Gilbert Cruz

There is something sort of realistic about the way that these two young girls, and they grew up over the course of these four books, come together and pull apart and love each other and hate each other. It is, I think the first book takes a while to get into, but once you get into it, if you connect with it, you sort of just want to keep reading all four books.

There is something sort of realistic about the way that these two young girls, and they grew up over the course of these four books, come together and pull apart and love each other and hate each other. It is, I think the first book takes a while to get into, but once you get into it, if you connect with it, you sort of just want to keep reading all four books.

Absolutely. There's a book that came in at number six, 2666, by the Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño. And it is one of these massive, slightly impenetrable literary works, partly having to do with the murder of hundreds of women in Mexico and partly to do with lots of other stuff. The fact that it came in so high was surprising to me.

Absolutely. There's a book that came in at number six, 2666, by the Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño. And it is one of these massive, slightly impenetrable literary works, partly having to do with the murder of hundreds of women in Mexico and partly to do with lots of other stuff. The fact that it came in so high was surprising to me.

There was a book that came in at number eight called Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald, which is a book about a young man in mid-century Europe, sort of lusciously and beautifully written novel. This book came out in 2001. It was one of the oldest books on the list. And I don't know that it's particularly well-known these days. I was surprised by how high it placed.

There was a book that came in at number eight called Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald, which is a book about a young man in mid-century Europe, sort of lusciously and beautifully written novel. This book came out in 2001. It was one of the oldest books on the list. And I don't know that it's particularly well-known these days. I was surprised by how high it placed.

I would say flip that on its head and think about how much reading, how much wonderful, delightful reading is ahead of you. You can feel badly about this or you can say, oh my God, look at all these amazing books I want to read. I did not. I'm looking at my tally right now, which I'm 100% not going to tell you what the number is. And it's embarrassing.

I would say flip that on its head and think about how much reading, how much wonderful, delightful reading is ahead of you. You can feel badly about this or you can say, oh my God, look at all these amazing books I want to read. I did not. I'm looking at my tally right now, which I'm 100% not going to tell you what the number is. And it's embarrassing.

I'm the editor of the New York Times Book Review. I should have read more books on our list than this.

I'm the editor of the New York Times Book Review. I should have read more books on our list than this.

Yeah. I mean, look, I bring up all the time I still have not read Middlemarch by George Eliot, but I have read... I don't know, The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon, right? So which is more valuable? I don't think there's an answer to that. I think it's just where your taste leads you.

Yeah. I mean, look, I bring up all the time I still have not read Middlemarch by George Eliot, but I have read... I don't know, The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon, right? So which is more valuable? I don't think there's an answer to that. I think it's just where your taste leads you.

And I will say, if you look at this list of 100 and you see only one or two books that you want to read that you've never read before, then we succeeded. We did this whole thing and we found one book for you, the right book for you, success.

And I will say, if you look at this list of 100 and you see only one or two books that you want to read that you've never read before, then we succeeded. We did this whole thing and we found one book for you, the right book for you, success.

Absolutely. The one that stuck with me above all is Lincoln and the Bardo by George Saunders. A beautiful book, a book I should have read a long time ago. And it's a book that imagines Abraham Lincoln going to the cemetery where his son has been interred. And he is surrounded by a cacophony of voices, all these ghosts in the cemetery. And it was just so moving.

Absolutely. The one that stuck with me above all is Lincoln and the Bardo by George Saunders. A beautiful book, a book I should have read a long time ago. And it's a book that imagines Abraham Lincoln going to the cemetery where his son has been interred. And he is surrounded by a cacophony of voices, all these ghosts in the cemetery. And it was just so moving.

So beautiful, so odd and bizarre in its own way. I was like, everyone needs to read this immediately. I just, I did. I fell in love with it.

So beautiful, so odd and bizarre in its own way. I was like, everyone needs to read this immediately. I just, I did. I fell in love with it.

I can't wait to hear that.

I can't wait to hear that.