Drumroll, Please: The 20 Best Books of the 21st Century
The moment you’ve been waiting for! The top 20.
Hi friends,
I hope after this journey we’re friends, even if you were new here at the beginning of the week. This project has been so fun and rewarding. And surprising! And getting to chat with you in the comments about each day’s list has been the most fun.
And we’re finally here… the top 20! The best of the best.
But the fun isn’t over yet. Now that the full list is revealed, I’ll be back Monday with some interesting tidbits, data cuts, and comparisons to the New York Times lists. Data nerds rejoice, we’re going to get super wonky. I’ll also share the full data set in that letter.
In case you’re just joining us, here are the past installments: (100 – 81) | (80 – 61) | (60 – 41) | (40 – 21)
Let’s do this! *Cue Simply the Best by Tina Turner*
20. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (2022) – 93 votes
Talk about unlikely friendships, this book has one between a lonely aquarium employee and a giant Pacific octopus, the latter of whom solves the mystery of the disappearance of the former’s son.
19. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (2020) – 96 votes
Estranged Twin sisters: one dark-skinned, one white-passing. What happens when their daughter’s paths cross?
18. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (2022) – 102 votes
A offbeat former-chemist-turned-TV-phenom teaches the 1960’s housewives of America science via cooking.
17. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (2023) – 103 votes
A mother tells her adult daughters the story of her brief career as an actress during the cherry harvest on their family farm during the Covid-19 lockdown. ICYMI: the audio is read by Meryl Streep and is fantastic!
16. The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai (2018) – 108 votes
Our first three-fer of the day! In one timeline, a museum curator grapples with the AIDS epidemic in real-time; in the second—in present day—a mother tracks her estranged daughter to Paris, and grapples with how the carnage of the AIDS epidemic affected her life.
15. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2014) – 108 votes
After the collapse of civilization due to a pandemic, a nomadic troupe of actors and musicians roam the Midwest, dedicated to keeping art alive.
14. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (2021) – 116 votes
I’m not really a sci-fi gal, but trust me when I tell you this book is GREAT. A schoolteacher wakes up on a risky space mission to find both his crewmates dead. With help from an unexpected friend, he must save earth and humankind.
13. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (2017) – 123 votes
A multi-generational epic about Korean immigrants in Japan. It’s barely an exaggeration to say this book has been bestowed every prestigious bookish honor under the sun. It’s no surprise this is another three-fer.
12. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2008) – 126 votes
Well, here’s a surprise, but a happy one. Another huge cultural reading moment not captured on the main NYT list (though it did come in at 56 on the NYT crowdsourced list). How does 12 feel to you? Too high? Too low? Just right?
11. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (2014) – 132 votes
Snubbed by the main NYT list, but coming in at #2 on the crowdsourced NYT list, this beloved WWII epic follows a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide.
10. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (2015) – 134 votes
This book’s snub on the main NYT list galvanized me to crowdsource a list of my own, and I’m really glad I did it. Four college classmates have just about every bad thing happen to them as they move through their adulthood. Bring tissues.
9. Normal People by Sally Rooney (2018) – 152 votes
Another oft-mentioned title in the snub outrage convo. First loves, from opposite social circles, come in and out of each other’s lives throughout their college tenures in this romantic drama.
8. Know My Name by Chanel Miller (2019) – 152 votes
This book about the survivor of a highly-publicized sexual assault feels like the exact sort of book that would be recognized on a list curated by young women, but passed over by a grayer or more penis-having crowd. It came in at #70 on the crowdsourced NYT list, but didn’t make the main list.
7. Educated by Tara Westover (2018) – 165 votes
Another female-authored memoir not appearing on the main list, but coming in at #6 on the NYT crowdsourced list (we’re pretty aligned here). The book tells the story of the author’s non-traditional upbringing in which she didn’t set foot into a classroom until 17.
6. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (2022) – 170 votes
A three-fer! This retelling of David Copperfield set in Appalachia was #1 on the NYT crowdsourced list. I’ll admit, I’ve been intimidated by this book’s length, but this ringing endorsement is quite compelling.
5. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (2016) – 179 votes
My other snub-outrage-engine that created this list. I looked for this book every day as the NYT rolled out their list, convinced it wasn’t appearing because it HAD to be in the top 20. But, nope. TBH, it’s position at #5 here makes me feel hugely vindicated (and like you are my reading soulmates). This powerful story follows the descendants of two half-sisters raised in Ghana—one sold into slavery; one marrying an Englishman.
4. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (2015) – 182 votes
A WWII epic told through two sisters about the women left behind when soldiers go off to war. In case you’re counting, this is the 3rd Kristin Hannah on this list.
3. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2017) – 201 votes
The only book in today’s batch that didn’t appear on either NYT list! And what a miss, because this juicy novel about a silver screen star giving her salacious last interview to a seemingly random reporter is fantastic. Obviously, the girls who get it, get it.
2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (2012) – 236 votes
This thriller spawned an entire top-grossing genre of books (domestic thrillers) that IMO defined the 2010’s. And yet… it’s nowhere to be seen on the main NYT list. Justice for Amy Dunne and her unforgettable “cool girl” monologue.
1. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (2022) – 358 votes
It’s not that I’m surprised this novel about two friends that create a video game together topped our list (this felt like one of those books that EVERYONE—from your mom to your best friend to your other friend who reads one book every five years—was reading it). But I’m a little surprised it won by SO MANY votes. A full 27% of people had this book on their list. What a consensus!
Interestingly, today has the most crossover with the NYT crowdsourced list (all but 1!). But, still, only 5 of these were on the main NYT list that prompted this project in the first place. Personally, our list feels much more representative of my life as a reader—I’ve read 53 and added so many to my TBR.
But I’ve gotta know: are you shocked about anything here? Are there books you feel were snubbed? I can’t wait to hear about it.
Becca
PS: Cat Willett made all of the gorgeous illustrations in this series. Thank you, Cat! Consider checking out more of her work and giving her a follow (or better yet, hiring her!). Cat Willett is a Brooklyn-based artist. She's written and illustrated two books: Queen of Wands (2022) and Women of Tarot (2024). Cat also makes illustrated comics about parenting, motherhood, gender, and animals, and is a regular contributor to the Washington Post. Her clients include the New York Times, LA Times, and Spotify. You can see more of her work on her website and Instagram.
PPS: This was a fun but MASSIVE undertaking. If you value this work and are in a position to afford it, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter. Book recs are always free, but paid subscribers get access to travel guides, more personal content, Q&A’s, and more.
I think a lot about how Gone Girl, back when it came out (back in 2012) changed books. It sounds dramatic, but this book was revolutionary at the time. I remember gasping at the twist and thinking, "wow. I've never read anything like this." We always had mysteries and thrillers but never massively twisty domestic thrillers like this. They are my favorite books to read and I'm so happy to see it get the credit it deserves. I have been chasing that twist ever since.
Anyway, I've read 16 of these. Up to 67. Feeling very well-read compared to the NYT list.
To quote our friend Rocky: Amaze Amaze Amaze! This has been so fun. Can't wait for the data dump!