100 Greatest Books of the 21st Century.

"Beautiful. Didn't read it. Would love to read it. I know I should read it"
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[@tendergrotesque]

laughing at every “nope, nope, haven’t read that” .. sounds exactly like me going thru this list as well

[@mariarolo7896]

i adore the web design of this article! the used paperbacks pngs tickle my brain

[@natasha-lyonne-enthusiast8098]

I have a deep deep feeling you’d absolutely love ‘the days of abandonment’.. it gets under your skin and stays there foreverrrrrrr

[@scottveron]

Adding this to my reading list now thanks to your comment haha

[@alexandra129]

@@scottveron it's sooo good

[@aamnahere6250]

As a non American, It's not surprising to me how US centric that list is. More literature from the US is included than entire continents.

[@Kaio.Viegas]

It is the New York times.

[@Freakingcurly]

​@@Kaio.Viegasand? The title isn't The 100 best US books of the 21st Century. People in the United States seem to have forgotten that they can learn more than 1 language (English) and are accustomed to being catered to by everyone. That's why in this list there are only books that have been written in English or that have a famous translation into English. US centric indeed.

[@ArdillaINC]

@@FreakingcurlyI think it’s fair to assume that a country’s media making a list like this will have a ton of influence of its own literary world (In this case the US). Other countries magazines, newspapers can do their same list. It’s not like this is a list is a universal truth. It’s simply a POV 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@aamnahere6250]

@@ArdillaINC That's fine but it doesn't remain fair when that country 'claims' to represent the best of literature written in a century. The New York Times (as problematic as it is) unfortunately remains globally relevant. If this was a list of the best American literature written within a certain time period, that'll be perfectly fine. You might not find it weird but I do that so much of the literature from our part of the world is never acknowledged, just like our people. If you don't see that connection, you simply do not have that experience of being collectively ignored.

[@moreplatesmoreface]

@@Freakingcurlydo you seriously expect people to learn many languages just to read untranslated books? I mean the best books are usually translated to other languages already

[@tnan123]

The frustration you express at not having read so many on the list I found to be quite endearing. I like how it says how ambitious you are and how reading means a lot. Enjoyed you going through the list.

[@sqttttt]

Hi Ana, I recently read White Teeth because of your videos and absolutely adored it. It's now one of my favorite modern novels, so it's great hearing you talk about this list! Adding some intriguing titles to my TBR as always.

[@Kiki-oo3bw]

the whip sound effect is so iconic

[@marja2909]

Ali Smith's seasonal quartet (Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer) was indeed very hard to read - bc I am not from the UK and it narrowly references UK politics and media debates without much explanation. And her short stories need some googleing to fully grasp their meaning. But I didn't find her other novels all that hard! "The Accidental" ist my favourite, "Girl Meets Boy" and "There But For The" are great

[@claaaaaara]

Ana, how haven't you ever heard of Persepolis?!?! it's 100% your vibe!! Punk kid during Iran revolution, autobiographical, the drawing is great, and it's quite easy to read, the pace is really good. You'll enjoy it!

[@premadimauro2691]

Your personality keeps me engrossed in all your videos. Great job!😊

[@Sthemingway]

I've read Nickel & Dimed and H is for Hawk. The former is unmistakably "about" what it's about. The latter, however, might discuss historical and biological topics of developing a relationship between human and hawk, but it's just as much if not more "about" the author's struggles.

[@AnaMariaBotoser]

Hi, Ana! I’m glad you did a review of this list😊 I wasn’t very happy with it, to be honest - I think it focuses mainly on the US, which is fine, but I wish they hadn’t called it 100 Greatest Books of the 21st century, plainly. Also, I think too many authors are repeated, considering there are a lot more books that could have been included instead, but oh well… P.S: how are you finding ‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn’? I just finished it and absolutely LOVED it!

[@bluelife8548]

Yes i too think the list is extremely US focused so the title of it defo misleading to worldwide readers

[@Momo_0_o]

The Fifth Season is amazing. The Broken Earth trilogy as a whole was incredible. Highly, highly recommend for Sci-Fi/Fantasy fans

[@babysp1c3666]

I have only read one of the books hehe - The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson. And it absolutely deserves to be there!!!!

[@joan98610]

The lack of translations in the list was crazy, just a few, when for non native English speakers reading translated books from different languages is the norm and not the exception

[@thaliafernandez1378]

I’ve missed your videos Queen. Currently reading East of Eden because of you 🤍

[@elpa6206]

lucky you, such a good book.

[@TheLinguistsLibrary]

Ana you are like sunshine my dear, I need your videos like I need vitamin D!

