2021 in Books
/
I’ll be honest, I’m relieved that 2021 is drawing to a close. For as much as we all talked about how horrible 2020 was, 2021 was a tough year too. Starting in January, I worked as a contact tracer for a few months while business was slow. My grandma died in late February and my mom in early April; afterwards I blogged about taking bereavement time as a freelancer.
When May rolled around, I celebrated two years running my own business and signed my biggest and most exciting client to date 🥳 Over the summer, I spent three months as Interim Executive Director of a nonprofit organization. In the fall, I reflected on my learnings from three years in therapy. I also walked away from a leadership position and dove into a new volunteer opportunity.
I recently recapped some of my most popular blog posts this year, so if you missed any along the way, you can find them here. In addition to writing this blog, I also dug in deep creatively and had nine of my short stories published in various literary magazines, which I’m so proud of! 2021 has been a whirlwind to say the least.
Through all of that chaos, emotion, and busyness, reading has been a source of comfort, distraction, and inspiration. I’m grateful for the books and authors who brought me joy and reflection in 2021.
Last year, I read 86 books and included 25 of them in my 2020 in Books blog post. This year, I’ve read 120 books to date; I’m sharing 35 of my favorites here. Interestingly, I read fewer novels this year--only 50. As a short story and memoir writer myself, I’ve been reaching for those more, and read nine short story collections, seven memoirs, and four graphic memoirs. As a trustee of the Monroe County Library System, I’ve been visiting all 32 libraries in the county, and along the way have grown interested in graphic novels and manga. I’ve read 11 manga and seven graphic novels this fall. I’ve also read 10 nonfiction books, eight poetry collections, and two children’s books.
Let’s get into it! Here’s my 2021 in books.
Winter 2021
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
This unusual Japanese novel is all about what it means to be a woman in the world. How do you navigate life? What are the right choices for you, regardless of what society thinks? Parts of it still pop into my head today, nearly 12 months later.
Bandit by Molly Brodak
An incredible memoir. Molly’s father was a bank robber and spent much of her teenage and adult years in jail. She investigates his gambling addiction, stealing, and her own personal experiences with shoplifting as she interrogates what it means to be related to someone.
Self Care by Leigh Stein
A fun and highly entertaining read that satirizes Instagram, influencers, and wellness culture. The twist at the end will have you like 😱
Little Eyes* by Samanta Schweblin
Imagine a world where cute little robot animals called kentukis help you forge relationships and see other parts of the world. You can either dwell in a kentuki and form a voyeuristic relationship with someone in another country, or you can control a kentuki, having a friend with you every day. What could go wrong? Samanta Schweblin shows you exactly what! Creepy and fantastic.
*Apologies for the library link; Bookshop only carries this book in the original Spanish!
I Hold a Wolf by the Ears by Laura van den Berg
A haunting short story collection full of lost women who don’t know who they are anymore or what their role in the world is.
The People Who Watched her Pass By by Scott Bradfield
The small press Two Dollar Radio puts out some amazing books, and this is yet another one. Narrated by a little girl who is kidnapped on page one and needs to find her own way through the world, it’s wise and funny and explores what it means to see and be seen, to be loved, and to have a home.
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
Full of heavy themes with some funny moments, this graphic memoir shares the story of a cold and aloof father who runs a funeral home and happens to be secretly gay...and how that shaped his daughter, who is also queer.
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Ishiguro’s sparse prose and dystopian version of our reality is haunting and fascinating; the final pages will make you cry.
Spring 2021
Bad Marie by Marcy Dermansky
I read this book the weekend of my mother’s funeral and it was the perfect distraction. Dermansky’s writing is a masterclass on continually raising the stakes. After getting out of prison, Marie is nannying her friend’s child; she quickly seduces the friend’s husband and runs off to France with him and the kid. The story only gets crazier and more entertaining from there.
Duck, Death and the Tulip by Wolf Erlbruch
A friend gifted me this after my mom died and I loved the art style so much that I had an image from it tattooed on me. Breathtakingly beautiful, and a good reminder that Death is a friend and part of life.
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
Read for my book club, this novel is structured brilliantly. It takes place over the 12 days leading up to Hurricane Katrina, and immerses you in the life of a struggling, loving family. It’ll break your heart.
