The Guardian's Best Books Of The 21st Century
The Guardian's Best Books Of The 21st Century is a curated list of the most impactful and celebrated books published since 2000. This list highlights the diverse range of literary works that have shaped the cultural landscape of the 21st century.
Wolf Hall
In the treacherous world of Tudor England, Thomas Cromwell rises from humble beginnings to become a formidable political force, navigating the dangerous waters of Henry VIII's court with cunning and … more ...
Gilead
In the quiet town of Gilead, Iowa, an aging preacher reflects on his life, his family's legacy, and the bonds that tie them together, crafting a heartfelt letter to his young son. more ...
Secondhand Time
A powerful oral history of the Soviet Union's collapse and the birth of modern Russia, told through the voices of ordinary citizens. more ...
Never Let Me Go
Kathy recounts her haunting journey from the seemingly idyllic Hailsham School to a chilling fate, exploring themes of love, friendship, and the fragility of life in this acclaimed novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. more ...
Austerlitz
A haunting exploration of memory and identity, Austerlitz follows a man uncovering his forgotten past as a Jewish refugee in post-war Europe. more ...
Between the World and Me
A powerful and deeply personal letter from a father to his son, exploring the harsh realities of being Black in America and the enduring struggle for justice and equality. more ...
Autumn
A witty and unconventional love story that transcends time, blending Keatsian beauty with the vibrancy of Pop Art and a touch of modern intrigue. more ...
Cloud Atlas
A mind-bending odyssey that weaves six interconnected stories across time and space, exploring humanity's relentless pursuit of power and its consequences. more ...
Half of a Yellow Sun
In 1960s Nigeria, three lives intertwine amidst the chaos of civil war, exploring love, loyalty, and the complexities of colonialism. more ...
My Brilliant Friend
Elena's life is forever changed when her closest friend Lila mysteriously disappears, taking with her a lifetime of shared memories and secrets. more ...
The Plot Against America
In an alternate history, aviation hero Charles Lindbergh becomes president and negotiates with Hitler, plunging America into a chilling era of anti-Semitism. more ...
Nickel and Dimed
An undercover investigation into the lives of America's working poor, revealing the harsh realities of low-wage labor. more ...
Fingersmith
A captivating tale of deception and love set in Victorian London, where an orphan girl's fate intertwines with another's in a web of secrets and madness. more ...
The Sixth Extinction
A gripping exploration of the ongoing mass extinction event, blending science, history, and field reporting to reveal humanity's profound impact on the planet. more ...
The Corrections
A sweeping family drama that captures the essence of America at the turn of the 21st century, The Corrections explores the fractures and bonds within the Lambert family as they navigate love, failure… more ...
The Road
In a desolate, post-apocalyptic world, a father and son journey toward the coast, facing unimaginable horrors and the fragile hope of survival. Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece is… more ...
The Shock Doctrine
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Life After Life
What if you could relive your life to change its outcome? Ursula Todd does just that in this captivating tale of infinite chances and the weight of destiny. more ...
Sapiens
Tenth of December
A collection of darkly humorous and surreal stories that illuminate the human experience with astonishing charm and intensity. more ...
The Noonday Demon
A profound exploration of depression that combines personal experience, scientific research, and cultural insights to shed light on this pervasive and often misunderstood illness. more ...
A Visit from The Goon Squad
A sprawling, genre-defying novel that explores the interconnected lives of a record label executive, his assistant, and a cast of eccentric characters across decades and technological revolutions. more ...
Normal People
A poignant exploration of love, class, and self-discovery, 'Normal People' follows the complex relationship between Connel and Marianne as they navigate the challenges of youth and personal growth. more ...
Capital in the Twenty First Century
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
Alice Munro's award-winning collection of nine short stories explores the complexities of human relationships with her signature insight and empathy. more ...
Rapture
Carol Ann Duffy's 'Rapture' is a poetic journey through the complex and transformative nature of love, capturing its highs and lows with unparalleled virtuosity and humanity. more ...
A Death in the Family
A raw and deeply personal exploration of family, grief, and the complexities of life, Karl Ove Knausgaard's novel is a mesmerizing and profound work that delves into the universal struggles we all face. more ...
The Argonauts
Maggie Nelson's genre-defying memoir explores love, identity, and the complexities of modern relationships with raw honesty and intellectual rigor. more ...
