best books of the 21st century?

i’ll be the judge of that

Hey y’all!

Welcome back to the newsletter! Sometimes life really just comes at you and you need to take a two month break to feel less chaotic, you know what I mean? But breaks are only breaks if they come to an end, so I’m excited to be getting back into the newsletter swing of things, as well as the general reading swing of things, since during my hiatus I didn’t read very much at all. Yes, I am now in a mad dash to salvage my Goodreads challenge, please wish me luck.

Prior to my impromptu hiatus I’d planned out a bunch of newsletter topics for coming months, and had completed most of the draft of this newsletter in particular. I couldn’t bear to just scrap it, so what that means is that today’s letter is all about the most untimely topic in the world, but maybe this will help us to appreciate the beauty of slowing down, revisiting old news, and not needing to hop on every single trend the very millisecond it becomes popular. Or at least let’s pretend, to make me feel better.

That said, as you are probably all very aware, in July NYT Books gifted us with the cultural moment that was their first draft of the 100 best books of the 21st century, created by compiling ballots of 10 books each from various literary hotshots. Wild claims were made, debates were sparked, and individual ballots populated the internet for weeks afterwards. You didn’t think I would let this literary hoopla pass by without comment, did you? Of course not. And so, while the general frenzy may have died down, welcome to this newsletter post where we’re reviving the drama and talkin’ best books of the century. Buckle up, it’s kind of a long one.

In case you did miss it, here are the 100 best books of the 21st century, according to NYT Books. I’ve read 15 books on their list, so let’s get into my thoughts about them.

• On Beauty by Zadie Smith - I’ve read 3 of Zadie Smith’s books - this was the first and is my second favorite. It’s very quintessentially Zadie; her writing is piercingly smart above all else, but I find that she still manages to capture the humanity of her characters. She ultimately strikes a great balance between her story and her goal of making sharp, often critical observations about race, class, and human behavior. On Beauty is a good entry-point into her work, and very much makes sense to me that it would be included on this list.

• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel - I’ve recco’d this book in the newsletter before, and I definitely agree with its placement on the list. Reading this novel felt so magical in the same way I used to feel about reading as a kid, which I find is so rare nowadays, even though I obviously still have a deep love for reading today. It’s a pandemic novel, so there was so much legroom for Mandel to create a whole new world, and she stepped up to the challenge and knocked it out of the park. You will be up at all hours of the night reading this because you just can’t stop turning the pages.

• Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters - I actually never intended to talk about this book in this newsletter because I! don’t! like it! But here we are. I think the story was fine, though the characters are somewhat insufferable, but one of my main gripes is that I feel like the author’s insecurities come through in the book very strongly; I think it’s trying way too hard to be a “smart” novel, and (this is the big one) the characters talk about race (and specifically blackness) in the most self conscious way, which is to say they nervously, but repeatedly, acknowledge that there is none of it in their lives nor the life of the book. I could go on, but like I said, I never intended to say a single word about it, so I’ll stop while I’m ahead. I was shocked that this made the list and I don’t think it should have.

• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin - I was obsessed with this book. It is the second of two books ever that have caused me to miss my stop on the train because I was so engrossed in the story. Also one of the few books to actually make me cry. This story was so beautifully fleshed out; whether or not you liked it, you’d have to admit that there’s not a single aspect of this book that falls flat. Zevin’s characters are three dimensional people that live through so much, and the world they inhabit and the world of video games are both so lush and vivid, it’s incredible. A hyped up book that deserved the hype and I think deserves its spot on the list.

• The Friend by Sigrid Nunez - There were aspects of this book that I didn’t love, but I overall had a positive experience reading it. It had good momentum and I found myself connected to the story of the narrator’s relationship to dog, to friend, and to writing. I also felt that even though it’s not necessarily my favorite kind of book to read (it’s more meditative than I typically like), the book accomplished the goal that the author set out when writing it, so I think that makes it an undeniable success.

• We the Animals by Justin Torres - A hard hitter and I’m overdue for a reread. This is a short book so I’m still so amazed that it manages to land as forcefully as it does. Some of my favorite stories center on boyhood, and I think Torres does a fantastic job at depicting it with so much nuance and grace. It’s a stunning debut and 1000% deserves a spot on the list.

