The 15 Best Books of Macey Shofroth's 21st Century

And how taste can be hostile to creativity

Jul 19, 2024

The New York Time’s “100 Best Books of the 21st Century” and its surrounding discourse succinctly illustrates my very un-succinct feelings around taste:

It’s a beautifully varied concept that opens a myriad of doors into human perspectives and is ultimately futile to write about.

I am envious of writers of criticism who can draw parallels between art and humanity in ways that comment on how we’ve arrived here and where we’re going. I don’t believe that type of writing is futile. I think it’s crucial to building a society that feels deep feelings and cares for our connections to one another.

What I find futile is believing in a pure sanctity of taste. Believing that whether you like or dislike something truly matters.

It may encourage or deter like-minded folks from consuming something, but regarding your taste as a statement of fact is a sign of dishonesty to me. Art is too varied and complex and fluid to ever believe we can define it in any one way, let alone define it against our opinions of it.

That’s not to say I don’t believe in sharing your thoughts and opinions about art; in fact, I think we’re obligated to. It’s a pretty major part of my whole thing. One of the most fascinating aspects of humanity is how we can experience the exact same thing in such disparate ways. The more we explore that, the closer we can come to living int his world together as our fullest selves.

It’s when we disregard our neighbor’s taste as wrong rather than fundamentally different that I believe we lose sight of the essence of creativity. (And this is an impulse that I fight regularly myself, too.)

Maybe the Times’ list of the “most important, influential books” of the 21st century is a defining list that speaks to how our culture has shifted and been shifted in the last 25 years.

Or maybe it’s just a big collection of folks creating an aggregate of their own personal tastes.

If they can share theirs, I’m going to share mine.

Here is the 15 Most Influential Books of Macey Shofroth’s 21st Century

The Junie B. Jones Series - Barbara Park

She was funny. Adventurous. Sassy as all Hell. She’s everything I wanted as a 6 year old.

Frindle - Andrew Clements

Andrew Clements revealed to me the control we have over language when his main character decided a pen would now be referred to as a “frindle.”

Nineteen Minutes - Jodi Picoult

Please give me a pass for this one—I was like 15. I borrowed another Jodi Picoult book from my sister and discovered the magic of falling in love with an author’s body of work.

Bluets - Maggie Nelson

This book symbolizes my transformation from a casual reader to someone who wanted to make words her entire life. I’d never read something so poetic or a writer ruminate in this way.

The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

I know Alice Sebold is problematic but again, I was like 15. I remember how viscerally she portrayed the family’s mood after the abduction, how I felt it actually affected me. I subconsciously knew I’d want to create those feelings in readers one day.

Brother - Ania Ahlborn

This is the only horror book I’ve ever enjoyed. My mom and both recommend it to every person that asks us what they should read. The characters are compelling and the ending is phenomenal.

Hunger - Roxane Gay

This is the book that made me fall in love with memoir. I can’t say enough about Roxane Gay and her clear, direct voice. She has taught me so much, beginning with this book. Also, I named my cat after her.

How We Fight For Our Lives - Saeed Jones

Saeed Jones has a sincerity to his voice that reached me in profound ways. I continue to absorb everything he reads because I think he’s brilliant and lives in the world in an honest way that many people unknowingly eschew.

Know My Name - Chanel Miller

I remember exactly where I was when I first read Chanel’s anonymous letter to Brock Turner on Buzzfeed. I remember how floored I was by the bravery in this memoir. I wrote in my Goodreads review, “Thank you, Chanel. You have changed me, and you have changed the world.”

Luster - Raven Leilani

Raven Leilani is another writer who opened up writing in new ways for me. The restraint in her prose is masterful. I still can’t believe this was her debut novel.

In the Dream House - Carmen Maria Machado

Machado developed lenses for her reader to understand her story in ways I had never experienced. She writes a lot of horror, and brings that eerie quality to this memoir in ways that magnify the subject matter.

The Argonauts - Maggie Nelson

Maggie Nelson has an uncanny ability to make unknowable experiences knowable to her readers. It’s not dramatic or complicated. She’s simply a master at making things legible.

Things We Didn’t Talk About When I Was A Girl: A Memoir - Jeannie Vanasco

The premise of this memoir—Vanasco interviews her rapist—hooked me from the beginning. It’s such an honest book. She isn’t afraid to shine the light where it needs to be shone.

The Late Americans - Brandon Taylor

I don’t know how to say this in an eloquent way. But I am drawn to Brandon Taylor because of the way he is so not full of shit. He is not here to grandstand; he’s here to attempt to understand the world and write really fucking well about that journey.

You Could Make This Place Beautiful - Maggie Smith

I am pushing my skills and growth as a writer this year. A huge part of that is engaging with poetry more to see how it changes my prose. This memoir was that sentiment in action. And it was really beautiful.