A Premature Attempt at the 21st Century Canon

Vulture, 100 Books

A panel of critics tells us what belongs on a list of the 100 most important books of the 2000s … so far.

75 Books Every Woman Should Read

Jezebel, 75 Books

Jezebel lists the 75 books every woman should read. Here's their description:

We started you off with 20 culled from our editors' suggestions, and you guys took the ball and ran with it. A few notes on the compendium of 75 that you helped us compile below. As we said in the original post, most of the extant rosters of must-read classics are full of old white dudes. So our list is going to be mostly women. Which doesn't mean there are not myriad male-written must-reads! A second note: we're aware that "The Lottery" and "A Good Man is Hard to Find" are short stories. We were referring to the eponymous books that contained those stories as well as several others. Finally, we're in no way implying that this is the final word in amazing, rich, edifying books for women, so please refrain from the "OMG I can't believe you morons forgot X," comments, mkay? The alive 75, in no particular order,after the jump!

As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Best Non-Fiction from the NY Times Writers

New York Times, 68 Books

Inspired by The Guardian’s recent list of the 100 greatest nonfiction books, we here at the magazine decided to create our own list. Dispensing with all pretense to rigor — it’s a list, silly! — we simply asked each member of the staff to pick their five favorites.

The ZORA Canon: The 100 greatest books ever written by African American women

Zora, 100 Books

The ZORA Canon is a distinguished list featuring the 100 greatest books by African American women, marking a first in acknowledging this specific literary group. Rooted in a deep cultural tradition, it spans 160 years of literature, from pre-emancipation times to the present. The selection includes a wide array of genres, such as fiction, nonfiction, plays, anthologies, and poetry, covering a range of topics from historical to personal narratives. This list was meticulously compiled by a panel of experts in African American women's literature. It not only celebrates the contributions of these authors but also serves as a comprehensive reference for readers. The ZORA Canon is a tribute to underrecognized writers and a gateway for exploring the rich cultural and literary history of African American women.

100 Best Books

Montana State University, 106 Books

Michael Sexson, English teacher at Montana State University, in 2000 had his class of 45 students compose a list of the 100 greatest works of literature ever written, in their collective opinions.

Select 100

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 100 Books

"This list was compiled by tabulating nominations by UWM faculty, staff and students for the Select 100. It includes changes which have resulted from nominations received since the original list was released. We asked you to recommend books which you have found to be so useful and important that no one could consider himself/herself an educated or enlightened person without having read them. This is your cumulative response."

Inteliquest's World's 100 Greatest Books of All-Time

InteliQuest, 100 Books

InteliQuest contacted the literature departments of some of America's top universities and asked for their rankings of what they considered to be the greatest works of literature. We then compiled and analyzed these lists and chose the 100 books mentioned most often. The books in this collection are not presented in order of greatness. They are presented in chronological order

InteliQuest then sold the books on cassette tape

The 100 Favorite Novels of Librarians

Bookman.com, 100 Books

Based on a survey of Librarians conducted by Brodart Co., September, 1998 - March, 1999. Brodart is an international company that services libraries around the world.

The Great American Novels

The Atlantic, 136 Books

The Atlantic's list of "The Great American Novels" was created with the aim of redefining the American literary canon to include a broader, more diverse selection of works published in the last 100 years. The selection process involved consulting a wide range of experts, including scholars, critics, and novelists, to nominate books that were first published in the United States or intended for such publication. The final list, which includes 136 novels, was determined through extensive debate and consideration, focusing on works that offer unique insights and artful prose. Not limited to any specific number, the list features debut works, Pulitzer Prize winners, and books that have been subject to bans, all chosen for their ability to challenge, delight, and leave readers more informed and engaged.

Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels

Radcliffe Publishing Course, 100 Books

The Big Read

BBC, 200 Books

The Big Read was a survey on books carried out by the BBC in the United Kingdom in 2003, where over three-quarters of a million votes were received from the British public to find the nation's best-loved novel. The year-long survey was the biggest single test of public reading taste to date, and culminated with several programmes hosted by celebrities, advocating their favourite books.

Recommended Books

Academy of Achievement, 72 Books

Here, in their own words, are the answers to the question, What book did you read when you were young that most influenced your life? The answers reflect the wonderfully varied power of books, and remind us of some neglected timeless classics and other works we may want to take into our own lives.

This seems to be recommendations from celebrities, authors, critics, and other famous people

Big Read (German)

Germany, 100 Books

The Big Read initiative was launched in Germany by the public television broadcaster ZDF in 2004, under the name "Das große Lesen". Based on the BBC version of Big Read, it was designed as a game show to determine the top 50 books read and liked by the German people.

An initial list of 200 books was sent to more than 10,000 bookshops to start the survey. Supported by the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels and Stiftung Lesen 60,000 votes were already cast within the first week. Four weeks later the list had grown to 12,615 book nominations, and after the casting of 250,000 votes the 'winners' were determined.

The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels

Modern Library, 100 Books

Modern Library's 100 Best Novels is a 1998 list of the best English-language novels published during the 20th century, as selected by Modern Library from among 400 novels published by Random House, which owns Modern Library. The purpose of the list was to "bring the Modern Library to public attention" and stimulate sales of its books

The board of review consisted of Daniel J. Boorstin, A. S. Byatt, Christopher Cerf, Shelby Foote, Vartan Gregorian, Edmund Morris, John Richardson, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., William Styron and Gore Vidal.

My Favourite Book - Australian Big Read

Australian Big Read, 103 Books

In a unique initiative by ABC Television in Australia, a nationwide poll was conducted to discover the country's favorite books. Launched in September, the campaign encouraged Australians to nominate and vote for their most cherished literary works. The process attracted participation from tens of thousands of individuals, reflecting a wide spectrum of literary preferences across the nation. The results, revealed during a special program titled "My Favourite Book," showcased a diverse range of titles, including works by both international and Australian authors, highlighting the varied literary tastes among Australians. The endeavor not only celebrated beloved literary classics but also emphasized the importance of literature in Australian culture.

12 Novels Considered the Greatest Book Ever Written

Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Books

Literary critics, historians, avid readers, and even casual readers will all have different opinions on which novel is truly the “greatest book ever written.” Is it a novel with beautiful, captivating figurative language? Or one with gritty realism? A novel that has had an immense social impact? Or one that has more subtly affected the world? Here is a list of 12 novels that, for various reasons, have been considered some of the greatest works of literature ever written.

100 Essential Books

Bravo! Magazine, 100 Books

The Brazilian cultural magazine Bravo! selects 100 essential books.

TIME Magazine All Time 100 Novels

TIME Magazine, 100 Books

Time critics Lev Grossman and Richard Lacayo pick the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present.

The New Canon: What’s the Most Influential Book of the Past 20 Years?

The Chronicle of Higher Education, 20 Books

The Chronicle of Higher Education, which is a newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty and student affairs professional invited scholars from across the academy to tell what they saw as the most influential book published in the past 20 years. (Some respondents named books slightly outside our time frame, but were included anyway.) They asked them to select books — academic or not, but written by scholars — from within or outside their own fields. It was up to the respondents to define “influential.”

Waterstone's Books of the Century

LibraryThing, 102 Books

Waterstones is a bookstore chain with more than 200 stores in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Europe. In January 1997, Waterstones announced the results of its Books of the Century poll to find out what the public considered to be the hundred greatest books of the twentieth century. Over 25, 000 people took part in the poll and the Book of the Century was revealed as J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users

Culture Café, 499 Books

In October 2008, the Culture Café site asked Internet users to vote for their ten favorite books. After collecting 5,000 votes and listing more than 3,000 titles, here are the results of the 500 best chosen by Internet users of the site

Details on the method and classification

- A list of ten books was requested from Internet users, in order of preference of their favorite works (all genres, nationalities, and dates of publication). The votes were anonymous.
- Only the rankings containing the ten titles were counted. The votes containing fewer were automatically deleted by the software.
- The book arriving first in each ranking was awarded ten points, the second nine points, etc.
- The series of novels (Harry Potter, Dune, etc.) have been counted under the generic name of the complete series"

Books by Women That Every Man Should Read

The Guardian, 23 Books

Chosen by Ian McEwan, Salman Rushdie, Richard Curtis and more. The description on the website says:

Studies show men avoid female authors. Ahead of the Women’s prize for fiction, chair of judges Mary Ann Sieghart finds out why – and we ask male authors to redress the balance

The New Vanguard

New York Times, 15 Books

Our critics chose 15 remarkable books by women that are shaping the way we read and write fiction in the 21st century.

