?? 2021 Year In Books

When I’m not in the pub drinking wine or sobbing on the sofa over Queer Eye, you’re likely to find me with my nose deep in a book somewhere.

Like most book-y people I speak to; I loved reading from a very young age, entered Book Purgatory in my teenage years thanks to forced reading throughout school and university, then returned to reading for pleasure in full force in my early twenties. Since then I’ve never stopped.

I managed 43 books in 2021, just seven books shy of my fifty-book target (for which I blame moving house, given that the majority of my sacred “chill time” from August to December was spent painting ceilings, de-weeding gardens, varnishing floorboards, and doing the admin that comes alongside buying a house and generally being an adult). But, damn it, I’ll hit 50 books this year.

Before I crack on: Here's how to read more

“How do you find time to read?” I actually answer this question quite a lot. And here’s one very simple piece of advice that worked wonders for me: Always carry a book with you. How often do you pick up your phone during the day? Then just imagine if you picked up a book 342 times instead. Whether you’re in the queue at Starbucks, on a train, or waiting for your spaghetti to boil for dinner –?get yourself a book out and read it. A small change but one that’ll have you careening through 30+ books in no time.

Anyway, here’s the round-up…

2021 in Books

• Books read: 43
• DNF: 2

My favourite book: The Dutch House – Ann Patchett

Not only is the cover the prettiest thing on my bookshelf and I’d gladly spearhead a movement to get it hung in the Louvre, but this is simply a pure masterclass in storytelling. Honestly, how in the hell she managed to make a book about a bloody house my top read of the year is a testament to her awe-inspiring, mind-blowing talent.?

I beg you: Judge this book by its cover because the artwork is phenomenal in itself and I promise it only gets better from there.

The book I think everyone should read: Midnight in Chernobyl –?Adam Higginbotham

My partner was overjoyed when I finished this one because it meant there was finally an end to my incessant “oh my god, Matthew! Did you know…”-ing throughout the entire 560 pages. This story beggars belief. I’ll admit it’s pretty heavy on the chemistry (which I found interesting but I know my mum skimmed over), but this is one of those stories you simply can’t believe isn’t fiction. An indelible, momentous novel.?

The book that made me cry: The Kite Runner –?Khalid Hosseini

And I don’t mean a dramatic tear running down my face either. I mean weeping, sobbing, rang-my-mum-to-tell-her-she-had-to-read-it crying. This book was on the school curriculum when I was in year eight, which obviously means I read the first chapter, got bored, and probably went on MSN instead. Coming back to it as an adult was one of the best decisions I made last year.

The it’s a no from me book: The Midnight Library –?Matt Haig

As a general rule, I like to finish things I’ve started which means my list of DNFs at the end of the year is usually 0. Maybe I’m getting older and less patient because I gave up on two books this year. The primary offender being this Matt Haig bestseller (?!).?

I like subtlety in writing, but this felt like having the (painfully, painfully obvious) point shoved down my throat. Repeatedly. To the point where I genuinely questioned how anyone had managed to make it through without eye-rolling after literally every sentence. A fantastic premise that was absolutely massacred by the trite, overly saccharine writing. Did my one hundred pages and tapped the F out. (Sorry, Matt, I really loved Reasons To Stay Alive, I'm sure we’ll try again).?

My favourite character: Asha from The Startup Wife – Tahmima Anam

Astutely funny, relatable, and clever as hell. This book made me snort more than once, and nod along with her various musings on life, the patriarchy, and being a clever girl with something to say.

The book that changed my mindset: American Dirt – Jeanine Cummins

What I’ve always loved most about reading is the ability to better understand things you’ll likely never experience first-hand. American Dirt is a book about refugees and it’s a story that filled me with so much sympathy and compassion that I wanted to send a copy to every single person who voted for the Trump administration or has ever said anything derogatory or unwelcoming about immigration. A book that will open your eyes and make you kinder.

My favourite line: taken from The Mandibles –?Lionel Shriver

On the divorcee's daughter's continued support and acceptance of the cheating husband’s new life (and wife):

“Alas, Mimi’s fury that Nollie applauded their father’s “rediscovery of desire” in 1992 proved to have the shelf life of radioactive waste.”?

When I read books by Lionel Shriver, I have a dictionary on-hand at all times. I’m not lying when I say I often have to look up a new word every couple of pages. Her writing is on another level of impressive, filled with sentences like this one that made me pause, internally scream at its perfectly executed beauty, and humbly remember why I’ll never be a published author. Pure magic.

My favourite author: Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett. Ann Patchett. Ann Patchett. Ann Patchett. Ann Patchett. Did I say that loud enough? ANN PATCHETT. The way she writes, her effortless mastery of timelines, and how she turns arguably mundane storylines into spellbinding works of art. Ugh, fangirling.?

And finally, this isn't one of those rhetorical questions at the end of an article that ties things of nicely with a generic question to which I care little about the answer. Genuine request: What was your favourite book of last year? And what are you reading right now? ??

Give me recommendations for this year's TRL or strike up a conversation with me if you've read any of the below. Bloody love a book chat.