100 Best Books of the 21st Century

This is one of the 748 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.

About this list

Book Enthusiast Substack, 100 Books

The Book Enthusiast Substack created this list as a response to the 2024 NY Times "Best Books of the 21st Century" List. In total 1,327 people submitted ballots, which translated to 13,216 individual votes for 2,320 books.

This list was originally published in 2024 and was added to this site almost 2 years ago.

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Cover of 'Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow' by Gabrielle Zevin

Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow

Gabrielle Zevin

Cover of 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl

Cover of 'Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo' by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Cover of 'The Nightingale' by Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale

Cover of 'Homegoing' by Yaa Gyasi

Homegoing

Cover of 'Demon Copperhead' by Barbara Kingsolver

Demon Copperhead

Barbara Kingsolver

Cover of 'Educated' by Tara Westover

Educated

Cover of 'Know My Name' by Chanel Miller

Know My Name

Cover of 'Normal People' by Sally Rooney

Normal People

Cover of 'A Little Life' by Hanya Yanagihara

A Little Life

Hanya Yanagihara

Cover of 'All the Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr

All the Light We Cannot See

Cover of 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games

Suzanne Collins

Cover of 'Pachinko' by Min Jin Lee

Pachinko

Cover of 'Project Hail Mary' by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary

Cover of 'Station Eleven' by Emily St John Mandel

Station Eleven

Emily St John Mandel

Cover of 'The Great Believers' by Rebecca Makkai

The Great Believers

Cover of 'Tom Lake' by Ann Patchett

Tom Lake

Cover of 'Lessons In Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmus

Lessons In Chemistry

Cover of 'The Vanishing Half' by Brit Bennett

The Vanishing Half

Cover of 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' by Shelby Van Pelt

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Shelby Van Pelt

Cover of 'The Goldfinch' by Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch

Cover of 'Circe' by Madeline Miller

Circe

Madeline Miller

Cover of 'Beach Read' by Emily Henry

Beach Read

Cover of 'The Heart's Invisible Furies' by John Boyne

The Heart's Invisible Furies

Cover of 'Daisy Jones & The Six' by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy Jones & The Six

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Cover of 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief

Cover of 'The Great Alone' by Kristin Hannah

The Great Alone

Cover of 'The House in the Cerulean Sea' by Tj Klune

The House in the Cerulean Sea

Cover of 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini

Cover of 'Fourth Wing' by Rebecca Yarros

Fourth Wing

Cover of 'Beartown' by Fredrik Backman

Beartown

Fredrik Backman

Cover of 'The Night Circus' by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus

Erin Morgenstern

Cover of 'The Idea Of You' by Robinne Lee

The Idea Of You

Cover of 'The Midnight Library' by Matt Haig

The Midnight Library

Cover of 'Book Lovers' by Emily Henry

Book Lovers

Cover of 'Americanah' by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Americanah

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Cover of 'The Invisible Life Of Addie La Rue' by V. E. Schwab

The Invisible Life Of Addie La Rue

Cover of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Cover of 'The Women' by Kristin Hannah

The Women

Cover of 'Black Cake' by Charmaine Wilkerson

Black Cake

Charmaine Wilkerson

Cover of 'The Song of Achilles' by Madeline Miller

The Song of Achilles

Madeline Miller

Cover of 'A Gentleman in Moscow' by Amor Towles

A Gentleman in Moscow

Cover of 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Cover of 'Never Let Me Go' by Kazuo Ishiguro

Never Let Me Go

Cover of 'The Dutch House' by Ann Patchett

The Dutch House

Cover of 'Where The Crawdads Sing' by Delia Owens

Where The Crawdads Sing

Cover of '11 22 63' by Stephen King

11 22 63

Cover of 'The Glass Castle' by Jeannette Walls

The Glass Castle

Jeannette Walls

Cover of 'A Man Called Ove' by Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove

Fredrik Backman

Cover of 'My Brilliant Friend' by Elena Ferrante

My Brilliant Friend

Cover of 'Becoming' by Michelle Obama

Becoming

Cover of 'Just Mercy' by Bryan Stevenson

Just Mercy

Bryan Stevenson

Cover of 'Middlesex' by Jeffrey Eugenides

Middlesex

Jeffrey Eugenides

Cover of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' by Stieg Larsson

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Cover of 'Hello Beautiful' by Ann Napolitano

