"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Monday, December 27, 2021

TTT: Best Books I Read in 2021


 
Top Ten Tuesday: The Best Books I Read in 2021 

I read some really great books in 2021.

These are my favorites in no particular order after the first two, which tied for my favorites of the year. Click on the hyperlinked titles if you'd like to read my reviews to learn more.


1. Hamnet by Marggie O'Farrell
Imagine Shakespeare's world and his family life back in the time of another pandemic: the Bubonic Plague. I think O'Farrell got it right and I didn't want this book to end. I wanted to stay in the world she created forever. (Alfred A. Knopf, 2020)

Green wrote 40 essays about living in the 'age of man'. The seemingly disjointed topics are all drawn together by Green, a master story-teller and writer. My family members all included the title of one 'favorite' book we read in 2021 in our Christmas letter. My husband, two daughters, and myself all wanted to list this book as our favorite but we decided to spread the wealth around, so three of us had to pick our second favorite to avoid being redundant and boring. (Dutton, 2021)


2. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
The author of The Martian hit another home-run with this book set in space around the theme of climate change and technology. This book generated more conversations with others in 2021 than any other book. (Ballantine Books, 2021)


3. Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
A graphic biography, this book not only highlighted the history of basketball and also the author's experiences with members of the basketball team at the school where he teaches. My review of this title generated more traffic than any other blog review in 2021. (First Second, 2020)
 


4. Dearly: New Poems by Margaret Atwood
I read a lot of poetry in 2021. This was my favorite of the lot. Clearly Atwood is a talented author, not just a great sci-fi writer.  (Ecco, 2020)

 
5. This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
A favorite book club selection. The author attempted to write an American story, combining Odyssey and Huck Finn. It worked on so many levels. (Atria Books, 2019)


6. The Souvenir Museum by Elizabeth McCracken
Almost all of these short stories made me laugh but they also caused me to stop and think. (Ecco, 2021)


7. Hell of a Book by Jason Mott
The National Book Award winner for 2021, this book deserves the title. My biggest take away: why do we expect Blacks who gain some degree of fame to all be spokesmen for the Black condition? There is a lot to digest in this funny, odd, surrealist book. (Dutton, 2021)
 

8. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
A book dedicated to books and those individuals who, through their efforts, have saved many of them oblivion. The story of one particular book is told through five people and four time periods. Amazing!  (Scribner, 2021)

Count me as the newest O'Farrell fan as two of her books are on my top ten favorites list of the year. This book is a memoir of her life, told through events where she very nearly lost her life. (Knopf Publishing Group, 2017)

This is the book I wish everyone would read in 2022 if they didn't read it in 2021. Kiely points out how we need to talk to each other and our children about what is happening in our country because of our white privilege. It was very helpful to my understanding on the topic. (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 2021)

(Five fiction novels, one essay collection, one poetry book, one short story collection, one graphic biography, one memoir, and one nonfiction title...not bad for mixing up my reading and my favorites in one year!)

What is one of our favorite books read in 2021? Please let me know your answers in the comments below.

-Anne

37 comments:

  1. My favorite books all came from your last list of favorites! I really appreciate your recommendations. I feel so overwhelmed by choices when I go to the library. It's nice to have guidance.

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    1. You are the reason I keep blogging. Without your encouragement I don't think I'd keep it up, at least during those times when it seems like no one is reading it. Thanks. I am not sure which of my many lists you are referring to here, so I am guessing it was last year's favorites: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2020/12/ttt-favorite-books-of-2020.html

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  2. Project Hail Mary was a great read! I really liked that one, too. And I can't wait to read This Tender Land. :D

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    1. Krueger's other novel, not in a series, Ordinary Grace, is very good, too.

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  3. Loved Project Hail Mary and This Tender Land. Really liked Hamnet, especially after our BC discussion.(the ending of that book was amazing) I enjoyed Cold Millions too from a history and story telling perspective.

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    1. This year our book club read some really fantastic books: This Tender Land, Hamnet, The Cold Millions, Moloka'i, The Night Watchman, The Exiles, and The Vanishing Half. We did good picking them.

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  4. Great books! I really need to read the John Green next year, it appears so often on the blogs I read.

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    1. He's been a favorite author for years. I find myself rereading his books, too.

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  5. Most of these are on my TBR list! My dad gave me Project Hail Mary and Cloud Cuckoo Land for Christmas, so I'll be reading those for sure.

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  6. Weir's book is one I hope they make a movie of. I haven't read it yet, but I'm not really into science fiction. I liked what they did with The Martian, though. I would like to experience this one that way.

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    1. One of the reviewers for the WaPo said they didn't particularly like this book because they felt Weir was writing it for Hollywood. I disagree.

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  7. I am so glad to see This Tender Land on your list as it's been on my TBR shelf for a long time and need motivation to read it. And, I got The Other Talk for Christmas and am looking forward to it based on your recommendation.

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    1. I hope you like both This Tender Land and The Other Talk. Both are so good, in my estimation.

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  8. I hadn't heard of Dearly. I will definitely have to check that one out. I will look for The Other Talk. It sounds like a must read. You have a nice variety of books on your list, Anne. I hope 2022 will be a great reading for you!

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    1. I hope you do read Dearly and The Other Talk. I find them both very compelling for different reasons.

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  9. I had Project Hail Mary on my list, too!

    My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-best-books-i-read-in-2021/

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  10. Interesting, I don't normally read short story collections, but now The Souvenir Museum has me intrigued.

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  11. I've seen PROJECT HAIL MARY on a lot of lists today. It's not my genre, but my husband loved it also. Glad you enjoyed it and all these others!

    Happy TTT!

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  12. We have This Tender Land in common -- such a wonderful book! I'm looking forward to reading Hamnet in the coming year (it's one of my book group's picks for next summer.) Great list!

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  13. Project Hail Mary was so good! I really enjoyed it. Great list! :)

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  14. I've heard wonders about Cloud Cuckoo Land. I hope to get to it soon! Great list!

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  15. I've started Cloud Cuckoo Land, though I'm still pretty worried that I won't be able to keep all the characters straight. And I need to read Souvenir Museum soon.

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    1. Persist. As you get to know the characters it will be easier to keep everything straight.

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  16. I am seeing Andy Weir on a lot of lists this week. I need to check out these books. Happy New Year!

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  17. I've been wanting to read Green.

    I hope this comment goes through- I think my previous one vanished in the internet wilds haha.

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  18. Dragon Hoops is SO good! Gene Luen Yang is one of my favorite graphic novel authors. Everything he does is amazing.

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  19. I was surprised how much I enjoyed The Anthropocene Reviewed, I'm not the biggest fan of his fiction and have never listened to the podcast, but the audiobook was great.

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  20. Super glad you found some reads you enjoyed in the year, Anne! Hope you have an amazing 2022 reading year, too! And thanks a bunch for visiting Finding Wonderland this week.

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  21. Project Hail Mary is on my TBR, so I'm glad to see you loved it so much!

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  22. I just recently got the new John Green; need to read it soon.

    Lauren @ www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  23. You have convinced me that Cloud Cuckoo Land needs to go straight to the top of my library request list!

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