10 Notable Books Turning 25 This Year

How many have you read?

The popular culture of an era often says something about the character of the time it inhabits. Today, we’re revisiting ten of the most notable books turning twenty-five this year. We found the literature of 2000 to be a robust mix of reads including suspense, historical fiction, comedy, romance, short stories, and even memoir. Some of these titles tapped into the cultural zeitgeist of that moment in history. Others offer something universal that speaks to all times. Whatever the reason, they still have a place on our shelves.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

The fourth installment in the beloved children's fantasy series, this was the only Harry Potter book to win a Hugo Award. As Harry endeavors to live life as a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard, forces conspire against him, from the pernicious Dursleys to an attack at the Quidditch World Cup to being mysteriously selected to compete in the Triwizard Tournament.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

Critics praised the exhilarating blend of relentless adventure, scholarly intrigue, and cutting wit found in the Robert Langston thrillers. Book one introduces the world-renowned Harvard symbologist as he follows a 400-year-old trail to unmask an ancient secret brotherhood bent on taking down the Catholic Church. The Ron Howard-directed film adaptation stars Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

A Pulitzer Prize winner and one of the New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, this epic about New York's Golden Age of comics was called a "towering, swash-buckling thrill of a book" (Newsweek). As the long shadow of Hitler falls across Europe, Joe and Sammy, Jewish cousins living in Brooklyn, spin comic book tales together, carving out lives as vivid as cyan and magenta ink.

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

Another of the New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, Smith's dazzling debut wowed critics, drawing comparisons to everyone from Dickens to Rushdie. At the center of the story are two unlikely friends, Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal. Hapless veterans of World War II, Archie and Samad and their families become agents of England's irrevocable transformation.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris 

Compared by The New Yorker to Twain and Hawthorne, Sedaris has become one of our best-loved (and funniest) authors. This collection of personal essays traversed a broad swath of his life, from his upbringing in North Carolina to his time living and working in New York City to his move to France. Warning: readers may frequently find themselves breathless with laughter.

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Each book in Quinn's bodice-ripping eight-volume series, the inspiration for Shonda Rhimes's wildly popular Netflix series, centers on the romantic life of one of the Bridgerton siblings. This first installment tells the story of Daphne, well-liked for her kindness and wit, but too honest to play games. A fake courtship with the notoriously prickly Simon Bassett, Duke of Hastings, changes everything. 

The Human Stain by Philip Roth

One of two of Roth's novels on the New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, this bestseller is set in Western Massachusetts in the late 1990s. Narrator Nathan Zuckerman is an author investigating the story of aging classics professor Coleman Silk, whose carefully constructed life comes unraveled following scandal. It was adapted into a 2003 film starring Nicole Kidman and Anthony Hopkins.

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

In 1999, The New Yorker published a now infamous article, "Don't Eat Before You Read This," by the then little-known chef. Bourdain, who died by suicide in 2018, spared no one's appetite as he revealed what happens behind the kitchen door. The article was a sensation, leading to this no-holds-barred memoir that rocketed Bourdain to foodie superstardom.

A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin

Book number three in the addictive A Song of Ice and Fire series that inspired HBO's megahit, Game of Thrones, continues the epic battle for control of the Seven Kingdoms. The remaining contenders: Joffrey, who sits on the Iron Throne; Lord Stannis, defeated and disgraced; Young Robb, ruler of the North; and, making her way across a blood-drenched continent, Daenerys, Mother of Dragons.

Pastoralia by George Saunders

This was one of two of Saunders's acclaimed short story collections, along with Tenth of December, to earn a spot on the New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. This stunning collection of darkly funny, thoroughly authentic stories from the award-winning author are set against a warped, hilarious, and terrifyingly recognizable American landscape.

Whether these books are new to you or favorites from your past, please join us in celebrating their continued relevance and resonance after twenty-five years! How many have you read?

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon