| Title | : | 2021 on |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle , Hardcover , Paperback , Audiobook & More |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2021 |
For those of you who don't like to add titles you haven't actually 'read', you can place 2021 on Goodreads on an 'exclusive' shelf. Exclusive shelves don't have to be listed under 'to read', 'currently reading' or 'read'. To create one, go to 'edit bookshelves' on your 'My Books' page, create a shelf name such as 'review-of-the year' and tick the 'exclusive' box. Your previous and future 'reviews of the year' can be collected together on this dedicated shelf.
Concept created by Fionnuala Lirsdottir.
Description: Fionnuala Lirsdottir
Cover art: Paul Cézanne, Ginger Jar and Fruit, 1895
Cover choice and graphics by Jayson
2021 on Reviews
-
Every Rating & Review for 2021
The Ickabog by
J.K. Rowling
(B+) 76% | Good | ⭐⭐⭐ – 01/06/2021
Notes: Downright Grimm, it's a song of scams and scheming, too on-the-nose and twee for me but teeming deeper meaning.
Catwoman, Volume 1: The Game by
Judd Winick
(A-) 82% | Very Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 01/08/2021
Notes: Notably non-status quo, abundant blood and skin on show, not quite PG, and seems to me, it's less DC more Vertigo.
Catwoman, Volume 2: Dollhouse by
Judd Winick
(B+) 78% | Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 01/10/2021
Notes: A not-so-shabby sequel, though declawed and not as raw, it's a pleasing ride, but plot aside, new characters are blah.
Catwoman, Volume 3: Death of the Family by
Ann Nocenti
(C+) 64% | Almost Satisfactory | ⭐ – 01/17/2019
Notes: Wherein your mind begs for mercy: "Please shut the damn book! Can't sustain all the pain from this gobbledygook!"
Catwoman, Volume 4: Gotham Underground by
Ann Nocenti and
Scott McDaniel
(C+) 67% | Almost Satisfactory | ⭐⭐ – 01/26/2021
Notes: An alley cat, all hiss no roar, an I-just-want-it-over chore, it offers naught but noisy plot: a lame, low-luster, lazy bore.
Catwoman, Volume 5: Race of Thieves by
Ann Nocenti,
Ann Nocenti and
John Layman
(B-) 69% | Satisfactory | ⭐⭐ – 01/30/2017
Notes: Two-thirds absurd, a total turd, a shameful bottom line, though not all bad, it shines a tad: guest writer parts are fine.
Mockingjay by
Suzanne Collins
(B+) 78% | Good | ⭐⭐⭐ – 01/31/2021
Notes: Numbing nihilism, singing blues with every breath: of war campaigns' unebbing strain, and the callous kiss of death.
Serpentine by
Philip Pullman
(B+) 77% | Good | ⭐⭐⭐ – 02/01/2021
Notes: Rife with reminiscing, neither dire nor complicated, it's a pleasure ride, with warmth supplied, and nicely illustrated.
Catwoman, Volume 6: Keeper of the Castle by
Genevieve Valentine
(C+) 66% | Almost Satisfactory | ⭐⭐ – 02/07/2021
Notes: Meetings, lots of meetings! jawing faction versus faction: it's dry as chalk, just talk, talk, talk, with seldom any action.
Scoundrels Volume One: 1931-1951 by
Victor Cornwall and
St. John Trevelyan.
(B+) 78% | Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 02/25/2021
Notes: Shamelessly silly, it survives a stumbling, shaky start, simply salty-superficial, still, it's surprisingly sharp and smart.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro-Series, Volume 1 by
Joshua Williamson,
Erik Burnham,
Jason Ciaramella and
Brian Lynch
(A-) 80% | Very Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 02/27/2021
Notes: Flashback-fueled for sympathy, contextualizing villainy: mixing kith-and-kin hostility with make-'em-pay resiliency.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro-Series, Volume 2 by
Erik Burnham,
Mike Costa,
Ben Epstein,
Ben Bates,
Dustin Weaver,
Dan Duncan and
Paul Allor
(A-) 80% | Very Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 02/28/2021
Notes: Wherein standing is the burden, weakness lives in memory, martial feats are bittersweet, and violence is the remedy.
Catwoman, Volume 7: Inheritance by
Genevieve Valentine
(B-) 69% | Satisfactory | ⭐⭐ – 03/07/2017
Notes: Meaningless filigree, untasty and gristly, all fat to the heart, but thinks itself smart, just low-energy byzantine misery.
Catwoman, Volume 8: Run Like Hell by
Frank Tieri
(B+) 77% | Good | ⭐⭐⭐ – 03/09/2021
Notes: At outset, it's first-rate, the art's great; but midway it drops weight, the last half is half-baked, and fatally depreciates.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 8: Northampton by
Kevin Eastman,
Tom Waltz and
Bobby Curnow
(A-) 82% | Very Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 03/11/2021
Notes: Skillful, smart, simplicity, it explores new territory, scenes feel tense, it all makes sense, and the artwork fits the story.
