A composite image of some of the books of the century

The 100 best books of the 21st century

Dazzling debut novels, searing polemics, the history of humanity and trailblazing memoirs ... Read our pick of the best books since 2000

  • Read an interview with the author of our No 1 book
  • Read Ali Smith on Autumn
  • Read David Mitchell on Cloud Atlas

I Feel Bad About My Neck

By nora ephron (2006).

Perhaps better known for her screenwriting ( Silkwood , When Harry Met Sally , Heartburn ), Ephron’s brand of smart theatrical humour is on best display in her essays. Confiding and self-deprecating, she has a way of always managing to sound like your best friend – even when writing about her apartment on New York’s Upper West Side. This wildly enjoyable collection includes her droll observations about ageing, vanity – and a scorching appraisal of Bill Clinton. Read the review

Broken Glass

By alain mabanckou (2005), translated by helen stevenson (2009).

The Congolese writer says he was “trying to break the French language” with Broken Glass – a black comedy told by a disgraced teacher without much in the way of full stops or paragraph breaks. As Mabanckou’s unreliable narrator munches his “bicycle chicken” and drinks his red wine, it becomes clear he has the history of Congo-Brazzaville and the whole of French literature in his sights. Read the review

Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara in the 2011 film adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

By stieg larsson (2005), translated by steven t murray (2008).

Radical journalist Mikael Blomkvist forms an unlikely alliance with troubled young hacker Lisbeth Salander as they follow a trail of murder and malfeasance connected with one of Sweden’s most powerful families in the first novel of the bestselling Millennium trilogy. The high-level intrigue beguiled millions of readers, brought “Scandi noir” to prominence and inspired innumerable copycats. Read the review

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

By jk rowling (2000).

A generation grew up on Rowling’s all-conquering magical fantasies, but countless adults have also been enthralled by her immersive world. Book four, the first of the doorstoppers, marks the point where the series really takes off. The Triwizard Tournament provides pace and tension, and Rowling makes her boy wizard look death in the eye for the first time. Read the review

A Little Life

By hanya yanagihara (2015).

This operatically harrowing American gay melodrama became an unlikely bestseller, and one of the most divisive novels of the century so far. One man’s life is blighted by abuse and its aftermath, but also illuminated by love and friendship. Some readers wept all night, some condemned it as titillating and exploitative, but no one could deny its power. Read the review

Chronicles: Volume One

By bob dylan (2004).

Dylan’s reticence about his personal life is a central part of the singer-songwriter’s brand, so the gaps and omissions in this memoir come as no surprise. The result is both sharp and dreamy, sliding in and out of different phases of Dylan’s career but rooted in his earliest days as a Woody Guthrie wannabe in New York City. Fans are still waiting for volume two. Read the review

Bob Dylan in New York, 1963.

The Tipping Point

By malcolm gladwell (2000).

The New Yorker staff writer examines phenomena from shoe sales to crime rates through the lens of epidemiology, reaching his own tipping point, when he became a rock-star intellectual and unleashed a wave of quirky studies of contemporary society. Two decades on, Gladwell is often accused of oversimplification and cherry picking, but his idiosyncratic bestsellers have helped shape 21st-century culture. Read the review

by Nicola Barker (2007)

British fiction’s most anarchic author is as prolific as she is playful, but this freewheeling, visionary epic set around the Thames Gateway is her magnum opus. Barker brings her customary linguistic invention and wild humour to a tale about history’s hold on the present, as contemporary Ashford is haunted by the spirit of a medieval jester. Read the review

The Siege by Helen Dunmore

by Helen Dunmore (2001)

The Levin family battle against starvation in this novel set during the German siege of Leningrad. Anna digs tank traps and dodges patrols as she scavenges for wood, but the hand of history is hard to escape. Read the review

Light by M John Harrison

by M John Harrison (2002)

One of the most underrated prose writers demonstrates the literary firepower of science fiction at its best. Three narrative strands – spanning far-future space opera, contemporary unease and virtual-reality pastiche – are braided together for a breathtaking metaphysical voyage in pursuit of the mystery at the heart of reality. Read the review

by Jenny Erpenbeck (2008), translated by Susan Bernofsky (2010)

A grand house by a lake in the east of Germany is both the setting and main character of Erpenbeck’s third novel. The turbulent waves of 20th-century history crash over it as the house is sold by a Jewish family fleeing the Third Reich, requisitioned by the Russian army, reclaimed by exiles returning from Siberia, and sold again. Read the review

by Lorna Sage (2000)

A Whitbread prizewinning memoir, full of perfectly chosen phrases, that is one of the best accounts of family dysfunction ever written. Sage grew up with her grandparents, who hated each other: he was a drunken philandering vicar; his wife, having found his diaries, blackmailed him and lived in another part of the house. The author gets unwittingly pregnant at 16, yet the story has a happy ending. Read the review

Noughts & Crosses

By malorie blackman (2001).

Set in an alternative Britain, this groundbreaking piece of young adult fiction sees black people, called the Crosses, hold all the power and influence, while the noughts – white people – are marginalised and segregated. The former children’s laureate’s series is a crucial work for explaining racism to young readers.

Priestdaddy

By patricia lockwood (2017).

This may not be the only account of living in a religious household in the American midwest (in her youth, the author joined a group called God’s Gang, where they spoke in tongues), but it is surely the funniest. The author started out as the “poet laureate of Twitter”; her language is brilliant, and she has a completely original mind. Read the review

A telling description of modern power … Yanis Varoufakis.

Adults in the Room

By yanis varoufakis (2017).

This memoir by the leather-jacketed economist of the six months he spent as Greece’s finance minister in 2015 at a time of economic and political crisis has been described as “one of the best political memoirs ever written”. He comes up against the IMF, the European institutions, Wall Street, billionaires and media owners and is told how the system works – as a result, his book is a telling description of modern power. Read the review

The God Delusion

By richard dawkins (2006).

A key text in the days when the “New Atheism” was much talked about, The God Delusion is a hard-hitting attack on religion, full of Dawkins’s confidence that faith produces fanatics and all arguments for God are ridiculous. What the evolutionary biologist lacks in philosophical sophistication, he makes up for in passion, and the book sold in huge numbers. Read the review

The Cost of Living

By deborah levy (2018).

Dazzling memoir … Deborah Levy.

“Chaos is supposed to be what we most fear but I have come to believe it might be what we most want ... ” The second part of Levy’s “living memoir”, in which she leaves her marriage, is a fascinating companion piece to her deep yet playful novels. Feminism, mythology and the daily grind come together for a book that combines emotion and intellect to dazzling effect. Read the review

Tell Me How It Ends

By valeria luiselli (2016), translated by luiselli with lizzie davis (2017).

As the hysteria over immigration to the US began to build in 2015, the Mexican novelist volunteered to work as an interpreter in New York’s federal immigration court. In this powerful series of essays she tells the poignant stories of the children she met, situating them in the wider context of the troubled relationship between the Americas. Read the review

by Neil Gaiman (2002)

From the Sandman comics to his fantasy epic American Gods to Twitter, Gaiman towers over the world of books. But this perfectly achieved children’s novella, in which a plucky young girl enters a parallel world where her “Other Mother” is a spooky copy of her real-life mum, with buttons for eyes, might be his finest hour: a properly scary modern myth which cuts right to the heart of childhood fears and desires. Read the review

by Jim Crace (2013)

Crace is fascinated by the moment when one era gives way to another. Here, it is the enclosure of the commons, a fulcrum of English history, that drives his story of dispossession and displacement. Set in a village without a name, the narrative dramatises what it’s like to see the world you know come to an end, in a severance of the connection between people and land that has deep relevance for our time of climate crisis and forced migration. Read the review

Amy Adams in Arrival, the 2015 film based on a short story by Ted Chiang.

Stories of Your Life and Others

By ted chiang (2002).

Melancholic and transcendent, Chiang’s eight, high-concept sci-fi stories exploring the nature of language, maths, religion and physics racked up numerous awards and a wider audience when ‘Story of Your Life’ was adapted into the 2016 film Arrival . Read the review

The Spirit Level

By richard wilkinson and kate pickett (2009).

An eye-opening study, based on overwhelming evidence, which revealed that among rich countries, the “more equal societies almost always do better” for all. Growth matters less than inequality, the authors argued: whether the issue is life expectancy, infant mortality, crime rates, obesity, literacy or recycling, the Scandinavian countries, say, will always win out over, say, the UK. Read the review

NK Jemisin explores urgent questions of power in The Fifth Season.

The Fifth Season

By nk jemisin (2015).

Jemisin became the first African American author to win the best novel category at the Hugo awards for her first book in the Broken Earth trilogy. In her intricate and richly imagined far future universe, the world is ending, ripped apart by relentless earthquakes and volcanoes. Against this apocalyptic backdrop she explores urgent questions of power and enslavement through the eyes of three women. “As this genre finally acknowledges that the dreams of the marginalised matter and that all of us have a future,” she said in her acceptance speech, “so will go the world. (Soon, I hope.)”

Signs Preceding the End of the World

By yuri herrera (2009), translated by lisa dillman (2015).

Makina sets off from her village in Mexico with a package from a local gangster and a message for her brother, who has been gone for three years. The story of her crossing to the US examines the blurring of boundaries, the commingling of languages and the blending of identities that complicate the idea of an eventual return. Read the review

Thinking, Fast and Slow

By daniel kahneman (2011).

The Nobel laureate’s unexpected bestseller, on the minutiae of decision-making, divides the brain into two. System One makes judgments quickly, intuitively and automatically, as when a batsman decides whether to cut or pull. System Two is slow, calculated and deliberate, like long division. But psychologist Kahneman argues that, although System Two thinks it is in control, many of our decisions are really made by System One. Read the review

Spoor, the film adaptation of  Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead.

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

By olga tokarczuk (2009), translated by antonia lloyd-jones (2018).

In this existential eco-thriller, a William Blake-obsessed eccentric investigates the murders of men and animals in a remote Polish village. More accessible and focused than Flights , the novel that won Tokarczuk the Man International Booker prize, it is no less profound in its examination of how atavistic male impulses, emboldened by the new rightwing politics of Europe, are endangering people, communities and nature itself. Read the review

Days Without End

By sebastian barry (2016).

In this savagely beautiful novel set during the Indian wars and American civil war, a young Irish boy flees famine-struck Sligo for Missouri. There he finds lifelong companionship with another emigrant, and they join the army on its brutal journey west, laying waste to Indian settlements. Viscerally focused and intense, yet imbued with the grandeur of the landscape, the book explores love, gender and survival with a rare, luminous power. Read the review

Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick

Nothing to Envy

By barbara demick (2009).

