Good morning,
GREATEST BOOKS OF THE 2020s
After culling through the greatest books of each of the eight prior decades, beginning with the 1940s and continuing through the 2010s, I thought I’d highlight a few more recent books from the onset of the 2020s. There are only three years (or four, depending upon how one defines the beginning of a decade), but there are some excellent books worth sharing.
Here then are the “early returns” from this decade:
Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro. Another dystopian future, centered on relations with “artificial friends,” available at the corner store. But AI, being what it is, leads to the friend becoming more human, more aware, and more reflective.
Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Distortion of Truth, by Brian Stelter. One of many, many books about this disastrous period in the history of our country, democracy, media and truth.
The Glass Hotel, by Emily St. John Mandel. The “big story” in this novel is a Maddoff-like Ponzi scheme. But the grifter is the husband of one of the protagonists (her half-brother musician is the other). This really is a story of the attractiveness of “big profits,” believable or not (see, e.g., crypto-currency or tulip bulbs), and how people deal with trauma, betrayal, and loss.
The Splendid and the Vile, by Erik Larson. Another of Larson’s gripping true stories related in novel-like structure, language, and dialog. WW II seen through the eyes of the Churchill family.
The Cactus League, by Emily Nemens. Nine chapters (innings) about the people in and around a fictitious team playing in Arizona.
Hidden Valley Road, by Robert Kolker. A great story of a story plagued by mental health issues—the story of the family and the history of society’s response to mental illness.
What Are You Going Through, by Sigrid Nunez. Like Nunez’s other work, interesting stories of ordinary people (and animals).
The Lincoln Highway, by Amor Towles. This follow-up to A Gentleman in Moscow was worth the wait. Set in post-war America, the novel follows the road trip of some juvenile delinquents set free.
Harlem Shuffle, by Colson Whitehead. The prolific two-time Pulitzer winner hits another home run. Stories of 1960s Harlem, vivid characters scratching by through means both legal and not, filled with passion and compassion.
Memorial Drive, by Natasha Trethewey. The story of a young Black girl whose former stepfather killed her mother. A memoir of domestic violence and profound trauma.
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet, by John Green, a great collection of essays about our world—big ideas and small observations.
Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir. The author of The Martian (yes, read that too and see the Matt Damon film) provides another science-heavy story. This one is about an astronaut who wakes up after a long journey not knowing who he is or what his mission might be. As he travels the stars, he attempts to save humanity and, along the way, the civilization of a friend he meets.
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride.
Such Kindness, A book about an unlikely hero, down on his luck. Yet he finds “such kindness” as he rebuilds his world and his self-worth.
American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins. A great picture of a Mexican family running from the cartels and headed for a new life in America. A gripping novel that brought great controversy because the author is not a Latina. Silly, of course…
Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus. The TV series of this unusual chemist turned culinary hero is very enjoyable. Admission; I didn’t read the book; although Andrea did and said it was great.
Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St. John Mandel. Described in Goodreads as “A novel of art, time travel, love, and plague that takes the reader from Vancouver Island in 1912 to a dark colony on the moon five hundred years later, unfurling a story of humanity across centuries and space.” Every book by Ms. Mandel is fantastic; this is no exception.
Hopefully some of these books will find their way into your reading list. Next week, I’m going back in time to the greatest reads of the 1930s.
Have a great week,
Glenn
Project Hail Mary is great on audio
Recommend God’s Little Acre from the 1930s - especially with an overlay of how social values have changed … or maybe they haven’t