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by
Neil Gaiman,
Terry Pratchett and
Martin Jarvis
(A-) 80% | Very Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 03/12/2021
Notes: A briny deep of Britishness, its canny humor's quirky-quaint, a road to war that plays with lore, and rich as oil paint.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Utrom Empire by
Paul Allor,
Kevin Eastman and
Peter Laird
(B+) 77% | Good | ⭐⭐⭐ – 03/13/2021
Notes: A motive plot plus padding, decent themes but often pale: it's all too tame, and put to shame by its classic bonus tale.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2014 by
Kevin Eastman and
Tom Waltz
(B) 74% | More than Satisfactory | ⭐⭐⭐ – 03/14/2021
Notes: Messy, its artwork shows vitality and throwback personality, but undermined by cringy lines and over-whimsicality.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 9: Monsters, Misfits, and Madmen by
Kevin Eastman,
Tom Waltz and
Bobby Curnow
(A-) 83% | Very Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 03/15/2021
Notes: Pictures pack a pretty punch, all bold and brash-kinetic; interstitial stuff, but never fluff: fun, smart, and sympathetic.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time by
Paul Allor and
Erik Burnham
(B+) 79% | Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 03/16/2021
Notes: Invariably tangential, too quick to meet potential, but not for naught, the greater plot gets spice, though nonessential.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 10: New Mutant Order by
Kevin Eastman,
Tom Waltz and
Bobby Curnow
(A-) 81% | Very Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 03/18/2021
Notes: Reassessing, realigning, brand-new normal formalizing, new debuts, some socializing, nuts and bolts but energizing.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Deluxe Edition by
Erik Burnham and
Tom Waltz
(B) 74% | More than Satisfactory | ⭐⭐⭐ – 03/20/2021
Notes: Too cartoon-hokey, corny-jokey, amateur like karaoke: jogs in place but has no legs, just mainly good for Easter eggs.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 11: Attack on Technodrome by
Kevin Eastman,
Tom Waltz and
Bobby Curnow
(A-) 83% | Very Good | ⭐⭐⭐�� – 03/23/2021
Notes: It rains suspense, gets drama-drenched, with darker skies, turns more intense, as greasy gears get monkey wrenched.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutanimals by
Paul Allor
(B+) 79% | Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 03/25/2021
Notes: The art's not my taste, but fits great in this case, surprisingly deep, it makes likable creeps: heroics, but villainy-laced.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 12: Vengeance, Part 1 by
Kevin Eastman,
Tom Waltz and
Bobby Curnow
(A-) 82% | Very Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 03/27/2021
Notes: Returns, restoring, up-until-now underscoring, what's in play or off the board: the kings and knights for coming war.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 13: Vengeance, Part 2 by
Kevin Eastman,
Tom Waltz and
Bobby Curnow
(A) 85% | Extraordinary | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 03/29/2021
Notes: Frankly fantastic, a fire finale, full of familial feeling, fortitude, and fierce fights, finishing fateful and future-forward.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey & April by
Mariko Tamaki
(B) 75% | More than Satisfactory | ⭐⭐⭐ – 03/30/2021
Notes: New cuisine, too blah, no zing, no seasoning, too manga-lite, too not-my-thing, too much vacant space and bickering.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 14: Order From Chaos by
Kevin Eastman,
Tom Waltz and
Bobby Curnow
(A-) 82% | Very Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 04/01/2021
Notes: Seismic shifts in situations: strained relations and complications with new formations, affiliation, and disassociations.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 15: Leatherhead by
Kevin Eastman,
Tom Waltz and
Bobby Curnow
(A-) 82% | Very Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 04/03/2021
Notes: Atmospheric, horror-movie tones, bloody bodies, skull and bones, exposition can be dry, but illustrations make it fly.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 16: Chasing Phantoms by
Kevin Eastman,
Tom Waltz and
Bobby Curnow
(A-) 82% | Very Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 04/05/2021
Notes: Baddies aren't appealing, bits and pieces stretch believing, even so, it’s still intriguing for the scheming it's revealing.
*character limit
Click here for the rest:
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Addendum #1
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Addendum #2
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Addendum #3
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Addendum #4 -
Didn’t finish it - They said was too long 🙄 I’m not doing this any more!
5 Stars ⭐️
1.
Apex Predator: Wolf Moon -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2.
Black Sun -
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3.
Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 3 -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
4.
Rebecca -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
5.
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
6.
Klaus -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
7.
Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 2 -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
8.
Kingdom of the Wicked -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
9.
Sentient -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
10.
A Court of Silver Flames -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
11.
The Little Book of Forest Bathing: Discovering the Japanese Art of Self-Care -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
12.
Project Hail Mary -
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13.
Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 2 -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
14.
Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 6 -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
15.
Light of the Jedi -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
16.
Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 3
17.
Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 8
18.
Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 9
19.
Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 10
20.
Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 11
21.
Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 12
22.
Renegade Atlas
23.
Stealing Beauty
24.
King of Scars
25.
Don't Tell a Soul
26.