Los Angeles Times journalist Barbara Demick interviewed around 100 North Korean defectors for this propulsive work of narrative non-fiction, but she focuses on just six, all from the north-eastern city of Chongjin – closed to foreigners and less media-ready than Pyongyang. North Korea is revealed to be rife with poverty, corruption and violence but populated by resilient people with a remarkable ability to see past the propaganda all around them. Read the review

The Age of Surveillance Capitalism

By shoshana zuboff (2019).

An agenda-setting book that is devastating about the extent to which big tech sets out to manipulate us for profit. Not simply another expression of the “techlash”, Zuboff’s ambitious study identifies a new form of capitalism, one involving the monitoring and shaping of our behaviour, often without our knowledge, with profound implications for democracy. “Once we searched Google, but now Google searches us.” Read the review

Jimmy Corrigan- tThe Smartest Kid on Earth

Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth

By chris ware (2000).

At the time when Ware won the Guardian first book award, no graphic novel had previously won a generalist literary prize. Emotional and artistic complexity are perfectly poised in this account of a listless 36-year-old office dogsbody who is thrown into an existential crisis by an encounter with his estranged dad. Read the review

Judi Dench, left, and Cate Blanchett in the 2006 film adaptation of Notes on a Scandal.

Notes on a Scandal

By zoë heller (2003).

Sheba, a middle-aged teacher at a London comprehensive, begins an affair with her 15-year-old student - but we hear about it from a fellow teacher, the needy Barbara, whose obsessive nature drives the narrative. With shades of Patricia Highsmith, this teasing investigation into sex, class and loneliness is a dark marvel. Read the review

The Infatuations

By javier marías (2011), translated by margaret jull costa (2013).

The Spanish master examines chance, love and death in the story of an apparently random killing that gradually reveals hidden depths. Marías constructs an elegant murder mystery from his trademark labyrinthine sentences, but this investigation is in pursuit of much meatier questions than whodunnit. Read the review

Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes in the 2005 film adaptation of  The Constant Gardener.

The Constant Gardener

By john le carré (2001).

The master of the cold war thriller turned his attention to the new world order in this chilling investigation into the corruption powering big pharma in Africa. Based on the case of a rogue antibiotics trial that killed and maimed children in Nigeria in the 1990s, it has all the dash and authority of his earlier novels while precisely and presciently anatomising the dangers of a rampant neo-imperialist capitalism. Read the review

The Silence of the Girls

By pat barker (2018).

If the western literary canon is founded on Homer, then it is founded on women’s silence. Barker’s extraordinary intervention, in which she replays the events of the Iliad from the point of view of the enslaved Trojan women, chimed with both the #MeToo movement and a wider drive to foreground suppressed voices. In a world still at war, it has chilling contemporary resonance. Read the review

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics

By carlo rovelli (2014).

A theoretical physicist opens a window on to the great questions of the universe with this 96-page overview of modern physics. Rovelli’s keen insight and striking metaphors make this the best introduction to subjects including relativity, quantum mechanics, cosmology, elementary particles and entropy outside of a course in advanced physics. Read the review

Ben Affleck in the 2014 film adaptation of Gone Girl.

by Gillian Flynn (2012)

The deliciously dark US crime thriller that launched a thousand imitators and took the concept of the unreliable narrator to new heights. A woman disappears: we think we know whodunit, but we’re wrong. Flynn’s stylishly written portrait of a toxic marriage set against a backdrop of social and economic insecurity combines psychological depth with sheer unputdownable flair. Read the review

by Stephen King (2000)

Written after a near-fatal accident, this combination of memoir and masterclass by fiction’s most successful modern storyteller showcases the blunt, casual brilliance of King at his best. As well as being genuinely useful, it’s a fascinating chronicle of literary persistence, and of a lifelong love affair with language and narrative. Read the review

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

By rebecca skloot (2010).

Henrietta Lacks was a black American who died in agony of cancer in a “coloured” hospital ward in 1951. Her cells, taken without her knowledge during a biopsy, went on to change medical history, being used around the world to develop countless drugs. Skloot skilfully tells the extraordinary scientific story, but in this book the voices of the Lacks children are crucial – they have struggled desperately even as billions have been made from their mother’s “HeLa” cells. Read the review

Benedict Cumberbatch in the TV adaptation of Edward St Aubyn’s Patrick Melrose novels.

Mother’s Milk

By edward st aubyn (2006).

The fourth of the autobiographical Patrick Melrose novels finds the wealthy protagonist – whose flight from atrocious memories of child abuse into drug abuse was the focus of the first books – beginning to grope after redemption. Elegant wit and subtle psychology lift grim subject matter into seductive brilliance. Read the review

This House of Grief

By helen garner (2014).

A man drives his three sons into a deep pond and swims out, leaving them to drown. But was it an accident? This 2005 tragedy caught the attention of one of Australia’s greatest living writers. Garner puts herself centre stage in an account of Robert Farquharson’s trial that combines forensic detail and rich humanity. Read the review

A mesmerising tapestry of the River Dart’s mutterings … Alice Oswald.

by Alice Oswald (2002)

This book-length poem is a mesmerising tapestry of “the river’s mutterings”, based on three years of recording conversations with people who live and work on the River Dart in Devon. From swimmers to sewage workers, boatbuilders to bailiffs, salmon fishers to ferryman, the voices are varied and vividly brought to life. Read the review

The Beauty of the Husband

By anne carson (2002).

One of Canada’s most celebrated poets examines love and desire in a collection that describes itself as “a fictional essay in 39 tangos”. Carson charts the course of a doomed marriage in loose-limbed lines that follow the switchbacks of thought and feeling from first meeting through multiple infidelities to arrive at eventual divorce.

by Tony Judt (2005)

This grand survey of Europe since 1945 begins with the devastation left behind by the second world war and offers a panoramic narrative of the cold war from its beginnings to the collapse of the Soviet bloc – a part of which Judt witnessed firsthand in Czechoslovakia’s velvet revolution. A very complex story is told with page-turning urgency and what may now be read as nostalgic faith in “the European idea”. Read the review

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

By michael chabon (2000).

A love story to the golden age of comics in New York, Chabon’s Pulitzer-winner features two Jewish cousins, one smuggled out of occupied Prague, who create an anti-fascist comic book superhero called The Escapist. Their own adventures are as exciting and highly coloured as the ones they write and draw in this generous, open-hearted, deeply lovable rollercoaster of a book. Read the review

Robert Macfarlane’s Underland (Hamish Hamilton).

by Robert Macfarlane (2019)

A beautifully written and profound book, which takes the form of a series of (often hair-raising and claustrophobic) voyages underground – from the fjords of the Arctic to the Parisian catacombs. Trips below the surface inspire reflections on “deep” geological time and raise urgent questions about the human impact on planet Earth. Read the review

The Omnivore’s Dilemma

By michael pollan (2006).

An entertaining and highly influential book from the writer best known for his advice: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” The author follows four meals on their journey from field to plate – including one from McDonald’s and a locally sourced organic feast. Pollan is a skilled, amusing storyteller and The Omnivore’s Dilemma changed both food writing and the way we see food. Read the review

Mary Beard, whose slim manifesto Women & Power became an instant feminist classic.

Women & Power

By mary beard (2017).

Based on Beard’s lectures on women’s voices and how they have been silenced, Women and Power was an enormous publishing success in the “ #MeToo ”’ year 2017. An exploration of misogyny, the origins of “gendered speech” in the classical era and the problems the male world has with strong women, this slim manifesto became an instant feminist classic. Read the review

True History of the Kelly Gang

By peter carey (2000).

Carey’s second Booker winner is an irresistible tour de force of literary ventriloquism: the supposed autobiography of 19th-century Australian outlaw and “wild colonial boy” Ned Kelly, inspired by a fragment of Kelly’s own prose and written as a glorious rush of semi-punctuated vernacular storytelling. Mythic and tender by turns, these are tall tales from a lost frontier. Read the review

Small Island

By andrea levy (2004).

Pitted against a backdrop of prejudice, this London-set novel is told by four protagonists – Hortense and Gilbert, Jamaican migrants, and a stereotypically English couple, Queenie and Bernard. These varied perspectives, illuminated by love and loyalty, combine to create a thoughtful mosaic depicting the complex beginnings of Britain’s multicultural society. Read the review

The 2015 film adaptation of Brooklyn.

by Colm Tóibín (2009)

Tóibín’s sixth novel is set in the 1950s, when more than 400,000 people left Ireland, and considers the emotional and existential impact of emigration on one young woman. Eilis makes a life for herself in New York, but is drawn back by the possibilities of the life she has lost at home. A universal story of love, endurance and missed chances, made radiant through Tóibín’s measured prose and tender understatement. Read the review

Oryx and Crake

By margaret atwood (2003).

In the first book in her dystopian MaddAddam trilogy, the Booker winner speculates about the havoc science can wreak on the world. The big warning here – don’t trust corporations to run the planet – is blaring louder and louder as the century progresses. Read the review

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

By jeanette winterson (2011).

The title is the question Winterson’s adoptive mother asked as she threw her daughter out, aged 16, for having a girlfriend. The autobiographical story behind Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit , and the trials of Winterson’s later life, is urgent, wise and moving. Read the review

Night Watch

By terry pratchett (2002).

Pratchett’s mighty Discworld series is a high point in modern fiction: a parody of fantasy literature that deepened and darkened over the decades to create incisive satires of our own world. The 29th book, focusing on unlikely heroes, displays all his fierce intelligence, anger and wild humour, in a story that’s moral, humane – and hilarious. Read the review

The 2008 film adaptation of Persepolis.

by Marjane Satrapi (2000-2003), translated by Mattias Ripa (2003-2004)

Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel follows her coming-of-age in the lead up to and during the Iranian revolution. In this riotous memoir, Satrapi focuses on one young life to reveal a hidden history.

Human Chain

By seamus heaney (2010).

The Nobel laureate tends to the fragments of memory and loss with moving precision in his final poetry collection. A book of elegies and echoes, these poems are infused with a haunting sense of pathos, with a line often left hanging to suspend the reader in longing and regret. Read the review

Levels of Life

By julian barnes (2013).

The British novelist combines fiction and non-fiction to form a searing essay on grief and love for his late wife, the literary agent Pat Kavanagh. Barnes divides the book into three parts with disparate themes – 19th-century ballooning, photography and marriage. Their convergence is wonderfully achieved. Read the review

Hope in the Dark

By rebecca solnit (2004).

