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HomeInMyShoes · 01-22-2015, 09:14 AM

I've read two: A Visit from the Goon Squad and The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.

I wouldn't have Jennifer Egan's book on that list. It was fine, but it was nothing spectacular. The Junot Diaz is a good book. It's a good story. I found that the style was overall good, but the overly literary asides were annoying to what would have been an excellent story. It disjointed the storyline for me. Should it be on the list. From a critics standpoint, yes. For its story and its form. For the general public, I doubt it would show on many lists.

There's at least four books or authos on that list that have been on my potentials for quite a while:
Atonement
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Americanah
The Road

The inclusion of Egan on the list leaves me divided on whether I think anything on the list is worth my time.

And because I know my opinion does not matter I will voice it on the Internet. The best books that I have read from this century and think are worth the time to investigate (in no particular order):

Spies by Michael Frayn. I am saddened that Frayn has really only written plays as this novel is a wonderfully executed story.
The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. For the reasons I mentioned. You might hate it after reading it, but let it sit in your brain a bit.
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt. A tale of greed and the wild west. This is a fun read.
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. For the first few chapters alone. Some of the funniest stuff ever.
The Secret River by Kate Grenville. If you can swallow your pride and get past the introductory in England stuff it is a wonderful read.
The German Mujahid by Boualem Sansal. Just wow!
Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck. A quiet book that is just so well executed.
Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid (if I erroneously include 2000)

. The best new author I've found the last few years.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Yes, I know, a fantasy book, seriously. What Gaiman does with folklore and mythology in it is beautiful. It is what a story is to me. Another book that is better in your brain after it sits.

01-22-2015, 09:14 AM	#3
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	I've read two: A Visit from the Goon Squad and The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I wouldn't have Jennifer Egan's book on that list. It was fine, but it was nothing spectacular. The Junot Diaz is a good book. It's a good story. I found that the style was overall good, but the overly literary asides were annoying to what would have been an excellent story. It disjointed the storyline for me. Should it be on the list. From a critics standpoint, yes. For its story and its form. For the general public, I doubt it would show on many lists. There's at least four books or authos on that list that have been on my potentials for quite a while: Atonement The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay Americanah The Road The inclusion of Egan on the list leaves me divided on whether I think anything on the list is worth my time. And because I know my opinion does not matter I will voice it on the Internet. The best books that I have read from this century and think are worth the time to investigate (in no particular order): Spies by Michael Frayn. I am saddened that Frayn has really only written plays as this novel is a wonderfully executed story. The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. For the reasons I mentioned. You might hate it after reading it, but let it sit in your brain a bit. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt. A tale of greed and the wild west. This is a fun read. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. For the first few chapters alone. Some of the funniest stuff ever. The Secret River by Kate Grenville. If you can swallow your pride and get past the introductory in England stuff it is a wonderful read. The German Mujahid by Boualem Sansal. Just wow! Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck. A quiet book that is just so well executed. Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid (if I erroneously include 2000) . The best new author I've found the last few years. American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Yes, I know, a fantasy book, seriously. What Gaiman does with folklore and mythology in it is beautiful. It is what a story is to me. Another book that is better in your brain after it sits.