Hello Beautiful

Cover of 'Crying In H Mart' by Michelle Zauner

Crying In H Mart

Michelle Zauner

Cover of 'Red, White & Royal Blue' by Casey McQuiston

Red, White & Royal Blue

Casey McQuiston

Cover of 'When Breath Becomes Air' by Paul Kalanithi

When Breath Becomes Air

Cover of 'Cloud Cuckoo Land' by Anthony Doerr

Cloud Cuckoo Land

Cover of 'Rules Of Civility' by Amor Towles

Rules Of Civility

Cover of 'Fates and Furies' by Lauren Groff

Fates and Furies

Cover of 'Hamnet' by Maggie O'Farrell

Hamnet

Maggie O'Farrell

Cover of 'The Hate U Give' by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give

Cover of 'The Help' by Kathryn Stockett

The Help

Kathryn Stockett

Cover of 'The Time Traveler's Wife' by Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler's Wife

Audrey Niffenegger

Cover of 'Every Summer After' by Carley Fortune

Every Summer After

Cover of 'The Nickel Boys' by Colson Whitehead

The Nickel Boys

Colson Whitehead

Cover of 'A Court Of Thorns And Roses' by Sarah J. Maas

A Court Of Thorns And Roses

Cover of 'Verity' by Colleen Hoover

Verity

Cover of 'Writers & Lovers' by Lily King

Writers & Lovers

Cover of 'Yellowface' by R. F. Kuang

Yellowface

Cover of 'Bel Canto' by Ann Patchett

Bel Canto

Cover of 'The Underground Railroad' by Colson Whitehead

The Underground Railroad

Colson Whitehead

Cover of 'A Court Of Mist And Fury' by Sarah J. Maas

A Court Of Mist And Fury

Cover of 'An American Marriage' by Tayari Jones

An American Marriage

Cover of 'Babel' by R. F. Kuang

Babel

Cover of 'Cutting for Stone' by Abraham Verghese

Cutting for Stone

Abraham Verghese

Cover of 'The Year of Magical Thinking' by Joan Didion

The Year of Magical Thinking

Cover of 'Anxious People' by Fredrik Backman

Anxious People

Fredrik Backman

Cover of 'The Interestings' by Meg Wolitzer

The Interestings

Cover of 'This Is How It Always Is' by Laurie Frankel

This Is How It Always Is

Cover of 'Atonement' by Ian McEwan

Atonement

Cover of 'Little Fires Everywhere' by Celeste Ng

Little Fires Everywhere

Cover of 'Commonwealth' by Ann Patchett

Commonwealth

Cover of 'I’m Glad My Mom Died' by Jennette McCurdy

I’m Glad My Mom Died

Jennette McCurdy

Cover of 'Piranesi' by Susanna Clarke

Piranesi

Cover of 'This Time Tomorrow' by Emma Straub

This Time Tomorrow

Cover of 'Crazy Rich Asians' by Kevin Kwan

Crazy Rich Asians

Cover of 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Cover of 'Say Nothing' by Patrick Radden Keefe

Say Nothing

Patrick Radden Keefe

Cover of 'The Devil In The White City' by Erik Larson

The Devil In The White City

Cover of 'The Namesake' by Jhumpa Lahiri

The Namesake

Cover of 'We All Want Impossible Things' by Catherine Newman

We All Want Impossible Things

Catherine Newman

Cover of 'Wild' by Cheryl Strayed

Wild

Cover of '28 Summers' by Elin Hilderbrand

28 Summers

Elin Hilderbrand

Cover of 'In The Dream House' by Carmen Maria Machado

In The Dream House

Carmen Maria Machado

Cover of 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini

Cover of 'American Wife' by Curtis Sittenfeld

American Wife

Curtis Sittenfeld

Cover of 'Sea Of Tranquility' by Emily St John Mandel

Sea Of Tranquility

Emily St John Mandel

Cover of 'The Fault in Our Stars' by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars