I don't think I can name particular titles, but these are the authors that became instant Must Reads (and re-reads): Naomi Novik, Kate Atkinson, Ben Aaronovitch, Jennifer Egan, Jasper Fforde, Alison Bechdel, Jenny Colgan, Matt Ruff, John Scalzi, Elly Griffiths. I'm always looking for authors that amaze me AND go on to write lots of books! And thanks for the link to Bad On Paper; it looks like it will be a great resource for new authors.
Count me in as a third for the unsolved plot line!
Many of the books in your list are also in mine. I was bummed that News of the World was not on the NYT official list OR on their reader-submitted list because I love it so much. If you haven't looked at the reader submitted list, it is much more egalitarian.
I read Life After Life after you talked about it on your blog, it has to have been years ago now ! One of my favorites. Loved A God in Ruins and since then have read all of her books. Love the Jackson series!!! You've brought me many hours of good reading over the years, thank you Adrien !!!!!!!
PLEASE talk about the unsolved plot line, I never stopped thinking about In the Woods!
Love your new spot and all your recommendations !!!!
Thank you for posting this—just added a few titles to my library hold list! I also found the NYTimes list dark. I should read the reader-submitted one. My list would include “The Art of Fielding,” the Robert Galbraith Cormoran Strike series, and “Homegoing.”
Half of these are also my favorites, so I am reserving the rest at the library. Diane Setterfield's other books are marvelous, but The Thirteenth Tale is one of those that I still think about years after first reading it. There is a Juliet Stevenson-narrated audiobook version that I am going to listen to soon... I can only imagine that is the perfect rendition!
Ooh this is so juicy! OK I'm totally down to do this. But before that: PLEASE tell me the secret of In The Woods, I just read it in my book club and I am SO curious to know. Also just read 11/22/63 recently and loved it, but was shocked when half the book club hated it, didn't realize it would be polarizing. And the original Swedish trilogy of Girl With The Dragon Tattoo movies (staring Noomi Rapace) are absolutely worth tracking down.
OK in no particular order...
The Overstory – Richard Powers (well this IS actually #1 though, seriously everyone should read it)
A Visit From The Goon Squad - Jennifer Egan
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Michael Chabon
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood (the rest of this trilogy is great too)
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - Becky Chambers (and everything else she's written)
Circe - Madeline Miller
A Gentleman in Moscow – Amor Towles
The Three-Body Problem – Cixin Liu (but don’t stop here, read the whole trilogy)
Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
And I am currently reading Evidence of Things Unseen by Marianne Wiggins and I can easily see it making its way onto this list.
Thanks for this list -- I love the ones I have read and will add the others to my list. Speaking of Tana French -- just finished The Hunter and The Searcher, which were great. Could you do a super secret reveal of the the resolved In The Woods plotline??? I think about that book a lot, too. I agree with your assessment of the NYT list.... however, I did truly love Demon Copperhead and The Goldfinch. Another beloved book from the past several years is All the Light We Cannot See (not on the NYT list). Finally, the best book I have read so far this year (and I seem to be on a roll of good books) is This Strange Eventful History.
I must re-read In The Woods! But I always thought it was the narrator what done it. The others I've read are The Nickel Boys because I will read anything Colson Whitehead writes (and I think I have!) and The Thirteenth Tale, probably on your suggestion, because I don't know where else I would have heard of it. I would do a top 10 list for the 21st century but it might be of books I've read since 2001, as opposed to books written since then.
If you haven’t “read” 11/22/63 as an audiobook I highly recommend it. It’s so good I would arrive at work and struggle to stop the book and go on with my day. It was such an intriguing plot line and a nice departure for King.
I think my favorite thing about reading is that we all take something different away from books. I went and looked and I read Life After Life back in 2013 (probably after you recommended it) but I have zero recollection of it. I have only ever recommended Shantaram to anyone to read. I really loved that book.
Oooh, several of my favorites on your list, which means I am adding the rest of your list to my holds immediately. I feel like your book criteria are similar to my own. I love talking books. :-) I am also obsessed with In The Woods!
I don't think I can name particular titles, but these are the authors that became instant Must Reads (and re-reads): Naomi Novik, Kate Atkinson, Ben Aaronovitch, Jennifer Egan, Jasper Fforde, Alison Bechdel, Jenny Colgan, Matt Ruff, John Scalzi, Elly Griffiths. I'm always looking for authors that amaze me AND go on to write lots of books! And thanks for the link to Bad On Paper; it looks like it will be a great resource for new authors.
