This is updated list for 21. century from Quora "Once upon a book" reading forum - top 100 books. 100. Denis Johnson: Tree of Smoke 99. Ali Smith: How to Be Both 98. Ann Patchett: Bel Canto 97. Jesmyn Ward: Men We Reaped 96. Saidiya Hartman: Wayward Lives Beautiful Experiments 95. Hilary Mantel: Bring Up the Bodies 94. Zadie Smith: On Beauty 93. Emily St. John Mandel: Station Eleven 92. Elena Ferrante: The Days of Abandonment 91. Philip Roth: The Human Stain 90. Viet Thanh Nguyen: The Sympathizer 89. Hisham Matar: The Return 88. Lydia Davis: The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis 87. Torrey Peters: Detransition, Baby 86. David W. Blight: Frederick Douglass 85. George Saunders: Pastoralia 84. Siddhartha Mukherjee: The Emperor of All Maladies 83. Benjamin Labatut: When We Cease to Understand the World 82. Fernanda Melchor: Hurricane Season 81. John Jeremiah Sullivan: Pulphead 80. Elena Ferrante: The Story of the Lost Child 79. Lucia Berlin: A Manual for Cleaning Women 78. Jon Fosse: Septology 77. Tayari Jones: An American Marriage 76. Gabrielle Zevin: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow 75. Mohsin Hamid: Exit West 74. Elizabeth Strout: Olive Kitteridge 73. Robert A. Caro: The Passage of Power 72. Svetlana Alexievitch: Secondhand Time 71. Tove Ditlevsen: The Copenhagen Trilogy 70. Edward P. Jones: All Aunt Hagar’s Children 69. Michelle Alexander: The New Jim Crow 68. Sigrid Nunez: The Friend 67. Andrew Solomon: Far from the Tree 66. Justin Torres: We the Animals 65. Philip Roth: The Plot Against America 64. Rebecca Makkai: The Great Believers 63. Mary Gaitskill: Veronica 62. Ben Lerner: 10:04 61. Barbara Kingsolver: Demon Copperhead 60. Kiese Laymon: Heavy 59. Jeffrey Eugenides: Middlesex 58. Hua Hsu: Stay True 57. Barbara Ehrenreich: Nickel and Dimed 56. Rachel Kushner: The Flame Throwers 55. Lawrence Wright: The Looming Tower 54. George Saunders: Tenth of December 53. Alice Munro: Runaway 52. Denis Johnson: Train Dreams 51. Kate Atkinson: Life After Life 50. Hernan Diaz: Trust 49. Han Kang: The Vegetarian 48. Marjane Satrapi: Perseopolis 47. Toni Morrison: A Mercy 46. Donna Tartt: The Goldfinch 45. Maggie Nelson: The Argonauts 44. N. K. Jemisin: The Fifth Season 43. Tony Judt: Postwar 42. Marlon James: A Brief History of Seven Killings 41. Claire Keegan: Small Things Like These 40. Helen Macdonald: H Is for Hawk 39. Jennifer Egan: A Visit from the Goon Squad 38. Roberto Bolano: The Savage Detectives 37. Annie Ernaux: The Years 36. Ta-Nehisi Coates: Between the World and Me 35. Alison Bechdel: Fun Home 34. Claudia Rankine: Citizen 33. Jesmyn Ward: Salvage the Bones 32. Alan Hollinghurst: The Line of Beauty 31. Zadie Smith: White Teeth 30. Jesmyn Ward: Sing, Unburied, Sing 29. Helen DeWitt: The Last Samurai 28. David Mitchell: Cloud Atlas 27. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Americanah 26. Ian McEwan: Atonement 25. Adrian Nicole LeBlanc: Random Family 24. Richard Powers: The Overstory 23. Alice Munro: Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage 22. Katherine Boo: Behind the Beautiful Forevers 21. Matthew Desmond: Evicted 20. Percival Everett: Erasure 19. Patrick Radden Keefe: Say Nothing 18. George Saunders: Lincoln in the Bardo 17. Paul Beatty: The Sellout 16. Michael Chabon: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay 15. Min Jin Lee: Pachinko 14. Rachael Cusk: Outline 13. Cormac McCarthy: The Road 12. Joan Didion: The Year of Magical Thinking 11. Junot Diaz: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao 10. Marilynne Robinson: Gilead 9. Kazuo Ishiguro: Never Let Me Go 8. W. G. Sebald: Austerlitz 7. Colson Whitehead: The Underground Railroad 6. Roberto Bolano: 2666 5. Jonathan Franzen: The Corrections 4. Edward P. Jones: The Known World 3. Hilary Mantel: Wolf Hall 2. Isabel Wilkerson: The Warmth of Other Suns 1. Adam Medvidović: Night in Zagreb (first part in the series, and I have to add here that people dont understand that people value this book believing informations in the serie to be true - revelation of the third secret of Fatima, etc... Its not mentioned anywhere in book description)
