My Thoughts on the NYT's '100 Best Books of the 21st Century' List
Unpacking the book list of the quarter-century
If you haven’t heard, the New York Times published the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, decided by nearly 500 writers, critics, editors, and other book lovers. While everyone has a different definition of best, NYT let each “literary luminary” decide on what it meant to them. I think of best in terms of both my level of enjoyment while reading (VERY subjective) and the novel’s lasting cultural impact (semi-subjective, but definitely more objective than the former). To appease us passionate readers, they also released a Readers’ 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED…
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow: Tears and tears and tears, it could also be called. While I was initially slow/hesistant to pick this up because of the gaming angle, by the end of the first page I was engrossed in the world that Sadie and Sam, the main characters, create together.
Demon Copperhead: Absolute, yes. Barbara Kingsolver set out to write the great Appalachian novel, and she beyond succeeded.
Americanah: Just read, much loved. A review, thoughts & more.
Pachinko: A multi-perspective historical fiction novel that follows four generations of a Korean family from 1915 to 1989. I need to watch the AppleTV adaptation. (I tried watching immediately after finishing the book, but because there are quite a few creative interpretations, I couldn’t. SO, I think this show will go on my things to do this fall when it’s rainy and dark outside. Plus, a second season is being dropped next month.)
The Overstory: I love trees. I also love seemingly unconnected narratives intertwining. This is a long but POWERFUL read. (I wrote a play about a girl saving a swamp forest when I was in high school which is when I think my loud adoration for trees began.)
On Beauty: Future classic. After reading an introduction Zadie Smith wrote in a new edition of “Middlemarch,” I was taken by her brilliant perspective and prose.
Detransition, Baby: A tender and original perspective on gender, relationships, and being a parent.
An American Marriage: The most perfect use of letters in a novel since the Brontë sisters. (BTW, have you heard Emerald Fennel is making an adaptation of “Wuthering Heights” ????!!)
The Vegetarian: Absolutely. Unlike anything else I’ve ever read, it’s magical (realism). The main character undergoes a metamorphosis of body and mind. (I read it soon after becoming a vegetarian myself.)
Never Let Me Go: I’m so grateful I read this in one of my first university literature courses. The discussion on the many ethical questions raised was endless and stimulating. (The movie is one of the best book-to-film adaptations, imo.)
CAN’T BELIEVE I HAVEN’T READ IT YET (but will soon)…
My Brilliant Friend: Currently sitting on the console in my living room, this is next on my list of to-reads. Especially since HBO is releasing the fourth and final season September 10. (No, I haven’t watched the first three before reading the book.)
Wolf Hall: I’ve never read anything of Emily St. John Mandel, but the author is a favorite of my favorite college professor (in whose class I read “Never Let Me Go").
The Argonauts: Maggie Nelson is a power writer (have you read “Bluets?”) And I’m always looking to add memoirs and memoir-esque books to my list.
Between the World and Me: A contemporary “Notes to a Native Son?” This has been on my list for awhile.
The Copenhagen Trilogy: I read a bit of contemporary Danish literature while studying in Copenhagen, and it’s quite jarring: the pace, the sentence structure, the characters.
Bel Canto: “Commonwealth” was the first book I read by Ann Patchett (and it was my first ever book club book back in 2020!). She also has a bookstore in Nashville that I visited quite a few times. Anyways, my mom has this book and I need to borrow it from her. She’s fascinating at creating such in-depth familial narratives that pull at the heart strings.
The Corrections: Planning to pick this up from the library tomorrow. A book full of familial relations is always a yes for me.
Outline: Just finished this today! I would’ve done the book more justice had I been reading it with a critical eye, and at a slower pace. (I need to start reading with a pencil again.)
MAJORLY MISSING (according to me, and probably others)…
Free Food for Millionaires: If you know me, you know this is my favorite book, and it’s the one I recommend when someone wants a book that’s engaging and enthralling but not a beach-read romance. A review, thoughts & more.
Forest Dark: I read this in a college course, and the essay I wrote for it was the first time I felt like I was capable of innovative thought and writing. Amidst a mid-life crisis, the main character, a writer, seeks to rekindle the passion needed for creativity.
The Marriage Portrait: While “Hamnet” made both lists, I personally could not get through it after devouring this novel of hers: riveting, heart-racing, and historically poignant. A review, thoughts & more.
Education of an Idealist: An incredible storyteller of the world-changing action she’s implemented and of the horrific events that have happened in the past two decades, Samantha Power offers a rare glimpse into the life of a mother, fighter, and diplomat.
Martyr!: While I know it probably hasn’t been in circulation long enough to gain the recognition it deserves, the novel’s political impact, lyrical prose, and lasting cultural contribution are potent. A review, thoughts & more.
Thirst for Salt: Prose unlike any other, this novel perfectly captures what it feels like to be a woman in a staggering relationship for the first-ish time. A review, thoughts & more.
A Long Petal of the Sea: An epic historical fiction novel. Highly recommend for its interpretation of the Spanish Civil War and Chile as well as its poeticism.
Braiding Sweetgrass: I keep this next to my bed. While I’ve read it once all the way through, reading a chapter here and there nourishes my gratitude for the earth and for myself.
What are your thoughts on the list? Any favorites that made it or didn’t make it?
xoxo,
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