New York Times 100 Best Books of the 21st Century || Reviews & Reading Vlog

Hey Booktube! The New York Times recently came out with their "The Best 100 Books of the 21st Century" list and I thought it would be fun to review all of the books I've already read and then used it to get recommendations. I picked through the books I already own from that list and did a reading vlog. Should I do another one for the readers' version?
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[@kartik3719]

Shoutout to that one critic who put all 4 Neopolitan novels on his ten best books list haha

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

A critic with taste 👌

[@cruelaz]

he made me feel so called out for not having the series jet even though I enjoyed what I red so far 😂

[@hopefulpolyglot3298]

Yes please do a reader's version! And also another one reading more books from the critics' list that you don't yet own but are interested in!

[@BooksWithJudy]

yes to the other list

[@76ToneCrome]

The first few pages of 'Never Let Me Go' are so strange, and don't hook you. I owned the novel for half a decade before going all in with it. It's amazing.

[@susanalfieri4487]

SUCH a good book.

[@nveletkoslin33771]

i loved the film adaptation, i might have to finally read it since it's been so long

[@Bizzaroghost]

Please read Middlesex! It’s one of my favorite books. It’s also the only book I’ve ever heard of that 1) had intersex representation and 2) discussed the Greek genocide that my great grandparents also survived

[@Tensytheneedlesmith]

I read 35 of the original list, and while I love Ferrante I felt her books should have been counted as one series. I read 68 of the Readers 100 list which I think had a currency bias. People tend to pick books they read recently.

[@Novaturient_Liv]

Yes to part 2. I would love to hear your thoughts on Middlesex. It is a book that has stuck with me.

[@TN-xr7nu]

Yes! I recently bought this again because I read it years ago after it first came out and it has really stuck with me, and I want to re-read it and see how it holds up.

[@annah_reads]

Can you do a part 2, reading the other books you already own? Especially want you to read Never Let Me Go

[@lostaj7287]

Hi Emily! I agree about the money-grab ww books, it's really frustrating to see people use these catastrophic events as just a backdrop for a poorly written romance or something. Obviously people still lived their lives but the war effected everyone in one way or another. I just finished Ken Follett's Fall Of Giants and even though I went into it with some reservations I think it was great! The Century trilogy follows characters from different stages and standings in life with different world views that often don't align. I feel like it was one of the most insightful, educational but still entertaining books about the events. I can only recommend it to everyone who likes this type of stuff❤

[@lisagorman2480]

Oh, my, the Road slayed me. Be sure you're in a good place when you start it. Such an incredible book. I actually had a physical reaction to a passage in it. Read it in one night.

[@exploringallgenres]

I'm surprised to see that I've read 4 books from this list, plus one of them is on my TBR. Yes to part 2.

[@zahrabfd]

That book collection deserves its own like ❤

[@annduncan2]

Enjoyed this video and I’d love to see a video on the readers choice list also please!!

[@phamngocvaL6a]

cozy + your video = love

[@user-nf2ry9rs5l]

Yes to Part 2

[@bluegreen5377]

As soon as I heard it was heavy with literary fiction I knew it would be a miracle if I've read even 1 book from the list. And I did read just 1, Fun House, which I would not put on this list personally. If anyone wants to read it I feel like it's only fair to warn you author's father was sleeping with high school boys (his students if I remember correctly) when he was an adult. It's kind of glossed over by the author and not mentioned at all in the blurb. There are a couple of books on this list that are on my tbr, though. I looked at the reader voted list when it came out and to me personally it's not much better.

[@PLK74]

Definitely do the other list. Only 39 books on both lists so many new books on the readers’ choice list 🙌

[@ktglick]

Elena Ferrante’s series was definitely popular in the US but years ago. It was big with millennial women in the 2010s. At least where I lived, it seemed like mandatory reading for female hipsters in their 20s/early 30s of that time. (I say that as affectionately as one of those hipsters).

[@anti8244]

It's so interesting to hear you talk about The Days of Abandonment, because I dnf'd that super quickly after I loved the Neapolitan Quartet. I didn't chime in on Patreon because I didn't want to influence you in any way though. Hope you'll enjoy her other work more! I only have the quartet on my shelf now and this was a lesson in not having to like everything by an author....

[@rhondasruminationsonreading]

I definitely would love to see a part 2.

[@BigRedCatBanjo]

Yes please do a part 2!❤

[@angelashepherd4429]

Atonement is one of my all time favorites ❤

[@LulaRu]

The Pachinko series is one of the few exceptions where I consider the series far better than the book. It's a masterpiece and the second season is coming!

[@equlerr]

"Atonement'' was my obligatory reading in English Philology at University in Poland, so I may treat it as a classic novel.