yeah, I read that just the other day. But that list changes constantly and is updated every month, although I think series in the first place will keep the first place in decades to come,
Thank you for your review of these books, which some I haven't heard of before. I have added one book on my TBR list, "Less". I am glad that TH-cam suggested this channel for me. Stay healthy and be safe :)
I just discovered you account and HOW do you not have thousands of followers? Such a great video - love it! I also feel like our taste is quite similar❤ Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the list. I'm from Korea and I read 2 books from Korean authors, I loved them too. It's a shame that some of books are not available in Korea yet. I will try reading rest of them. 😊
Loved the video! Of your list, some I've read, some were on my tbr, but two I found new. Thanks!! Also, I apologise for stating this (since it's also my first comment here) but some might consider the reveal about the school from Never Let me Go a spoiler. I knew before I read the book what it was and that didn't dampen my enjoyment (interest?) since the book isn't about that to me, but some might.
I feel like Less only got credit because it was an LBGT book. Otherwise it felt like a pretty average story. Almost a knock off of Eat, Pray, Love, although I've never read Eat, Pray, Love. The Orphan Master's Son is an amazing book though.
Interesting 10 books. Some I've read several and some that I've read I don't agree with your thoughts but that is the best thing. How I love to think about what I read and have read. At the moment I've been thinking hard about Why I read and Why I pick up and read certain books. There are so many out there. Hearing 10 best lists is definitely influential. Currently reading Wellness by Nathan Hill. It is sneakily good. Thanks again for your video it has me thinking I need to try some Korean books.
Watching this after Han Kang won a Nobel Prize for Literature; it's awesome that you had her on your radar before then. I can't wait to read Human Acts.
orphan master's son MENTIONED!!! this is my favourite book of all time & has been since I read it as a teenager, and yet I never see it recommended - so so happy you included it!
I know this isn't your niche on this channel but do you have any recommendations for books in korean for people learning the language? Maybe light reads or things with simple themes done well. Good prose, etc.
So many solid recommendations. First of your videos I've seen, but instantly wanted to subscribe. Couldn't agree more with the books on the list that you suggested and excited to check out the ones I didn't know!
Great video. You have excellent taste. 2 thoughts. 1. I was surprised that Orphan Master's Son was not on the official list or the reader's list. It is so acclaimed. Why do you think it was missing? 2nd thought. Jinwoo I don't think you can describe Arthur Less as a failed author. He is semi successful. He wins awards. Though he is not a bestseller. I think one of the major themes of the book is about accepting the success you have. So calling him failed doesn't seem right. Have you read the sequel to Less? Thanks again for the video and making me aware of books I had not heard of before.
Thank you for watching! To your points, I think first, it's so funny how OMS is underrated. Won a Pulitzer too. The book does tend to get overlooked many times for some reason. Have no clue why. It's absolutely brilliant. On the second point, you're definitely right. I think 'writer of middling success' may be a more correct way to say it. Though I feel like in the book, Less may perceive himself as a failure. I think we all have a tendency to be more brutal to ourselves than toward others or others would to us. Haven't read the sequel yet. Less was perfect how it ended so I'm a bit hesitant on reading the sequel. I'm tempted though!
