21st Century Literature discussion

Nominations are now open until August 22nd for the October 2021 Open Pick.

Nominating guidelines:
- Fiction (original & translation, if applicable) first published between January 1, 2000 and October 1, 2020. 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 October 1st

I nominate Trust Exercise, by Susan Choi. 257.pp

This nomination is in the spirit of Marc's recent question on best bad books. This would have been one of my 21st century choices. It has a Goodreads 3.14 rating and won a National Book Award. I think it should be mandatory reading for anyone trying to develop a distinction between good and bad writing for IMO, it can be argued an defended as both. Be wary of the reading experience before voting. Books with low ratings have reasons.

Thanks Sam

I second Trust Exercise.

I was slightly tempted to throw in a nomination for Inglorious for similar reasons, but I don't think it would get any support!

Hugh wrote: "I was slightly tempted to throw in a nomination for Inglorious for similar reasons, but I don't think it would get any support!"

I think that's exactly why you should nominate it, Hugh (if you're up for moderating if it wins). Any of us can use ratings/reviews to pick books, but it's the gems individual members discover/gamble upon that I think are the most interesting.

I nominate Baboon by Naja Marie Aidt (pub 2006, 208 pp.).

Thanks Aubrey - that one is new to me

Tomorrow is the last day for nominations - we have two but there is plenty of room for more.

I will nominate The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

Nominations are now closed. The poll will be up shortly.

The poll is up here and will run until the end of August.
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

The Bass Rock has won the poll