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.)

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

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.

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

Thanks OP

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!

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.)

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.

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

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

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.

I've read one - Harry Potter

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.

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.

High brow is overrated dis 😉

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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!