My Top 10 of 2021!
Apologies for my 8 month long delay in posting. If I'm being honest, I didn't read much this year and at the time of typing this, I'm hoping I'll hit 40 books. I'm currently on 37 and if any of the 3 books I read this next week belong on my list, I'll write a separate post about them.
2021 has been a turbulent year of seemingly never ending cycles. I am happy to say that I've gotten off the hamster wheel of work, health and stress problems, time off. It's given me time to explore my regular hobbies again. It means in 2022, I can dedicate more time to writing blog posts; if not my regular 3 readers, but for myself. I'm also thinking of adding some personal posts, but there's an ongoing battle in my mind on finding the balance between privacy and expression.
Anyway, without further ado, here are my top reads of 2021.
Beautiful World, Where Are You?- Sally Rooney
Would it be a top 2021 books review without BWWAY? Probably not.
BWWAY focuses on 2 "couples", who are caught in the complications of their relationships. It reads as an outsider, looking in. There is no so-so plot, but the relationships of characters drive the plot forwards.
I read this in one long night, my Kindle working overtime because I was *that* anxious to finish it with everyone else. I will say, I think this is the best of Sally Rooney's work I've read so far. I enjoyed the long musings, the imagery she paints and the relationships between her characters. It sounds incredibly odd but there is something comforting in the mundane aspects of life that Sally Rooney describes so well. What Sally Rooney knows, she knows and this book did not disappoint in that respect.
I don't think I have any particular complaints. I think maybe this book did what it knows too well. It did have aspects that stuck out to me - a harsh criticism of the publishing industry, and some emails between the characters in particular stuck out to me. But in retrospect, I think I would've liked more - maybe more of a plot. Maybe more fleshed out characters. Maybe it would be nicer to leave Sally Rooney alone for as long as she needs, to see what she can write without the pressure of being the next literary icon. I'm excited to read her next books, whenever and however that will be.
The Paper Palace- Miranda Cowley Heller
I will preface this with a warning I wish I had seen before reading - this book is graphic and has many trigger warnings for sexual abuse and rape.
The book focuses on Elle Bishop, her life and her relationship with 2 men - her husband, and childhood friend. It follows her own childhood, her mothers relationships, her relationship with her sister and her step brother. It's a book about regrets, past and present decisions.
The book moves slowly, alternating between present day and explorations of the past. Once you can get your head around the switches and also the almost leisurely pace of the present day writing, this book becomes enjoyable in its characters, their relationships and its imagery. It was a pure delight to read in the way it is written. I would liken the way this made me feel to Monogamy by Sue Miller; something in me adored the way the scenes were set and I could feel myself in multiple scenes.
This may be controversial, as a major plot point, but I feel what really let this book down for me were the rape scenes. Over the years, I feel like rape and sexual assault are thrown in as plot points - and that isn't a problem because they are plot points. But I went into this book with no expectation or warning, and it threw me off and left me with a sour taste for the rest of the book. I think writing about traumatic experiences is important, and putting awareness out there is important, and maybe this was a case of the wrong book at the wrong time, but I really felt I could've enjoyed this more with a warning.
The Hand That First Held Mine- Maggie O'Farrell
I never really got into Hamnet (please do not hate me, I will attempt it again in 2022!) but I've heard so many good things about Maggie O'Farrell that I wanted to read her books. I heard some good things about The Hand That First Held Mine, and so I dug in.
This is another book with alternative scenes - it switches between 2 stories. One is from the past, one is set in the present day. One showcases a young girl trying to make it in the journalism business, the other a new mother who suddenly can't remember anything about her life or the birth of her child.
I raced through this in one day - O'Farrell has such a beautiful way of writing, it was easy to keep going and was truly enjoyable to race through. I loved the plot, the surprises, the complex characters and their joys and tragedies. I think the book is slow to start with and I had to re-read paragraphs a few times to understand what was happening, but the strengths of this book far outweigh any weaknesses. I feel like gong in without any ideas or expectations really allowed me to immerse myself in the story and that in itself really made the experience.
The Interestings - Meg Wolitzer
It is no secret to anyone who has read this blog that I love complex relationships, histories, stories that span generations and sprawl over decades. The Interestings was exactly like that - the story begins in a teepee when Jules, the protaganist, is 17. Friendships, relationships, secrets unfurl as the group turn into adults, with jobs, houses, children.
I love Wolltzer's writing. I think she is exceptional at building stories and characters and this book really delivered exactly what I love from fiction. I loved the way she explores quite sensitive topics that probably weren't spoken about as much when the book was written. I love that Jules is flawed, because that's what makes her more human. The nodes of jealousy that ring very clearly through the book, although ugly, made me relate to her more. I even enjoyed the ending, which is often rare for me in a book.
If you love immersive stories and complicated characters, if you love descriptive writing and scene setting, you will probably enjoy this book. It was a truly pleasure to read this.
Modern Lovers - Emma Straub
This is another book where the characters are rich with history and complexity. There is a real theme to the types of books I enjoy, and I knew this would deliver everything I needed.
Set in New York, the book follows 2 close families over a summer, where their lives come to a crux; teenagers obsessed with each other, fraught over college, SAT prep; a couple about to divorce; another couple with their own secrets and arguments.
