The festival of books has been going on since 1996, and each year, it gets better and better. This year, for the 30th edition, we decided to focus on all the books published since then. We asked a bunch of experts, scholars, editors, and others to help us come up with a list of the best fiction books published in the U.S. from 1996 to now. And boy, did we get some great suggestions. Not really sure why this matters, but we’re excited to share them with you anyway.
First up, we have ‘Cloud Atlas’ by David Mitchell from 2004. This book covers 1,000 years and a few continents, and it’s a real page-turner. The structure is a bit wonky, but it works really well. ‘Milkman’ by Anna Burns in 2018 is a chilling read about a teenage girl stalked by a paramilitary. It’s a modernist take on violence and paranoia. ‘Interpreter of Maladies’ by Jhumpa Lahiri in 1999 is a collection of short stories that won the Pulitzer Prize. It’s all about Bengali families and their relationships. ‘Mason & Dixon’ by Thomas Pynchon in 1997 is a beautifully written book that captures the essence of the ’60s. And ‘Underworld’ by Don DeLillo in 1997 is a magnum opus that covers everything from mob hits to baseball.
These are just a few of the amazing books on our list. Whether you agree or disagree with our choices, one thing’s for sure – there’s nothing better than getting together to talk about books. Not really sure why this matters, but it’s always fun to share our love for literature. So grab a book, settle in, and enjoy the magic of storytelling.
