The 6 Best Books Released Since 2000, According to Goodreads
Diego Pineda has been a devout storyteller his whole life. He has self-published a fantasy novel and a book of short stories, and is actively working on publishing his second novel.
A lifelong fan of watching movies and talking about them endlessly, he writes reviews and analyses on his Instagram page dedicated to cinema, and occasionally on his blog. His favorite filmmakers are Andrei Tarkovsky and Charlie Chaplin. He loves modern Mexican cinema and thinks it's tragically underappreciated.
Other interests of Diego's include reading, gaming, roller coasters, writing reviews on his Letterboxd account (username: DPP_reviews), and going down rabbit holes of whatever topic he's interested in at any given point.
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Founded at the end of 2006 and officially launched in January of 2007, Goodreads is a social cataloging website where users can search a database of books, rate them, review them, and have discussions about them. The site has been owned by Amazon since 2013, and as of 2023, it had over 150 million users around the world. There are plenty of periods from throughout history that are particularly well-rated by Goodreads users, one of the most noteworthy being the last 26 years. From 2000 until the present, a myriad of books have been published which Goodreads users haven't gotten tired of raving about on the site.
Whether we're talking about non-fiction masterpieces like Just Mercy or genre-defining fantasy epics like The Way of Kings, the highest-rated books of the last 26 years on Goodreads should all be considered essential reading for anyone looking to gain a bigger appreciation for modern literature. From the sprawling to the intimate, from the poignant to the funny, and from the realistic to the imaginative, there's an admirable number of books on the site with remarkably high ratings, but six in particular are among the highest-rated of all time. In order to be considered for this list, a book needs to have at least 1,000 ratings on Goodreads.
6 'Just Mercy' (2014)
Goodreads Rating: 4.62
Lawyer, law professor, and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson has spent his career defending disadvantaged clients and challenging the justice system's bias against the poor and minorities. He wrote his 2014 memoir Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption to document his admirable efforts, alternating chapters between documenting his struggles to overturn the wrongful conviction of Walter McMillian and his work on other cases. Winner of several major awards, the book spent over 230 weeks on the paperback non-fiction bestsellers list, and Goodreads users over the years clearly think that it's worth the hype—and haven't been shy in the slightest about expressing it.
Just Mercy has been adopted by dozens of colleges and universities as required reading.
As a document key to understanding the mass incarceration problem in the United States, Just Mercy has been adopted by dozens of colleges and universities as required reading, but it should be considered essential even by those from outside the US. After all, on top of being an exceptional tool for learning about social justice, it's also a beautifully rousing, inspiring, and gripping story as riveting as any legal thriller—made even more riveting by the fact that it all actually happened. "This book will change the way you see the world" is a phrase often thrown around as praise for many a book that probably doesn't deserve it, but it absolutely holds true for Just Mercy.
5 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' (2007)
Goodreads Rating: 4.62
Upon publication in 1997, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (published in the US as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) was an instant hit, and it's still one of the bestselling works of fiction of all time. A decade later, the multimedia franchise that it sparked was already among the most ubiquitous in mainstream pop culture, making the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows one of the most anticipated cultural events of the 2000s. Once it finally came out, the final book in the Harry Potter series practically marked the end of an era, and it still holds the Guinness World Record for most volumes sold by a novel within 24 hours of release.
But aside from its historical significance to modern pop culture, Deathly Hallows is also a legitimately phenomenal YA fantasy novel, as proven by the fact that it's one of the most highly-rated fantasy books of the 21st century on Goodreads. It had virtually no precedent in the history of modern publishing, and it's still widely remembered as both a fantastic conclusion to such a vast series and a great fantasy adventure in and of itself. With sky-high stakes and a thematic scope that feels like it perfectly matured at the exact rate its readership grew up, it's a deconstruction of the "safe" fantasy scaffolding of the series, offering one of the most grown-up coming-of-age stories that children's fantasy has ever seen.