[@beabaptistaa]

I would pick gone girl or sharp objects by gillian flynn, kafka on the shore or 1Q84 by murakami, breasts and eggs or heaven by mieko kawakami and for non fiction yuval harari’s sapiens: a brief history of humankind. this exercise was difficult because it made me realize that I love books from before the 21st century ahah

[@sausana2501]

Same! most of my favs are from the 20th Century. Like East of Eden, George Orwells works, The bell jar, a tree grows in Brooklyn, and many others

[@laindarko3591]

4/100 for me... I really loved all 4 of them though, so that's a good track record I guess? 😅 I wish they'd chosen just one book to be representative of each author, though, and included more translated fic. I'm curious what you think should be on the list!

[@ATWTlover4ever1]

I've read 5 and 4 of them were required reading during my undergrad. I just finished reading Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (for pleasure) and absolutely loved it. I do agree it should be on the list.

[@fernandoojeda2132]

Oh yeah, Nicol Kidman , so beautiful, so gorgeous, like the delicate breeze that carefree and happy plays in the brilliance of the frozen dawn 😌

[@carolmerciez9226]

The Dutch House is excellent. I listened to Tom Hanks on my library app. So good.

[@sofyaantonova5583]

I tend to think now that Tom actually made the book greater than it is 😂

[@ally4979]

Ann patchett is fantastic. Literally all her books are so cozy and soft

[@mame-musing]

This was a fun video. I was surprised that I had read as many as 16 of the titles since I often read 20thC books. “The Days of Abandonment” by Ferrante is a stand alone that pre-dates the Neapolitan Quartet. It does foreshadow, in subject and tone, the fourth novel of the Quartet. If you plan on continuing with the Quartet, don’t read Days of Abandonment until afterward. Recently, I enjoyed listening to Meryl Streep narrate “Tom Lake” by Ann Patchett. Streep so embodied the role of the main character that it seems that Patchett had written the character with Streep in mind. (Tom Lake is the location for a summer stock acting company.) For accuracy, the title of the article should be “The 100 Greatest Books of the 21st Century to Date”.

[@ATWTlover4ever1]

I saw a reel on social media that was annoyed the list did not include a single children's or YA title. As someone who does read a lot of children's lit (mostly classics), I do see the importance of the genre and how it shapes young readers.

[@MrUndersolo]

I found "The Vegetarian" at a second-hand bookstore where it was marked down to $1...and I still feel ripped off.

[@AREMICO]

The Friend and Stay True are great great reads! I would highly recommend them. And they actually share some similarities somehow

[@LisaOfTroy]

I only read 11. Bel Canto---ugh!!!!!! That book put me into a 10 year reading slump. How it made the top 100 of the 21st century is beyond me.

[@mayray1998]

i have read 21 of them but the majority were ok / did not enjoy for me! the ones i really liked were: the zadie smiths; citizen; fun home; americanah; never let me go and the underground railroad. I hated a few and the others were forgettable for me (i literally that I had read the days of abandonment until i checked my goodreads)

[@jendheng]

I've read ten of them and for a few others I've read from the author but not the one mentioned. The Copenhagen Trilogy is so good you would love it!

[@youssefmalki3155]

Cannot believe this video was half an hour, it passed like seconds.

[@miriamlevenson9430]

nooo! ali smith is like my favorite author & her books are incredibly gripping and moving, just in an emotional way. the prose starts out pretty impenetrable but you get used to it

[@miriamlevenson9430]

elena ferrante & ann patchett are also 2 of my favorites… unpopular opinion but i think from an american perspective, this was a solid list.

[@homolibrariensis8132]

We have sadly recently learned that Alice Munro sucked (as a human being).

[@martinadevita8342]

@@homolibrariensis8132 what did she do?

[@homolibrariensis8132]

@@martinadevita8342 her daughter, Andrea Robin Skinner, came forward to say that she was sexually abused by her stepfather (Munro's husband) starting at age 9. When Skinner was in her 20s she told Munro what happened and Munro blamed her daughter and stayed with her husband.

[@martinadevita8342]

@@homolibrariensis8132 my god, this is horrible

[@milliea12]

hair tutorial pleaseeee your hair is everything!!

[@annarmontanar]

Highly recommend reading some of Munro's work, she's incredible.

[@nathansnook]

booktube kween not having read Franzen?! CRIMINAL! definitely a lot of fun in family theatrics. read Crossroads and LOVED. would def recommend for the holiday season. still have yet to read The Corrections. also, Citizen by Claudia Rankine is required reading!!! read it for a class in uni and it altered something in me. right place, right time kind of book, but i think it holds up

[@dianagro99]

Ha! Hi Ana! Perfect timing for an upload as I’m currently on my solo road trip 🤪 a nice break from my audiobook of the bell jar :) edit: what a weird list. learning nickel and dimed is on it… that ain’t it sis

[@jamilla8588]

personally i love ali smith, i find there to be something quite playful and curious abt her writing style and her books quite emotionally moving to me!

[@Whtpaper]

I read a handful of the books on that list. I loved The Great Believers, The Corrections and Bel Canto. I need to pick up A Manual for Cleaning Women. I have it, started it but put it down. I guess it's time to give it another chance.

