My List of 10 Best Books of the 21st Century

About this Video

• Video Title: My List of 10 Best Books of the 21st Century
• Channel: Jinwoo Park
• Speakers: Jinwoo Park
• Duration: 00:09:21

Introduction

This video presents Jinwoo Park's personal selection of the ten best books of the 21st century. He acknowledges the arbitrary nature of such a list given the century's remaining duration but offers his choices as a reflection of his personal preferences and reading tastes.

Key Takeaways

• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr: A historical fiction novel about a blind French girl and a German boy during WWII, praised for its stunning prose and evocative imagery.
• The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen: A powerful novel about a half-French, half-Vietnamese spy, described as having prose that is both powerful and attention-grabbing, exploring the dilemma of identity for the Asian diaspora.
• Human Acts by Han Kang: A visceral portrayal of the 1980 Kwangju Uprising in Korea, highlighting the human rights violations during the event.
• Less by Andrew Sean Greer: A story about a middle-aged writer's self-discovery journey, advocating for more narratives focused on middle age.
• Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill: A heart-wrenching story about a young girl surviving abuse, emphasizing the importance of addressing such realities.
• Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata: A commentary on the contradictions of societal norms and the importance of self-acceptance.
• Whale by Cheon Myeong-kwan: A multi-generational saga about three women in a remote Korean village, considered a masterpiece of Korean magic realism.
• Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli: A beautifully written novel about a family road trip interwoven with stories of child migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
• The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson: A fictional yet realistic portrayal of North Korea, based on extensive research including a trip to the country.
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro: A sci-fi novel analyzing the human condition through the story of cloned children, showcasing Ishiguro's unique narrative style.