Writing against “the tremendous despair at the height of the Bush administration’s powers and the outset of the war in Iraq”, the US thinker finds optimism in political activism and its ability to change the world. The book ranges widely from the fall of the Berlin wall to the Zapatista uprising in Mexico, to the invention of Viagra. Read the review

Claudia Rankine confronts the history of racism in the US.

Citizen: An American Lyric

By claudia rankine (2014).

From the slow emergency response in the black suburbs destroyed by hurricane Katrina to a mother trying to move her daughter away from a black passenger on a plane, the poet’s award-winning prose work confronts the history of racism in the US and asks: regardless of their actual status, who truly gets to be a citizen? Read the review

by Michael Lewis (2010)

The author of The Big Short has made a career out of rendering the most opaque subject matter entertaining and comprehensible: Moneyball tells the story of how geeks outsmarted jocks to revolutionise baseball using maths. But you do not need to know or care about the sport, because – as with all Lewis’s best writing – it’s all about how the story is told. Read the review

James McAvoy in the film adaptation of Atonement.

by Ian McEwan (2001)

There are echoes of DH Lawrence and EM Forster in McEwan’s finely tuned dissection of memory and guilt. The fates of three young people are altered by a young girl’s lie at the close of a sweltering day on a country estate in 1935. Lifelong remorse, the horror of war and devastating twists are to follow in an elegant, deeply felt meditation on the power of love and art. Read the review

The Year of Magical Thinking

By joan didion (2005).

With cold, clear, precise prose, Didion gives an account of the year her husband, the writer John Gregory Dunne, collapsed from a fatal heart attack in their home. Her devastating examination of grief and widowhood changed the nature of writing about bereavement. Read the review

White Teeth

By zadie smith (2000).

Set around the unlikely bond between two wartime friends, Smith’s debut brilliantly captures Britain’s multicultural spirit, and offers a compelling insight into immigrant family life.

The Line of Beauty

By alan hollinghurst (2004).

Oxford graduate Nick Guest has the questionable good fortune of moving into the grand west London home of a rising Tory MP. Thatcher-era degeneracy is lavishly displayed as Nick falls in love with the son of a supermarket magnate, and the novel records how Aids began to poison gay life in London. In peerless prose, Hollinghurst captures something close to the spirit of an age. Read the review

The Green Road

By anne enright (2015).

A reunion dominates the Irish novelist’s family drama, but the individual stories of the five members of the Madigan clan – the matriarch, Rosaleen, and her children, Dan, Emmet, Constance and Hanna, who escape and are bound to return – are beautifully held in balance. When the Madigans do finally come together halfway through the book, Enright masterfully reminds us of the weight of history and family. Read the review

Martin Amis recalls his ‘velvet-suited, snakeskin-booted’ youth.

by Martin Amis (2000)

Known for the firecracker phrases and broad satires of his fiction, Amis presented a much warmer face in his memoir. His life is haunted by the disappearance of his cousin Lucy, who is revealed 20 years later to have been murdered by Fred West. But Amis also has much fun recollecting his “velvet-suited, snakeskin-booted” youth, and paints a moving portrait of his father’s comic gusto as old age reduces him to a kind of “anti-Kingsley”. Read the review

The Hare with Amber Eyes

By edmund de waal (2010).

In this exquisite family memoir, the ceramicist explains how he came to inherit a collection of 264 netsuke – small Japanese ornaments – from his great-uncle. The unlikely survival of the netsuke entails De Waal telling a story that moves from Paris to Austria under the Nazis to Japan, and he beautifully conjures a sense of place. The book doubles as a set of profound reflections on objects and what they mean to us. Read the review

Outline by Rachel Cusk

Outline by Rachel

Cusk (2014).

This startling work of autofiction, which signalled a new direction for Cusk, follows an author teaching a creative writing course over one hot summer in Athens. She leads storytelling exercises. She meets other writers for dinner. She hears from other people about relationships, ambition, solitude, intimacy and “the disgust that exists indelibly between men and women”. The end result is sublime. Read the review

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

by Alison Bechdel (2006)

The American cartoonist’s darkly humorous memoir tells the story of how her closeted gay father killed himself a few months after she came out as a lesbian. This pioneering work, which later became a musical, helped shape the modern genre of “graphic memoir”, combining detailed and beautiful panels with remarkable emotional depth. Read the review

The Emperor of All Maladies

By siddhartha mukherjee (2010).

“Normal cells are identically normal; malignant cells become unhappily malignant in unique ways.” In adapting the opening lines of Anna Karenina , Mukherjee sets out the breathtaking ambition of his study of cancer: not only to share the knowledge of a practising oncologist but to take his readers on a literary and historical journey. Read the review

The Argonauts

By maggie nelson (2015).

An electrifying memoir that captured a moment in thinking about gender, and also changed the world of books. The story, told in fragments, is of Nelson’s pregnancy, which unfolds at the same time as her partner, the artist Harry Dodge, is beginning testosterone injections: “the summer of our changing bodies”. Strikingly honest, originally written, with a galaxy of intellectual reference points, it is essentially a love story; one that seems to make a new way of living possible. Read the review

The Underground Railroad

By colson whitehead (2016).

A thrilling, genre-bending tale of escape from slavery in the American deep south, this Pulitzer prize-winner combines extraordinary prose and uncomfortable truths. Two slaves flee their masters using the underground railroad, the network of abolitionists who helped slaves out of the south, wonderfully reimagined by Whitehead as a steampunk vision of a literal train. Read the review

Uncomfortable truths … Colson Whitehead.

A Death in the Family

By karl ove knausgaard (2009), translated by don bartlett (2012).

The first instalment of Knausgaard’s relentlessly self-examining six-volume series My Struggle revolves around the life and death of his alcoholic father. Whether or not you regard him as the Proust of memoir, his compulsive honesty created a new benchmark for autofiction. Read the review

by Carol Ann Duffy (2005)

A moving, book-length poem from the UK’s first female poet laureate, Rapture won the TS Eliot prize in 2005. From falling in love to betrayal and separation, Duffy reimagines romance with refreshing originality. Read the review

Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage

By alice munro (2001).

Canada’s observant and humane short story writer, who won the Nobel in 2013, is at her best in this collection. A housekeeper’s fate is changed by the pranks of her employer’s teenager daughter; an incorrigible flirt gracefully accepts his wife’s new romance in her care home. No character acts as at first expected in Munro’s stories, which are attuned to the tiniest shifts in perception. Read the review

Capital in the Twenty First Century

By thomas piketty (2013), translated by arthur goldhammer (2014).

The beautifully written product of 15 years of research, Capital made its author an intellectual star – the modern Marx – and opened readers’ eyes to how neoliberalism produces vastly increased inequalities. Full of data, theories and historical analysis, its message is clear, and prophetic: unless governments increase tax, the new and grotesque wealth levels of the rich will encourage political instability. Read the review

Sally Rooney focuses on the uncertainty of millennial life.

Normal People

By sally rooney (2018).

Rooney’s second novel, a love story between two clever and damaged young people coming of age in contemporary Ireland, confirmed her status as a literary superstar. Her focus is on the dislocation and uncertainty of millennial life, but her elegant prose has universal appeal. Read the review

A Visit from The Goon Squad

By jennifer egan (2011).

Inspired by both Proust and The Sopranos , Egan’s Pulitzer-winning comedy follows several characters in and around the US music industry, but is really a book about memory and kinship, time and narrative, continuity and disconnection. Read the review

The Noonday Demon

By andrew solomon (2001).

Emerging from Solomon’s own painful experience, this “anatomy” of depression examines its many faces – plus its science, sociology and treatment. The book’s combination of honesty, scholarly rigour and poetry made it a benchmark in literary memoir and understanding of mental health. Read the review

Tenth of December

By george saunders (2013).

This warm yet biting collection of short stories by the Booker-winning American author will restore your faith in humanity. No matter how weird the setting – a futuristic prison lab, a middle-class home where human lawn ornaments are employed as a status symbol – in these surreal satires of post-crash life Saunders reminds us of the meaning we find in small moments. Read the review

Chart-topping history of humanity … Yuval Noah Harari.

by Yuval Noah Harari (2011), translated by Harari with John Purcell and Haim Watzman (2014)

In his Olympian history of humanity, Harari documents the numerous revolutions Homo sapiens has undergone over the last 70,000 years: from new leaps in cognitive reasoning to agriculture, science and industry, the era of information and the possibilities of biotechnology. Harari’s scope may be too wide for some, but this engaging work topped the charts and made millions marvel. Read the review

Life After Life

By kate atkinson (2013).

Atkinson examines family, history and the power of fiction as she tells the story of a woman born in 1910 – and then tells it again, and again, and again. Ursula Todd’s multiple lives see her strangled at birth, drowned on a Cornish beach, trapped in an awful marriage and visiting Adolf Hitler at Berchtesgaden. But this dizzying fictional construction is grounded by such emotional intelligence that her heroine’s struggles always feel painfully, joyously real. Read the review

A stage adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night‑Time

By mark haddon (2003).

Fifteen-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone becomes absorbed in the mystery of a dog’s demise, meticulously investigating through diagrams, timetables, maps and maths problems. Haddon’s fascinating portrayal of an unconventional mind was a crossover hit with both adults and children and was adapted into a very successful stage play. Read the review

The Shock Doctrine

By naomi klein (2007).

In this urgent examination of free-market fundamentalism, Klein argues – with accompanying reportage – that the social breakdowns witnessed during decades of neoliberal economic policies are not accidental, but in fact integral to the functioning of the free market, which relies on disaster and human suffering to function. Read the review

Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee in The Road, based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel.

by Cormac McCarthy (2006)

A father and his young son, “each the other’s world entire”, trawl across the ruins of post-apocalyptic America in this terrifying but tender story told with biblical conviction. The slide into savagery as civilisation collapses is harrowing material, but McCarthy’s metaphysical efforts to imagine a cold dark universe where the light of humanity is winking out are what make the novel such a powerful ecological warning. Read the review

The Corrections

By jonathan franzen (2001).

The members of one ordinarily unhappy American family struggle to adjust to the shifting axes of their worlds over the final decades of the 20th century. Franzen’s move into realism reaped huge literary rewards: exploring both domestic and national conflict, this family saga is clever, funny and outrageously readable. Read the review

The Sixth Extinction

By elizabeth kolbert (2014).

The science journalist examines with clarity and memorable detail the current crisis of plant and animal loss caused by human civilisation (over the past half billion years, there have been five mass extinctions on Earth; we are causing another). Kolbert considers both ecosystems – the Great Barrier Reef, the Amazon rainforest – and the lives of some extinct and soon-to-be extinct creatures including the Sumatran rhino and “the most beautiful bird in the world”, the black-faced honeycreeper of Maui. Read the review

Sensuous love story … Sarah Waters.

