I found a few lists and I have started to tackle a “100 books to read before you die” list that seems good and I am planning on reading the titles over the next few years (I just finished book #8 Brave New World). A lot of them are classic literature and the most recent books are 50+ years old. I’m guessing older books are going to dominate lists like this since more people have heard of them and had time to read them.
So my questions is, are there book titles that have come out in recent years (in the last 10-20 years) that belong on a list like this?
by DanielGaff
18 Comments
definitely check out The Fault in our Stars
top three , thanks for the link :
” Fiction novels
>All titles below are links to where you can grab a copy for yourself. You can also see an image of each book cover below.
>The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald — Set among the rich of 1920’s New York City, the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby pursues his quixotic passion and obsession for the former debutante Daisy Buchanan.
>Catch-22 by Joseph Heller — A novel seven years in the making (published in 1961) and said to be one of the most important in the 20th century. Catch-22 primarily follows the storyline of Captain John Yossarian, a crewman of a World War II bomber who is stationed on a small Mediterranean island where he repeatedly, and desperately, attempts to stay alive.
>On the Road by Jack Kerouac — Inspired by the author’s own experiences, the story of cross-country road trips by a number of penniless young people who are in love with life, beauty, jazz, sex, drugs, speed, and mysticism. “
I would also love to see this list.
But to answer the question; Braiding Sweetgrass
Children of Time, Unwind, and Our Wives Under the Sea
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.
{{Gilead by Marilynne Robinson}}
*Arcadia* by Lauren Groff
*The Pisces* by Melissa Broder and *Milk Fed*, also by Melissa Broder
*Americanah* by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
*Swing Time* by Zadie Smith
*The Neapolitan Novels* by Elena Ferrante
*Olive Kitteridge* and *Olive, Again* by Elizabeth Strout
*A Manual for Cleaning Women* by Lucia Berlin
*Jesus’ Son* by Denis Johnson and *The Largesse of the Sea Maiden,* also by Denis Johnson
*Edited because the title for Berlin’s short story collection was incorrect
The Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver! Martyr by Kaveh Akbar is a recent release but one I found to be so special as well
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi,
The Love Songs Of W.E.B DuBois by Honoree Fanone Jeffers,
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Those are my picks.
A song of ice and fire by George Martin is worth a read even though it will never be completed. I’d put in the top 100 for the past 20 years without hesitation.
The website [thegreatestbooks.org](https://thegreatestbooks.org) ranks books by aggregating various greatest books lists. It also permits the list to be sorted by various categories, including publication date. The top ten books when sorted by publication date later than 2000 are as follows:
1 – White Teeth by Zadie Smith
2 – Atonement by Ian McEwan
3 – The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
4 – The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
5 – 2666 by Roberto Bolaño
6 – The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
7 – The Road by Cormac McCarthy
8 – Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
9 – A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
10 – Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
Normal People by Sally Rooney
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Crossroads by Johnathan Franzen
I don’t know when it came out but I think everyone should read:
Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything”
And if one has kids, or a likes interesting books in their bathroom everyone should get
Bill Bryson’s “A Really Short History of Nearly Everything”
(Edit – I checked and it meet your cut-off. It was published for the first time 20 years ago)
Honestly? I think Mr Penumbras 24 Hr Bookstore should be considered
Non fiction – The sixth extinction, Packing for Mars
Literary Fiction – The Bone Clocks , The Fishermen
Fantasy / Weird Fiction – Anything by China Mieville
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche
Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
There won’t be a consensus yet on which ones it should be. However, you could try reading Man Booker prize winners…