[@payholaa]

I read Between the World and Me after I finished nursing school, and it was a good reminder of the importance of cultural competence. Hope you do the reader’s version/second list!

[@northwestrain]

Hoping for a part 2. The Road and Never Let Me Go were both 5 stars for me.

[@LiliOV]

Yes!!! I would love to watch the readers answer!!!

[@paliPhD]

The Colson Whitehead and Jesmyn Ward books on the list are completely worth picking up - very American but amazing!! I also loved Joan Didion's Year of Magical Thinking but less sure you'd enjoy.

[@happyseals7131]

Please do the readers choice! I found it closer to my reading taste

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

I was surprised by how similar it was! I wonder if seeing the other list influenced the response

[@badfaith4u]

I have only read The Emperor of All Maladies and Never Let Me Go from the New York Times list. Please do a part 2 of the reader's list.

[@ewapawluk7133]

You have to see the movie Atonement! It is GOR-GE-OUS!

[@fannychainiau]

I LOVED the road when I read it as a teen. A graphic novel version just came out (in french), I'M actually excited to re-read it. Might be a way to enjoy the story if you didn't like the writting style :)

[@jc37070]

I had personally read 13 books on this list and liked/loved 8 of them: Station Eleven, The Goldfinch, The Story of the Lost Child, My Brilliant Friend, Outline, Never Let Me Go, Small Things Like These, and A Brief History of Seven Killings. I didn’t hate the other 5 but felt lukewarm or mixed towards them: The Days of Abandonment, The Corrections, The Underground Railroad, A Visit From the Goon Squad, and Tomorrow x3. Heads-up: The Lost Daughter is similar to The Days of Abandonment, while The Lying Life of Adults is more similar to the Neapolitan quartet.

[@laurenschenck5355]

Another beautiful vlog and keep up the great work 📙📙📖📖📚📚📚🎊📙📖🌺📖🌞🌞🌞🌺🩵l🌞🌞🌞l🌺🌺🌺🌺🌊🌊🌊🩵🌊🌺🌺🌞🩵🩵🌞📚📚📚📚🌊🩵📖📖🌊🌞🌞📚📚📙📙📙📚🌞🌞📚🌊🩵🌊

[@dailycarolina.]

The Road by Cormac McCarthy was my BEST read of 2023. I still cannot get over the ending.

[@natatatt]

The Road is one of my favourites. Read it a few years ago and have been working through the rest of McCarthy's books since.

[@anikamercier2651]

I’d love to see you do the list of what readers like.

[@kellymanfredini3835]

Loved this vlog! ❤️ I read Atonement years and years ago and gave it four stars, but I remember almost nothing about it. Lol.

[@jomurphy5417]

definitely gonna need a part 2

[@kamachikita]

I didn't like Days of Abandonment and I had given up on trying My Brilliant Friend but glad you gushed about the series and I can't wait to read Book 2

[@camiloflores1592]

yesterday I finished the Neapolitan Novels and oh it was so intense, now I'm making my family watch the HBO Series lol excited for the final season on september

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

So excited for it too!

[@cruelaz]

I don't even live with cats at the moment but claudias cry made me immediatley look up from what I was doing 😂💛

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

She's my alarm in the morning lol

[@dearlyintrovert]

I’m here to tell you: you’re not missing anything by not finishing Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow 😂 It’s a super over-hyped book about two pretentious, insufferable people and gives off major John Green vibes

[@susanalfieri4487]

ATONEMENT has some beautifully lyrical passages, especially in the first third of the book. The writing is lovely. I like Ian McEwan a lot. The very weird THE CEMENT GARDEN is a quick (but disturbing) read. Emily, you might be mixing up Jeffrey Eugenides' MIDDLESEX with George Eliot's MIDDLEMARCH, which is considered a literary classic. MIDDLESEX will probably be considered a modern classic, as you mentioned. People often conflate the two. I like Eugenides a lot, but I didn't love this particular book. However, I think I'm the only one. It's very well liked & well studied. I've read two of his other novels and absolutely loved THE VIRGIN SUICIDES. If anyone's only seen the movie version by Sofia Coppola, definitely read the book--it's way better. You get into the girls' heads a lot more, which is a very intriguing place to be.

[@shmizzleshmazzle9830]

I haven't read many books on the list but #85 Pastoralia by Saunders and #28 Cloud Atlas by Mitchell are both fire

[@sofsofsof9338]

I would love a part two!

[@Greeneggsnblam]

Yes to part 2!

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

I’ve had tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow on my TBR forever now 😬

[@suzannemoore404]

Yes plz to part two!❤

[@kwiyopta2024]

Yay, waited this video!

[@toweringtbr]

For Fifth Season, its not so much a magical school as its like a magical prison. I still need to read the last one in the trilogy.