Ascender, Vol. 3: The Digital Mage
4.5 Stars ⭐️
1.
From Blood and Ash -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2.
Moroda -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
3.
Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 2 -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
4.
The Trouble With Peace -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
5.
Renegade Star -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
6.
Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 4 -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
7. Johannes Cabal the Necromancer-
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
8.
Fatemarked -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
9.
Swordheart -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
10.
Rhapsody: Child of Blood -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
11.
Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 5 -
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12.
Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 1 -
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13.
Maid-sama! (2-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1: Includes Vols. 1 2 -
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14.
Mirka Andolfo's Mercy: The Fair Lady, the Frost, and the Fiend -
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15.
The Dollhouse Family -
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Hexed: The Harlot & The Thief Vol. 1 -
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17.
Bone White -
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18.
All the Tides of Fate -
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19.
Sinister Magic -
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Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 7 -
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21.
Red Tigress -
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22.
Maid-sama! (2-in-1 Edition), Vol. 2: Includes Vols. 3 4 -
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
23.
Parasite
24.
Rules of Redemption
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 -
Don’t Hesitate
If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don't hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that's often the
case. Anyway, whatever it is, don't be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.
(Mary Oliver)
In 2021 life has been good, for books and cats and many other reasons. In a year where many continue to be affected by the pandemic and relatives and friends received bad news with regard to their health, I can only say that the year has been strangely kind and frighteningly generous to me and my family. For the conflicted feelings this contradiction engendered, the poem of Mary Oliver occurred as an epiphany, a companion piece embracing me through this year. Looking back, it seems that the tone of the year allegedly was set by one of the first books I read, Julian Barnes’s delicious and delightful
The Pedant in the Kitchen.
After Bella came to live with us in August 2017, another furry companion joined our family, Lily, for the time being especially fond of munching book corners and of the history section in the bookcase (just like Bella was). She needs some more training as sometimes preferring the warmth of the laptop to the available and welcoming laps in the evening (unless the laptop is on the lap). Needless to say she was pretty excited her humans installed a tree inside the house for her. How to live with a calculating cat is a daily challenge.
According to the statistic overview I received I spent a lot of time on a language app learning Italian, German and French. After 617 days of practise, reading and understanding the first pages of Alberto Moravia’s was one of the magic moments of the year (book to be picked up again in 2022). Learning Italian also spurred me to read some Italian authors, of which a few books by Cesare Pavese (and a mini-biography) and by Natalia Ginzburg will stay with me, notably Pavese's collected poems which I read in a bilingual edition and the novels
Harvesters and
Among Women Only. Of Ginzburg I read
Happiness, as Such,
The Dry Heart,
Family Lexicon,
The Road to the City and her essays
The Little Virtues. I managed to read eight books in French, my favourite among them Patrick Modiano’s
Dora Bruder. A quote posted by a friend that hit home made me pick up Annie Ernaux. Having read four books by her this year (
L'Occupation,
Simple Passion,
La Honte,
The Years), my feelings on her writing are mixed, though I know now that like with Modiano I will read everything of her I can lay my hands on.
A little on music
I fininished the unfinished from 2020, the two bulky volumes of Alex Ross:
Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music and
The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century. Both were great reading experiences and to be revisited. I read two books on Chopinwhich were each rewarding as biographies but sadly didn’t go deeply into his music (Adam Zamoyski,
Chopin: Prince of the Romantics Adelaide Murgia,
Portraits of Greatness: Chopin). Two novels on music ended up among my favourites this year:
A Musical Offering (Luis Sagasti) and
Doctor Faustus(Thomas Mann).
Thomas Mann
Doctor Faustus, the short story
Tristan, a compelling biography focussing on his six children (
De familie Mann (Tilmann Lahme) and a fictional biography (Britta Böhler,
The Decision), a novella by a friend of Klaus and Erika Mann (Annemarie Schwarzenbach,
Lyric Novella) : I guess the man and 'the amazing family' will continue to fascinate me.
Some books on art
A few museums visits (Brugge, Leuven, Brussels) and two exhibitions (Dürer, David Hockney), also in this respect 2021 was a good year . The hours reading John Berger (
Ways of Seeing), John Armstrong (
The Secret Power of Beauty: First Edition), the exquisite
My Life by Marc Chagall (which I will re-read in 2022 together with some more books on Chagall - one of my favourite artists), Ben street
How to Enjoy Art: A Guide for Everyone and Koenraad Jonckheere (
Another History of Art were well-spent. I also read four novels featuring art and fictional and real artists:
Blue Postcards by Douglas Burton (on Yves Klein);
The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham, (modelled on Paul Gauguin),
Hartslag by Jens Christian Grøndahl (on Hiroshige) and
Beauty and Sadness by Yasunari Kawabata (one of the protagonists is a painter and several works of art are mentioned).
