From The Books Desk

Authors, reputations, and the books now shaping the century.

Authors
87
Books
100
Reviews
1
Featured Authors

Writers under discussion

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E

Elena Ferrante

3 books on the shelf

Elena Ferrante appears in the seeded New York Times 2024 list of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.

G

George Saunders

3 books on the shelf

George Saunders appears in the seeded New York Times 2024 list of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.

J

Jesmyn Ward

3 books on the shelf

Jesmyn Ward appears in the seeded New York Times 2024 list of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.

A

Alice Munro

2 books on the shelf

Alice Munro appears in the seeded New York Times 2024 list of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.

D

Denis Johnson

2 books on the shelf

Denis Johnson appears in the seeded New York Times 2024 list of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.

E

Edward P. Jones

2 books on the shelf

Edward P. Jones appears in the seeded New York Times 2024 list of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.

The List

Books drawing notice

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Reader Voices

Recent appraisals

Great book ★★★★★

this is a great book

By sam on George Saunders
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Recent shelf activity

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Apr 13, 2026
sam added Pastoralia to their shelf by George Saunders
Apr 13, 2026
Hazel Marlowe added The Flamethrowers to their shelf by Rachel Kushner
Apr 13, 2026
Miles Sutton shared a public note on Second Hand Time by Svetlana Alexievich

A striking book that keeps expanding in memory after the final page.

Apr 13, 2026
Hazel Marlowe added Nickel and Dimed to their shelf by Barbara Ehrenreich