I really love books that cover a short period of time - think Real Lives by Brandon Taylor that spans over a single weekend. I love the intensity! I've seen a lot of criticism of this book that focuses mostly on the pacing, but I didn't find that to be a problem. I was more absorbed in the descriptive writing, the very real and flawed characters and being absorbed by their worries and fears. This was an easy read and I would thoroughly recommend.
Taste - Stanley Tucci
I read this in a very emotional point in my life (3 weeks ago, so I guess I'm still there), mourning for something that had played a core part of my life. I wanted to read a book so filled with passion it reminded me of my own. And this is exactly what I got.
Food shaped Tucci's life, and he talks about it with such pleasure, devotion and knowledge. He expresses the importance of simple recipes with quality ingredients. The book is peppered with recommendations of restaurants (many of them now defunct due to Covid-19 closures), recipes and names of celebrity friends. He talks about the meals he's had, his experiences in Italy, how food shaped both of his marriages. He talks through the daily routine of his life during quarantine, which I didn't think I'd enjoy - but I did. Finally, he talks about the cancer that left him unable to taste food and how that made him feel.
The writing was warm, familiar, and reading it left me as if I'd had a good conversation with a good friend over dinner. It's exactly the kind of writing I want this blog to have; it was easy, absorbing and read exactly as what I needed. I couldn't recommend this enough, regardless of emotional state.
Small Pleasures- Clare Chambers
I think I put off reading this for a long time, because I heard so many good things about it I didn't quite believe it (like an idiot!). I was stupidly wrong and I'm happy to admit that.
The book starts off when our main character receives a tip off about an incredulous story; a virgin birth. She investigates and befriends the family. And that is all I will say because the direction this book takes was a wonderful, heartwarming surprise that I wouldn't want to spoil.
Again, this is a story with the kind of writing I love. It was such an easy and delightful read. I loved the small pieces of adventure, the unthawing of certain characters. I loved the difficulty of the decisions to be made. I think one particular plot point was quite obvious, but that isn't to say it took away from the rest of the book. I truly enjoyed reading this regardless and would recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Here Comes The Miracle- Anna Beecher
This is a book that I knew would hurt me. I waited over a year to read it and I'm so glad I kept it on my wishlist for so long.
This book is a fiction piece based on a true story - our main characters older brother develops cancer. The book alternates again (I'm only now beginning to notice a trend) between the characters present day and her family history. It goes through the painful, and honestly quite harrowing, treatment of her brother as he learns he has cancer and as he battles the disease. It's about trying to make the most of your time, but the debilitating effects of grief before you're grieving that limit that.
I have a very close relationship with my sisters, and my older sister in particular has always been an incredibly close person to my life. Beecher's reflections on her relationship with her brother reminded me of how I would've described the relationship with my sisters, and that in itself had me crying multiple times in the book; to see the bond between siblings so beautifully put into words I couldn't was something that really did stand out to me. I would put a massive trigger warning on this book for grief and medical related trauma. But it truly shone as one of the best books I've read this year. It has, and will continue, to stick with me.
My Brilliant Friend- Elena Ferrante
I didn't think it would be fair to add 4 Ferrante novels onto my top 10, so My Brilliant Friend actually means all 4 of the Neopolitan Quartet.
I looooooved these books so much. I've written separately about My Brilliant Friend before, but the books detail the relationship and lives of 2 friends, Lila and Lenu. Their relationship is fraught, intense and competitive but the two are closely connected. There is no plot, again because the natural progression of the characters drives the book forwards for 4 books. I loved it for the exact reasons that other people have hated it - very clipped translation that reads well in my mind, complex complex characters and progression that spans decades. The book touches on politics in a way I haven't really seen other books do and details an incredibly deep range of characters who are all well interconnected.
I will say by the 4th book, I was getting a little bored of Lenu's whining but I loved reading this so much I powered through and I'm glad I did. If you have the time, and patience, for the first book to warm up, you will enjoy the others. I loved Ferrante's writing and I know I will probably re-read this again soon with an experienced pair of eyes.
Crying in H Mart- Michelle Zauner
Anyone I've spoken to about books this year will have heard me talk about this. When I picked up a physical copy in Waterstones, I ended up having a long conversation with the bookseller on the number of profound ways this book affected me.
This is a book that ties 2 things I've read a lot about recently - food and grief. Zauner writes in so much detail about her experience and connection with Korean food following her mothers cancer diagnosis and death (is it a spoiler warning if it's real life?). She writes about how she used food to feel closer to her mother, to help heal her, to feel closer to her own culture. She also writes with much clarity about her relationship with her mother and the tension with her father. This book was crippling in its grief, incredibly sad and I could write a separate blog post on how beautifully written it was.
As someone who often feels messy, who rebelled as much as she could as a teenager, and has a somewhat complicated relationship with both her parents and her culture, this book resonated deeply with me. Having such an intimate glimpse into Zauner's grief made it feel as if it were my grief, and that is the sign of incredibly good writing. I could not name a single fault with this book, other than it will probably make you cry and feel a little empty inside once it's done.
Like Taste, I don't think you need to be in an emotional place or be able to relate to Zauner in order to enjoy this or the writing. If you can handle the sadness that will come with this, I would recommend this for 2022.