[@hermanblinkhoven1856]

When I talk I forget to moderate myself. Indeed

[@carolinavinader5972]

Please read Persepolis ❤️

[@rachaelkeating932]

I would highly recommend Sing, Unburied, Sing!

[@jazzgirlie]

17/100 for me lol. Nothing like a list to make me want to read all of these books 😂

[@navasanto]

Hi, you're hilarious. Two Things. 1) A Brief History of Seven Killings it's not everything that's cracked up to be, specially if you're a Marley fan. 2) The Savage Detectives, for my generation (I'm probably older than you), had the impact that One Hundred Years of Solitude had on my parent's generation in the late 60s. Also, the novel was published in 1998 and it was translated to english in 2004 after Bolaño died, I think. The New York Times knew this, so technically it shouldn't be on the list, but, it's just too good to leave out.

[@lucycanread]

i read the road when i was like 14 years old cause my dad was obsessed with it and i remember how hard i had to work to overcome the lack of speech marks lmao

[@adehope]

I simply love you so much ❤

[@andrecastiglioni4162]

Seven here too. No Shame though. You have to Crack open George Saunders!

[@ehlesdee]

I’ve only read Nickel and Dimed 😬 I think my taste might be too pulpy

[@Wakodahatch]

Thanks!

[@ZohraMaura]

This list was a total flop, tbh. But loved your video - stunning hair and stunning delivery as always, Ana!

[@marymcdermott9949]

You will love Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. If you are a playwright girl, this is your book.

[@kevob7872]

6/100, thought it was going to be 0/100 for first half of this video 😂. Of those 6, I particularly enjoyed Lincoln in the Bardo, and Kavalier and Clay.

[@farahhesham7130]

i just saw their post about "the reader's" 100 books and for some reason my brain didn't read the word "readers" so I thought the nyt REAALLYYY likes tiktok books

[@kimhill8228]

Emily St. John did in fact get rid of one of her names. LOL.

[@roenlezma9361]

I prefer my own list of over 100 books I've read in life so far

[@BurlapJohnW]

I was happy to see Cormac McCarthy place so high. Unfortunately Stella Marris will never get the hype of The Road. (A fatalist female genius with incestuous cravings doesn't sell well)

[@katieh1752]

Ok I also feel that I've barely made a dent in this list and I feel like I read a lot 😅

[@ghardeniia]

Yeah never read any of them 🤓 But i heard about “my brilliant friend” it is great but .. really ? No 1 ?

[@bobcabot]

...ja they asked King too and he picked one of his own books: as usual the Times didnt get his jokes ( literature is an all too serious business as anybody knows! ) by the way: he recently said in an interview that he wrote "Needful Things" as a satire on american society and not one critic picked up on that, not one - he was terrified! Ha Ha the fancy critics! you know what they say about them...

[@nissasbookcorner]

i have read a grand total of….. zero. white teeth, the overstory, and my brilliant friend are all on my shelf though

[@00hms]

i’m sat

[@dhutton77]

Forget my comment about you labeling Olive Sacks as fiction. I have accepted your apology.

[@AnaWallaceJohnson]

Hehehe! Thank you :-D

[@mynameiskeely]

I counted!...but I got distracted in the middle because I have ADHD. You've read either 10 or 11!

[@knitnkitten]

❤Infallibly u make me laugh!

[@AlexanderLaurence]

What's up with the hair?

[@RicardGomes76]

No Don DeLillo... Joke list. Camone!!!! Would be better to do an Top 100 of US Authors.

[@favellaer]

I've read much more than me by far

[@ryannurburgring]

Elena Ferrante deserves a Nobel in literature… so long overdue

[@anthonym.7653]

Ali Smith is...rough. Don't get it.

[@ClaireLumiere95]

wow, i've read 1

[@kevinrussell-jp6om]

How low can you go??? Gottcha! I ain't read nary a one of them 100 best. I think my spouse has read one (Wolf Hall), that I bought for her because she likes the Tudor (NOT the Fourdoor) period. She said it was over-rated and the writing not at all elegant. Who would have guessed?

[@ClaireLumiere95]

@@kevinrussell-jp6om lol

[@eddiegonzalez5070]

Your are the gorgeous one❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤.

[@camillodimaria3288]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@nobbynoris]

No Cloud Atlas? Seriously?

[@teneshaanderson4761]

Shocked you haven’t read days of abandonment it’s great Jon fosse is for a specific taste level to be honest, he’s a little marmite You haven’t read the great believers this is criminal behaviour

[@shreyap8088]

Can somebody drop her instagram

[@haddas_c]

I read Stay True and can vouch that what you said is absolutely true - it’s only on the list because it is new and still has some hype around it. But then again, I think of it as one of the worst memoirs I read in recent years 🫣