History
The Fall of Berlin 1945 (Anthony Beevor),
War: How Conflict Shaped Us(Margaret MacMillan),
Op zoek naar een natie. Het ontstaan van Vlaanderen binnen België(Lode wils),
Weimar Culture: The Outsider as Insider (Peter Gay),
The Belle Époque: A Cultural History, Paris and BeyondThe Belle Époque: A Cultural History, Paris and Beyond (Dominique Kalifa): if I enjoy history books so much as these ones, why do I not read more of them?
Some short stories and short story collections
I had a short Arthur Schnitzler spree (
Lieutenant Gustl, Fraulein Else, Dream Story, The dead are silent) and read and re-read a few stories by Chekhov (A country cottage,
Joy, Darling). I read and loved collections from Julian Barnes(
The Lemon Table), Sadaat Hassan Manto (
The Dog of Tithwal) and Nikolaj Gogol (
Petersburgse vertellingen). It had a been a long time I have been reading Nabokov, but a friend’s review of
The Circletickled me to finally return to him and I hope to have rounded his collected stories by the end of the year.
Paradise (Edna O’Brien) and
Zikora (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie) were also memorable.
Poetry
With collection of Edna St Vincent Millay (
A Few Figs from Thistles), Maja Haderlap (
Distant Transit), the second volume of
The Poetry Pharmacy Returns: More Prescriptions for Courage, Healing and Hope, Lucebert(
Zij heeft haar naam vergeten) and Cesare Pavese (
De dood zal komen en jouw ogen hebben) I read little poetry this year, which I hope to mend in 2022 making a new start with the collected poems of Thomas Hardy, a copy of which I cherish as a lovely and thoughtful birthday present.
Essays
Looking back, I read more essays than I usually manage, most of them put on my radar by friends. I enjoyed
The Hatred of Poetry (Ben Lerner),
De heruitvinding van de samenleving (Jan Blommaert),
The Little Virtues (Natalie Ginzburg),
On the Shoulders of Giants(Umberto Eco),
Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency(Olivia Laing),
Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions(Valeria Luiselli,
Orwell's Roses(Rebecca Solnit), and Siri Hustvedt’s daunting
A Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women: Essays on Art, Sex, and the Mind – a thought-provoking, instructive and challenging collection of which the many reflections on (neuro)science, biology, psychology and philosophy made me wish of having a second life where there would be more time to read about these domains. Noteworthy too was the
The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? by Michael Sandel, which already proved to form good discussion material at work.
I noticed the import of mood and timing when reading, particularly their impact on my ability to appreciate novels. Re-reading helped, too. Favourite novels this year:
1.Haldor Laxness - Under the Glacier(fun, fun, fun)
2. Theodor Fontane – On Tangled Paths
3. Nathalie Sarraute - Tropismes
4. Thomas Mann- Doctor Faustus
5. Luis Sagasti – A Musical Offering
6. Heinrich Böll – Der Zug war pünktlich
7. Joan didion - Play It As It Lays
8. Albert Cossery - Proud Beggars
9.Leonid Andreyev - Seven Hanged
10. F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
11. Willem Elsschot - Een ontgoocheling
12. Patrick Modiano- Vestiaire de l'enfance
Currently halfway Edith Wharton's
The Age of Innocence, it has everything to end up a favourite as well.
Also memorable
Boris Pasternak - Doctor Zhivago
Jane Austen - Emma
Natalia Ginzburg - Happiness, as Such, The Dry Heart
Anuk Arudpragasam - The Story of a Brief Marriage The story of a brief marriage
Heinrich Böll - Billiards at Half-Past Nine
Joseph Roth - Job
Tove Ditlevsen - Childhood, Youth, Dependency: The Copenhagen Trilogy
Deborah Levy - The Cost of Living: A Working Autobiography
Margaret Atwood- The Handmaid's Tale
Many of my book choices this year were inspired by reviews of friends and so once more I would like to thank all of you who continue to enliven this place by engaging into writing on and discussing books. Wishing everyone love, peace and harmony and plenty of time to read in 2022, with or without wild little cats! -
Reading Challenge
Storygraph.
Spotify.
Youtube.
Pinterest.
Twitter.
Linktree.
Reading Goals 2021-
Read 100 books➼Read 175
Finish all Jane Austen’s Books➼Read all completed works & juvenilia
Read more classics➼Read 17/175
Write more spoiler free reviews➼Written 102/175
Read 30 books in 30 days for some month➼Read 40 in Sept
Hardback(📙)Paperback(📚)E-book(📃)Audiobook(🎧)Re-reads(📖)Buddy Reads(👋)BOTM’s(📓) 2021 Releases(❤️)
(Click on the links for reviews. GR didn't let me fit all of them.)
JANUARY- Books- 29
1. Grandma's Bag of Stories★★★★📚📖
2. Crooked Kingdom★★★★★📚
3.
The Selection★★★📃
4. The Elite★★.75📃
5. The One★★★📃
6. The Heir★★.5📃
7. The Crown★★.25📃
8. The Prince★★★📃
9. The Guard★★★📃
10. The Queen★★★📃
11. The Favorite★★★📃
12. Happily Ever After★★★📃
13.