[@Thetrilingualreader]

I thought atonement is a classic bc i confused it with antigone lol

[@PhạmHàThy]

been waiting a long time for this vid!!

[@romalibra_books]

You have to try The Lost Daughter, it’s so so so good you will love it

[@saraf8594]

I just read Days of Abandonment too. It was five stars for me. As a mom struggling with ADHD, anxiety, depression, ect. I could physically feel the effects of what I was reading. It was so powerful. Don't get me wrong, it was torture reading through the horror of that one days events, but because of my position in life it felt so real and relatable(despite never having been in those exact situations myself), I felt like I understood Olga better than anyone and I was hurting right along side her through that whole nightmare.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Honestly, that’s why I gave it three star… I rate books based on my enjoyment. I can’t say I enjoyed it, but it was well done for what it was lol

[@saraf8594]

@@BookswithEmilyFox totally understand! I do a bit of both: rate based on enjoyment, or rate on the impact/ if it's something that will stick with me/ made me feel. I'm 70 pages into Atonement rn so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!

[@whatsupmara]

I would love a part 2! :)

[@yassy02]

Atonement is one of my favorite movie 🥰 I enjoyed it more than the book actually

[@ShafiraMaemanah174]

I want to read the atonement because of the movie, James Mcavoy played the son who became the soldier. Broke my heart 😢

[@BlackCatBritt]

Now I want to know if you've watched the Atonement movie with Kiera Knightly in it. The few romantic moments in it are honestly so good

[@val.teacup]

I was just looking at this list yesterday and I have read two books from it. The shame. I started a third one to not feel so bad hahah. (The Road and An Anerican Marridge btw. And I liked both)

[@aquakim90]

Please do a part 2 of the reader list 🙏

[@matt00794]

haven't watched the whole video yet but it might be fun for you to go through the author lists and find what author has the closest taste to yours and read more from their list or trie one of their own books if you haven't read any yet

[@scrapbookingmuchmore9884]

Yes a part 2 video

[@barbarawallis2955]

Middlesex is great on audio, you might be surprised by it

[@deendrew36]

I “read” The Road on Audible. I knew there was no quotation marks and I thought that would annoy me. I LOVED the audio book. I wish I could find the movie! Middlesex was ok. A 3 star ish. I loved Station 11, but didn’t really like the show they made out of it.

[@zachreads]

I'm currently reading "She Would be King" by Wayétu Moore, I think you'd absolutly lo♡e it! It has Octavia E Butler vibes, for me it's what Wild Seed was trying to be and none of the gross stuff.

[@andreapocze1929]

I was curious what you will say about days of abandonment, and yes I absolutely agree. I hated that book, and I said to myself I will never ever read anything from her. I felt the writing is good because I felt all the rage and feelings, but it was disgusting, psychotic, just too much. But in the meantime I understood the rage, really. I don’t know it was a struggle to read it all, nut sure why I forced it.

[@jelatinosa]

What were those little high pitched sounds at the end? Windchimes? Crickets?

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Which books on this list do you think are worth picking up? www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/books/best-books-21st-century.html

[@misty9863]

the only things I've read that you haven't are never let me go and the copenhagen trilogy. both were certainly interesting, but not as enjoyable as I'd hoped. the foreword to the final installment in the copehagen trilogy is so so good if you ever pick that one up, though I think it should be read after the book itself.

[@sointu1]

I really liked Persepolis!

[@somatoes4667]

definitely never let me go. ishiguro once mentioned that the sci-fi/dystopian elements of the book are not the main focus of it, it’s just a plot element. i’d say it’s more of a character study and if you go into the book with that at the back of your mind, you’ll really enjoy it.

[@adelahorynova9458]

The ones i have read and you did not mention them are Vegetarian and the Underground railroad. Would recommend the Vegetarian, but bare in mind that it is literary fiction so probably won’t be your favourite.

[@kathleenverhulst4833]

Persepolis, Wolf Hall, Exit West and Middlesex, all really good . Would add Never let me go, but if you saw the film recently I would definitely wait. Also because I want to see your reaction Cloud Atlas...

[@toeresa]

pachinko-- the show is great, different from the book, but great

[@_ashleylh]

I loved The Secret History but it was published in the 1990s. But The Goldfinch was good for about a quarter of the book and then the rest was soooo boring. I agree! I read Small Things Like These last Christmas and it was impactful. I have got to give My Brilliant Friend and Never Let Me Go a try. I enjoyed Atonement when I read it years ago. I understand why people like The Road, but it wasn't for me. In my twenties, Middlesex was my favorite book. It was revolutionary at the time when I read it (2008 haha) but I am afraid to reread it. I think some of the language will be a bit dated with what we know about intersex and trans people now. As well, I found out that the author did not interview any intersex people before he wrote the book, which makes me feel a little icky. But I am going to reread it someday because it truly was my favorite for years (until I started reading more fantasy haha). Please read it because its enthralling - but just keep in mind that understanding about the topic has changed! Oh edit! I am on page 150 of Blood Over Bright Haven right now and it is AMAZING 😍

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

That makes a lot of sense, thanks! I’m so glad you’re loving it!!

