Guardian’s Top 100 books of the century

[tldr]

www.theguardian.com/books/2019/sep/21/best-books-of-the-21st-century

I’ve read a handful. Might try reading some more.

Even the list took me down memory lane, back to 20 years ago when I was young(ish) and watching what people were reading on the tube. (White Teeth. Everyone read White Teeth.)

[tldr]

www.theguardian.com/books/2019/sep/21/best-books-of-the-21st-century

[liberame]

Thanks for sharing. Has reminded me of lots and lots of books that I want to read and haven't (though also some that I was distinctly underwhelmed by, like Half of a Yellow Sun). Very happy with Wolf Hall in the top spot. Can't wait for the last one to come out.

[EineReiseDurchDieZeit]

Want to go back over this and make notes when less tired. Thanks.

[CarpeVitam]

Thanks OP

[bettybattenburg]

Hmm, I've only read two of them - Mother's Milk and Nothing to Envy.

It's a bit early to be doing the best books of the 21st century!

[tldr]

I think one or two of these are sitting unread in a box waiting to go to the charity shop at the minute from the last time I set myself a reading challenge which I totally failed at.

Might haul them out tomorrow. (I’m a recent returnee to enthusiastic reading - small DC have wreaked havoc.)

[Sharonthetotallyinsane]

I’ve read 10, a fair few I didn’t really know. Would be interesting to see if they were included on a top ten of the century in 80 years.

[tldr]

Just counted, I’ve read 12 and given up on 3 or 4!

[CluelessNewMama]

I thought I was well read until I saw this list! Adding White Teeth to the reading list

[Danglingmod]

I've read 28 of them... Not too bad considering it's a very global and quite non-fiction heavy list.

Certainly worth saving for reference because of the above two factors.

[MotherHeggy]

I've read one - Harry Potter

[Disfordarkchocolate]

I feel very low brow now. The only one I have finished is Never Let Me Go. I've started Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal but my concentration is very poor at the minute (health). I started The Road and it soon went to the charity shop. Some sound very interesting so I'll bookmark the list. None of my favourites on that list though.

[Streamingbannersofdawn]

As usual I haven't read many although I read a lot...surprised to find no Donna Tartt on there.

I've read lots of Pratchett and Gaiman though...I wouldn't have picked Coraline for the list though...

I've read 5 and most of Fingersmith but gave up.

[tldr]

High brow is overrated dis 😉

[tldr]

We should compile our list of which we’ve given up on 😬😀

[Disfordarkchocolate]

I just read through the list again, god it's depressing. I know it's the Guardian but they need to read more funny books.

[Whathappenedtothelego]

I have read 13 of them, plus started/picked up a handful more but put them down again unfinished.

To be honest, the ones I have read probably wouldn't make it into my personal top 100 list (maybe I should make one!), except maybe The Siege.

[Danglingmod]

I'm also surprised The Goldfinch isn't there.

For anyone who wants to get back into some semi-serious reading, the books of essays in this list are very good: the Martin Amis and the Julian Barnes; Sapiens is a really easy non-fiction read (though long), Joan Didion's memoir of losing her husband and daughter is beautiful (though heartbreaking) and Alice Munro's short stories are immense.

[KatyCarrCan]

Streaming I was surprised there was no Donna Tartt too. I'm a bit meh about this list tbh (and I usually love lists of books!). There are a lot of important books missing and 'serious white male writers of a certain age' are over-represented as usual.

[Disfordarkchocolate]

I might try The Seige, I loved the R4 version of The Betrayal.

[bookworm14]

I’ve read 34. A lot of the others really don’t appeal!

[raspberrymolakoff]

I've read 12 and I'm an avid reader! I think 20 years is a good point to assess the century so far.

Always great to have a useful tip list like this. I will certainly look at some of these for my wish list. I'm of an age where I don't read things because I "should" but it's helpful to have some pointers. Thanks for this OP.

[raspberrymolakoff]

Of them all I adored 'Life after Life' and so did DD. That's in my top 10 ever.

[CountFosco]

Donna Tartt wrote her best book in the last century and will forever be trying to recapture that.

I've read 20 of them and there are a few on my 'to read' list. Lots I don't know though. I did enjoy Wolf Hall but I think Bring up the Bodies was incredible, probably the best modern novel I've read. The middle section of Atonement captures something similar, a kind of urgent brilliance. Think it's a disgrace that 'The Silence of the Girls' is so low down the list.

[Hadtoask]

I’ve read only 6 or 7 on there. Some great ones though. Was it really 20 years ago that we all read White Teeth?!
I’ll be coming back to this list thank you for posting!