An Ember in the Ashes★★★📃
14. A Torch Against the Night★★★.5📃
15. A Reaper at the Gates★★★📃
16. A Sky Beyond the Storm★★📃
17.
Lady Midnight★★★★📃
18. Lord Shadows★★★★📃
19. Queen of Air and Darkness★★★📃
20. Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy★★★★📃
21. Ghosts of the Shadow Market★★★★📃
22.
The Blue Umbrella★★★★★📚
23.
A Curse so Dark and Lonely★★★★.5🎧
24. A Heart so Fierce and Lonely★★.5🎧
25. A Vow so Bold and Deadly★★★.5🎧❤️
26.
Emma★★★🎧
27.
Letters to the Lost★★★★★📃
28.
Children of Blood and Bone★★★📃
29.
Chain of Gold★★★.75📃
FEBRUARY- Books- 12
30.
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again★★★★🎧
31. Turtles All the Way Down★★★📃👋📓
32.
The Cruel Prince★★★★.5🎧👋
33. The Lost Sisters★★★.5🎧
34. The Wicked King★★★★.75🎧
35. The Queen of Nothing★★★★.5🎧
36. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories★★★★★🎧
37.
The Gilded Wolves★★★★🎧👋
38.
Red Queen★★★🎧👋
39.
A Darker Shade of Magic★★★🎧👋
40. Glass Sword★🎧👋
41.
Cinder★★.25🎧👋
MARCH- Books- 9
42.
Shadow and Bone★★★.5🎧📖👋
43.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue★★★★🎧📓
44. Siege and Storm★★★.5🎧📖👋
45. Pride and Prejudice★★★★★🎧👋
46.
City of Bones★★★📃📖👋📓
47.
The Hunger Games★★★★🎧📖👋
48. Catching Fire★★★★★🎧📖👋
49.
Breach of Peace★★★.5📃❤️
50.
The Little Prince★★★★★📚👋
March DNF’s: Hijacked Histories- was not interested
APRIL- Books- 16
51. Ruin and Rising★★★🎧📖👋
52. Mockingjay★★★★★🎧📖👋
53.
The Betrothed0.5★📃
54. King's Cage★★★.75🎧
55.
Ash Princess★★★📃👋
56. War Storm★🎧
57.
Persuasion★★★🎧👋
58.
P.S. I Like You★★★★🎧👋
59.
The Distance Between us★★★★🎧👋
60.
The Railway Children ★★★★★🎧
61.
Stories of Wisdom★★★★★📚
62.
597 Business Ideas You can Start from Home-doing what you LOVE!★★★📃
63.
Fable★★★📃👋
64.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn★★★📃👋
65.
Tales From The Childhood★★★📚
66. Chain of Iron★★★★📃👋❤️
MAY- Books-10
67.
Six of Crows ★★★.5📚🎧📖👋
68.
The Raven Boys★.5🎧👋
69.
Jane Eyre★★🎧👋
70.
On the Fence(unrated)🎧👋
71. To Kill a Kingdom★★★.5🎧👋
72.
Throne of Glass(unrated)📃👋📖
73.
The Darkest Part of the Forest★★★.5🎧
74.
Peter Pan★★🎧
75.
Crooked Kingdom★★★★★🎧👋📖
76.
King of Scars★🎧
77.
From Blood and Ash0.25★📃👋📓
JUNE- Books- 9
78.
Shipped★.5📃👋❤️
79. The Dream Thieves★★🎧👋
80.
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda★★★★🎧👋
81.
Dial A for Aunties★★★★📃👋
82.
Legendborn★📃👋
83. The Kiss of Deception★★.5📃👋
84.
They Both Die at the End★★★🎧👋
85.
Leah on the Offbeat★★★🎧👋
86.
The Song of Achilles★★★.75🎧👋
JULY- Books- 15
87.
Blade of Secrets★★★.5📃👋
88. The Silvered Serpents★★★★★📃👋
89. By Your Side★★★★🎧👋
90.
Felix Ever After★★★★🎧👋
91.
The Lightning Thief★★★.5📃👋
92.
Namesake★★★.5📃👋❤️
93.
The False Prince★★★.5📃👋
94.
Rule of Wolves★.5🎧👋❤️
95.
The Lives of Saints ★★★🎧
96.
Of Silver and Shadow★★★🎧❤️
97.
The Alchemist★🎧
98.
The Art of War(unrated)🎧
99.
The Uncertain Sea: Fear is everywhere. Embrace it★★★🎧
100.
Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book: The Mowgli Stories★★★★.5🎧
101.
The Sea of Monsters★★★📃👋
AUGUST- Books- 9
102.
Rebecca★★★🎧👋
103.
Sense and Sensibility ★★★★🎧
104. Letters to the Lost★★★★★📃📖👋
105.
Northanger Abbey★★★★★🎧
106.
The City of Brass★★🎧👋
107. The Kingdom of Copper★★★🎧👋
108.