[@heatherm561]

I really liked Atonement. Did you get to watch the movie? If so, what did you think?

[@LilianaE]

Well now I'm curious about what all happened in The Days of Abandonment to give you the ick. Lol. Drop those spoilers, Emily! Lol.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Spoilers There’s a sex scene with the older (repulsive) neighbor… rebound will rebound I guess lol She was neglected the dog and decided to fight the insects in the house by bombing it… the dog chewed the canister and died painfully while she did nothing. (She was going crazy but still…) Also it’s hard to feel bad about the husband leaving since he groomed a girl…

[@kotokoo]

I want to read The fifth season, but the Spanish translation is discontinued, I need to search in second hand bookshops. I don't like this kind of list because (almost) all the books are the same or the same genre.

[@Shelf_Improvement]

I didn't know Panchinko was a tv series. Did anyone watch it? How was it?

[@zachreads]

I just thought of a new word for how I feel about books that end up on this kind of list "meh‐morable"

[@zachreads]

I've only read 3 of the 100 amd only 1 was above 4☆ lol -The fifth srason 4.5☆ -The Vegetarian by Han Kang (didn't hate it but Earthlings was way better) 3.5☆ -The Plot against America 3☆ (it was fine but nothing special)

[@ReadingIDEAS.-uz9xk]

I've not read any of these.

[@sarahs2951]

The Secret History was published in 1992 so it would not make either list. 😊

[@DoanSiTy]

what are good book recommendations about horror?

[@PhanQuynhMaiNga]

It's crazy how nobody is talking about the forbidden ebook Magnetic Aura from Borlest

[@martinelanglois3158]

Since you say you've read a lot of books set during WWII, did you do a video on that topic specifically?

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

No I'm a big hater lol

[@martinelanglois3158]

@@BookswithEmilyFox 😂

[@jc37070]

It sounds like you’re saying “literally” fiction instead of “literary” fiction and it keeps tripping me up. No judgment, I just thought it would’ve been harder to say “literally” in a French-Canadian accent than “literary”. 😆

[@sheilak4223]

I tried to read Pachinko 2 times and gave up and put in my free little library.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

My enjoyment went up and down a lot while reading it

[@BirgitHaeupl]

❤️📚🐱❤️

[@Kronkgirl]

I dnf'd tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

[@eptiffany]

Emily, I can never tell if you are saying “literally fiction” on purpose or not and I’ve been watching you for yearssss. It’s lit-er-air-ree. Either way, I love your videos! 💙

[@HoàngThươngLan]

first!!!

[@Nico-lk5hb]

FIRSSSST =) i loved this video

[@amritasengupta5251]

😂 Thought it was gonna be me.

[@keycaru]

I honestly can't believe Tomorrow x3 was so high up....

[@nveletkoslin33771]

i loved it lmfao that author also wrote my favourite book when i was a teen too, so figured actually for me

[@user-qu8zs7vs1x]

Are you sure you read Small Things Like These? That's not exactly the plot. You follow a man battling with the concept of moral good and wrong, and the woman only comes in as a secondary character.

[@arobinreads]

I have read The road and imo it was not good. It was basically father and son walking and saying "Okay" to eachother for 200 pages 😅 Am interested in the movie

[@Caro6367]

i guess the secret history is not on the list because it was written in the 20th century😅

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Haha yes I figured that out after 🫠

[@shellkay]

I saw a video where someone did a Booktubers’ list for best books of the century in response to the NYT list: Shelly Swearingen kzbin.info/www/bejne/anzbZHeumq9oeZIsi=ZjB62ijSc4TmpCr0

[@zachzackzak]

I just finished Atonement yesterday and it's mind-boggling that anyone likes it let alone puts it on a best of the century list lmao.

[@shmizzleshmazzle9830]

nah its good bro and the love letter is funny af

[@christieq575]

So 67 of the top 100 books of the 21st are by Americans. What a joke!!! Thank goodness you were gracious enough to give a nod to a few nobel prize winners who were not Americans. Only 1 Irish author??? Yes, so many American authors are great and many are on your list but I guess this obsession with blowing your own trumpet is typical of your culture. What we have come expect. Too bad you have overlooked so many extraordinarily good books from countries not in your back yard and not published by the US.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

It’s definitely based on the critics taste not mine! I recently did a video about my favorite books that were translated to English if you want more recommendations kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHXLi2mnrpWjn5Y

[@christieq575]

@@BookswithEmilyFox I will look that up and appologise for a too hasty reply.