21st Century Literature discussion

Nominations are now open until July 24th for the September 2023 Open Pick.

Nominating guidelines:
- Fiction (original & translation, if applicable) first published between January 1, 2000 and September 1, 2022. 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

I nominate The Doloriad by Missouri Williams

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Thanks Vic

Last chance to nominate today. Any more?

I may throw one in myself but I am still thinking about that

I'll nominate A Burning by Megha Majumdar.

I don't love it when they try to lure me in with the "similar authors" in the blurb, but it hooked me for this one:
"For readers of Tommy Orange, Yaa Gyasi, and Jhumpa Lahiri, an electrifying debut novel about three unforgettable characters who seek to rise—to the middle class, to political power, to fame in the movies—and find their lives entangled in the wake of a catastrophe in contemporary India."

I nominate The Polish Boxer by Guatemalan author Eduardo Halfon - that way we have a bit of competition. Apologies for not being able to add a link, I am on holiday without computer.

I recently read and loved Halfon's book Monasterio and it appears all his books are semi-autobiographical and linked in that way. His books are thin, written in simple language but literary and thought-provoking nonetheless.

In The Polish Boxer he tries to make sense of his Polish grandfather's past and the story behind his numbered tattoo.

Thanks Bretnie and Ruben - both of those look fine.

I'd be curious to know which one you'd have nominated (or will still nominate), Hugh

To be honest I was struggling a little to come up with a good idea, but didn't want an uncontested poll.

Nominations are now closed. The poll is up here, and will run until the end of the month.

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

Looks like we've got a tie right now, so if you can join us and you haven't voted yet, please do (or your choice is a long shot and you'd like to change your vote, that's fine, too).

The poll is now closed and A Burning has won. Are you happy to lead the discussion Bretnie?

Sorry for the slow response - coming back from vacation. I'm happy to lead it in September!