The Millions: The Best Fiction of the Millennium

The Millions, 20 Books

A poll of The Millions contributors and 48 of their favorite writers, editors, and critics, asking a single question: “What are the best books of fiction of the millennium(2000), so far?” The results were robust, diverse, and surprising.

Kanon na koniec wieku (Canon at the end of the century)

Rzeczpospolita (newspaper), 42 Books

Canon at the end of the century - a series of 25 (later expanded to 40) most important books of the 20th century published by a Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita (newspaper).

Donald Barthelme’s Reading List

Believer Mag, 78 Books

81 books recommended by Author Donald Barthelme to his students at the University of Houston.

The 100 Best Nonfiction Books of All Time

The Guardian, 100 Books

After two years of careful reading, moving backwards through time, Robert McCrum has concluded his selection of the 100 greatest nonfiction books. Take a quick look at five centuries of great writing

In Which These Are the 100 Greatest Novels

ThisRecording.com, 100 Books

ThisRecording.com Editor Alex Carnevale selects his choices for the "100 Greatest Novels of All Time".

Bill Gate's Book Recommendations

Bill Gates, 258 Books

All books recommended by Bill Gates

The Greatest Novel of All Time

William Faulkner, 1 Books

Author William Faulkner named Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" as the single greatest novel of all time.

Masterpieces of World Literature

Frank N. Magill, 244 Books

Scholar Frank N. Magill’s famous literary studies reference book. A selection of over 200 of the greatest works of literature of all time

20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction

Larry McCaffery, 116 Books

The 20th Century’s Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction is a popular "best of" list compiled by Larry McCaffery largely in response to Modern Library 100 Best Novels list (1999), which McCaffery saw as being out of touch with 20th-century fiction. McCaffery writes that he sees his list "as a means of sharing with readers my own views about what books are going to be read 100 or 1000 years from now".

Top 50 Irish Novels

James Joyce Center with The Irish Times, 50 Books

The James Joyce Center co-sponsored a contest with The Irish Times voting on the best Irish novels. They had a predetermined list of books which the voters could choose from.

Top 100 Killer Thrillers

NPR, 100 Books

NPR's "Killer Thrillers" poll has culminated in a definitive list of the top 100 thriller novels, selected through a process that involved the enthusiastic participation of NPR's audience. Initiating with a nomination of approximately 600 novels, the poll attracted over 17,000 ballots, reflecting a wide engagement and a deep interest in the thriller genre. The resulting list is noted for its diversity, spanning various styles and periods, and for the intense debate it spurred regarding the inclusion of certain titles that push the boundaries of the traditional thriller category. Expert panelists, including critics and novelists, contributed to the selection process, offering insights into the dark and suspenseful nature of the chosen works. The endeavor not only highlighted the varied tastes and preferences of the NPR audience but also underscored the expansive definition of what constitutes a thriller, embracing a breathless sense of excitement as the unifying criterion. This poll has effectively mapped the landscape of thriller literature as seen through the eyes of a wide and engaged readership, offering a rich resource for discovering compelling tales of suspense and adventure.

The 100 best books of the 21st century

The Guardian, 100 Books

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

What Is the Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years?

New York Times, 26 Books

The New York Times Book Review's editor, Sam Tanenhaus, sent out a short letter to a couple of hundred prominent writers, critics, editors and other literary sages, asking them to please identify...

The 50 Best Nonfiction Books of the Past 25 Years

Slate, 2 Books

Slate’s books team selects the definitive works of reporting, memoir, and argument of the past quarter-century.

75 Books by Women Whose Words Have Changed the World

Women's National Book Association, 75 Books

A different perspective on literature written by women. These works were selected by members of the Women's National Book Association in observance of their 75th anniversary in 1992. The list honours women "whose words have changed the world" and who "have brought insight, awe, and pleasure to countless readers over the years".

As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition

New York Times, 120 Books

This is the fiction version of the non-fiction list. The description of the non-fiction list is -- Inspired by The Guardian's recent list of the 100 greatest nonfiction books, we here at the magazine decided to create our own list. Dispensing with all pretense to rigor — it's a list, silly! — we simply asked each member of the staff to pick their five favorites.
Note. I did delete one entry where someone just listed one author. These are ranked at the top of the list. I aggregated the duplicates into a rank.