Fingersmith

By sarah waters (2002).

Moving from the underworld dens of Victorian London to the boudoirs of country house gothic, and hingeing on the seduction of an heiress, Waters’s third novel is a drippingly atmospheric thriller, a smart study of innocence and experience, and a sensuous lesbian love story – with a plot twist to make the reader gasp. Read the review

Nickel and Dimed

By barbara ehrenreich (2001).

In this modern classic of reportage, Ehrenreich chronicled her attempts to live on the minimum wage in three American states. Working first as a waitress, then a cleaner and a nursing home aide, she still struggled to survive, and the stories of her co-workers are shocking. The US economy as she experienced it is full of routine humiliation, with demands as high as the rewards are low. Two decades on, this still reads like urgent news. Read the review

The Plot Against America

By philip roth (2004).

What if aviator Charles Lindbergh, who once called Hitler “a great man”, had won the US presidency in a landslide victory and signed a treaty with Nazi Germany? Paranoid yet plausible, Roth’s alternative-world novel is only more relevant in the age of Trump. Read the review

My Brilliant Friend

By elena ferrante (2011), translated by ann goldstein (2012).

Powerfully intimate and unashamedly domestic, the first in Ferrante’s Neapolitan series established her as a literary sensation. This and the three novels that followed documented the ways misogyny and violence could determine lives, as well as the history of Italy in the late 20th century.

Half of a Yellow Sun

By chimamanda ngozi adichie (2006).

When Nigerian author Adichie was growing up, the Biafran war “hovered over everything”. Her sweeping, evocative novel, which won the Orange prize, charts the political and personal struggles of those caught up in the conflict and explores the brutal legacy of colonialism in Africa. Read the review

Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas

David mitchell (2004).

The epic that made Mitchell’s name is a Russian doll of a book, nesting stories within stories and spanning centuries and genres with aplomb. From a 19th-century seafarer to a tale from beyond the end of civilisation, via 1970s nuclear intrigue and the testimony of a future clone, these dizzying narratives are delicately interlinked, highlighting the echoes and recurrences of the vast human symphony. Read the review

by Ali Smith (2016)

Smith began writing her Seasonal Quartet, a still-ongoing experiment in quickfire publishing, against the background of the EU referendum. The resulting “first Brexit novel” isn’t just a snapshot of a newly divided Britain, but a dazzling exploration into love and art, time and dreams, life and death, all done with her customary invention and wit. Read the review

A meditation on what it means to be a black American today … Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Between the World and Me

By ta-nehisi coates (2015).

Coates’s impassioned meditation on what it means to be a black American today made him one of the country’s most important intellectuals and writers. Having grown up the son of a former Black Panther on the violent streets of Baltimore, he has a voice that is challenging but also poetic. Between the World and Me takes the form of a letter to his teenage son, and ranges from the daily reality of racial injustice and police violence to the history of slavery and the civil war: white people, he writes, will never remember “the scale of theft that enriched them”. Read the review

The Amber Spyglass

By philip pullman (2000).

Children’s fiction came of age when the final part of Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy became the first book for younger readers to win the Whitbread book of the year award. Pullman has brought imaginative fire and storytelling bravado to the weightiest of subjects: religion, free will, totalitarian structures and the human drive to learn, rebel and grow. Here Asriel’s struggle against the Authority reaches its climax, Lyra and Will journey to the Land of the Dead, and Mary investigates the mysterious elementary particles that lend their name to his current trilogy: The Book of Dust. The Hollywood-fuelled commercial success achieved by JK Rowling may have eluded Pullman so far, but his sophisticated reworking of Paradise Lost helped adult readers throw off any embarrassment at enjoying fiction written for children – and publishing has never looked back. Read the review

by WG Sebald (2001), translated by Anthea Bell (2001)

Sebald died in a car crash in 2001, but his genre-defying mix of fact and fiction, keen sense of the moral weight of history and interleaving of inner and outer journeys have had a huge influence on the contemporary literary landscape. His final work, the typically allusive life story of one man, charts the Jewish disapora and lost 20th century with heartbreaking power. Read the review

From left:  Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield in the 2010 film adaptation of Never Let Me Go.

Never Let Me Go

By kazuo ishiguro (2005).

From his 1989 Booker winner The Remains of the Day to 2015’s The Buried Giant , Nobel laureate Ishiguro writes profound, puzzling allegories about history, nationalism and the individual’s place in a world that is always beyond our understanding. His sixth novel, a love triangle set among human clones in an alternative 1990s England, brings exquisite understatement to its exploration of mortality, loss and what it means to be human. Read the review

Secondhand Time

By svetlana alexievich (2013), translated by bela shayevich (2016).

The Belarusian Nobel laureate recorded thousands of hours of testimony from ordinary people to create this oral history of the Soviet Union and its end. Writers, waiters, doctors, soldiers, former Kremlin apparatchiks, gulag survivors: all are given space to tell their stories, share their anger and betrayal, and voice their worries about the transition to capitalism. An unforgettable book, which is both an act of catharsis and a profound demonstration of empathy.

by Marilynne Robinson (2004)

Robinson’s meditative, deeply philosophical novel is told through letters written by elderly preacher John Ames in the 1950s to his young son who, when he finally reaches an adulthood his father won’t see, will at least have this posthumous one-sided conversation: “While you read this, I am imperishable, somehow more alive than I have ever been.” This is a book about legacy, a record of a pocket of America that will never return, a reminder of the heartbreaking, ephemeral beauty that can be found in everyday life. As Ames concludes, to his son and himself: “There are a thousand thousand reasons to live this life, every one of them sufficient.” Read the review

Hilary Mantel captures ‘a sense of history listening and talking to itself’.

by Hilary Mantel (2009)

Mantel had been publishing for a quarter century before the project that made her a phenomenon, set to be concluded with the third part of the trilogy, The Mirror and the Light , next March. To read her story of the rise of Thomas Cromwell at the Tudor court, detailing the making of a new England and the self-creation of a new kind of man, is to step into the stream of her irresistibly authoritative present tense and find oneself looking out from behind her hero’s eyes. The surface details are sensuously, vividly immediate, the language as fresh as new paint; but her exploration of power, fate and fortune is also deeply considered and constantly in dialogue with our own era, as we are shaped and created by the past. In this book we have, as she intended, “a sense of history listening and talking to itself”. Read the review

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  • Ta-Nehisi Coates

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30 Contemporary Fiction Novels for Your Book Bucket List

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These contemporary fiction books will give you plenty of options to add to your lifetime reading list. These are some of the best modern novels, and many of these realistic books straddle the line of literary fiction and popular fiction, making them compelling, highly readable and discussable books.

Looking for the best contemporary fiction books to add to your list of books to read in a lifetime? This list of contemporary novels will help you narrow down your own list of must-read modern books.

I’ve written before about  my reading bucket list , and I have tips for putting together  your own book bucket list . While you may not read all of the books on this list, the contemporary fiction list goes hand-in-hand with the others in my series on books for your lifetime reading list.

How to Use These Lists of Bucket List Books

I firmly believe that a “reading bucket list” or “lifetime must-read list” (if you don’t like the term bucket list) is a personal thing.

Rather than follow a prescriptive set of classics defined by someone else, I think readers should choose the books that pique their interest–often in ways beyond the entertainment value.

This, for me, is what makes a bucket list book . I try to add books to my list that spark some intellectual and cultural curiosity. I like to use a reading journal to keep track of the books I add to my reading bucket list.

A bucket list book may not be the easiest read, or one that I grab for a cozy curl up with a book , but it’s one that stretches my thinking, understanding, and/or empathy . Sometimes it’s purely a literary thing, and sometimes it’s a broader cultural or political understanding that I’m seeking.

Whatever your reasons for adding a book to your bucket list, use these lists as a jumping-off point. You can also check out my tips for  how to create a book bucket list that you’ll actually finish . And be sure to share your own bucket list books in the comments!

If you need a book or two to get started,  take the quiz  for a personalized recommendation, then check out the full list below.

How I Created These Book Lists

There’s no science to pulling these lists together–any list like this could include countless books.

My point here is to get you thinking about the books you truly want to add to your lifetime must-read list. They don’t all have to be classics! I tried to build out my own bucket list with books from across genres.

The list of fiction books in this includes popular, well-reviewed, realistic books set in modern times; if these are not the type of books that speak to you, build out your own lifetime reading list with books from genres you enjoy.

CHOOSING THE MUST-READ BOOKS OF THE 20TH AND 21ST CENTURIES

Some of the books on my list are award winners (which sometimes get mixed reviews among regular readers, but are always ripe for discussion), some are books I’ve considered for my own reading bucket list, and some are just books that I love.

Some of the books I’ve included have had (or are having) a cultural moment–discussions around the topic, literary trends, screen adaptations, social or political movements–that have kept them in focus and make them candidates for a must-read bucket list.

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Two examples from recent years:  A Man Called Ove  and  Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine .

Both of these novels about quirky loners follow some recent trends. Will these stand the test of time and be books that we discuss years from now? It’s hard to say, but for the moment, they epitomize the recent literary trend toward “ up lit ”–books with an overall positive storyline that leave the reader feeling good.

Even the awards are getting in on this lighthearted book trend, if the recent Pulitzer winner  Less  is any indication. Would we add these to our bucket lists in 10 or 20 years? Time will tell. But many of these books have gotten so much attention and discussion, that I would venture to say that they are modern classic books.

WHAT IS CONTEMPORARY FICTION? AND, DEFINING THE GENRES

A few notes on these lists:

  • My genre definitions are rough. Here I’m defining “contemporary fiction” as roughly being realistic books set in the last thirty years or so, but some may be a bit older, or take place over a number of decades. I’ve generally looked at what I consider some of the best books of the late 20th century and the 21st century.
  • For the other lists, some books cross the genres as I’ve defined them, but I’ve tried to put most books only on one list, so you have more to choose from for your own bucket list.
  • I’ve read many of these, but when I haven’t yet read the book (or don’t have a good review and summary of my own), I’ve included the publisher’s summary in italics.

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30 of the best modern books that everyone should read, three junes.

Author: Julia Glass

This 2002 National Book Award-winning novel brings us into the lives of Paul, Fenno, and Fern over the course of three different summers. Their lives are woven together in different ways, but the story isn’t necessarily about their relationships with one another, but about each of their struggles to come to terms with the deaths of loved ones. A slow-mover, for me, but a nonetheless fascinating look at families , love, and how death and the things learned in the aftermath can define the lives of those left behind.