@@jinwoopark0721 I understand that about the sequel. But it is just as good as the first. AND here is another easter egg. Arthur Less is known for writing the Book Calypso's Guest. Well ASG went ahead and wrote that book and just released it for free on audible!
When you started off with All the Light you had my attention. I have read The Sympathizer and the Orphan Master's Son and they were both incredible. I have subscribed and look forward to adding more of your suggestions to my TBR list. thank you
wow you just spoiled many of these books, especially Never Let Me Go. That was an important plot discovery in the novel. Perhaps a spoiler warning next time...
I turned off the volume for Never Let Me Go because I just started it for a group read! I knew nothing at all about The Sympathizer when I read it, and it was my favorite novel the year I read it.
I agree, everyone's list will be somewhat different. I agree with the first two books, but I would have some African American authors on my list because that's who I am. Thanks for the video. I have a few more recommendations now.
This is updated list for 21. century from Quora "Once upon a book" reading forum - top 100 books.
100. Denis Johnson: Tree of Smoke
99. Ali Smith: How to Be Both
98. Ann Patchett: Bel Canto
97. Jesmyn Ward: Men We Reaped
96. Saidiya Hartman: Wayward Lives Beautiful Experiments
95. Hilary Mantel: Bring Up the Bodies
94. Zadie Smith: On Beauty
93. Emily St. John Mandel: Station Eleven
92. Elena Ferrante: The Days of Abandonment
91. Philip Roth: The Human Stain
90. Viet Thanh Nguyen: The Sympathizer
89. Hisham Matar: The Return
88. Lydia Davis: The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis
87. Torrey Peters: Detransition, Baby
86. David W. Blight: Frederick Douglass
85. George Saunders: Pastoralia
84. Siddhartha Mukherjee: The Emperor of All Maladies
83. Benjamin Labatut: When We Cease to Understand the World
82. Fernanda Melchor: Hurricane Season
81. John Jeremiah Sullivan: Pulphead
80. Elena Ferrante: The Story of the Lost Child
79. Lucia Berlin: A Manual for Cleaning Women
78. Jon Fosse: Septology
77. Tayari Jones: An American Marriage
76. Gabrielle Zevin: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
75. Mohsin Hamid: Exit West
74. Elizabeth Strout: Olive Kitteridge
73. Robert A. Caro: The Passage of Power
72. Svetlana Alexievitch: Secondhand Time
71. Tove Ditlevsen: The Copenhagen Trilogy
70. Edward P. Jones: All Aunt Hagar’s Children
69. Michelle Alexander: The New Jim Crow
68. Sigrid Nunez: The Friend
67. Andrew Solomon: Far from the Tree
66. Justin Torres: We the Animals
65. Philip Roth: The Plot Against America
64. Rebecca Makkai: The Great Believers
63. Mary Gaitskill: Veronica
62. Ben Lerner: 10:04
61. Barbara Kingsolver: Demon Copperhead
60. Kiese Laymon: Heavy
59. Jeffrey Eugenides: Middlesex
58. Hua Hsu: Stay True
57. Barbara Ehrenreich: Nickel and Dimed
56. Rachel Kushner: The Flame Throwers
55. Lawrence Wright: The Looming Tower
54. George Saunders: Tenth of December
53. Alice Munro: Runaway
52. Denis Johnson: Train Dreams
51. Kate Atkinson: Life After Life
50. Hernan Diaz: Trust
49. Han Kang: The Vegetarian
48. Marjane Satrapi: Perseopolis
47. Toni Morrison: A Mercy
46. Donna Tartt: The Goldfinch
45. Maggie Nelson: The Argonauts
44. N. K. Jemisin: The Fifth Season
43. Tony Judt: Postwar
42. Marlon James: A Brief History of Seven Killings
41. Claire Keegan: Small Things Like These
40. Helen Macdonald: H Is for Hawk
39. Jennifer Egan: A Visit from the Goon Squad
38. Roberto Bolano: The Savage Detectives
37. Annie Ernaux: The Years
36. Ta-Nehisi Coates: Between the World and Me
35. Alison Bechdel: Fun Home
34. Claudia Rankine: Citizen
33. Jesmyn Ward: Salvage the Bones
32. Alan Hollinghurst: The Line of Beauty
31. Zadie Smith: White Teeth
30. Jesmyn Ward: Sing, Unburied, Sing
29. Helen DeWitt: The Last Samurai
28. David Mitchell: Cloud Atlas
27. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Americanah
26. Ian McEwan: Atonement
25. Adrian Nicole LeBlanc: Random Family
24. Richard Powers: The Overstory
23. Alice Munro: Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
22. Katherine Boo: Behind the Beautiful Forevers
21. Matthew Desmond: Evicted
20. Percival Everett: Erasure
19. Patrick Radden Keefe: Say Nothing
18. George Saunders: Lincoln in the Bardo
17. Paul Beatty: The Sellout
16. Michael Chabon: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
15. Min Jin Lee: Pachinko
14. Rachael Cusk: Outline
13. Cormac McCarthy: The Road
12. Joan Didion: The Year of Magical Thinking
11. Junot Diaz: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
10. Marilynne Robinson: Gilead
9. Kazuo Ishiguro: Never Let Me Go
8. W. G. Sebald: Austerlitz
7. Colson Whitehead: The Underground Railroad
6. Roberto Bolano: 2666
5. Jonathan Franzen: The Corrections
4. Edward P. Jones: The Known World
3. Hilary Mantel: Wolf Hall
2. Isabel Wilkerson: The Warmth of Other Suns
1. Adam Medvidović: Night in Zagreb (first part in the series, and I have to add here that people dont understand that people value this book believing informations in the serie to be true - revelation of the third secret of Fatima, etc... Its not mentioned anywhere in book description)
yeah, I read that just the other day. But that list changes constantly and is updated every month, although I think series in the first place will keep the first place in decades to come,
Awesome list. I'm glad I've found your channel. I love Asian literature, especially Korean literature. Thank you for some new "gems" to read.
I just found your channel today. I have subscribed. Love the books you talked about. Please continue making videos 😊
Thank you for your kind words!
Thank you for your review of these books, which some I haven't heard of before. I have added one book on my TBR list, "Less". I am glad that TH-cam suggested this channel for me. Stay healthy and be safe :)
Thank you for watching!
Okay, "Whale" sounds amazing, I look forward to picking it up ! Great video btw
Thank you! And yes, Whale is indeed an amazing book. Highly recommend.
I just discovered you account and HOW do you not have thousands of followers? Such a great video - love it! I also feel like our taste is quite similar❤ Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for your kind words!
I've been searching out alternative lists, and I hadn't heard of half of your books -- they're now "to read" for me. Thanks for doing this!
omg can't believe you have lullabies on there, i never see it recommended... amazing book!
One of the most visceral reads I ever had. It's so underrated.
I agree about Viet Thanh Nguyen's prose. He has arguably one of the best writing I've read in recent years.
Just blistering and powerful prose. Literal explosions on the page happening.
Thank you for the list. I'm from Korea and I read 2 books from Korean authors, I loved them too. It's a shame that some of books are not available in Korea yet. I will try reading rest of them. 😊
Nice list❤ btw i love your crochet shirt 😍
Convenience Store Woman was amazing.. I relate to the main character so much. I suck at socializing 😅
Ooh we have such similar tastes in fiction, except that I couldn't stand Less 😅 I feel the same way about Human Acts vs. The Vegetarian.
Loved the video! Of your list, some I've read, some were on my tbr, but two I found new. Thanks!!
Also, I apologise for stating this (since it's also my first comment here) but some might consider the reveal about the school from Never Let me Go a spoiler. I knew before I read the book what it was and that didn't dampen my enjoyment (interest?) since the book isn't about that to me, but some might.
I feel like Less only got credit because it was an LBGT book. Otherwise it felt like a pretty average story. Almost a knock off of Eat, Pray, Love, although I've never read Eat, Pray, Love.