The Little Big Bulgaria Read

Bulgaria, 100 Books

This list is the Bulgarian version of the BBC Big Read, but only children voted. Big Reading is a campaign broadcast on Bulgarian National Television , with the aim of polling Bulgarians about their favorite novels. The show is based on the BBC 's Great Reading English format . It started in Bulgaria on October 5 , 2008 and ended on March 22, 2009 . Voting is done by e-mail, via the Internet , by telephone or by letter .

The Best Books of the 2000s

The Onion AV Club, 30 Books

The Best Books of the 2000s according to the Onion AV club. Includes Fiction and Nonfiction.

The Best Travel Books of All Time, According to Authors

Condé Nast, 75 Books

Condé Nast Traveler created a list of the best travel books based on multiple authors opinions. Here's the description from their website:

There are an astounding number of travel books out there. How to choose the best of the best? You can start by asking the experts. Back in 2007, Traveler enlisted a literary all-star jury that included Monica Ali, Vikram Chandra, Jennifer Egan, Francine Prose, Paul Theroux, and more to create a comprehensive list of the best travel books of all time. Then in 2020, we reached out to another batch of authors—Pico Iyer, Julia Phillips, and Imbolo Mbue, to name a few—to see what travel books have made a mark on them—an even more meaningful question during a year when travel was extraordinarily limited for most. We wanted to know which books, regardless of genre, changed the way they considered a certain culture or place or people; the books that inspired them both to write and to get out into the world themselves.

As you'll see below, the picks—old and new—carry their weight, proving many of the greats are just as relevant today as they were when first published. From David Sedaris's 2000 Me Talk Pretty One Day to Herodotus's 440 B.C. The Histories, read on for dozens of passionately endorsed and beloved travel books, presented in alphabetical order.

Top 10 British, Irish or Commonwealth Novels from 1980 to 2005

The Observer, 10 Books

The Observer asked 150 literary luminaries to vote for the best British, Irish or Commonwealth novel from 1980 to 2005.

The Modern Library: The Two Hundred Best Novels in English Since 1950

The Modern Library (Book), 209 Books

The authors have chosen the 200 books since 1950 that they consider to be the best. It includes some familiar names and some surprises. Witty and controversial, their aim is to encourage reading.

The Authors
- Dame Carmen Thérèse Callil, DBE, FRSL was an Australian publisher, writer and critic who spent most of her career in the United Kingdom. She founded Virago Press in 1973 and received the Benson Medal from the Royal Society of Literature in 2017
- Colm Tóibín FRSL is an Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, journalist, critic, playwright and poet. His first novel, The South, was published in 1990. The Blackwater Lightship was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

A Century of Reading

Lithub, 118 Books

LitHub did a best of each decade for every decade of the 20th century. The lists seem to have been written by Emily Temple, which is an author and critic.

Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 Novels

Entertainment Weekly, 111 Books

Entertainment Weekly’s Top 100 Novels (2013), as selected by the EW staff in its July 5th 2013 issue

The 50 Most Influential Books of All Time

Open Education Database, 51 Books

The "The 50 Most Influential Books of All Time," as compiled by the Open Education Database, celebrates literature's unparalleled power to inspire, educate, and transform individuals and societies at large. This diverse collection spans various genres, time periods, and subjects, illustrating the profound impact that written words can have on humanity's evolution. These books have been carefully selected for their significant contributions in shaping political and governmental landscapes, setting new benchmarks in literary excellence, challenging and reshaping societal norms, and advancing academic and intellectual discourse in science, religion, and beyond.

Great Books

The Learning Channel, 47 Books

"Great Books is an hour-long documentary and biography program that aired on The Learning Channel. The series was a project co-created by Walter Cronkite and former child actor Jonathan Ward under a deal they had with their company Cronkite-Ward, the The Discovery Channel, and The Learning Channel. Premiering on September 8, 1993, to coincide with International Literacy Day, the series took in-depth looks into some of literature's greatest fictional and nonfictional books and the authors who created them. The series is mostly narrated by Donald Sutherland." - Wikipedia

50 Books to Read Before You Die

Complex, 50 Books

Complex Magazine's selection of 50 must-read books.

The 50 Best Books of the Century

Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 50 Books

ISI defined "best" as "volumes of extraordinary reflection and creativity in a traditional form, which heartens us with the knowledge that fine writing and clear-mindedness are perennially possible."

All the books are non-fiction.

The first 5 are ranked, the rest are alphabetical.