Episode · The Book Review · 2024-07-18
Books mentioned on The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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My Brilliant Friend
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante is the captivating first volume of the internationally acclaimed Neapolitan quartet, chronicling the complex lifelong friendship of two girls growing up in a poor yet vibrant neighborhood in Naples.
Discussed“I'd love to start with our number one book which I don't know was were people surprised was anyone in this room at least surprised that my brilliant Friend by Elena fante was according to our 5003 respondents the number one book of the 21st century”
Where to get it
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Gone Girl
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is a psychological thriller novel centering on the turbulent marriage and sudden disappearance of Amy Dunne, told through deceptive alternating perspectives.
Discussed“no I mentioned Gone Girl I think Gone Girl is one that should be on there”
Where to get it
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Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand is an acclaimed work of narrative nonfiction that chronicles the thrilling underdog career of a small, knobby-kneed racehorse and the broken men who brought him to national prominence during the Great Depression.
Discussed“no Gone Girl no prep by Curtis sittenfeld no Sea Biscuit by Laura hillenbrand”
Where to get it
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Prep
Discussed“what were you surprised at Tina that was not on this list since you brought it up what cultural moments no Gone Girl no prep by Curtis sittenfeld”
Where to get it
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Pastoralia
Pastoralia by George Saunders is a critically acclaimed collection of satirical short stories that examines modern alienation, consumerism, and institutional absurdity through deeply quirky and unforgettable characters.
Recommended“who wants to pick a fun book on this list pastoralia by George Saunders”
Where to get it
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Lincoln in the Bardo
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders is an experimental historical novel that imagines the grief of Abraham Lincoln visiting his deceased son in a cemetery populated by a chorus of ghosts.
Discussed“from Wolf Hall to the known world to the Underground Railroad to to penko to Lincoln and the BAU”
Where to get it
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The Fifth Season
N.K.
Discussed“we have one sci-fi fantasy one prominent sci-fi fantasy book on here which is the fifth season by enk jamson it certainly would have been great to to have seen more”
Where to get it
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Fun
Fun Home is a critically acclaimed graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel that explores the author's complex relationship with her closeted father, her own coming out, and the literary allusions that shaped her upbringing.
Recommended“if by pleasurable you mean laugh out loud funny I'm going to nominate Allison beckel's fun home”
Where to get it
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The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is a celebrated historical novel by Michael Chabon that explores the history of the comic book industry against the backdrop of the twentieth century.
Recommended“all right I would say going to the list number 16 The Amazing Adventures of cavalier and Clay Michael Shan's book about the history of the comic book industry is a complete Delight”
Where to get it
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The Sellout
The Sellout by Paul Beatty is a bold, satirical novel about race and racism in contemporary America that made history as the first American novel to win the Booker Prize in 2016.
Recommended“and then actually the one right after that on the list is the sellout by Paul batty which is a pretty impressive pretty bold satire about race and racism”
Where to get it
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H Is for Hawk
H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald is a critically acclaimed memoir that chronicles the author's harrowing journey through grief following the sudden death of her father, which she processes by training a notoriously aggressive goshawk.
Discussed“we have several Memoirs also H is for Hawk H is for Hawk”
Where to get it
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Random Family
Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc is a landmark work of investigative journalism that chronicles the lives of several individuals and families navigating poverty, the drug trade, and the criminal justice system in the Bronx over the course of a decade.
Discussed“random family the Adrian nicoa Blanc book that came out in 2001 2003 2003 it was on my list”
Where to get it
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The Corrections
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen is a sweeping, critically acclaimed novel that explores the complex dynamics of an American family at the turn of the twenty-first century, ultimately propelling the author to massive mainstream prominence.
Discussed“the the Known World by Edward p Jones also 2003 as is the corrections from 2001 which is a book that look I know Jonathan friend is not probably has never heard of a podcast”
Where to get it
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The Known World
The Known World by Edward P.
Discussed“from Wolf Hall to the known world to the Underground Railroad to to penko to Lincoln and the BAU”
Where to get it
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Demon Copperhead
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is a critically acclaimed modern novel set in the Appalachian region that reimagines the classic David Copperfield story to confront the devastating impacts of rural poverty and the opioid crisis.