Commonwealth

Author: Ann Patchett

In Commonwealth, Ann Patchett brilliantly weaves together flawed families who fail one another over the decades but keep trying and trusting in spite of the failures.

Where you would expect villains, she instead presents complicated characters struggling with their own hopes, inadequacies, and feelings about the past and how to move forward. Where you would expect broken, bitter relationships, she shows the enduring power of loyalty, love, and forgiveness.

This is not an action-packed novel, but one where the subtle emotional tensions will resonate. Highly recommended, along with all of her other books.

Author: Fredrik Backman

In the declining Swedish town of Beartown, hockey is the one bright spot. The talented junior team–and one player in particular–have the potential to win it all and revitalize the town. But a brutal event at an after-game party could be the downfall of the team, the players, and the future of the town itself. As the residents grapple with their loyalties and their own morality, each one is forced to answer for themselves how much they are willing to sacrifice for the love of a town and game.

Backman veers away from the quirkiness that readers loved about A Man Called Ove , and instead brings sharp observations about small-town relationships, family, and the saving grace of team and sport. I’ll repeat many other readers on this point: you don’t have to love or know hockey to love this book.

The Heart’s Invisible Furies

Author: John Boyne

Cyril Avery was born to an unwed mother in Ireland in the 1940s–an unthinkable and shameful thing, at that time. Cyril is adopted by Charles and Maude Avery, who are indifferent and self-centered, but not neglectful.

From an early age, Cyril knows he’s different: not a “real Avery,” as Charles is quick to remind him, and realizing that he is not attracted to girls like his friends are–something that’s even more shameful at that time in Ireland. In fact, Cyril harbors a deep love for his womanizing friend and eventual school roommate, Julian Woodbead.

The book follows Cyril through his life, from his youth and twenties spent in hiding and public denial in a repressive Dublin to a more open life in middle age in Amsterdam and New York. Cyril’s search for identity, belonging, acceptance, and family is by turns funny, frustrating, and sad.

Author: Emma Donoghue

Five-year-old Jack has never known the world beyond Room. He lives there with Ma, who has made it into a world for him. But she has been a prisoner for seven years and she knows it’s time for Jack–and her–to have more of a life. But the terrifying escape plot is only the first part of the challenge. If they can make it out of Room, they then need to find their way to a new life, to feelings of security, to new identities, and ultimately back to each other. Room is terrifying for its basis in real-life events , but it’s also hopeful for its portrayal of the strength of the bond between parent and child.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Author: Gail Honeyman

Eleanor has her routine down to a science: work, weekly phone calls with her mother, and weekends with vodka (and nothing or no one else). She’s fine, and she’s even ready to pursue a relationship with a musician who seems perfect for her (though she hasn’t actually met him).

Never mind that she has no social life, no friends, and she tends to say brutally honest, awkward, and somewhat inappropriate things. She starts working out a self-improvement plan in anticipation of her future relationship with the musician, despite her mother’s cruel discouragement.

Meanwhile, she finds herself in an unexpected friendship with her coworker, Raymond, when they help an elderly gentleman after a fall. Slowly, the friendship helps draw Eleanor out of her isolation , but also pushes her toward difficult truths about herself, her past, and her future.

Eleanor is endearing for her mix of self-awareness and oblivious social awkwardness, and Raymond is an unexpected hero. This book manages to be funny, heartbreaking, and uplifting all at once.

Related: 11 Irresistible Books Like Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

A Little Life

Author: Hanya Yanagihara

Four friends move to New York after graduating from college with big dreams of successful careers. JB is an artist, Willem an aspiring actor, Malcolm an architect, and Jude a lawyer. The story brings the reader into the lives of each of the men, finally landing on Jude. It’s at this point that it’s clear that this is not just another post-collegiate New York story. Jude is insular and mysterious, and as the story progresses, the degree of his damage and suffering emerges.

A Little Life covers decades in the life of the men and it is one of the most devastating, riveting books I’ve ever read. Many readers count it among their favorites–just as many say they loved it but could never read it again. For more, also check out  The Story of the Story: 15 Things You Didn’t Know about A Little Life .

Related: 11 Devastating Books Like A Little Life

For A Little Life Fans

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Extremely loud and incredibly close.

Author: Jonathan Safran Foer

Nine-year-old Oskar Schell is many things–and precocious is definitely one of them. His father died in the World Trade Center on 9/11 and you will grieve with Oskar as he wanders New York searching for the lock that fits the key he found in his father’s closet. This book is about Oskar’s search for peace, his efforts to stay close to his father, and his fight to keep hold of his memories. Foer’s writing style isn’t for everyone, and Oskar is sometimes too brilliant to believe, but the handling of memory and grief here is both creative and sensitive.

Gifts for Readers

Dark grey t-shirt with The Secret Garden quote, If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.

Author: Andrew Sean Greer

This recent Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells the story of Arthur Less, a failing novelist on the brink of turning 50. When he receives an invitation to his former lover’s wedding, he decides to embark on an around-the-world journey to avoid the event. Less accepts various speaking engagements, award ceremonies, and teaching appointments to ensure that he will be out of the country. On this journey, Less ruminates on his past and dreads his future as an aging, single gay man (he feels there is no precedent for this) and failed writer .

Less is both frustrating and endearing, a bit bumbling, and above all, certain of his own failures. Those around him rarely disabuse him of these notions, but they also see more in him that he sees in himself. This book won’t be for everyone–it’s light on plot and heavy on wandering musings, and can be slow at times–but for a reader in the right mood it’s a sweet and sometimes funny read. Certain parts had me laughing out loud.

The Secret History

Author: Donna Tartt

This is the story of a group of classics students at an elite New England college and their relationships with each other and an eccentric but compelling professor. The students seem to strive for elitism and arrogance, and often toe the line of morality. They eventually cross it when they kill one of their own. You learn this on the first page and then are drawn into the tale of how they got to that point and the aftermath.

None of the characters are likable, but they are compelling in their insularity and self-destructiveness. The Secret History is among my favorite books , but it is divisive–people seem to either love it or hate it.

Fates and Furies

Author: Lauren Groff

One marriage, two stories. Fates and Furies tells the story of Lotto and Mathilde over the course of 24 years. Glamorous, fiery, and in love at twenty-two, they each enter into a marriage never fully understanding the perspective of the other. That overarching misunderstanding continues over the years and how they manage it becomes a driving force for their relationship and its successes and failures.

Groff is a talented writer; the story is complex and I enjoyed her use of language, but I can’t say that I enjoyed this book. It’s not an optimistic read, but you might say it’s a darkly realistic view of some marriages–maybe a little too dark for me. Nonetheless, it has received raves and awards (President Obama counted it among his favorites of 2015), so it might be the book for you.

A Visit from the Goon Squad

Author: Jennifer Egan

Bennie is an aging former punk rocker and record executive. Sasha is the passionate, troubled young woman he employs. Here Jennifer Egan brilliantly reveals their pasts, along with the inner lives of a host of other characters whose paths intersect with theirs. With music pulsing on every page, A Visit from the Goon Squad is a startling, exhilarating novel of self-destruction and redemption.

Author: Marilynne Robinson

This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the first in the trilogy set in Gilead, Iowa, takes the form of a father’s letter to his son. Rev. John Ames is 76-years-old and nearing the end of his life, but his son is only seven. In the letter, he reflects on his own life and relationships with his father and grandfather, and realizes some of his regrets–including his difficulty relating to a son so many years his junior, and that he won’t be around to watch him reach adulthood.

Robinson’s writing is quiet and meditative, but often astonishing in its perceptive observations on human nature . I also have  Lila  on my shelf but am waiting to read it until I need a curl-up-by-the-fire-with-tea book (probably in the fall or winter).

The Kite Runner

Author: Khaled Hosseini

Hosseini’s debut novel was not only the introduction of a new author, but it was also many readers’ first foray into Afghanistan. The innocent friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant takes a dark turn with one horrific incident, forever changing their relationship and their lives. Hosseini brings both the people and the country of Afghanistan to life, and while my favorite of his is  A Thousand Splendid Suns , The Kite Runner is still a stunning and essential read.

Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

After leaving a Nigeria under military rule, Ifemelu and Obinze plan to move to the United States to start a new life. But 9/11 keeps Obinze from joining Ifemelu, and over 15 years they each seek their own identities in very different ways.

Ifemelu pursues academics while facing her own blackness for the first time, now living in a country where her race is defining in ways that it wasn’t in Nigeria. Obinze, meanwhile, lives a life in dangerous limbo in London, where he is undocumented.

When they finally come together, they must determine if what they’ve learned about themselves and the world can allow them to be together in a new Nigeria.

Peace Like a River

Author: Leif Enger

When Reuben’s brother Davy flees after an encounter with bullies that ends in murder, 11-year-old Reuben, his poetic sister Swede, and his father follow him into the unforgiving Badlands. While the plot centers on the family’s search for Davy, the atmospheric writing touches on poetry, faith, and miracles–for which Reuben’s father seems to be a conduit.

This book manages to be both tragic and hopeful , and Enger is a writer whose prose is worth savoring.

The Goldfinch

When Theo Decker survives an explosion at the museum, his life is forever changed. His mother is killed, setting Theo on a journey to several homes and a rootless existence. Complicating Theo’s sense of disquiet is his secret: in the confusion of the blast, he took a priceless painting that he carries with him through the years. When he finally finds a sense of home and belonging in an antiques business, Theo’s secret could be his undoing. Tartt’s book won the Pulitzer Prize and I found it just as compelling as  The Secret History .

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Author: Junot Díaz

Oscar is a nerdy, overweight, hopeful teenager, growing up in the ghetto with his Dominican family. He wants nothing more than to fall in love and to be the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien. Oscar is endearing for his sweet insecurity, but also for how he embraces and immerses himself in the nerdy things he loves: anime, video games, comics, RPGs, fantasy and science fiction.

You hope for him, even knowing he is doomed to a brief life–and he does too, as he grapples with the fuku (curse) that plagues his family. This Pulitzer Prize-winning book is both character study and exploration of Dominican history and the immigrant experience.

A Brief History of Seven Killings

Author: Marlon James

On December 3, 1976, just before the Jamaican general election and two days before Bob Marley was to play the Smile Jamaica Concert to ease political tensions in Kingston, seven unnamed gunmen stormed the singer’s house, machine guns blazing. The attack wounded Marley, his wife, and his manager, and injured several others. Little was officially released about the gunmen, but rumors abounded regarding the assassins’ fates. A Brief History of Seven Killings is James’s fictional exploration of that dangerous and unstable time in Jamaica’s history and beyond.

