📚 Reacting to the New York Times 100 Best Books of the 21st Century 🌟📖

Join me as I react to the New York Times list of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century!

In this video, I’ll share my thoughts and opinions on these acclaimed titles, highlighting which ones I agree with, which ones surprised me, and which ones I believe were overlooked. Whether you're looking for new reading recommendations or curious about how your favorite books stack up, this video is for you!

Don’t miss out on this engaging and insightful book discussion! Hit play and let’s explore the best books of the 21st century together. Be sure to share your thoughts and let me know which books you think should have made the list in the comments below.

#BestBooks21stCentury #NYTBestBooks #BookReaction #LiteraryDiscussion #BookRecommendations #ReadingList

Books in this video:

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Never Let Me Go by Kazuro Ishiguro

Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

2666 by Roberto Bolano

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

The Known World by Edward P. Jones

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

The links provided in this video are Amazon Affiliate links, which means if you buy a book through these links, it will not cost you extra, but it will earn me a small commission, which supports the channel. Do not feel obligated to buy through me, but if you do, thank you for your support!

The NY Times podcast episode:

Find me on:

Instagram

Goodreads

My Wishlist

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
01:36 Overall thoughts & trends
07:26 Book Number 10
08:08 Book Number 9
09:13 Book Number 8
10:12 Book Number 7
12:31 Book Number 6
13:16 Book Number 5
14:14 Book Number 4
15:47 Book Number 3
17:29 Book Number 2
19:57 Book Number 1

Copyright:
License code: LQHCM6UNMVPHHG9Q

[cafeaulivre]

Which book would be on your number one spot? Did you agree with the choices made in this list? Let me know down below and we'll talk 21st century books some more!

[aiscahill]

I think I’ve mostly just learned to take these lists with a pinch of salt. I agree with some books, others I didn’t love, and loads of them I haven’t read (or haven’t even heard of) 😊

[tuyuti]

It is a bit surprising to me that a reader of contemporary fiction somehow managed to not have heard about 2666. Its publication was probably the main literary event of the Spanish speaking world of this century. It got quite a bit of attention in the Dutch language press as well.

Maybe this goes to show how large the literary world is. One man's main event is goes completely unnoticed by another man.

[cv]

Mr Brilliant Friend is an absolutely wonderful novel.

[AnonymousAnonposter]

2666 is the only book I've read in this top 10. I would say the New York Times list was less... worse than I expected.

[studioalektik]

Of course you should read The Corrections

[Christalesty]

I didn’t read anything from this top 10. A few of them do sound interesting though, like Wolf Hall & the Underground Railroad.

[hermanblinkhoven]

Meeting well read people is a pleasure provided all sides are clear about their limitations and prejudices. I confess that the USA media and academia landscape is perhaps not my main reference.
Still I find the NYT list hard to understand - supposedly compiled from expert opinion - since it does not contain Richard Ford, no Karen Jay Fowler, not Pynchon's against the Day. And where is Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan? And how can the USA literary world deem that so little worthy of mention was written in Spanish, German, French. Can someone please open the windows of the USA?

The following are, like the NYT list, all from 1Q-21stC. They deserve wider attention and I hope they are or will become available in English translations. I read them in the original language, with the exception of the last three which I read in German translation.

Christoph Ransmayr - Cox, oder der Lauf der Zeit
Robert Menasse - Die Hauptstadt
Zsuzsa Bank - Der Schwimmer
Michael Köhlmeier - Abendland
Uwe Tellkamp - Der Turm
Henri Le Tellier - L'anomalie
Jean Echenoz - 14
Leila Slimani - Chanson douce
Antonio Munoz Mollina - Como la sombra que se va
Manuel Villas - Ordesa
Tommy Wieringa - Joe Speedboat
Annejet van der Zeyl - Sonny Boy
Peter Terrin - De bewaker (The guard)
Yves Petry - Virgin Marino

Laszlo Krasnahorkai - Baron Wenckheim's homecoming
Orhan Pamuk - Snow
Orhan Pamuk - A strangeness in my mind

[monicai.]

Indeed a distinct lack of books to read for pleasure, fun and relaxation. No Virginie Grimaldi which I discovered this year. She writes lovely books. No Fredrik Backman in this list.😶 About No 1, I'm not a friend of Elena Ferrante's books. Lets say because I trust my gut after reading so many reviews. But Hilary Mantel indeed is amazing. I adore historical fiction, I have Austerlitz in my library and I will acquire also Ishiguro's book, Never let me go. I loved Remainings of the day (also the movie with A Hopkins). Colson Whitehead is on my tbr for years. Hard to accept the terrible realities he describes but I'm sure he deserves all the respect. Sorry, I haven't read Corrections, but I've heard is a good one. Never heard of so many books from the entire list but I'm glad to discover new ones. Thank you for the recommendations!

[VTimmoni]

The Illiad and the Odyssey will always be at the top of my list followed by Tolkien and Jacqueline Carey.

[robertschobesberger]

2666 is very good imho... not for the faint-hearted because it deals with the drug murders in mexico

[SaveLockwoodNCo]

Lockwood and Co by Jonathan Stroud isnt on their list and it should be!!!

[tyghe_bright]

Really, I think this list is most shaped by the choice of contributors.

[shisharma]

I was so disappointed with this list, especially after seeing non fictions like I don't understand what they were smoking while making this list.

[DevonRichardsCreates]

No mention of "Where All Roads Lead" by Devon Richards ?!! Blasphemy!!