The NYTimes’ 100 Best Books of the 21st Century (So Far)

Last week, The New York Times Book Review marked the first 25 years of this century with an ambitious project to determine the most important, influential books of the era. To create a list of the 100 best books, The New York Times Book Review and Upshot sent a survey to literary luminaries (e.g., novelists, nonfiction writers, academics, book editors, journalists, critics, publishers, poets, translators, booksellers, and librarians), asking them to name the 10 best books published since January 1, 2000. The surveys did not specify criteria for determining the “best” books nor defined “best”; instead, it was up to the survey takers.

While I always find lists like these interesting and use them to add to my TBR (To Be Read List), this list is not without flaws. The most resoundingly obvious issue with this list is it does not include any Indigenous authors who write about Indigenous people and their lives. This means there is no Louise Erdrich or Tommy Orange.

The other thing that surprised me most about this list was the dearth of nonfiction. For a publication that on the regular recommends more nonfiction than fiction, I found this surprising. Without knowing who The New York Times Book Review surveyed, it is difficult to say exactly why the list lacks Native and nonfiction books.

So for those of you without a New York Times subscription, I have listed all the books on the list. I have not copied the accompanying text about each book. However, If you want to see the full list but lack access, check with your local library which may provide online access to The New York Times and other periodicals. If you are interested in purchasing the book or seeing my review (if I have recently read the book), click on the cover image for an Amazon link or see the full list on Bookshop.org. Purchasing books or other items through these lists helps me to pay for this website!