Count me in as a third for the unsolved plot line!
Many of the books in your list are also in mine. I was bummed that News of the World was not on the NYT official list OR on their reader-submitted list because I love it so much. If you haven't looked at the reader submitted list, it is much more egalitarian.
Messaged you!
I read Life After Life after you talked about it on your blog, it has to have been years ago now ! One of my favorites. Loved A God in Ruins and since then have read all of her books. Love the Jackson series!!! You've brought me many hours of good reading over the years, thank you Adrien !!!!!!!
PLEASE talk about the unsolved plot line, I never stopped thinking about In the Woods!
Love your new spot and all your recommendations !!!!
Messaged you! I don't want to post spoilers.
Thank you for posting this—just added a few titles to my library hold list! I also found the NYTimes list dark. I should read the reader-submitted one. My list would include “The Art of Fielding,” the Robert Galbraith Cormoran Strike series, and “Homegoing.”
Half of these are also my favorites, so I am reserving the rest at the library. Diane Setterfield's other books are marvelous, but The Thirteenth Tale is one of those that I still think about years after first reading it. There is a Juliet Stevenson-narrated audiobook version that I am going to listen to soon... I can only imagine that is the perfect rendition!
Ooh this is so juicy! OK I'm totally down to do this. But before that: PLEASE tell me the secret of In The Woods, I just read it in my book club and I am SO curious to know. Also just read 11/22/63 recently and loved it, but was shocked when half the book club hated it, didn't realize it would be polarizing. And the original Swedish trilogy of Girl With The Dragon Tattoo movies (staring Noomi Rapace) are absolutely worth tracking down.
OK in no particular order...
The Overstory – Richard Powers (well this IS actually #1 though, seriously everyone should read it)
A Visit From The Goon Squad - Jennifer Egan
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Michael Chabon
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood (the rest of this trilogy is great too)
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - Becky Chambers (and everything else she's written)
Circe - Madeline Miller
A Gentleman in Moscow – Amor Towles
The Three-Body Problem – Cixin Liu (but don’t stop here, read the whole trilogy)
Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
And I am currently reading Evidence of Things Unseen by Marianne Wiggins and I can easily see it making its way onto this list.
Great list! There are several here I've been meaning to read. I'll message you my In The Woods theories.
Thanks for this list -- I love the ones I have read and will add the others to my list. Speaking of Tana French -- just finished The Hunter and The Searcher, which were great. Could you do a super secret reveal of the the resolved In The Woods plotline??? I think about that book a lot, too. I agree with your assessment of the NYT list.... however, I did truly love Demon Copperhead and The Goldfinch. Another beloved book from the past several years is All the Light We Cannot See (not on the NYT list). Finally, the best book I have read so far this year (and I seem to be on a roll of good books) is This Strange Eventful History.
Messaged you my theories! I don't want to post spoilers.
I must re-read In The Woods! But I always thought it was the narrator what done it. The others I've read are The Nickel Boys because I will read anything Colson Whitehead writes (and I think I have!) and The Thirteenth Tale, probably on your suggestion, because I don't know where else I would have heard of it. I would do a top 10 list for the 21st century but it might be of books I've read since 2001, as opposed to books written since then.
If you haven’t “read” 11/22/63 as an audiobook I highly recommend it. It’s so good I would arrive at work and struggle to stop the book and go on with my day. It was such an intriguing plot line and a nice departure for King.
Oh, thanks! I will definitely do that.
I think about this narration a lot! It's very good.
I think my favorite thing about reading is that we all take something different away from books. I went and looked and I read Life After Life back in 2013 (probably after you recommended it) but I have zero recollection of it. I have only ever recommended Shantaram to anyone to read. I really loved that book.
Oooh, several of my favorites on your list, which means I am adding the rest of your list to my holds immediately. I feel like your book criteria are similar to my own. I love talking books. :-) I am also obsessed with In The Woods!
Another person absolutely begging for the unsolved In The Woods plotline please!
Messaged you my theories.
I wanna know too! Tana French lives rent free in my head!
Messaged you!
Me too, I want to know your theories!
Messaged you!
Okay- since you're sharing, I have to know, too!
Messaged you!