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August 16, 2026

Last week, my colleagues at The Book Review expanded our 21st century literary canon with a list of the 50 best thrillers published since 2000. Writers of every kind of crime fiction, from legal thrillers to spy novels to cozy mysteries, voted. So did librarians, editors, critics and Bookstagrammers. Unsurprisingly, many Times readers still thought there were glaring omissions. You also had questions about how we were defining what a thriller is in the first place. When we opened up voting to you, some books popped up that weren’t on our list because our panel hadn’t considered them part of the genre — “Never Let Me Go,” “Wolf Hall” and “The Road,” for example — excellent reminders that the way a reader classifies great books can be deeply personal. The list of all 100 reader picks is below.

Also in this edition, experts advise on using A.I. to save on travel and which foods are best to treat a stomach bug, including this summer’s “it” bug, whose name I will not mention. You’re welcome. I’ll see you next weekend(er).

— Farah

Naila Ruechel for The New York Times YOUR PICKS Readers chose their 100 best thrillers of the century. See the list. →

Chanelle Nibbelink FRUGAL TRAVELER Can A.I. get you where you want to go for less? →

Lanna Apisukh for The New York Times GOING THE DISTANCE She makes the impossible happen for her ultrarich clients. →

TAPESTRY TROUBLES Art experts insisted this fragile masterpiece could never travel. They were proven wrong. →

Eric Helgas for The New York Times ASK WELL Is the BRAT diet really the best way to treat a stomach bug? We asked experts. →

Kendrick Brinson for The New York Times 'FREE-RANGE KIDS' Should letting children play alone outside be a crime? →

Gayatri Ganju for The New York Times WHO IS SHE? This “it” girl really is that cool. →

James Andrews1/Shutterstock CALCULATOR Which U.S. cities are people moving to? →

Renaissance Pictures SCARY GOOD Here’s how point-of-view shots in “The Evil Dead” changed horror movies forever. →

A PATH FIT FOR A KING Paul Theroux walked about 30 miles along the King Charles III England Coast Path to report this article. →

Cole Saladino for The New York Times TOP TACOS These are the 41 greatest Mexican restaurants across the U.S. →

Hallmark HAPPILY EVER AFTER Here’s to 25 Years of big-city gals meeting hometown hunks on the Hallmark Channel. →

Amanda Hess Styles reporter I didn’t think Hallmark Christmas movies were for me until a couple of winters ago, when a family member’s medical crisis left me searching my television for something that could shut off my brain completely. Now I get it. Hallmark movies are formulaic and fantastical and safe, no matter what it is you’re trying to forget. Who’s with me? J Joni BK @Amanda Hess I’m with you! Good to know that you can read the NYT and come out of the closet re Hallmark :)

B Boston Beans n Turnip Greens Boston, MA This article transformed my opinion of the Hallmark Channel. I still doubt I'll ever watch it, but I'll never disdain it again. Obviously, a lot of people get a lot of joy - or solace - from these stories and there can't be anything wrong with that. I'm a convert. Or, not exactly a convert, but I'm glad the Hallmark Channel is there. Thank you for setting me straight.

C Cath Maine My 63 year old husband is the Hallmark devotee in our house. Christmas starts in July on days where he sorts bills or folds laundry and one young actress after another starts a new coffee business and misunderstands the intentions of the good looking guy surrounded by twinkly lights and snow that never needs to be plowed.

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This edition of The Weekender was edited by Farah Miller and Kellina Moore. Reach our team at weekender@nytimes.com.

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