• The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai - This book is heartbreaking but so, so good. The novel is so much about loss, but on the flip side that loss also shows so much community and care in a really pivotal way. I also just learned so much from this book - the research was deep and shines through the entire novel and gives it so much of its strength. You feel firmly situated in the various locations and timelines of the novel, and that’s such a testament to Makkai’s ability as a writer. Definitely deserves its spot.

• Tenth of December by George Saunders - This was required reading for a creative writing class in college, which is to say it’s absolutely not fresh in my memory. Serendipitously, I happened to come across a document containing my notes on the stories while I was reading it, so here’s a snippet of 19 year old Sandia’s thoughts on Saunders, featuring one of the stories in this collection.

i’ve really grown as a note-taker since then

• Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - At times this story was a little convoluted and confusing, but I found that there was enough detail to at least keep me interested in what was happening, and it didn’t detract too much from my overall experience. It was also almost forgivable, given that the premise of this novel is very cyclical, following the life of a woman who continually keeps being reborn throughout the course of the book. I would certainly like to revisit this one going in with more information than I had on my first read, because I do think it was a really imaginative story that had so much to work with, so I’m sure there’s so much more to glean from it. Would recommend reading in general!

• The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin - N.K. Jemisin is a literal genius - the MacArthur Foundation said so! And they weren’t wrong. Not without its faults (I think that some of the required world building for a sci-fi novel was not quite as strong as I would have hoped in this first book), this is a really key piece of work and series for the genre, and touches on race and gender in ways that are complex and rare. I recommend as a must read at some point, and co-sign its spot on the list.

• A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - It’s been years since I’ve read this - I was an honest to goodness child - so I think I’d need to do a reread before I can really speak on it. I know I liked it at the time, though!

• Fun Home by Alison Bechdel - Fun Home is deeply personal and yet somehow so relatable and comforting for many people. Graphic novels/memoirs are so great because you get to experience the story in multiple layers, and Bechdel in particular is so good at using her art and her writing to create a story with real depth. Sometimes graphic novels can feel a little bit surface level, but the way Bechdel portrays her father and their relationship paints such a vivid character portrait, and even the funeral home played such a pivotal role in the work that it became a central character. Definitely recommed.

• White Teeth by Zadie Smith - Go Zadie for making the list twice. White Teeth was another book I read for a college course (shoutout to Globalization and Diaspora) and is my favorite of the three Zadie’s I’ve read, which is definitely due to the context in which I read it, because I think that outside of a class setting, I would have struggled with it a lot more. For that reason, it’s not a book that I rush to recommend, but Zadie Smith in general is an author who I always feel is worth reading, and I would definitely read this one again.

• The Overstory by Richard Powers - I love an expansive novel. I treasure them. Something that feels grand in scope and scale and fills me with awe as I read it. The Overstory is exactly that kind of expansive, and it’s beautifully executed. There is so much care in this book - the care that Powers put into crafting this lofty, interconnected web of characters and plot, and the care that the characters feel and develop throughout the book for one another, for trees, for the causes they believe in. It manages to be an impactful story as well as a timely message/wake-up call for our society. This book is really a masterpiece is what I’m trying to say. Yes yes yes should be on this list.

• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz - This has become a bit of a contentious read given everything surrounding the author, so I was a little bit surprised that this was on the list. However, this is another book I simply read far too long ago to really speak on.

Because the NYT also (rightly) recognized that they are not the be all, end all of literary opinion, they also released a people’s choice awards list (lol) where regular readers voted on their top 100 books of the century. While there was some overlap between the two, I’ve read 11 additional books from the second list.

• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - It was pretty much impossible to not hear about this book when it came out in 2020. I definitely enjoyed it, but not necessarily as much as everyone else. I certainly thought that it was a worthwhile read and well written, and it was interesting to see a ‘passing’ story be reintroduced into our more modern literary canon. I’d reread this one, though, my thoughts about it could have definitely developed over time.

• Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo - You already know how I feel about this one; it should have been on the NYT list as well, in my opinion. (Detransition, Baby over this? Crazy.)

• 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami - The only fiction by Murakami I’ve read to date, and it’s certainly a doozy. Another one I read a very long time ago, but I’ll certainly always remember the fever dream experience of reading it. For me, its lasting power comes from the fact that the main characters stand out to me as memorable in their quests and personalities, and also from the fact that I would certainly read this again, despite its length.

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Unfortunately, in this the year 2024, I’m going to move past this one without comment.

• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - A controversial book for sure, but I’m firmly in the ‘I loved it’ camp. I can understand many of the arguments for why people didn’t like this book, but many of those complaints are also the main reasons I did love it. In particular, I was strongly drawn in by the descriptions of the nature and land, and the more scientific aspects of the novel. Kya, the main character, also sticks with me as an incredibly vivid persona, and I love the way that she so deeply embodied her home and her surroundings and the knowledge of it all that she carried deep within her.

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Do I think this was a great, fantastic, and entertaining read? Absolutely yes I do. What a franchise it turned into! Would I consider this one of the best books of the century? No! Absolutely wild to me that it’s on this list if we’re being honest, but go Suzanne.

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - Gone from my memory, for the most part. But definitely thrilling. Love a good mystery. Would reread.

• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - Utterly devastating. Let me say that again: UTTERLY DEVASTATING.

• Normal People by Sally Rooney - I don’t think we need any more reminders in this newsletter that I’m a Sally Rooney fangirl. I just think she gets complicated people and relationships so, so right.

• A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara - I’m sorry, have I used the phrase UTTERLY DEVASTATING in this newsletter yet??

• How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee - Just what an excellent collection of essays and I think so many people should read them. This collection is such a fantastic portrayal into the mind and process of Chee as a writer, and provided moments of great wisdom that felt like advice for moving through life as a person and as a writer.

So, what are my picks for the best books of the 21st century? I’m so glad you asked, because the NYT rudely did not. But if they had, I think this is what my ballot might have looked like:

• Girl, Woman, Other

• Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson - I want to scream about this book from the rooftops every day for the rest of time. This is one of the most beautiful books, and it is written in the second person so the fact that I think it’s one of the best books of the century?? Means that Nelson knows how to write. This is the story of a relationship for the ages. This book is a piece of art.

• Station Eleven

• The Overstory

• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

• A Little Life

• We the Animals

• The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans - A collection of stories?! I typically find it difficult to recommend story collections, but this one is different. This one is wickedly smart and funny and the stories actually mesh together in a way that many collections do not. TOHC is a slow burn, it picks up in intensity as you move through the stories and then it all comes together in a spectacular finish. In my opinion, this book does not get nearly enough attention.

• Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips - It’s astonishing that I haven’t yelled about this book in the newsletter yet. This book is best read quickly so that small details remain fresh in your mind; it requires attention and Phillips doesn’t overexert the work she’s doing as an author to make all the connections incredibly obvious at first glance. From some of the Goodreads reviews, it seems that other people are not a fan of this, but I think it’s perfectly executed. Phillips trusts her readers, but also you’re not meant to have all of the answers for much of the book, in the same way that her characters are all searching for answers for months. Instead, the book becomes about the characters and the communities they live in and how they are all affected by a tragedy that pulls at the edges of their life, and then just when the book is ending and you think there’s no way that Phillips can wrap everything up, all those months, all those characters, all those different locations, she pulls it off and it’s amazing. Read this book.

• Real Life by Brandon Taylor - I really love this book. Taylor is another author who can really get at messy relationships, and he does it in a way that feels so, well, real. This book is an aching one, there are so many moments that tug at your heart, so many moments where the heaviness of life, of having to pick yourself up day after day, even in the hardest of times, weighs on the characters and the reader. But the writing is beautiful and you care about the characters and this little slice of real life is so tragically wonderful.

Picking the best books is an impossible and highly subjective task, even just within myself, so there’s a major caveat that I’m not satisfied with this list in the least. No matter what I put on the list, I don’t think I could ever be satisfied with it. I also gave myself the constraint that I was only choosing amongst works of fiction as that’s what I read the most, and otherwise the task would have been truly impossible.

The second caveat is that, comparatively speaking, I have read very small number of books thus far in my life! I can only work with the information I have at this current time, so I’m certain other titles would have made my list, if only I’d read them.

Many of the remaining titles on both lists have lived on my TBR for absolutely far too long, but as every reader knows, every Tuesday is just another reminder that the publishing industry waits for no one and you’ll never be able to read all of the books you want to in this lifetime. I’ve been pleading for them to give us a catch up year when no new books are published, but so far my cries have been falling on deaf ears, so the frenzied race continues.

I would love to hear some of the books you would have voted for, or your thoughts on books that did make the list! Thanks for returning to these pages with me - see you next month, I promise.

you’re the best,

s

Currently reading: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (duh)