Aru Shah and the End of Time★★★★📃📖👋
109. A Gathering of Shadows★★★🎧👋
110.
Magic Forged★★★★📃📖👋
SEPTEMBER-Books- 40 [I don't know how I read so much either]
111.
The Spanish Love Deception★📃👋❤️
112. More Than We Can Tell★★★★★📃👋
113.
Divergent★★★.5📃👋
114. The Empire of Gold★🎧👋
115.
She Drives Me Crazy★★★📃❤️
116.
Honey Girl★★★📃❤️
117.
Amelia Unabridged★★.5📃❤️
118.
Instructions for Dancing★★.5📃❤️
119.
The Atlas Six★★.5📃👋
120.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo★★★★★🎧👋
121.
Beach Read★.5📃
122. Blue Lily, Lily Blue★🎧👋
123.
Defy the Night★★★.5📃👋❤️
124.
Star Daughter★★★🎧👋
125.
Mansfield Park★.5🎧
126. Love and Friendship★★★★🎧
127.
Black Beauty★★★★★🎧📖
128.
Caraval★★.5📃👋
129.
Among the Beasts & Briars★★★★🎧
130.
Malibu Rising★★★★📃❤️👋
131.
Perfect on Paper★★★★📃❤️
132.
The Secret★🎧
133.
Kate in Waiting★★★.5📃❤️
134.
Daisy Jones & The Six★★★🎧👋
135.
Tell Me Three Things★★★.5📃
136. The Bronzed Beasts★★📃❤️👋
137. The Outlands★★★.5📃👋
138. Lore★★.5📃❤️👋
139.
The Love Hypothesis★★★.5📃❤️👋
140.
We Hunt the Flame★★.5📃👋
141. The Titan's Curse★★.5📃👋
142. The Battle of the Labyrinth★★📃👋
143. The Last Olympian★★.5📃👋
144. The Demigod Files★★★📃👋
145.
Heartstopper: Volume One★★★★★📃👋
146. Heartstopper: Volume Two★★★★★📃👋
147. Heartstopper: Volume Three★★★★★📃👋
148. Heartstopper: Volume Four★★★★★📃👋
149.
The Tea Dragon Society★★★📃
150.
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer★★★★★📃
September DNF’s: A Pho Love Story- was not interested
OCTOBER-Books-15
151. Realm Breaker★★.5📃❤️👋
152. Twice Shy★★★.5📃❤️
153. Sunkissed★📃❤️
154. Red, White, and Whole★★★★📃❤️
155. The Dead and the Dark★★📃❤️
156. The Ghosts We Keep★★★★★📃❤️
157. Ace of Spades★★.5📃❤️
158. The Priory of the Orange Tree★★📃👋
159. Diary of a Wimpy Kid★📃
160. A Game of Thrones★★📃👋
161. The Inheritance Games★★★.5📃👋
162. The Hawthorne Legacy★.5📃👋❤️
163. Heartstopper: The Mini-Comics★★★★★📃👋
164.
Secrets of Blackthorn Hall★★★📃
165. The Silent Patient★★★🎧👋
NOVEMBER-Books-6
166. The Raven King 0.25★🎧👋
167. Letters to the Lost★★★★★🎧👋📖
168. Cemetery Boys★★★🎧👋
169. The Henna Wars★★★★📃👋
170. Malice★★★★★📃❤️
171. Rebel's Creed★★★📃❤️
DECEMBER-Books-4
172. Love-Songs of Childhood★★★🎧
173. The History of England★★★🎧
174. Lady Susan★★★★🎧
175. Little Women★★★★★🎧📖
Years in Reviews-
2022 -
***Edited to include my top five reads of the year***
Here was what I put here at the beginning of the year...
READING GOALS FOR 2021
Read some books.
Hopefully some good books.
Have zero goals about reading said books.
The end.
Well, here we are at the end of the year, and I'm happy to say...
Nailed it.
For those interested, here is my Year in Books thingamabob:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_i...
Spoiler alert: I read across a lot of genres, but let's be honest...I mostly read smut books.
Here's looking forward to what I'm sure will be an equally smut laden 2022!
As promised above, and by request, here are my top five reads of 2021 (the year I read them, not necessarily the publication year):
And here are my corresponding reviews for each:
The Paper Palace
White Oleander
Still Beating
The Last Thing He Told Me
A Court of Silver Flames -
Goal: 100 books.
Final count: 119 books.
Avg: 2.82 LMAO.
Overall: I guess it was a good year, except towards the end because I was (am) on a huge reading slump and the uni had my mental and emotional health hanging by a thread. I enjoyed a lot of my books and hope the next year they'll be better! (and let's hope that I don't add more books to my "big hype, big lie" shelf, lmao)
January:
♡ A Court of Blood and Void by Meg Xuemei X. 1 star.
♡ Firelight by Sophie Jordan. 3 stars.
♡ Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas. 1 star.
♡ The Assassin and the Pirate Lord by Sarah J. Maas. 1 star.
♡ The Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo. 3 stars.