The Orphan Master's Son is an amazing book though.
Interesting 10 books. Some I've read several and some that I've read I don't agree with your thoughts but that is the best thing. How I love to think about what I read and have read. At the moment I've been thinking hard about Why I read and Why I pick up and read certain books. There are so many out there. Hearing 10 best lists is definitely influential. Currently reading Wellness by Nathan Hill. It is sneakily good. Thanks again for your video it has me thinking I need to try some Korean books.
I've been meaning to check out Wellness. This is my sign that I should order it now.
Nice list! I'll check these out.
Please make more videos about books you enjoyed and recommend.
Watching this after Han Kang won a Nobel Prize for Literature; it's awesome that you had her on your radar before then. I can't wait to read Human Acts.
orphan master's son MENTIONED!!! this is my favourite book of all time & has been since I read it as a teenager, and yet I never see it recommended - so so happy you included it!
It's SO good. It's basically a surrealist novel at times.
I know this isn't your niche on this channel but do you have any recommendations for books in korean for people learning the language? Maybe light reads or things with simple themes done well. Good prose, etc.
Whats the name of the author of Whale?
Cheon Myeong-kwan!
So many solid recommendations. First of your videos I've seen, but instantly wanted to subscribe. Couldn't agree more with the books on the list that you suggested and excited to check out the ones I didn't know!
Great video. You have excellent taste. 2 thoughts. 1. I was surprised that Orphan Master's Son was not on the official list or the reader's list. It is so acclaimed. Why do you think it was missing? 2nd thought. Jinwoo I don't think you can describe Arthur Less as a failed author. He is semi successful. He wins awards. Though he is not a bestseller. I think one of the major themes of the book is about accepting the success you have. So calling him failed doesn't seem right. Have you read the sequel to Less? Thanks again for the video and making me aware of books I had not heard of before.
Thank you for watching! To your points, I think first, it's so funny how OMS is underrated. Won a Pulitzer too. The book does tend to get overlooked many times for some reason. Have no clue why. It's absolutely brilliant. On the second point, you're definitely right. I think 'writer of middling success' may be a more correct way to say it. Though I feel like in the book, Less may perceive himself as a failure. I think we all have a tendency to be more brutal to ourselves than toward others or others would to us. Haven't read the sequel yet. Less was perfect how it ended so I'm a bit hesitant on reading the sequel. I'm tempted though!
@@jinwoopark0721 I understand that about the sequel. But it is just as good as the first. AND here is another easter egg. Arthur Less is known for writing the Book Calypso's Guest. Well ASG went ahead and wrote that book and just released it for free on audible!
Well I must check out this sequel, and WHOA that is amazing that ASG actually went and wrote that haha. More to add to my reading list!
When you started off with All the Light you had my attention. I have read The Sympathizer and the Orphan Master's Son and they were both incredible. I have subscribed and look forward to adding more of your suggestions to my TBR list. thank you
wow you just spoiled many of these books, especially Never Let Me Go. That was an important plot discovery in the novel. Perhaps a spoiler warning next time...
Yeah, Maybe a spoiler alert before you gave away the plot to Never Let Me Go…smh.
Tbh I thought it was rather obvious from the first chapter. It’s also quite a well known twist, no?
@@SarahJ70no
I turned off the volume for Never Let Me Go because I just started it for a group read! I knew nothing at all about The Sympathizer when I read it, and it was my favorite novel the year I read it.
the variety in this list!!! love it, i've put almost all of them in my to read list
Hmm.. I think I recognize a trend here.
Thanks. I also loved All the Light We Cannot See and Convenience Store Woman. I've added 2 more 2 my TBR..
❤❤❤❤🎉🎉
I agree, everyone's list will be somewhat different. I agree with the first two books, but I would have some African American authors on my list because that's who I am. Thanks for the video. I have a few more recommendations now.
you aren't fond of murakami?
Thank you 🙏🏻
I just found your channel today ! not earlier
😢
Never let me go is sooo baaad I could not finish it
Than there is something wrong with you
I wish you were my neighbour