21st Century ClassicsLike this list

23 items

• The Corrections

  Franzen, Jonathan, 1959-

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  A contemporary story about a middle-class American family. Franzen is well known for his musings on middle-class society told through unlikeable voices and harsh realities. Deeply flawed characters and dynamic family relationships are the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Kite Runner

  Hosseini, Khaled, 1965-

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  A read for those who enjoy realistic characters, sorrowful language, and stories that'll bring you to tears. This is a deeply moving story about friendship, betrayal, and redemption. You will need tissues for this emotional ride, focusing…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Gone Girl

  Flynn, Gillian, 1971-

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  Often imitated but rarely replicated, Gillian Flynn's 'Gone Girl' spawned a whole sub-genre of domestic thrillers with unreliable female protagonists, and 10 years after its publication, it remains a cut above the rest. Centred on Amy…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Life of Pi

  a Novel

  Martel, Yann, 1963-

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  A survival story filled with hope and optimism, this gripping tale will have you glued to the very last page! Martel's writing is delicate and moving, filled with emotive language and vivid depictions of the main characters' memories and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Atonement

  McEwan, Ian, 1948-

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  An absolute classic; if you enjoyed the movie you'll love the book. A story of guilt, love, loathing, and identity focusing on a mistake the main character makes as a child that will haunt her years after. McEwan crafts beautiful poetic…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Middlesex

  Eugenides, Jeffrey, 1960-

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  A complex saga about a young person who was born intersex and raised as a girl. This book is a rich, spiderweb of family drama, spanning multiple generations. We follow Cal through some heavy subjects like incest, homelessness,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Road

  McCarthy, Cormac, 1933-2023

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  For fans of bleak post-apocalyptic stories and rich descriptive settings that you can almost smell, hear, touch and taste. The world's gone to hell and this is the tale of how truly harrowing mankind can be. McCarthy brilliantly captures…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

  Clarke, Susanna, 1959-

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  Brilliantly written with great humour, loads of action, and a page-turning plot that will keep you in suspense. A rich and reclusive theoretical magician fights to reinstate magic back to polite society in old London. With his vast…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Call Me by Your Name

  Aciman, André, 1951-

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  A beautifully written story about sexual and personal discovery, finding love, and passionate obsession. Elio lives in his parent's mansion on a cliffside of the Italian Riviera, where he meets a guest of his parents'. The story follows…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Never Let Me Go

  Ishiguro, Kazuo, 1954-

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  A luminous and horrific read, this is an emotional masterpiece by a Nobel Prize winner. Kathy is 31 and has spent the past twelve years working as a 'carer'. On the cusp of concluding this role, she reminisces about her idyllic yet…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• My Brilliant Friend

  Childhood, Adolescence

  Ferrante, Elena, 1943-

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  Populated by a huge cast of characters within a Naples neighborhood, but focusing on two young girls, Ferrante's first novel in the Neapolitan series is a sprawling, grounded tale of friendship and coming of age.

• White Teeth

  Smith, Zadie, 1975-

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  Zadie Smith weaves intricate, flawed characters through rich storytelling touching on complex themes of racism, and diverse cultural ancestries but somehow manages to charm through clever use of humor. A story about identity, free will,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Room

  a Novel

  Donoghue, Emma, 1969-

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  Emma Donoghue's compelling novel is known to perfectly render the voice of its 5-year-old protagonist, as we discover the harrowing story of his upbringing. The only world Jack has ever known is the inside of "room" where he lives with his…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Song of Achilles

  Miller, Madeline

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  A gripping character-focused read for those who love a good friendship story! The story of the Trojan War, but with a wonderfully original spin on it. The story follows Patroclus, a young prince exiled to Phthia, and his budding friendship…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Americanah

  Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi, 1977-

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  At its heart, this is a love story interwoven with racial issues, hair, diasporic experiences, and home comforts. Ngozi Adichie is well known for crafting captivating characters and settings that you can almost touch, see and smell. For…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Goldfinch

  Tartt, Donna, 1963-

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  For lovers of literary fiction, this stunning (very long) story is about a boy who survives a bombing at an art gallery and steals a painting. A read for those who enjoy Charles Dicken's writing; Tart's writing is very similar, with…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Little Life

  Yanagihara, Hanya, 1975-

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  An incredibly sorrowful read that is so crushing you will need tissues. If you want to read something that will break your heart over and over this is the read for you. A beautifully written story of four friends and their journey into…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Underground Railroad

  Whitehead, Colson, 1969-

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  For those who love 'wordy' stories densely packed full of meticulous thoughts. This is not an easy read but an important one that will leave you thinking long after finishing the final page. Set in rural Georgia on the Randall Plantation…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Kafka on the Shore

  Murakami, Haruki, 1949-

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  Two narratives entwine within Haruki Murakami's acclaimed novel. The eponymous character Kafka is a runaway, escaping an Oedipal curse and in search of his mother and sister. Nakata is a finder of lost cats, a man who struggles to navigate…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• We Need to Talk About Kevin

  Shriver, Lionel, 1957-

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  An elegant read so captivating you'll rip through it, Shriver is talented. A story about a mother who never wanted to be a mother and an unloveable child. If you want post-traumatic stress from a book, look no further. Shriver is a…Read moreRead more of this annotation