New York Times: The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century:
"The New York Times Book Review decided to mark the first 25 years of this century with an ambitious project: to take a first swing at determining the most important, influential books of the era."
*We used AI to help generate this list and the Goodreads links. While we make efforts to verify accuracy, errors may occur. In additon, Book links may change or become mislinked over time. Please use the book title and author name to locate the correct Goodreads page if needed. Please check original NYT link for details: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/books/best-books-21st-century.html
#1. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante; translated by Ann Goldstein
The story of a complex, lifelong friendship between two girls, from a poor Naples neighborhood, exploring their intense bond, rivalry, and differing paths as they navigate poverty, education, and womanhood in post-war Italy.
#2. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
A narrative history of the Great Migration and its impact on American society.
#3. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
A historical novel centered on Thomas Cromwell and power in Tudor England.
#4. The Known World by Edward P. Jones
A novel exploring slavery through the story of a Black slave owner.
#5. Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald
A meditation on memory, loss, and the long aftermath of the Holocaust.
#6. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
A dystopian novel exploring ethics, humanity, and sacrifice.
#7. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
A reimagining of slavery using a literal underground railroad.
#8. A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
A complex novel about violence and politics in Jamaica.
#9. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
A post-apocalyptic story of survival and fatherhood.
#10. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
A family novel reflecting modern American anxieties.
#11. The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
A novel of desire and class during the AIDS crisis.
#12. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
A reflective novel written as a father’s letter to his son.
#13. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
A multigenerational immigrant story blending history and fantasy.
#14. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
A family saga exploring gender and identity.
#15. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Interconnected stories spanning centuries and genres.
#16. 2666 by Roberto Bolaño
A vast novel about violence, art, and obsession.
#17. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
A philosophical memoir on love, gender, and family.
#18. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
A novel imagining multiple lives for one woman.
#19. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
A letter addressing race and identity in America.
#20. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
A novel about friendship and comic-book creation.
#21. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
A graphic memoir of growing up during the Iranian Revolution.
#22. The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
An exploration of food systems and eating choices.
#23. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
A literary mystery set in postwar Barcelona.
#24. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A novel set during the Nigerian Civil War.
#25. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
A graphic memoir about family and sexuality.
#26. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
An alternate history imagining authoritarianism in the U.S.
#27. Beloved by Toni Morrison
A novel confronting the legacy of slavery.
#28. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A novel about race, identity, and migration.
#29. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
A coming-of-age story shaped by loss and art.
#30. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
The story of ethics, race, and modern medical research.
#31. The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
An examination of mass incarceration in America.
#32. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
A science fiction novel exploring political ideals.
#33. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
A history of humankind from ancient to modern times.
#34. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
An exploration of success and opportunity.
#35. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
A study of how humans think and make decisions.
#36. Educated by Tara Westover
A memoir about education and self-reinvention.
#37. The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
A look at human-driven mass extinction.
#38. The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
A novel about Native American rights and resilience.
#39. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
A post-pandemic novel about art and survival.
#40. Normal People by Sally Rooney
A novel about relationships and emotional growth.
#41. The Hours by Michael Cunningham
A novel interweaving the lives of three women connected by Mrs. Dalloway.
#42. White Teeth by Zadie Smith
A multigenerational novel about race, identity, and modern London.
#43. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
A memoir about grief, mourning, and resilience after sudden loss.
#44. The Sellout by Paul Beatty
A satirical novel confronting race, identity, and American politics.
#45. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
A dystopian novel exploring power, control, and women’s rights.
#46. The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro
A biography examining power through the life of Robert Moses.
#47. The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante
A four-book series chronicling female friendship and life in Naples.
#48. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
An experimental novel about time, music, and human connection.
#49. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
A science fiction novel set in a world shaped by environmental catastrophe.
#50. The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
A novel about friendship and loss during the AIDS crisis.
#51. Underworld by Don DeLillo
A sweeping novel exploring Cold War America and collective memory.
#52. The Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon
A deeply researched exploration of depression and mental illness.
#53. The World According to Garp by John Irving
A novel examining family, gender, and social change.
#54. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
A portrait of family dysfunction in contemporary America.
#55. The Road to Unfreedom by Timothy Snyder
An analysis of modern authoritarianism and political manipulation.
#56. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
A novel based on a real reform school and systemic racial abuse.
#57. The Overstory by Richard Powers
A novel connecting human lives through trees and environmental activism.
#58. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Short stories about identity, displacement, and human connection.
#59. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
A layered novel combining memoir, politics, and science fiction.
#60. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
A collection of stories about soldiers and the Vietnam War.
#61. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
A true story about cultural conflict in medicine and care.
#62. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
An exploration of how ideas and behaviors spread.
#63. Evicted by Matthew Desmond
A study of housing insecurity and poverty in America.
#64. The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
An examination of disaster capitalism and economic policy.
#65. The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
A scientific account of human-driven mass extinction.
#66. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
A story of medical ethics, race, and scientific discovery.
#67. Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
An investigation into the rise and fall of Theranos.
#68. The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
A biography of innovation and persistence in early aviation.
#69. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
A global history of humankind.
#70. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
A reflection on medicine, aging, and end-of-life care.
#71. Educated by Tara Westover
A memoir about education, family, and self-invention.
#72. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
A narrative history of the Great Migration.
#73. The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
A novel about baseball, friendship, and ambition.
#74. A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
An introduction to cosmology and modern physics.
#75. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
An exploration of human decision-making.
#76. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
A stark novel of survival in a post-apocalyptic world.
#77. The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
A look at food systems and eating choices.
#78. Quiet by Susan Cain
An examination of introversion and modern culture.
#79. The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee
A history of genetics told through science and personal narrative.
#80. The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
A biography of cancer and its treatment.
#81. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
A fantasy novel about magic and competition.
#82. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
A novel about creativity, friendship, and comics.
#83. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
A coming-of-age novel shaped by art and loss.
#84. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
A novel about race and domestic workers in the American South.
#85. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
A post-pandemic novel about survival and art.
#86. Normal People by Sally Rooney
A novel exploring intimacy and emotional growth.
#87. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
A literary mystery set in Barcelona.
#88. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A novel about race and identity across continents.
#89. The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
An analysis of racial inequality in the justice system.
#90. The Sixth Sense by Elizabeth Kolbert
An examination of environmental collapse.
#91. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
Essays on race and American identity.
#92. The Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
A complex political and cultural novel.
#93. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
A look at how habits shape behavior.
#94. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
A novel set in Nazi Germany narrated by Death.
#95. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
An exploration of trauma and healing.
#96. The Immortal Irishman by Timothy Egan
A biography of Irish revolutionary Thomas Meagher.
#97. The Spirit Level by Richard Wilkinson
A study of inequality and social outcomes.
#98. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
A multigenerational novel blending history and magical realism.
#99. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
A philosophical novel about purpose and destiny.
#100. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
A firsthand account of life during the Holocaust.