Best Books of the 21st Century

So far, per the New York Times

List making can be a precarious business. When writing your to-do list, it’s important to make sure the items are discrete and achievable (e.g. “clean out the kitchen junk drawer” vs. “declutter the house”). The yearly list of things that are in and out often devolves into silliness or sheer incomprehensibility (particularly when something is deemed out that you never knew was in). And while a “best of” list can be helpful in pointing you towards things you haven’t yet experienced, it also always reflects the whims and tastes of people whose views may be far from your own.

A recent such list gathering attention is the New York Times list of 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. Having dutifully clicked to review its findings, I can’t help being irritated by some of the choices — three books by Elsa Ferrante, three by George Saunders (whose Lincoln in the Bardo convinced me to never read anything else he’s written) and three more by Jesmyn Ward? Where are novelists Geraldine Brooks, Louise Erdrich, Anthony Marra, James McBride and Tommy Orange? How about nonfiction masters like Jonathan Eig, David McCullough, and David Grann?

And yes, I know. There are a lot more important issues I might raise about The New York Times, but still.

To be fair, there are definitely some gems here, notably Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, Say Nothing by Patrick Redden Keefe, and Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (let’s just say I’m a sucker for novels that connect storylines at different points in time). All of these, among others, are worth your time.

What do you think? Are your favorites here or missing? What should I add to my “to read” list (whether sanctioned by the NYT or not)?

Enough said. My library queue is full and the stack on my nightstand is high. Best get off the computer and put my nose back into a book.