♡ Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie. 3 stars.
♡ The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo. 4 stars.
♡ The Too-Clever Fox by Leigh Bardugo. 4 stars.
♡ Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. 2.5 stars.
♡ Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo. 3 stars.
♡ The Tailor by Leigh Bardugo. 4 stars.
♡ Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo. 3.5 stars.
favorite book:
tower of dawn.
least favorite book:
a court of blood and void.
February:
♡ From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout. 0.5 stars.
♡ The Ruthless Man by Louise Bay. 0.5 stars.
♡ Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon. 3.5 stars.
♡ Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman. 5 stars.
♡ Heartstopper: Volume Two by Alice Oseman. 5 stars.
♡ Heartstopper: Volume Three by Alice Oseman. 5 stars.
♡ I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman. 4 stars.
♡ Scarlet Witch 1994 (#1-#4) 4 stars.
♡ Thor: Son of Asgard 1. 4 stars
♡ Torment by Lauren Kate. 0.5 stars.
♡ A Court of Silver Flame by Sarah J. Maas. 2 stars.
favorite book:
I was born for this.
least favorite book:
From Blood and Ash.
March:
♡ Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. 5 stars.
♡ Auschwitz Lullaby by Mario Escobar. 5 stars.
♡ Passion by Lauren Kate. 0.5 stars.
♡ Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout. 1 star.
♡ The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. 4.75 stars.
♡ Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. 5 stars.
♡ Little Knife by Leigh Bardugo. 4.75 stars.
♡ The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo. 5 stars.
favorite book:
Crooked Kingdom.
least favorite book:
Passion.
April:
♡ The Last Days of Lorien by Pittacus Lore. 5 stars.
♡ Thor: Son of Asgard 2. 3 stars.
♡ A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. 4.75 stars.
♡ I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore. 5 stars.
♡ The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen. 5 stars.
♡ Awakening by Leigh Walker. 1 star.
favorite book:
The Bridge Kingdom.
least favorite book:
Awakening.
May:
♡ Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. 1 star.
♡ Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. 1 star.
♡ The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas. 5 stars.
♡ Heartstopper: Volume Four by Alice Oseman. 5 stars.
♡ Thor: Son of Asgard 3. 3 stars.
♡ Thor: Son of Asgard 4. 3 stars.
♡ Thor: Son of Asgard 5. 4 stars.
♡ Thor: Son of Asgard 6. 4 stars.
favorite book:
The Spanish Love Deception.
least favorite book:
Shatter Me.
June:
♡ The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. 2.5 stars.
♡ The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. 5 stars.
♡ Loveless by Alice Oseman. 4.75 stars.
♡ Thor: Son of Asgard 7. 4 stars.
♡ Thor: Son of Asgard 8. 4 stars.
♡ Thor: Son of Asgard 9. 4.5 stars.
♡ Thor: Son of Asgard 10. 3.5 stars.
♡ Thor: Son of Asgard 11. 3.5 stars.
♡ Thor: Son of Asgard 12. 5 stars.
♡ Wolverine: Origin. 3 stars.
♡ Wolverine: Origin II. 3 stars.
♡ Captain America. #255. 3.5 stars.
♡ Captain America and Bucky. #620. 3 stars.
♡ Captain America and Bucky. #621. 3 stars.
♡ Captain America and Bucky. #622. 4 stars.
♡ Captain America and Bucky. #623. 4 stars.
♡ Captain America and Bucky. #624. 4 stars.
♡ The Children's Secret by Nina Monroe. 1.5 star.
favorite book:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
least favorite book:
The Children's Secret.
July:
♡ One Night Only by Catherine Walsh. 5 stars.
♡ Captain America and Namor. #635.1. 3 stars.
♡ Magneto Testament 1 -3. 3 stars.
♡ Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. 5 stars.
♡ Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. 5 stars.
♡ Fury: Pacemeaker. 2 stars.
♡ Sub-Mariner: The Depths. 3 stars.
♡ Logan: Path of the Warlord. 1 star.
♡ Strange Tales #115. 3 stars.
♡ Doctor Strange: Season One. 3 stars.
♡ Mystic Arcana: Scarlet Witch #1. 2 stars.
♡ Ororo: Before the Storm. 5 stars.
♡ The Dare by Harley Laroux. 0.1 stars.
favorite book:
Daisy Jones & The Six.
least favorite book:
The Dare.
August:
♡ The Romanov Empress by C.W. Gortner. 5 stars.
♡ Supernatural Academy: Year One by Jaymin Eve. 3 stars.
♡ Crave by Tracy Wolff. 2.5 stars.
♡ Eternals #1 by Peter B. Gillis. 3 stars.
favorite book:
The Romanov Empress.
least favorite book:
Crave.
September:
♡ Le Médecin Malgré Lui by Molière. 2.5 stars.
♡ Eternals #2 by Peter B. Gillis. 2 stars.
♡ Eternals #3 by Peter B. Gillis. 3 stars.
♡ Eternals #4 by Peter B. Gillis. 3 stars.