The God of Small Things

Author: Arundhati Roy

Arundhati Roy’s modern classic is equal parts powerful family saga, forbidden love story, and piercing political drama. The seven-year-old twins Estha and Rahel see their world shaken irrevocably by the arrival of their beautiful young cousin, Sophie. It is an event that will lead to an illicit liaison and tragedies accidental and intentional, exposing “big things [that] lurk unsaid” in a country drifting dangerously toward unrest. Lush, lyrical, and unnerving, The God of Small Things is an award-winning landmark that started for its author an esteemed career of fiction and political commentary that continues unabated.

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Author: Jeffrey Eugenides

(I have actually read Middlesex, and I remember loving it, but it’s been long enough that I don’t remember it well enough to write my own mini-review. I think this is another one for my  reread list !) Here’s the publisher’s summary:  Middlesex tells the breathtaking story of Calliope Stephanides, and three generations of the Greek-American Stephanides family, who travel from a tiny village overlooking Mount Olympus in Asia Minor to Prohibition-era Detroit, witnessing its glory days as the Motor City and the race riots of 1967 before moving out to the tree-lined streets of suburban Grosse Pointe, Michigan. To understand why Calliope is not like other girls, she has to uncover a guilty family secret, and the astonishing genetic history that turns Callie into Cal, one of the most audacious and wondrous narrators in contemporary fiction. Lyrical and thrilling, Middlesex is an exhilarating reinvention of the American epic and the winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize.

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

Author: Karen Joy Fowler

Rosemary is 22 and hasn’t seen her brother or sister in years. Her sister was removed from the home before Rosemary was 6, and now she’s determined to learn more about the reasons. It’s been long enough since this book came out that you may already know the “secret” of this family, but if you don’t, I’ve removed it from the longer summary and won’t reveal it here.

Go in blind and don’t read more reviews, if you don’t know. If you have already read more, rest assured: what seems like it could be a gimmick is actually a smartly rendered novel about family, memory, and science. I loved this novel and would like to read it again.

American Pastoral

Author: Philip Roth

Often called Philip Roth’s masterpiece,  American Pastoral  won the Pulitzer Prize in 1997.  Roth’s protagonist is Swede Levov, a legendary athlete at his Newark high school, who grows up in the booming postwar years to marry a former Miss New Jersey, inherit his father’s glove factory, and move into a stone house in the idyllic hamlet of Old Rimrock. And then one day in 1968, Swede’s beautiful American luck deserts him.

For Swede’s adored daughter, Merry, has grown from a loving, quick-witted girl into a sullen, fanatical teenager—a teenager capable of an outlandishly savage act of political terrorism. And overnight Swede is wrenched out of the longer-for American pastoral and into the indigenous American berserk. Compulsively readable , propelled by sorrow, rage, and a deep compassion for its characters, this is Roth’s masterpiece.

White Teeth

Author: Zadie Smith

Epic and intimate, hilarious and poignant, White Teeth is the story of two North London families—one headed by Archie, the other by Archie’s best friend, a Muslim Bengali named Samad Iqbal. Pals since they served together in World War II, Archie and Samad are a decidedly unlikely pair. Plodding Archie is typical in every way until he marries Clara, a beautiful, toothless Jamaican woman half his age, and the couple have a daughter named Irie (the Jamaican word for “no problem”). Samad —devoutly Muslim, hopelessly “foreign”— weds the feisty and always suspicious Alsana in a prearranged union. They have twin sons named Millat and Magid, one a pot-smoking punk-cum-militant Muslim and the other an insufferable science nerd. The riotous and tortured histories of the Joneses and the Iqbals are fundamentally intertwined, capturing an empire’s worth of cultural identity, history, and hope.

Author: Chris Cleave

While the hype on the back of this book is kind of irritating (it’s not the most magical story ever and it’s definitely not a laugh riot), Little Bee is a beautiful, painful, horrifying novel—one worth reading. The story of the connection between Little Bee, a young Nigerian woman, and Sarah, an English wife and mother, unfolds slowly, alternating between their perspectives. Little Bee’s parts shine with lovely language and humorous insights, while Sarah’s fall a little flat, but I feel like this is part of the contrast of their experiences and how they respond. An important read that brings the horrors, fears, and hopes of asylum seekers to the doorstep.

The Hate U Give

Author: Angie Thomas

When 16-year-old Starr is witness to a police officer shooting her unarmed best friend, she is torn between staying silent and speaking out. Starr lives in two worlds: the world of her affluent private school and that of her black neighborhood that is rocked by the shooting. The case quickly makes national headlines and as tensions rise, Starr feels the pull to tell her side of the story and refute attacks on her friend’s character, even as she faces intimidation from police and local gangs.

This powerful novel inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement delves into the shootings of unarmed black people by police officers, the lack of justice in the aftermath, and white privilege. It is not just for a YA audience but is a must-read for everyone. One of the best of 2017.

Little Fires Everywhere

Author: Celeste Ng

The community of Shaker Heights is meticulously planned and picture-perfect, and the Richardson family is much the same. When their new tenants–mysterious, free-spirited artist Mia and her daughter, Pearl–move into town, the four Richardson children are enamored of both, and Pearl of them. As the families becomes more entwined, complications arise when the two mothers, Elena and Mia, find themselves on opposite sides of an adoption case. Elena suspects Mia is not all that she seems and starts digging into her past, rocking the worlds of Mia and Pearl and her own children.

Little Fires Everywhere is a study in the characters–their flaws, pasts, dreams, regrets, and fears–and how all of these hidden things affect their relationships and what happens next. Well-written and perfect for anyone looking for a simmering, emotional read.

A Man Called Ove

Ove is a solitary curmudgeon who is set in his ways and unreserved in his criticism of anyone who crosses his path. “Hell is other people” could well be Ove’s mantra. But behind his rough exterior is a sweet, sad backstory and a soft-hearted man committed to his morals who is about to have his world rocked by several people (and a cat) who refuse to be held off by a few cranky words.

Ove is by turns funny, sad, and heartwarming . It’s delightful to watch his persistent new friends chip away at his hard shell to find the kind man lurking within.

Author: Mary Gaitskill

Velveteen Vargas is eleven years old, a Fresh Air Fund kid from Brooklyn. Her host family is a couple in upstate New York: Ginger, a failed artist on the fringe of Alcoholics Anonymous, and Paul, an academic who wonders what it will mean to “make a difference” in such a contrived situation. The Mare illuminates the couple’s changing relationship with Velvet over the course of several years, as well as Velvet’s powerful encounter with the horses at the stable down the road, as Gaitskill weaves together Velvet’s vital inner-city community and the privileged country world of Ginger and Paul.

Sing, Unburied, Sing

Author: Jesmyn Ward

Jojo is thirteen years old and trying to understand what it means to be a man. His mother, Leonie, is in constant conflict with herself and those around her. She is black and her children’s father is white. Embattled in ways that reflect the brutal reality of her circumstances, she wants to be a better mother, but can’t put her children above her own needs, especially her drug use.

When the children’s father is released from prison, Leonie packs her kids and a friend into her car and drives north to the heart of Mississippi and Parchman Farm, the State Penitentiary. At Parchman, there is another boy, the ghost of a dead inmate who carries all of the ugly history of the South with him in his wandering. He too has something to teach Jojo about fathers and sons, about legacies, about violence, about love.

Support Local Bookstores

Now, more than ever, local bookstores need our support. If you are purchasing books, consider buying local or from Bookshop.org , which supports local, independent bookstores.

Shop my book lists or search Bookshop.org for your next great read:

Shop this list on Bookshop.

You might also like:

  • 11 Unputdownable Contemporary Page-Turners
  • 7 Must-Read Books about Family Dramas
  • Books to Read if You Love This Is Us
  • 12 Great Books About Loners and Endearing Misfits

Others in the Reading Bucket List Series:

  • 50 Books on My Reading Bucket List
  • 30 20th Century Classics by Women for Your Reading Bucket List
  • 30 Historical Fiction Novels for Your Reading Bucket List
  • 30 Middle Grade Books for Your Reading Bucket List
  • 30 Memoirs and Nonfiction Books for Your Reading Bucket List
  • How to Create a Reading Bucket List that You’ll Actually Finish

Allison is a dedicated book lover, writer, and lifelong learner with an undeniable passion for books and reading. As the founder of Mind Joggle, she helps busy, overwhelmed women reclaim their mental space and make books a transformative part of their lives. She holds an Ed.M in Technology in Education from Harvard University and a BS in Scientific and Technical Communication from the University of Minnesota.

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Zulie Writes

What Is Contemporary Fiction? A Comprehensive Guide for Readers

I used to think I hated contemporary fiction. I liked fantasy; I liked Jane Austen. I did not like “women’s fiction.”

Looking back, it’s because I didn’t really understand what contemporary fiction is. It’s kind of a confusing genre, encompassing vast swathes of books. Nowadays, I’m as big a fan of contemporary fiction as I am in almost every other genre.

Let's start with the basics. What is contemporary fiction, you ask? Simply put, it's fiction that is set in the present day. It's a literary genre that explores current and modern-day themes and issues.

Contemporary fiction can encompass a range of sub-genres, including romance, mystery, science fiction, and more. But what sets it apart from other genres? Let’s find out.

What Sets Contemporary Fiction Apart From Other Genres?

Sometimes it’s helpful to define a genre by comparing it to what it isn’t. Let’s start with some almost-overlapping genres.

Literary fiction: While contemporary fiction can fall under the umbrella of literary fiction, it is not necessarily the same. Literary fiction can be more focused on language and style, whereas contemporary fiction tends to focus more on plot and character development.

Realistic fiction: Some people say these are the same thing, but in my mind there is a distinction. Contemporary fiction can be considered a sub-genre of realistic fiction. But the key difference is the time period. Realistic fiction can happen in the past, while contemporary fiction is more of a modern-day vibe.

Sub-genres: What about other literary sub-genres like mystery or romance? Well, contemporary fiction can overlap with these genres as well. Many contemporary fiction books incorporate elements of mystery and romance into their stories, creating a unique blend of genres.

What truly sets contemporary fiction apart?

It's the focus on the here and now. Contemporary fiction is always set in the present time, dealing with current events, societal issues, and modern technology. It's the genre that captures the essence of the current zeitgeist.

So, there you have it. Now you know what sets contemporary fiction apart from other genres. But don't just take my word for it, read some contemporary fiction for yourself and experience the genre firsthand!

The Evolution of Contemporary Fiction Thanks to More Underrepresented Voices

Contemporary fiction is a constantly evolving genre that reflects the changes in our world. As “contemporary” changes, so too does the genre.

In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on diversity in contemporary fiction, which is fantastic. Finally, we are moving away from white, straight contemporary fiction.