4 'Fighting Words' (2020)
Goodreads Rating: 4.63
With just a little under 15,000 ratings on Goodreads, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's Fighting Words is far and away the least-known novel on this list, but that doesn't make it any less admirable or nearly-perfect. It really is one of the best middle grade novels of the last decade, telling the story of a 10-year-old girl who escapes an abusive home and lands in foster care, learning to speak out and find her own voice after the suicide attempt of her protective older sister. It's certainly not lighthearted reading, but that's kind of the whole point. Bradley courageously sought out to challenge the assumption that taboo topics like trauma, suicide, and child sexual abuse were strictly relegated to YA and adult fiction, and saying that she succeeded would be quite the understatement.
Indeed, Fighting Words is a middle grade novel that parents should definitely not let their little ones read without any adult guidance; but as a source of conversations about the social stigma of topics that are so vital to talk about, it's absolutely phenomenal. Flawlessly balancing the natural darkness of its narrative with sensitivity and humor, Fighting Words is widely praised on Goodreads as essential reading both for children and adults. Protagonist Della's narrative voice is unforgettable, and makes for a reading experience that's as moving as it is powerful.
3 'The Way of Kings' (2010)
Goodreads Rating: 4.66
Brandon Sanderson has long been one of the most important and prolific authors in all of speculative fiction, his overarching Cosmere universe being one of the most foundational fantasy book series of the 21st century. There are many who would argue that Cosmere's greatest and most essential subseries is The Stormlight Archive, whose inaugural chapter, The Way of Kings, is praised by some as Sanderson's magnum opus. The narrative alternates between the points of view of several complex characters leading lives that at first seem unconnected, but soon converge in a war-torn world as an ancient threat awakens.
Though some may find its 1,000-page length daunting, saying that it's worth the effort doesn't even begin to cover how great Way of Kings is.
What ensues makes this one of the best heroic fantasy books of all time, and though some may find its 1,000-page length daunting, saying that it's worth the effort doesn't even begin to cover how great Way of Kings is. For one, the rotation between so many different points of view may have been an absolute tonal mess in the hands of any lesser author, but Sanderson balances those different narrative voices so perfectly that it's remarkably easy to lose and immerse oneself in the world of Way of Kings immediately. The world-building is phenomenal, the magic system is genius, and the psychological depth with which Sanderson approaches character-building is admirable.
2 'Know My Name: A Memoir' (2019)
Goodreads Rating: 4.67
It's impossible to talk about the phenomenal quality of the literature of the last 26 years without talking at length about non-fiction, and it's equally impossible to talk about the incredible quality of 21st-century non-fiction without talking about memoirs as masterful as Know My Name: A Memoir. It's written by American author and artist Chanel Miller, and it narrates Miller's experiences after being sexually assaulted by then-Standord University athlete Brock Turner in 2015, leading to the deeply notorious court case People v. Turner. It's as brave and intimate as non-fiction writing comes, truly one of the best memoirs ever written.
Anyone even slightly familiar with Miller's high-profile case may have expected the book to feel socially important going in, but it's Miller's exceptional talent as a writer that has really blown Goodreads users away throughout the last seven years. For one, she writes with a level of vulnerability and raw honesty that's rare even in the memoir genre, never attempting to present an idealized or polished version of herself. Trauma is messy, and Miller captures that perfectly while balancing the messiness with humor, warmth, and some of the most beautifully lyrical prose found in any memoir published since 2000.
1 'Words of Radiance' (2014)
Goodreads Rating: 4.76
After The Way of Kings took the world by storm and proved that Brandon Sanderson was capable of even bigger literary wonders than people assumed, the bar for its sequel was set sky-high. Only someone who had no idea who Sanderson was could have possibly doubted that he would deliver, but even the author's biggest fans would end up being surprised by just how virtually perfect of a heroic high fantasy novel Words of Radiance is. It remains universally recognized as one of the best fantasy books since 2000, and for good reason. In it, a group of characters embrace their destinies to stop a looming global apocalypse as ancient powers reawaken and political plots close in.
One of the highest-rated works of fiction in the history of Goodreads, Words of Radiance takes the enrapturing world built by Way of Kings and hits the ground running like all great sequels should. The pacing is shockingly perfect for such a thick brick of a novel, the interweaving between different points of view is even smoother than it was in Way of Kings, and the climax is the ultimate Sanderlanche—a term used by fans to describe the intense and action-packed third acts of most of Sanderson's works. If there's any one book from the last 26 years that Goodreads users consider a must-read, it's this one.
