21st Century Literature discussion

Nominations are now open until August 17th for the September 2025 Open Pick.

Nominating guidelines:
- Fiction (original & translation, if applicable) first published between January 1, 2000 and September 1, 2024. For translations the latter date must be an English edition.
- One nomination per person (please do not nominate or vote for a book unless you are certain you can read and discuss if it wins)
- A book this group has not yet read (see the group bookshelf or the Index of all Group Reads here)
- A book that is not better suited to the wild card (genre) category

If you are nominating, please begin your post by stating "I nominate [name with hyperlink to book]"

The discussion will start on September 1st.

Thanks Marc, The top line should say September 2025 though.

Hugh wrote: "Thanks Marc, The top line should say September 2025 though."

Thanks for catching that!

I’d like to nominate the Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan. It’s a Booker Prize winner and has recently been turned into a movie with Jacob Elordi.

I would like to nominate The Morning Star by Karl Ove Knausgård. I never read the author, but I have a feeling I am going to love it.

I nominate My Brilliant Friend, and Return to Blood (2025 Ned Kelly Awards Shortlist, Best International Crime Fiction)

I'd just like to point out that both The Narrow Road to the Deep North and My Brilliant Friend have been discussed by the group before, albeit in 2015 and 2016

This is the index, which I need to update to add the last few years!

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Return to Blood sounds more like a Wild Card pick to me.

So having sown that chaos which potentially leaves just one valid nomination, I feel I should nominate something myself to plug the gap.

I nominate The Abyss Fernando Vallejo

The more the merrier.

I thought The Morning Star was excellent, but would like you to throw in a nomination, Hugh :-;

Ok, the poll is up and voting goes through 8/25:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...

Have at it!

I want to point out that we only have one vote for any of our September nominees and August 25 is the last voting day.

The people have responded!!!

Oh my, what happened there? I didn't vote as I didn't want to force a 700-page novel down people's throats. But apparently there is interest! I am very excited, this is the push I needed to finally give Knausgaard a go.

Ruben wrote: "Oh my, what happened there? I didn't vote as I didn't want to force a 700-page novel down people's throats. But apparently there is interest! I am very excited, this is the push I needed to finally..."

I wouldn't worry. I stated this elsewhere but the novel reads fast because of the larger type and Knausgaard's skill for keeping in moving. We can always take another month reading the novel if necessary. I think the novel will be interesting for our readers if they allow the author to do his thing. There is certainly a lot of material that should generate discussion.

Sorry to torpedo The Abyss but when I called for more votes there was only one vote on our polls total, and I felt we needed more turnout. I do plan to read The Abyss and if anyone wants to join in we can either nominate it next month or pursue it as a buddy read.

Ruben, Are you up for moderating the discussion?

Yes, happy to. I think I did it once before, so I will open a new topic in a couple of days.

Thanks, Ruben,
Just click on "New Topic" in this folder when you're ready go get things started (Sept. 1st or thereafter):
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...