Authors from marginalized communities have been given a bigger platform to tell their stories, and themes of race, gender, and sexuality have become more prevalent. This has led to a more diverse and inclusive range of voices in contemporary literature, and a greater representation of the world we live in. And it’s a pleasure and delight to read them.

Who Writes Contemporary Fiction?

Contemporary fiction is a vast and diverse genre, with a wide range of authors contributing to its many sub-genres. Let's take a closer look at some of the most popular sub-genres of contemporary fiction and who writes them.

Women's Fiction

It’s a little derogatory; nobody calls Michael Crighton a “men’s fiction” writer. But there’s no better term out there yet, so I’ll use it.

Women's fiction is a sub-genre of contemporary fiction that generally focuses on the experiences of women. Popular authors in this genre include Kristin Hannah , Jodi Picoult , and Liane Moriarty . These authors often tackle themes such as family relationships, love, and womanhood.

Crime Fiction

Crime fiction is another popular sub-genre of contemporary fiction. Authors such as James Patterson , Michael Connelly , and Lee Child are well-known for their crime novels, which often feature detectives, police officers, and other law enforcement figures trying to solve mysteries and catch criminals.

Science Fiction

Science fiction is a genre that explores imaginative and futuristic concepts, often involving advanced science and technology. Popular contemporary science fiction authors include Andy Weir , Margaret Atwood , and Neal Stephenson .

Sci-fi is a weird one, but I think you can successfully classify it into contemporary fiction. Andy Weir’s novels are possibly the best example; he does so much research and uses his physics background to make sure they’re feasible. They haven’t happened yet, but they’re definitely fiction and arguably contemporary.

Other Sub-Genres of Contemporary Fiction

Other sub-genres of contemporary fiction include romance, young adult fiction, and literary fiction. Some well-known authors in these genres include Nicholas Sparks , John Green , and Donna Tartt .

As you can see, there is no shortage of talented authors contributing to the world of contemporary fiction. Whether you prefer science fiction or women's fiction, there is sure to be an author out there who speaks to your interests and passions.

Why Read Contemporary Fiction?

There are as many reasons to read contemporary fiction as there are readers. I read it it both to escape, but also to highlight reflections from my real life.

For example, I’m a queer woman, but I’ve married a man (and I love him and our life together!). I love to read queer contemporary romances to explore a facet of my personality that I wouldn’t want to in real life.

Let's face it, we all need to escape reality sometimes, and there's no better way to do so than by diving into a good book. But why choose contemporary fiction over other genres? Here are a few reasons:

It's relevant: Contemporary fiction deals with current issues and topics that are important to our world today. Reading contemporary fiction can help us better understand these issues and encourage us to think critically about them.

It's relatable: Contemporary fiction often explores the human experience, and we can see ourselves and our struggles reflected in the characters we read about. This can be both comforting and eye-opening.

It's diverse: With a wide range of authors and sub-genres, contemporary fiction offers something for everyone. Whether you're interested in romance, mystery, science fiction, or something else entirely, you're sure to find a book that suits your taste.

It expands your worldview: By reading contemporary fiction from a variety of authors, from James Patterson to Casey McQuiston, we can gain new perspectives and broaden our understanding of the world around us. We can learn about different cultures, lifestyles, and experiences, and develop empathy for people who are different from us.

Whether you're looking for an escape, a new perspective, or just a good story, contemporary fiction is definitely worth checking out.

Not convinced yet? I’ll sway you with some recommended contemporary fiction titles in the next section.

How to Choose a Good Contemporary Fiction Book?

Maybe you're ready to dive into the world of contemporary fiction, but you're not sure where to start. Fear not, dear reader. I’ve got some tips to help you choose the perfect book.

1. Read reviews. Don't rely solely on a book's synopsis or cover. Check out what other readers have to say about the book. Goodreads and Amazon are great places to start for reviews. This is the review that convinced me to read Kiss Her Once For Me, a gay holiday romcom.

Pro Tip: Look for reviews by readers who have similar tastes to yours. If they loved it, chances are you will too!

2. Consider the author's reputation. Have they written other books that you enjoyed? Do they have a strong following in the literary world? A well-respected author can be a good indicator of a quality book.

But don't be afraid to branch out and try new authors. Some of the best books come from debut authors or writers who are lesser known.

3. Trust your personal preferences. Do you prefer fast-paced thrillers or slow-burning dramas? Are you drawn to books with diverse characters or stories that explore universal themes? Keep these factors in mind when selecting a book.

Remember, choosing a book is a subjective process. What may be a favorite of one reader, may not resonate with another. Take the time to find what works for you and enjoy the journey.

Popular Contemporary Fiction Titles

Ready to dive into some contemporary fiction? Check out these popular and critically acclaimed titles:

Here’s where you can buy them.*

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

Normal People

Such a Fun Age *These are affiliate links, which mean I earn a small commission if you end up buying these books at no cost to you!

These books cover a range of themes and genres within contemporary fiction, from family drama to social commentary to realistic fiction with a hint of romance. No matter what kind of story you're looking for, you're sure to find something compelling on this list.

Where to Find Contemporary Fiction

So, you're interested in reading some contemporary fiction, but you have no idea where to find it. Don't despair, dear reader, for we have some suggestions that will have you knee-deep in pages in no time!

Let's start with the obvious – bookstores. Whether you prefer large chains or quaint independent shops, bookstores are always a great place to start your search for contemporary fiction.

Not only can you browse through a vast selection of books, but you can also get recommendations from knowledgeable staff who are often book lovers themselves. Plus, you get to support local businesses and keep the magic of physical books alive.

Online Retailers

If you prefer shopping from the comfort of your own home, then online retailers such as Bookshop.org is a great ethical alternative to Amazon for finding contemporary fiction. Not only do they have a massive selection of books, but they also offer features such as reviews and recommendations to help you make informed decisions. Plus, Bookshop helps support small, indie bookstores. They’ve donated over $26 million so far!

Don't underestimate the power of your local library when it comes to finding contemporary fiction. Libraries not only have current bestsellers but also often have lesser-known titles that you may not find at a bookstore or online. Plus, borrowing books from the library is a great way to save money while still satisfying your reading cravings. Just make sure to return them on time, or you'll be facing some hefty late fees.

Whichever option you choose, we hope you find the contemporary fiction book of your dreams (or nightmares, if you're into that sort of thing).

Frequently Asked Questions About Contemporary Fiction

Still have some burning questions about contemporation fiction? Let me hit you with some FAQs about this fascinating genre.

Is contemporary fiction the same as literary fiction?

This is an opinion. In my mind, no, they’re not the same although the two genres can overlap. Contemporary fiction is a broad term that encompasses any fictional work set in modern times, while literary fiction is typically more focused on exploring complex themes and characters.

I would argue, for example, that Jane Eyre is literary fiction and not contemporary fiction, though it may have been contemporary when it was published in the late 1800s.

Can contemporary fiction be realistic or does it have to be based on fantasy?

Contemporary fiction can be both realistic and speculative. The genre is defined by its modern setting, rather than any specific themes or subject matter. Take MArgaret Atwood, for instance. The woman knows how to speculate. But it’s still contemporary, because it could happen today.

What is the difference between contemporary fiction and other genres like crime or romance?

The main difference is that contemporary fiction encompasses any fictional work set in modern times, while crime or romance are specific sub-genres that have their own distinct characteristics and tropes. But I believe many sub-genres happily fall into the contemporary fiction main genre. Like Kiss Her Once For Me — it’s 100% a romance novel, but it’s also contemporary fiction.

Is contemporary fiction only written by certain authors or can anyone write it?

Anyone can write contemporary fiction ! And there are many exciting new voices emerging in the genre all the time. I encourage you to try new authors! It’s a thrilling time to be a contemporary fiction fan because there are so many new voices and ideas being platformed at the moment.

However, some authors have become associated with specific sub-genres, such as women's fiction or science fiction.

Why should I read contemporary fiction when there are so many classic/fantasy/non-fiction books to choose from?

Reading contemporary fiction can help you stay up-to-date with current cultural trends and spark your imagination with fresh, innovative ideas. Plus, who doesn't love discovering a new favorite author before they become a household name?

How do I know if a contemporary fiction book is worth reading?

Check out reviews from reputable sources, look up the author's previous work, and trust your gut. If a book sounds interesting to you, give it a try! You never know what exciting new worlds you might discover.

Final Thoughts on What Contemporary Fiction Really Is

In short, it’s fiction that could happen int he present day. No magic, no non-fiction, no historical past.

It’s one of my favorite genres thanks to its breadth and depth. I think today’s contemporary fiction scene is the richest yet, and I can’t wait to see what new authors emerge.

Hopefully these answers have helped demystify contemporary fiction for you. Now, go forth and explore all the amazing stories this genre has to offer!

what are contemporary books

Who is Zulie Writes Staff ?

4 Hidden Gems Where I Got Paid Online Writing Jobs

How to become a notary and earn money in your free time.

Tolstoy Therapy

20 of the best modern novels of the 21st century

I only share books I know and love. If you buy through my links, I may earn a commission (learn more).

best modern novels of the 21st century

I’ve been thinking a lot about classic books lately. I recently shared my list of the best classic books everyone should read , but as I put this together, I kept asking myself one question…

What about the best novels of the 21st century ?

I’ve been chipping away at this list for a few weeks now, including the best contemporary novels from the last twenty years that I think everyone should read.

These are the modern books I think will become classics (if they aren’t already), including Pulitzer Prize-winners, one-of-a-kind graphic novels, and wonderfully immersive multi-generational novels .

Add these to your reading list, turn it into a modern classic books bucket list, or just pick one to escape into next. Enjoy!

The best novels of the 21st century that are becoming modern classics

The overstory by richard powers (2018).

what are contemporary books

The Overstory   is a Pulitzer Prize winner and, at least in my eyes, one of the best novels of the 21st century so far. It’s a paean to the vast, interconnected, and magnificently intricate world that we depend on in so many ways: the world of trees.

In this stunning and ambitious novel, Richard Powers weaves together interlocking fables that range from antebellum New York to the late twentieth-century Timber Wars of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. 

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (2009)

what are contemporary books

Not only do I think Cutting for Stone  is one of the best modern classic novels, but it’s also one of my top book recommendations if you  don’t know what to read . It starts fairly slowly, but soon becomes an incredible book that’s just as fantastic as Verghese’s 2023 bestseller The Covenant of Water .

Cutting for Stone is the story of Marion and Shiva Stone, twin brothers bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, coming of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution.

