, the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and the National Medal of Arts awarded by President Barack Obama.

Joan Didion became a published novelist in 1963 with the novel Run River. Below is a list of Joan Didion's books in order of when they were originally released:

Publication Order of Standalone Novels Books

Book Title	Year	Amazon USA	Amazon UK
Run River	(1963)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Play It As It Lays	(1970)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
A Book of Common Prayer	(1977)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Democracy	(1984)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Last Thing He Wanted	(1996)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk

Publication Order of Collections Books

Book Title	Year	Amazon USA	Amazon UK
Vintage Didion	(2004)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The 1960s & 70s	(2019)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
I Write to Find Out What I Am Thinking	(2025)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Book Title	Year	Amazon USA	Amazon UK
Slouching Towards Bethlehem	(1968)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The White Album	(1979)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Salvador	(1983)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Miami	(1987)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Some Women (With: Robert Mapplethorpe)	(1990)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
After Henry	(1992)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Sentimental Journeys	(1993)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Perspectives on the Individual	(1998)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Political Fictions	(2001)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Fixed Ideas	(2003)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Where I Was From	(2003)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Live and Learn	(2005)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Year of Magical Thinking	(2005)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live	(2006)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Blue Nights	(2011)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Insider Baseball	(2016)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
South and West	(2017)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Collected Essays	(2018)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Let Me Tell You What I Mean	(2021)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Bonds of War	(2022)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
What She Means	(2022)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Notes to John	(2025)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk

Publication Order of Anthologies Books

Book Title	Year	Amazon USA	Amazon UK
Women Writers at Work	(1989)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Florida Stories	(1993)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Writing Women's Lives	(1994)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Writing New York	(1998)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Eloquent Essay	(2000)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Little Big Book of California	(2005)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
40 Model Essays	(2005)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Believer Book of Writers Talking to Writers	(2005)	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.co.uk

If You Like Joan Didion Books, You'll Love…

Sally Rooney
Ottessa Moshfegh
Toni Morrison