The New York Times has gifted bibliophiles with a guide to the 100 best books of the 21st century.
This list provides a compass for navigating the literary ocean of the past two decades.
Curated by literary editors who probably have master’s degrees in bookworming, this list aims to spotlight the cream of the literary crop.
Each book made the cut not solely based on its author’s ability to use semi-colons or the number of awards it has won.
Instead, these works were chosen for their impact, relevance, and the sheer joy of devouring their pages.
Top 10
If you’re aiming to conquer the literary heights of the 21st century, you might start with these top 10 books that the New York Times believes are essential reads.
| Rank | Author | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elena Ferrante | My Brilliant Friend |
| 2 | Isabel Wilkerson | The Warmth of Other Suns |
| 3 | Hilary Mantel | Wolf Hall |
| 4 | Edward P. Jones | The Known World |
| 5 | Jonathan Franzen | The Corrections |
| 6 | Roberto Bolaño | 2666 |
| 7 | Colson Whitehead | The Underground Railroad |
| 8 | W.G. Sebald | Austerlitz |
| 9 | Kazuo Ishiguro | Never Let Me Go |
| 10 | Marilynne Robinson | Gilead |
1. Elena Ferrante – My Brilliant Friend
Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend is the Italian meatball of literature—rich, filling, and worth savoring.
The book takes you to the gritty yet colorful streets of Naples, where intense friendship between Elena and Lila takes center stage. Their story shows how our personal lives are tangled up with the bigger picture, touching on social inequality, education, and gender roles.
It’s the first in a series, so prepare to forgo your weekend plans.
2. Isabel Wilkerson – The Warmth of Other Suns
This non-fiction read makes even your most dramatic family road trip look like a Sunday drive. Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns explores the Great Migration, when African Americans left the South in search of better life opportunities up North.
The personal stories will grip you, make you cry, and leave you with a historical hangover that won’t quit.
3. Hilary Mantel – Wolf Hall
Ever imagined yourself a Tudor-era political whisperer? Mantel’s Wolf Hall places you inside the Machiavellian mind of Thomas Cromwell.
She vividly paints the royal court with all its backstabbing and intrigue so well that you’ll almost be thankful for your own office politics.
Almost.
4. Edward P. Jones – The Known World
Jones’ The Known World examines the unsettling narrative of a black slave owner in antebellum Virginia. It’s a masterclass in the moral complexities of slavery, leaving you pondering the nature of freedom long after you’ve turned the last page.
Don’t expect to feel morally comfortable at all.
5. Jonathan Franzen – The Corrections
Franzen’s The Corrections is your go-to dysfunction junction, where an epically flawed family unravels spectacularly. If you ever needed validation that your family isn’t the worst, here it is.
Prepare for serious schadenfreude mixed with empathy.
6. Roberto Bolaño – 2666
Bolaño’s 2666 is the literary equivalent of an ultra-marathon. Spanning continents and cultures, it’s a labyrinthine mystery and social commentary. It features multiple narratives, with an elusive German author, unsolved murders in a Mexican city, and a motley crew of literary critics on the hunt.
Read it if you want something to casually drop into conversation to appear impossibly intellectual.
7. Colson Whitehead – The Underground Railroad
In The Underground Railroad, we follow a runaway slave, as she embarks on a perilous journey to freedom, coming across a range of sobering realities and incredible dangers along the way.
This book is the love child of a heart-pounding thriller and a profound historical drama.
8. W.G. Sebald – Austerlitz
Sebald’s Austerlitz follows the journey of a man who uncovers his own hidden past as a Jewish child refugee during World War II. Through mysterious encounters and fragmented memories, he pieces together the jigsaw puzzle of his life, from an orphanage in Wales to the streets of post-war Europe.
Ideal for those who love profound meditations on memory.
9. Kazuo Ishiguro – Never Let Me Go
Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go is an existential gut punch disguised as a boarding school tale. You’ll question the ethical boundaries of science and feel existential dread.
Par for the course when dealing with cloned children harboring dreams of a normal life.
10. Marilynne Robinson – Gilead
Robinson’s Gilead reads like a soulful hymn. Centered around the reflections of a dying preacher in Iowa, it blends theology with the everyday in a heartwarming embrace that makes you contemplate the meaning of life.
Beyond the Top 10
While the top 10 get the spotlight, there are plenty of literary heavyweights just beyond the curtain call.
Books by Svetlana Alexievich, David Mitchell, Alice Munro, and Zadie Smith, to name a few, also grace the list.
These entries might not have cracked the top 10, but they still deliver knockout punches to your reading senses in their own right.
Enjoy these reads, knowing your taste just got the official NYT endorsement.
You’re basically a book sommelier now.