The Emperor of All Maladies
A gripping exploration of cancer's history and the relentless pursuit of a cure, blending science, human stories, and groundbreaking research. more ...
Fun Home
A moving and darkly humorous graphic memoir exploring the complex relationship between Alison Bechdel and her closeted father, a funeral home director and English teacher. more ...
The Hare with Amber Eyes
A mesmerizing journey through history and art, as a collection of tiny ivory and wood carvings reveals a family's legacy and the shifting tides of time. more ...
Experience
Martin Amis delves into his complex relationship with his father, Kingsley Amis, and the haunting legacy of his cousin Lucy Partington, offering a profound and deeply personal memoir. more ...
The Green Road
A family gathers for one last Christmas in their childhood home, uncovering the complexities of love, loss, and the ties that bind them together. more ...
The Line of Beauty
A Man Booker Prize-winning novel that delves into the complexities of class, politics, and sexuality in 1980s Britain, following the life of Nick Guest as he navigates the elite world of the Feddens. more ...
White Teeth
A vibrant, multicultural tale of three families navigating life in post-war Britain, blending humor, history, and identity in a richly layered narrative. more ...
The Year of Magical Thinking
A raw and deeply personal account of love, loss, and resilience, this memoir captures the profound impact of grief and the enduring strength of the human spirit. more ...
Atonement
A young girl's misinterpretation of events sets in motion a chain of consequences that will haunt her and those she loves for a lifetime. more ...
Moneyball
Discover the revolutionary strategy that turned the Oakland Athletics into a winning team against all odds, challenging conventional wisdom in baseball and business. more ...
Citizen: An American Lyric
Claudia Rankine's powerful exploration of racial aggressions in modern society, blending poetry, essay, and image to expose the everyday and systemic impacts of racism. more ...
Hope in the Dark
A compelling call to action that shifts focus from despair to hope, revealing the creative and collaborative paths to real change. more ...
Levels of Life
Julian Barnes weaves together the stories of a pioneering balloonist, a colonel smitten with Sarah Bernhardt, and his own profound journey through grief, offering a poignant exploration of love and loss. more ...
Human Chain
Seamus Heaney's twelfth collection of poems explores connections—between past and present, life and death, and the natural world—through deeply personal and universal lenses. more ...
Persepolis
A poignant and humorous graphic memoir of a young girl's life in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, blending personal family history with the broader political turmoil of the time. more ...
Night Watch
Join Sam Vimes on a thrilling time-travel adventure through the chaotic streets of Ankh-Morpork, where the fate of the city hangs in the balance. more ...
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
A raw and hilarious memoir about growing up in an unconventional household, Jeanette Winterson's story is a testament to resilience and the search for identity. more ...
Oryx and Crake
In a world where animals are genetically altered, a man known as Snowman struggles to survive and protect the enigmatic Children of Crake, haunted by the memory of the woman he loved. more ...
Brooklyn
Eilis Lacey leaves her small Irish town for a new life in Brooklyn, where she finds love and purpose, only to be pulled back home by unexpected news. more ...
Small Island
In post-war London, a Jamaican couple navigates the harsh realities of life in England, while their landlady, Queenie, grapples with her own struggles. This powerful novel explores identity, race, an… more ...
True History of the Kelly Gang
Experience the exhilarating and tragic tale of Ned Kelly, Australia's most legendary outlaw, as he recounts his life on the run in his own words. more ...
Women & Power
Mary Beard, renowned classicist and feminist, explores the historical treatment of powerful women and the cultural roots of misogyny, from ancient times to today. With sharp wit and insight, she argu… more ...
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
Underland
Embark on a breathtaking journey beneath the Earth's surface with Robert Macfarlane, exploring hidden worlds from glaciers to ancient burial chambers and beyond. more ...
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
A Pulitzer Prize-winning tale of two cousins who create legendary comic book heroes while navigating love, war, and the American Dream. more ...
Postwar
The Beauty of the Husband
Dart
Alice Oswald weaves a lyrical tapestry of the River Dart through the voices of those who live and work along its banks, blending modern tales with historic and mythic echoes. more ...
This House of Grief
A gripping true-crime narrative that delves into the tragic drowning of three young boys and the subsequent legal battle that captivated Australia, exploring the complexities of the justice system an… more ...