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw
Smart, funny, painful stories of church ladies. I was lucky enough to take a class with Deesha this fall and it was amazing!
Summer 2021
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
This romance novel was a treat to escape into. It’s got real depth too--with one character finding out they are on the autism spectrum and another traumatized by neglectful parents.
With Teeth by Kristen Arnett
An unreliable narrator, shocking, cringe-worthy moments, and a gut-punch of an ending that will make you scream. Kristen Arnett is too good!
Lying: A Metaphorical Memoir by Lauren Slater
This memoir tells you on its opening pages that the writer is a compulsive liar--it makes you question the nature of memoir, fiction, and nonfiction. If something is emotionally true, does that make it true?
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
An excellent blend of informative neuroscience and examples. Our society needs to have a cultural reckoning with trauma and the ways in which the zip code you are born into can increase the likelihood that you will move into adulthood with trauma.
The Atmospherians by Alex McElroy
Dark and funny satire of Instagram influencer culture, packed with complex characters and shocking moments. I was lucky enough to interview the author this summer; you can watch the recording here.
Somebody’s Daughter by Ashely C. Ford
Ford writes with tenderness, honesty, and vulnerability that is just breathtaking.
I Know What I Am: The Life and Times of Artemisia Gentileschi by Gina Siciliano
Decades of research on Italy in the 1600s and the life of Artemisia Gentileschi were necessary to compile this fantastic graphic biography. Artemisia’s life is inspiring and lent itself beautifully to this format.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
A stunning novel that follows eight generations of a family in a mere 300 pages. Prepare yourself for intergenerational trauma, pain, and to be deeply moved. Roxane Gay called this novel an excellent case for reparations and I would agree.
Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
A delightful romp of a novel that’s basically a Japanese American Princess Diaries.
Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel Moniz
If you like stories that aren’t neatly tied up with a bow at the end, you may like this collection! Moniz’s sentences are crafted with precision and each story packs a punch.
Fall 2021
Seeing Ghosts by Kat Chow
A memoir of questions that contemplates grief, family, the immigrant experience, and what could have been.
How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith
A beautiful and powerful reckoning with the history of slavery. Clint takes you from Angola Prison to Goree Island, from Monticello to the Whitney Plantation, to see how institutions are (or are not) grappling with the history of slavery and the role their institution played.
The Naomi Letters by Rachel Mennies
This gorgeous poetry collection is written as a series of letters from a woman to her female lover. It explores grief, longing, and the female body.
Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin
Samanta Schweblin is the only author in this list twice; she’s just that good! A quick novel that will captivate and subtly horrify you.
In Deeper Waters by FT Lukens
A prince falling in love with a mermaid and getting swept up in a dangerous political plot. Need I say more?
The Valley and the Flood by Rebecca Mahoney
Grief and PTSD are at the core of this novel, which includes magical realism elements and fantastical creatures. Strange and beautiful.
Yolk by Mary Choi
Painfully real, human characters who you will become deeply invested in. One sister has an eating disorder and the other has cancer; yet only one of them can face the truth about their condition.
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
Picked this up as a new library Trustee, and it was an absolute delight. The 1986 LA library fire is the jumping off point, but it becomes a meandering exploration of what libraries are, how they came to be this way, and the endless potential they have to keep evolving and serving their communities.
The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell by Brian Evenson
A top-notch collection that will get under your skin, with some specific stories that will have you screaming.
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Full of shocking twists and turns and fascinating insights into Native culture in Michigan’s UP, this YA novel is captivating for 488 pages straight.
The Tea Dragon Tapestry by K. O’Neill
The third and final installment in the Tea Dragon series was my favorite, as it beautifully illustrates grief, supporting grievers, and the time and space it takes to heal. The Tea Dragon Society (book one) and The Tea Dragon Festival (book two) are also lovely and heartwarming.
The Way She Feels: My Life on the Borderline in Pictures + Pieces by Courtney Cook
Courtney’s memoir is incredibly raw and honest, inspiringly so. The visual art is vibrant and engaging, and I learned a ton about Borderline Personality Disorder.
My Brother’s Husband by Gengoroh Tagame
Both volumes of this two-part manga are sweet and heartwarming. A father and brother is prompted to question the biases about queer people he didn’t even realize he had after meeting the husband of his dead brother.
Looking to up your reading game in 2022? Check out my curated book recommendations!