Discussed“although I think the one and I'd love to hear other people's opinions on this CU there is there's a slight recency bias you'll see I wonder if demon Copperhead trust tomorrow and tomorrow there might be one or two others from the past two years”
Where to get it
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Septology
Septology by Jon Fosse is a monumental sequence of novels by the Norwegian author exploring faith, art, and human existence.
Discussed“shiman you were going to talk about the Nobel winner yeah I was going to talk about septology”
Where to get it
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The Copenhagen Trilogy
The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen is a powerful, candid memoir comprising Childhood, Youth, and Dependency, chronicling the author's life in Copenhagen.
Discussed“we even had Tova dson who wrote The Copenhagen Trilogy which is a book that has stuck with me and a lot of friends kind of came as a total shock out of left field”
Where to get it
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The Road
The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a bleak, post-apocalyptic masterpiece that follows a father and his young son walking through a burned, ash-covered America trying to survive against starvation and roaming bands of cannibals while holding onto their humanity.
Discussed“like KC McCarthy is the road which is about a father and sun on the road they're in a burned out postnuclear War America and they're trying to survive and they're cannibals and it's just Grim”
Where to get it
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Station Eleven
Station Eleven by Emily St.
Discussed“there was station 11 by Emily St John Mandel this is a book that became very popular during the early days of the pandemic”
Where to get it
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Never Let Me Go
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro is a haunting dystopian novel that explores the poignant lives of students at a seemingly idyllic English boarding school who slowly discover a dark and tragic truth about their engineered existence.
Discussed“and then there is Never Let Me Go which I think I characterize it recently as the quietest dystopian novel that might ever exist”
Where to get it
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The Looming Tower
Lawrence Wright's meticulously researched non-fiction book The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 provides a comprehensive and chilling investigation into the origins of modern Islamic terrorism.
Discussed“we have the looming Tower the Lawrence Wright book was very specifically about 911 and its aftermath”
Where to get it
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The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historical fiction novel that reimagines the antebellum South by turning the secret network of abolitionist routes into a literal subterranean railway system utilized by an enslaved woman named Cora seeking freedom.
Discussed“from Wolf Hall to the known world to the Underground Railroad to to penko to Lincoln and the BAU”
Where to get it
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Wolf Hall
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel is a meticulously researched historical fiction novel that chronicles the rise of Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII.
Discussed“from Wolf Hall to the known world to the Underground Railroad to to penko to Lincoln and the BAU”
Where to get it
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Then we came to the end
Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris is a sharply observed, darkly comic novel that chronicles the final days of a failing Chicago advertising agency through the collective voice of its anxious employees.
Recommended“Scott we were talking about funny before and one of the funniest books that was on the other list and I wish it was on this one is then we came to the End by Joshua Ferris”
Where to get it
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Finishing the hat
Finishing the Hat by Stephen Sondheim is a celebrated collection of the legendary composer and lyricist's work accompanied by extensive personal and professional commentary.
Recommended“and the best theater books that have come out during this period are these two books of Steven stimes lyrics called finishing the hat and look I made a hat”
Where to get it
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Look, I made a hat
Look, I Made a Hat is a collection of song lyrics and commentary by renowned composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim.
Recommended“and the best theater books that have come out during this period are these two books of Steven stimes lyrics called finishing the hat and look I made a hat”
Where to get it
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The paying guests
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters is a gripping historical novel set in 1920s London following a struggling mother and daughter who take in lodgers, leading to intense psychological drama.
Recommended“I would have loved to have seen a novel called the paying guests by Sarah Waters which I think is probably my favorite book of the century so far”
Where to get it
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On Writing
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King is part memoir and part practical guide detailing Stephen King's journey as an author alongside valuable advice for aspiring writers.
Discussed“I put I put onw writing by Stephen King which actually I thought would would have appeared on this list”
Where to get it
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My Struggle
My Struggle by Karl Ove Knausgård, translated by Don Bartlett, is a monumental six-volume autofictional masterwork that meticulously details the ordinary details, emotional triumphs, and domestic struggles of the author's everyday life.
Discussed“talking about our great disorg Carl over canel scard six my struggle books”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“and the sellout appeared on our critics list from earlier this year of the funniest books since Catch 22 is that correct”