Mother’s Milk
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Discover the extraordinary story of Henrietta Lacks, a woman whose cells, taken without her knowledge, revolutionized modern medicine. more ...
On Writing
Stephen King's part memoir, part master class on writing offers invaluable insights and personal anecdotes for aspiring writers and fans alike. more ...
Gone Girl
On their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne's wife Amy disappears, leaving behind a trail of secrets that implicate him in her vanishing. As the police close in, Nick must prove his innocence whil… more ...
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics
Unlock the mysteries of the universe with Carlo Rovelli's concise and enlightening guide to modern physics, from Einstein's relativity to quantum mechanics. more ...
The Silence of the Girls
Rediscover the Trojan War through the eyes of Briseis, a queen turned slave, in this powerful retelling of a classic myth. more ...
The Constant Gardener
A grieving diplomat uncovers a deadly conspiracy while seeking justice for his murdered wife in this gripping tale of love and global corruption. more ...
Notes on a Scandal
A provocative tale of obsession and betrayal, where a teacher's illicit affair unravels under the watchful eye of a colleague who becomes her unlikely confidante. more ...
Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth
Nothing to Envy
Days Without End
A sweeping historical epic of love, war, and survival, following two Irish immigrants through the American frontier and the brutal Civil War. more ...
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
In a remote Polish village, Janina, a recluse with a penchant for astrology and poetry, becomes entangled in a mysterious series of deaths, convinced she knows the culprit. more ...
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Explore the dual systems that drive the way we think, make decisions, and perceive the world around us. more ...
Signs Preceding the End of the World
A fearless heroine embarks on a perilous journey from Mexico to the USA, navigating mythical and criminal underworlds to find her missing brother. more ...
The Fifth Season
Noughts & Crosses
In a world divided by race and power, a forbidden love between a Cross and a Nought ignites a dangerous rebellion. This modern classic explores themes of prejudice, love, and the fight for equality. more ...
Priestdaddy
A hilarious and heartfelt memoir about growing up in a bizarre, religious household with a gun-toting, guitar-playing priest for a father. more ...
Bad Blood
Lorna Sage's vivid and witty memoir brings to life a vanished era, illuminating the lives of three generations of women with unparalleled insight and charm. more ...
Visitation
A hauntingly beautiful novel that weaves together the lives of twelve individuals over a century, set against the backdrop of a magical house on a Brandenburg lake. more ...
Light
Three quantum outlaws navigate a universe they've created, where rules are fluid and darkness is just the beginning of the mystery. more ...
The Siege
In the harrowing winter of 1941 Leningrad, two pairs of lovers fight for survival and hope amidst Hitler's brutal siege, revealing the profound impact of war on ordinary lives. more ...
Darkmans
A darkly comedic and original tale weaving together historical figures and modern characters in a story of love, jealousy, and the past's eerie influence on the present. more ...
The Tipping Point
Discover the fascinating science behind why some ideas catch on and others don't in Malcolm Gladwell's groundbreaking exploration of social epidemics. more ...
Chronicles: Volume One
A Little Life
Four friends navigate love, loss, and the scars of a traumatic past in this deeply moving and intense exploration of human resilience. more ...
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter is thrust into a deadly tournament while dark forces rise, testing his courage and revealing the growing power of Voldemort. more ...
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
A gripping tale of a journalist and a hacker unraveling a decades-old mystery, uncovering dark secrets and corruption in a powerful family. more ...
Broken Glass
A disgraced Congolese schoolteacher's final farewell to the squalid bar he frequents, filled with eccentric characters, as he prepares to end his life in the same river that claimed his mother. more ...
I Feel Bad About My Neck
Nora Ephron's witty and candid exploration of aging, offering a hilarious and relatable take on the trials and tribulations of growing older. more ...
The Guardian's Best Books Of The 21st Century is a comprehensive list that showcases the most significant and influential books published in the 21st century. Compiled by The Guardian, this list includes a wide array of genres and styles, reflecting the rich tapestry of contemporary literature. From dazzling debut novels to searing polemics, the list features works that have left an indelible mark on readers and critics alike. The selection process considers the literary merit, cultural impact, and enduring relevance of each book. This list is a testament to the power of storytelling and the enduring appeal of great literature, offering readers a guide to some of the most memorable and thought-provoking books of our time.