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01 What quality do you value most in yourself? Answer as honestly as you can. The Hat always knows.
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02 A friend is being treated unfairly. What do you do? How you protect other people says everything about you.
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Question 3 of 8AMBITION
03 What does success look like to you? What you are working toward is what you are becoming.
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05 The rules say no. Your gut says go. What do you do? Every institution has rules. What you do with them is a choice.
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08 The Hat pauses. It whispers: you could do well in any house. But what matters most to you, truly? This is the tiebreaker. The Hat always listens.
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The Sorting Hat speaksYour house has been chosen
Gryffindor Gryffindor Tower · Scarlet and Gold Gryffindors do not act because they are fearless. They act because some things are worth being afraid for.
You have nerve. Not the reckless kind, but the deep and quiet sort that turns up even when you are terrified, and especially then. You stand up for people when looking away would be easier, and you go at what is right even when the odds are poor. That instinct has cost you before and you have never once decided it was not worth it. Why the Hat chose this
- You speak up in the room where it costs you something.
- You would rather be wrong and brave than right and silent.
- People come to you when something needs facing.
From the Collider file
- Dominic McLaughlin takes over as Harry in HBO's series, which arrives in 2027 after filming through 2025 and 2026.
- Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson were all cast in 2000, aged eleven, ten and ten.
- The Sorting Hat on screen was a practical puppet before any digital work went near it.
Nerve Acts first Stands up
Slytherin Slytherin Dungeon · Emerald and Silver At its best this is the house of people who refuse the limits other people set for them.
You are driven, sharp, and entirely clear-eyed about what you want and how to reach it. Slytherin has been misread for a long time, painted as the house of villains when what it really rewards is resourcefulness and the patience to play a long game. You know your own worth, you protect your own fiercely, and you have never needed anyone else's permission to aim high. Why the Hat chose this
- You think three moves ahead and say one of them out loud.
- You are loyal to a small circle and ruthless about the rest.
- Being underestimated has always suited you.
From the Collider file
- Alan Rickman knew Snape's ending from Rowling years before the films got there, and played it accordingly.
- Tom Felton read for Harry and for Ron before landing Draco.
- Paapa Essiedu takes the role of Snape in HBO's series.
Plays the long game Knows his worth Resourceful
Hufflepuff Hufflepuff Basement · Yellow and Black Not the safe house and not the leftover house. The house with the most heart.
You are the sort of person who makes a place better just by being in it. You turn up, you do the work, and you do not need glory or credit for any of it, because you do what is right on the grounds that it is right. Your loyalty does not waver when it is tested, which is the only time loyalty means anything at all. Hufflepuff has never been the consolation prize. Why the Hat chose this
- You are the one who remembers, and who follows through.
- You do the unglamorous part nobody volunteers for.
- Your word has never needed a backup.
From the Collider file
- Robert Pattinson played Cedric Diggory in Goblet of Fire a year before he was cast in Twilight.
- Eddie Redmayne's Newt Scamander put a Hufflepuff at the center of five Fantastic Beasts films.
- The common room sits beside the kitchens, which is the most Hufflepuff detail in the books.
Shows up Unwavering No credit needed
Ravenclaw Ravenclaw Tower · Blue and Bronze Not merely intelligence. The love of learning, and the rare nerve to say you do not know yet.
Your mind is your best thing and you have always known it. Ravenclaws are the questioners, the ones who cannot leave a puzzle alone and who find a good book better company than most rooms full of people. What marks the house out is not being clever, it is wanting to understand, and being willing to admit the gap. You see things with a clarity that other people find unsettling. Why the Hat chose this
- You would rather be corrected than comfortable.
- You notice the thing nobody else in the room noticed.
- You have never been able to leave a question alone.
From the Collider file
- Evanna Lynch was cast as Luna from an open call of roughly fifteen thousand girls, having written to Rowling as a fan.
- The tower door asks a riddle rather than a password, so a Ravenclaw can be locked out by thinking too slowly.
- Luna, Flitwick and Rowena Ravenclaw are all originals, which is rather the point of the house.
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