Culture
The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century: A Printable List
The New York Times Book Review
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THE 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY
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1
My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante
26
26
Atonement, by lan McEwan
2
The Warmth of Other Suns, by Isabel Wilkerson
27
Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
3
Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel
28
Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell
4
The Known World, by Edward P. Jones
29
The Last Samurai, by Helen DeWitt
5
The Corrections, by Jonathan Franzen
30
Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward
6
2666, by Roberto Bolaño
31
White Teeth, by Zadie Smith
7
The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead
32
The Line of Beauty, by Alan Hollinghurst
8
Austerlitz, by W.G. Sebald
33
Salvage the Bones, by Jesmyn Ward
9
Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro
34
Citizen, by Claudia Rankine
10
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson
35
Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel
11
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Díaz
36
Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
12
The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion
37
The Years, by Annie Ernaux
13
The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
38
The Savage Detectives, by Roberto Bolaño
14
Outline, by Rachel Cusk
39
A Visit From the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan
15
Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee
40
H Is for Hawk, by Helen Macdonald
16
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon
41
Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan
17
The Sellout, by Paul Beatty
42
A Brief History of Seven Killings, by Marlon James
18
Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders
43
Postwar, by Tony Judt
19
Say Nothing, by Patrick Radden Keefe
44
The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin
20
Erasure, by Percival Everrett
45
The Argonauts, by Maggie Nelson
21
Evicted, by Matthew Desmond
46
The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt
22
22
Behind the Beautiful Forevers, by Katherine Boo
47
A Mercy, by Toni Morrison
23 Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, by Alice Munro
48
Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi
24
The Overstory, by Richard Powers
49
The Vegetarian, by Han Kang
25
25
Random Family, by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
50
Trust, by Hernan Diaz
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Culture
Do You Know the Notable Buildings Mentioned in These Books?
A strong sense of place can deeply influence a story, and in some cases, the setting can even feel like a character itself. This week’s literary geography quiz highlights buildings that inspired authors, often to the point of including the structures in their novels. (Many of the buildings are still open to visitors.) To play, just make your selection in the multiple-choice list and the correct answer will be revealed. At the end of the quiz, you’ll find links to the books if you’d like to do further reading.
Culture
Video: 250 Years of Jane Austen, in Objects
new video loaded: 250 Years of Jane Austen, in Objects
By Jennifer Harlan, Sadie Stein, Claire Hogan, Laura Salaberry and Edward Vega
December 18, 2025
Culture
Try This Quiz and See How Much You Know About Jane Austen
“Window seat with garden view / A perfect nook to read a book / I’m lost in my Jane Austen…” sings Kristin Chenoweth in “The Girl in 14G” — what could be more ideal? Well, perhaps showing off your literary knowledge and getting a perfect score on this week’s super-size Book Review Quiz Bowl honoring the life, work and global influence of Jane Austen, who turns 250 today. In the 12 questions below, tap or click your answers to the questions. And no matter how you do, scroll on to the end, where you’ll find links to free e-book versions of her novels — and more.
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