The 2000s gave us theShrekmovies and a ton of nu-metal bands, but I think the decade managed to redeem itself with its literature.
It’s hard to say what the canon will look like a hundred years from now, but I’m willing to bet several of these books manage to stand the test of time. Whether you’re looking for a nostalgic re-read or trying to go back for something you missed, here’s a book that still holds up from each year of the aughts.
House of Leaves – 2000
Picking a favorite book is an impossible task, but if I had to do it, I’d pickHouse of Leaves. The debut novel from Mark Z. Danielewski is still arguably his best work, and it’s truly unlike any other book you’ll encounter in your life.House of Leavesis part critical film analysis, part drug diary, and part horror story. The bulk of the novel follows a family whose lives are torn apart when they discover their house has an infinite labyrinth of dark hallways inside of it, but their story is really only the beginning of the terror.
American Gods – 2001
American Godsis a sprawling fantasy novel written by Neil Gaiman. The story follows an ex-convict named Shadow who, after being released from jail, gets a job as a bodyguard. The only problem is that Shadow doesn’t know his new boss is secretly the god Odin and that a whole range of mystical and mythological figures are struggling for power all across America. Shadow soon finds himself fighting for his life as he struggles to figure out the nature of the plot he’s been pulled into.
Middlesex – 2002
Jeffrey Eugenides’ moving novel is a coming-of-age story about Cal (Calliope) Stephanides, who was born intersex and raised as a girl. Cal’s story actually begins long before their birth, however, and the novel travels back to 1922 to explain how Cal’s grandfather immigrated to the United States.Middlesexis a phenomenal example of an intergenerational story, but it also has one of the most memorable protagonists of the aughts.
Oryx and Crake – 2003
The only thing you really need to know aboutOryx and Craketo know it’s worth reading is that it was written by Margaret Atwood. The book is actually the beginning of a trilogy about a post-apocalyptic world and the end of humanity. In typical Atwood fashion,Oryx and Crakeis a great read for anyone who loves entertaining genre fiction, but there’s also something here for people who want a deeper examination of themes like love, gender, and the dangers of medical technology.
How I Live Now – 2004
How I Live Nowis a post-apocalyptic young adult novel by Meg Rosoff that was adapted into a 2013 movie starring Saoirse Ronan as the protagonist, Daisy. Just as a third world war is beginning to break out, Daisy is sent away to live with her aunt in the UK. There, she falls in love with a boy named Edmond, but before their relationship can take off, the country collapses, and soldiers seize the property where Daisy’s aunt lives, forcing her to fight for her own survival at all costs.
Never Let Me Go – 2005
WithNever Let Me Go, author Kazuo Ishiguro crafted one of the most emotionally devastating sci-fi novels of all time. The novel is set in an alternate version of the 1990s, where human clones are mass-produced and harvested for their organs. The protagonist is Kathy, a woman who spent her childhood at a boarding school for clones and grew up to be a caretaker providing a kind of hospice care to clones who are kept alive until they’ve donated so many organs they can’t survive. Like the best sci-fi,Never Let Me Goputs the characters at the forefront, and after reading the book, you won’t be able to forget them.
Fun Home – 2006
Fun Homeis the only comic on this list, but it more than earns its spot. Drawn and written by Alison Bechdel, the book was published in 2006 and became a smash success.Fun Homeis a memoir about Bechdel’s childhood and relationship with her father that also doubles as a story about her coming to terms with her own gender and sexuality. The book is equal parts moving and hilarious, which is exactly why it worked so well when it was adapted into a Broadway musical in 2015.
A Thousand Splendid Suns – 2007
Khaled Hosseini is best known for writingThe Kite Runner, but I’d argue thatA Thousand Splendid Sunsis an even better novel. The book is set in the city of Herat and follows two women, Miriam and Laila, struggling to find their place in the world. As a young woman, Miriam is forced to marry a much older man named Rasheed. more than a decade later, Rasheed also marries Laila, their young neighbor. The two women are brought together unwillingly, but their relationship changes their lives forever.
The Hunger Games – 2008
The Hunger Gamesis emblematic of the fascination the 2000s had with dystopian fiction. Plenty of the dystopian novels released during that decade don’t hold up, but surprisingly, The Hunger Games really does. Say what you want about the sequels, but Suzanne Collins’s original vision of a TV-obsessed world being ruled by a violent fascist government feels every bit as prescient today as it did nearly 20 years ago.
The Help – 2009
Kathryn Stockett’sThe Helpmade such an impact when it was first published in 2009 that two years later, we got a film adaptation starring Viola Davis, Olivia Spencer, and Emma Stone. The novel is set in Jackson, Mississippi, in the 1960s and follows three women from different walks of life. Aibileen and Minny are maids who work for wealthy white families, and Eugenia “Skeeter” is an aspiring writer who starts looking into the disappearance of another maid named Constantine and makes some shocking discoveries.