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (2002)

what are contemporary books

Kafka on the Shore is Murakami at his best : weird, escapist, and still so perceptive about what it feels like to be human. It’s one of my favourite  books to get lost in  and a real modern classic.

Comprising two distinct but interrelated plots, the narrative runs back and forth between the life of fifteen-year-old Kafka Tamura, who has run away from home, and an aging man called Nakata.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (2015)

what are contemporary books

A Little Life   has become known as  the book with content warnings .  Don’t read  A Little Life  and expect an easy read with a happy ending. But I still think it’s a book that offers beauty and – at times – a glimmer of hope.

Hanya Yanagihara’s modern classic novel is a group coming-of-age story about four bright and ambitious men who meet at college as randomly assigned roommates and remain crucial parts of each other’s lives.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (2014)

All the Light We Cannot See book

All the Light We Cannot See  nails the perfect formula for a story. It’s a heartbreaking book about love and life that will change the way you see the world .

As a  New York Times  bestseller and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this is the story of a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of WWII.

Circe by Madeline Miller (2018)

Circe book cover

One of the best modern novels I’ve read this decade, Circe  is Madeline Miller’s  captivating and defiant reimagining of the daughter of Helios and the ocean nymph Perse.

After unleashing her strange and destructive powers, Circe is banished to the island of Aiaia. But she won’t be left in peace for long, and it’s for an unexpected visitor, the mortal Odysseus, whom Circe will risk everything. If you love reading this, you can also get excited for the  HBO Max adaptation of  Circe .

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (2013)

what are contemporary books

How could I ignore Donna Tartt in a collection of modern classic books? The Goldfinch is Donna Tartt’s 2013 masterpiece of love, loss, and obsession . In this Pulitzer Prize winner, a young New Yorker grieving the loss of his mother is dragged into a gritty underworld of art and wealth.

(Note: At Donna Tartt’s usual cadence of a book a decade, we should be expecting another book soon… at least in theory.)

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver (2000)

Book_Prodigal Summer

Although Demon Copperhead won Kingsolver the Pulitzer, it’s Prodigal Summer that I always recommend. Crafted with luscious prose and depicting an abundant summer in bloom , Prodigal Summer  is one of the best modern novels set in nature .

The beautifully written story has three parallel plots, all focused around a farming community in the Appalachians. This trio must  start afresh , discover who they really are, and have faith in new beginnings.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (2020)

what are contemporary books

Winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, Piranesi is the story of a man who inhabits a mysterious and labyrinthine world of halls and chambers, known as the House, and spends his days exploring its many rooms and tending to its needs.

Susanna Clarke’s unique blend of fantasy and mystery , combined with gorgeous poetic language, has made this novel a true modern classic.

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (2006)

what are contemporary books

With her signature combination of cultural commentary and introspective reflection, Alison Bechdel is one of the most significant voices in contemporary queer and feminist literature of the 21st century. (She’s also the name behind the Bechdel Test .)

Bechdel’s graphic novel, Fun Home , is one of the best books of the 21st century, innovatively using the graphic novel format to tell a deeply personal story that explores themes of family, identity, and the nature of memory.

11/22/63 by Stephen King (2011)

what are contemporary books

If you ask book lovers for their can’t-put-down book recommendations , you’ll probably get bored of hearing  11/22/63 . But it really is fantastically gripping.

When the world lost President Kennedy on November 22, 1963, a country changed. But here, Stephen King asks – in his characteristic gripping way – what if someone could change it back?

That person turns out to be Jake Epping, a thirty-five-year-old English teacher in Maine, whose friend and owner of the local diner, Al, lets him in on a secret. He shares that his storeroom is a portal to the past, a particular day in 1958, where every turn leads to a troubled loner hatching a plan.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (2017)

what are contemporary books

Pachinko  is a modern masterpiece – and absolutely one of the best books of the 21st century so far. This  five-hundred-page epic  about multiple generations of a Korean immigrant family (and their changing fortunes) spans their homeland, Japan, and the US.

I re-read  Pachinko  in time for the Apple TV adaptation and found so much to fall in love with all over again. It’s so raw and compulsively readable – and a recommendation with one of the highest satisfaction rates for people who  don’t know what to read .

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (2003)

what are contemporary books

Not only is The Kite Runner one of the most popular books of the twenty-first century, but it’s also one of the most emotional books you’ll ever read. In fact, you’ll probably never forget it .

This is Khaled Hosseini’s story of Amir, a young boy from Kabul, and his relationship with his friend and servant, Hassan, against the backdrop of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2013)

what are contemporary books

I could choose several novels by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as the best modern classic books. But if I had to pick just one, I’d recommend Americanah , her striking 2013 story of two Nigerians making their way in the US and the UK.

Ngozi Adichie’s modern bestseller raises universal questions of race , belonging, the overseas experience for the African diaspora, and the search for identity and a home.

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (2011)

what are contemporary books

My Brilliant Friend is one of the best portrayals of female friendship in fiction , as seen through the lens of Elena and Lila, who grow up in a working-class neighborhood in Naples in the 1950s.

Read this modern classic for lyrical prose, emotional complexities, and a vivid look at the social and cultural milieu of post-war Italy.

Normal People by Sally Rooney (2018)

what are contemporary books

Normal People is the classic modern (and very dysfunctional) love story . It will make you want to scream at its characters, but if you’re anything like me, you can probably recognise something of yourself in them. Sally Rooney’s bestseller should be required reading for twentysomethings .

Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín (2009)

what are contemporary books

Brooklyn is one of the few modern novels I was required to read (in this case, as part of a modern Irish literature university module) that became one of my favourite books.

Colm Tóibín’s transatlantic story is one of the best modern novels about home and belonging , as well as a powerful exploration of how those notions – alongside our identity – are challenged the moment we leave our homeland to live abroad. Now in 2024, you can look forward to the much-awaited sequel, Long Island , in May.

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman (2001)

what are contemporary books

As one of the most influential young adult novels ever written, Noughts & Crosses is Malorie Blackman’s groundbreaking exploration of race, identity, and social injustice through the lens of a dystopian alternate reality.

The book tells the story of Sephy, a “Cross”, and Callum, a “Nought”, who fall in love in a society where the racial power dynamic is reversed from that of our world.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (2009)

what are contemporary books

The first person to win the Booker Prize for two novels in a trilogy (!), Hilary Mantel was a literary giant . Any of the books in the Thomas Cromwell series can be classed as modern classic books – or the best historical fiction of all time .

With masterful storytelling and meticulous research to begin the trilogy, Wolf Hall is Hilary Mantel’s impeccably crafted tale of Thomas Cromwell’s rise to become one of the most powerful men in the court of King Henry VIII.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (2016)

what are contemporary books

Homeg o ing  is Yaa Gyasi’s powerful multi-generational novel that follows the lives of two half-sisters born in the eighteenth century, Effia and Esi, and their descendants across eight generations in Ghana and America .

As one sister marries an Englishman and leads a life of comfort, the other sister is captured and sold into a very different life. With outstanding prose, this extraordinary novel illuminates America’s troubled history and legacy today.

The best modern books of the 90s that are now classics

Northern lights by philip pullman (1995).

what are contemporary books

You can argue that Northern Lights isn’t the best book in the trilogy, but it’s where His Dark Materials all begins for Lyra Belacqua and her daemon Pantalaimon.

With imaginative world-building, complex characters, and thought-provoking explorations of freedom, authority, and morality, Philip Pullman crafted one of the greatest modern classics.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (1993)

what are contemporary books

If you loved  The Handmaid’s Tale , read  Parable of the Sower  next. Octavia E. Butler wrote about race and gender at a time when science fiction was almost exclusively the domain of men, and crafted a world that’s eerily similar to our own.

In this influential modern classic, the badass  strong woman protagonist  is a teenager who spends most of the story disguised as a man while the world around her crumbles.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt (1992)

what are contemporary books

The Secret History  is Donna Tartt’s bestselling modern classic with dark academia vibes, centered around a group of isolated classic students at an elite New England college.

If you want to nerd out as you read this cult favourite, I’ve compiled a list of  the 30+ books mentioned in  The Secret History .

Looking for more of the best books for your reading list? I share some of the greatest novels of all time in these lists:

  • 30 best books of all time for your bucket list (classics + modern)
  • 10 of the best multi-generational novels to immerse yourself in
  • 20 of the best classic books to read in your lifetime [my must-read list]
  • 12 of the best classics that are actually easy to read

Lucy Fuggle is a professional writer, reader, and creator of Tolstoy Therapy. Drawing on her love for books and a degree in English Literature, she started Tolstoy Therapy in 2012 and has shared the most feel-good, cozy, and beautiful books for over a decade. After working as a content specialist with leading companies for nearly 10 years, she now focuses on her own websites and books ( Mountain Song , Your Life in Bloom , and Simple Business ). She grew up in England and now lives in Denmark with her husband. For more book recommendations, subscribe to Tolstoy Therapy's weekly email to inspire your reading list.

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  1. These must-read contemporary fiction novels are the perfect books if

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  2. 7 Great Contemporary Novels for Teenagers

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  3. The 30 best contemporary romance fiction books of 2021

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  5. The Best Contemporary Fiction

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  6. Contemporary Fiction: 33 Best Modern Books of All Time

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COMMENTS

  1. The 100 best books of the 21st century

    The 100 best books of the 21st century. Dazzling debut novels, searing polemics, the history of humanity and trailblazing memoirs ... Read our pick of the best books since 2000.

  2. 30 of the Best Contemporary Fiction Books Everyone Should Read

    30 of the Best Modern Books that Everyone Should Read. Three Junes. Author: Julia Glass. This 2002 National Book Award-winning novel brings us into the lives of Paul, Fenno, and Fern over the course of ... Commonwealth. Beartown. The Heart’s Invisible Furies. Room. Author: Emma Donoghue. ...

  3. What Is Contemporary Fiction? A Comprehensive Guide for

    Simply put, it's fiction that is set in the present day. It's a literary genre that explores current and modern-day themes and issues. Contemporary fiction can encompass a range of sub-genres, including romance, mystery, science fiction, and more.

  4. 20 of the best modern novels of the 21st century

    The best novels of the 21st century that are becoming modern classics The Overstory by Richard Powers (2018). The Overstory is a Pulitzer Prize winner and, at least in my eyes, one of the... Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (2009). Not only do I think Cutting for Stone is one of the best modern ...

  5. Contemporary Books

    Contemporary Books Showing 1-50 of 100,000 The Fault in Our Stars (Hardcover) by John Green (Goodreads Author) (shelved 7914 times as contemporary) avg rating 4.14 — 5,069,349 ratings — published 2012 Want to Read Rate this book 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars Fangirl (Kindle Edition) by