My 21 favorite books from the 21st century (so far!!!)
*my* favorite, not *the* best!!!
Helloooo!
You probably already saw the New York Times released their list of the 100 best novels of the 21st century. (I didn’t actually look at it until several days after it came out, because I have two NYT logins, and the one on my phone is only subscribed to Games, because Wordle, and also because The News Is Terrible.)
The list took the book nerd world by storm, and I know many of you have many opinions, because you chimed in when I asked about it on instagram. Among the numerous concerns is the fact that, 24 years into this century, a publication has had the audacity to declare the best books already!
GRETAGRAM reader Kelly said it’d make a good topic for the newsletter, so here we are! These are my 21 favorite books of This Great Century SO FAR, organized alphabetically by author, because it was hard enough to pick 21, let alone rank them from there!
An Everlasting Meal, Tamar Adler
The Mothers, Brit Bennett
Beautyland, Marie Helene Bertino
Trust, Hernan Diaz
The Office of Historical Corrections, Danielle Evans
The Book of Delights, Ross Gay
Fates and Furies, Lauren Groff
The Country of the Blind, Andrew Leland
Circe, Madeline Miller
The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin
She Said, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey
Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel
Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell
Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell
Bel Canto, Ann Patchett
A Darker Shade of Magic, V.E. Schwab
Great Circle, Maggie Shipstead
White Teeth, Zadie Smith
All the Single Ladies, Rebecca Traister
The Three Mothers, Anna Malaika Tubbs
Nothing to See Here, Kevin Wilson
What are your favorites? Tell me in the comments!
(I made a list of all these books at my affiliate shop on bookshop.org! When you buy a book through my store, I get a cut of the proceeds. You’re also still supporting indie bookstores! It’s pretty cool!!!)
Delights!!!
This week’s delight is from GRETAGRAM reader Cassandra:
“My delight is a recent hammock purchase! Today I strung it up between two trees in the park in front of my condo and laid there reading and listening to music in my own personal cocoon. Even when some Chicago summer rain decided to join, I just pulled some of the extra fabric over for a few minutes before opening it back up to the sunshine. I know precisely how I’ll be spending my summer!”
Looks pretty sweet if you ask me!
Homework from Rachel Dodes and Lauren Mechling
In truly nerdy spirit, part of this newsletter is going to include HOMEWORK from authors whose books I’ve enoyed recently. Today’s contributions come from Rachel Dodes and Lauren Mechling, whose novel The Memo came out last month. It’s a great summer read — bright and juicy with an existential time-travel twist. I highly recommend it! And here’s what THEY recommend.
Read: Veronica by Mary Gaitskill
“Last month, Lauren and I went to a party for Substackers at the Hotel Chelsea, where the featured guest was the author Mary Gaitskill. I had never read anything by Gaitskill, but my ears perked up when she revealed that her novel Veronica–told from the perspective of a washed up ex-fashion model–was inspired by a scene in the film adaptation of Stephen King’s horror novel Pet Cemetery. On the train after the party, I felt compelled to order the book. Now I totally understand what Gaitskill was talking about: the industrial consumption of beauty, its insatiable hunger, is just as savage as a zombie pet devouring a living being.” -Rachel
Think About: Beautiful Microaggressions
“Microgreens are great and all (just ask Chef Carmy) but I live for tiny indignities. My favorite news story this summer has had nothing to do with the old men of Washington. It's about old-ish people in Vermont, namely 67-year-old Republican representative Mary Morrissey, who confessed to repeatedly pouring cups of water in the canvas bag of her nemesis, Democratic legislator Jim Carroll. When Carroll obtained video footage of the perp, she initially brushed it off and said she "flicked" water onto the bag because she saw a bug on it. I am totally using that excuse next time I'm caught being a dirtbag (or should I say "cleanbag" har har?).” - Lauren
(Lauren and Rachel also invited me to contribute a little something to their newsletter, called Funny Girls! You should probably check it out!!!)
Ok, that’s it from me! I hope y’all have lovely weekends.
Greta
P.S. Do you like this email?! Spread the delight and forward it to a friend! (Or spam an enemy, lol!)
I was so flabbergasted that "Great Circle" wasn't on anyone's list -- so glad you recommended for book club!!!!
I am forever grateful to Nerdette for introducing me to The Great Circle. It’s so good! Also The Three Mothers looks really interesting—I just taught a class with a unit on the civil rights movement and I feel like this perspective would add a lot to the discussion. And love that you included An Everlasting Meal!