PEOPLE Picks the Best Books of the 2000s, Including by Anthony Bourdain and Margaret Atwood

Mar. 15, 2025

PEOPLE’s picks for the best books of the 2000s.

The early 2000s was a time of change. A new century brought new ideas, and that was no different within the book world as well.In celebration of PEOPLE’s 50th anniversary, PEOPLE staffers are looking back on some of their favorite books of the decade. From novels, memoirs and nonfiction accounts, read on to see some of the PEOPLE staff’s favorite books from the 2000s.

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HarperCollins

What began as an article late chef Bourdain wrote forThe New Yorkerexpanded into this seminal book about the real happenings in restaurant kitchens. A memoir of Bourdain’s years in the industry, and touching upon sex, love and cuisine, this is a must-read.

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Virago Press

Atwood’s novel begins with the mysterious death of writer Laura Chase in 1945, which her younger sister, Iris, soon relays as just one of many tragedies to plague their family over the years. Told through multiple storylines, the haunting secrets of the Chase family are revealed in this suspenseful and romantic novel.

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Penguin UK

In the wake of World War II, veterans Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal become unlikely friends, though the families they create come with their own complications. Archie’s marriage to Clara, a younger Jamaican woman, leads their daughter Irie to question her upbringing. Samad’s arranged marriage gifts him with twins, who he attempts to steer toward his Islamic faith. Smith’s stunning debut novel cemented her as one of the best writers of her generation.

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Vintage

This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel follows a father and son as they walk through a barren landscape after the apocalypse. Armed with nothing but a pistol, a meager supply of food and each other, the pair are tested in this story of survival and love.

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Picador

Enid has been a wife and mother for nearly 50 years and her family is in disarray. Her eldest son, Gary, is attempting to hide signs of clinical depression, middle child Chip has lost his job in academia, only daughter Denise is having an affair with a married man and Enid’s beloved husband, Alfred, has Parkinson’s disease. In an attempt to bring everyone back together, Enid calls her family home for one last Christmas together in this seminal novel from Franzen.

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Mariner Books Classics

After a devastating shipwreck on the Pacific Ocean, two survivors remain: a 16-year-old boy named Pi and a Royal Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Over the 227 days that the pair is lost at sea, they must learn to coexist, as Martell recounts in this acclaimed novel that later became a much-loved film.

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Pantheon

This graphic novel follows Satrapi and her childhood in Tehran throughout the Islamic Revolution. Amidst the horrors of war, the girl learns much about her family, her country and herself in this wise and poignant read.

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Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Growing up with her scholarly father, lawyer mother and spiritual brother, Eliza Naumann never felt like she fit in. But when Eliza qualifies for her district’s spelling bee, the family’s dynamics suddenly shift, and Eliza must figure out how to right things once they upend into chaos. An astute coming-of-age tale.

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Scribner

Henry DeTamble, a librarian, is gifted with the ability to travel through time. When he falls for Claire, an artist who has a typical lifespan, the two must navigate their love story across decades, which will test them like never before. This sweeping modern classic is also available to stream as a Max series.

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Back Bay Books

One of the humorist’s best-known works, this essay collection covers multiple episodes from Sedaris’ life, including a move to Paris (and his misadventures in the city before learning French), his upbringing in suburban North Carolina, where he tried to get rid of his childhood lisp, and his time working odd — and extremely memorable — jobs in New York.

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Random House Publishing Group

The first book in Kinsella’s acclaimed series, this novel follows Becky Bloomwood, a financial journalist with a serious shopping addiction. When she starts work on a one-of-a-kind story, her job soon leads to a transforming moment in her own life. If you like the book, it might be time for a rewatch of the classic 2009 film too.

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Penguin Books

We may think of salt as just another spice cabinet essential, but this nonfiction book looks at its relevance in our culture. From its history of being used as currency to its vital contributions to trade routes, cities and revolutions,Saltis an informative, yet entertaining examination of a compound we often take for granted.

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Simon & Schuster

Journalist David Carr spent his career breaking stories, but turns his considerable skills toward his own life in this moving memoir. The writer reflects on how he went from being an addict to aNew York Timescorrespondent, and through interviews, legal and medical records and years of reporting, Carr presents a one-of-a-kind story about the power of changing our lives.

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Mariner Books

This family saga follows the Ganguli’s, who immigrate from India to Massachusetts. Their son, Gogol, named for the Russian poet, represents the divide between his parents’ old and new life, in this beloved novel of identity and love.

source: people.com