The 10 Most Universally Acclaimed Books of the 21st Century, Ranked

The article presents ten 21st-century books it describes as “universally acclaimed”, judging their standing by a combination of awards, sales, critical praise and reader affection. It argues that these books show how works ranging from popular fantasy to literary fiction can reach wide audiences and leave a lasting mark.

The excerpt highlights *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, *The Road* and *The Nightingale*. Rowling’s final Harry Potter novel broke the record for the fastest-selling fiction book in 24 hours and became a shared global reading event; McCarthy’s *The Road* won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction; and Hannah’s World War II novel drew book-club audiences while retelling the period through women’s experiences. The article’s supplied text ends part-way through its discussion of the list.