♡ Eternals #5 by Peter B. Gillis. 4 stars.
♡ Eternals #6 by Peter B. Gillis. 3 stars.
♡ Eternals #7 by Peter B. Gillis. 3.5 stars.
♡ Eternals #8 by Peter B. Gillis. 4 stars.
♡ Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. 4.5 stars.
favorite book:
Wuthering Heights.
least favorite book:
Le Médecin Malgré Lui.
October:
♡ Eternals #9 by Walt Simonson. 3 stars.
♡ Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe. 5 stars.
♡ Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco. 3.5. stars.
♡ Eternals #10 by Walt Simonson. 3 stars.
♡ Eternals #11 by Walt Simonson. 4 stars.
♡ Eternals #12 by Walt Simonson. 4 stars.
♡ A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Claire. 2.5 stars.
♡ The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. 3 stars.
favorite book:
Lore Olympus.
least favorite book:
A Touch of Darkness.
November:
♡ Chernobyl. 01:23:40 by Andrew Leatherbarrow. 5 stars.
♡ These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong. 5 stars.
♡ Salomé by Oscar Wilde. 1.5 stars.
favorite book:
These Violent Delights.
least favorite book:
Salomé.
December:
♡ Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. 5 stars.
i guess just one book this month because of a slump and the depression is a sneaky bitch, so, yikes. next year it'll be, hopefully. -
Thank you, my Goodreads friends, for another wonderful year sharing together the world of books.
This year it was the 1st time I thought I could set myself the goal to read 100 books which I succeeded to accomplish. It came naturally because I somehow managed to read more this year. However, I do not plan to attempt reading so many books in the future. My plan for 2022 is to read more of the books that I own, especially some of the ones over 500 pages. These years I favoured shorter books and I got left with quite a few doorstoppers yet to read.
My top 5 literary fiction.
1.
Austerlitz
2.
Moon Tiger
3.
To the Lighthouse
4.
When We Cease to Understand the World
5.
Housekeeping
Favorite fantasy/SF:
Six of Crows
Favorite Non-fiction :
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
Biggest surprise:
Unknown Language
I also managed to read quite a few books that I own. I kept the score during the year as below.
Goals:
a) Read or discard the oldest 15 books on Kindle
1.
The Universe Versus Alex Woods
2.
The Miniaturist
3.
Mr. Splitfoot
4.
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves
5.
We Were Liars
6.
A Prayer for Owen Meany
7.
Open City reading
8.
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things
9.
The Nightingale
10.
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life
11.
Housekeeping
12.
Of Human Bondage
13.
Pretty Girls
14.
The Sirens of Titan
15.
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
c) Read books added to TBR February-June 2014
1.
The Secret River
2.
Lord of the Flies
3.
The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden
4.
The Universe Versus Alex Woods
5.
The Luminaries Deferred for next year
6.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
7.
Thinking, Fast and Slow Reading
8.
The Housekeeper and the Professor
9.
In the Time of the Butterflies
10.
Orphan Train
11.
The Uncommon Reader
12.
The Miniaturist
13.
A Fine Balance
14.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
15.
The Bone People Deferred for next year -
A toast to the wonderful Goodreads community, particularly those who take the time and trouble to write the reviews that can influence what we read, on what has once again been a globally grim and traumatic year for so many. The pandemic is far from over, and in the UK we are once again facing a restricted Christmas and New Year with the rise of the new variant shutting down much of the country. When will it ever end? Reading has come into its own in these precarious times with many turning to books to find solace from the daily grind, escape the hard times, to encounter different and new worlds in the battle to survive, and for the good of our mental health.
I have had a marvellous 2021 when it comes to the books I have read, an eclectic mix that gave me much pleasure and joy, many choices made based on the reviews of my brilliant goodreads friends and the wider community. Happy Holidays to all of you, you do an amazing job and deserve to be recognised for it. Additionally, I would like to thank all the publishers who kindly provided the ARCs to this voracious reader, as anyone who reads my reviews can confirm, almost all of the books I have read have been ARCs.
The books I have read in 2021 can be found here:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_i...
Much love and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! Let's hope 2022 is going to be a much better year for everyone. To everyone on Goodreads, I hope it proves to be an outstanding year in terms of books and reading. -
Keywords for the year: 187 books, 55.126 pages, 1.650 friends, Advent of audiobooks, New to NetGalley, Return to graphic novels
December - 12 books - 4.436 pages I
I enjoyed
Capital and Ideology by
Thomas Piketty, a massive but very interesting read and
Saga: Compendium One turned out to be a really good graphic novel, fortunately continuing into 2022.
Matrix by
Lauren Groff disappointed me and
The Twilight Zone by
Nona Fernández was harrowing.
November - 17 books - 4.242 pages
Despite quite enjoying Bookerprize winner
The Promise from
Damon Galgut, my favourite of the month is a poetry bundle:
Distant Transit by
Maja Haderlap amazed me.
Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present was a very good non-fiction read. Second one star book of the year was
After the Sun by
Jonas Eika.
I finally really enjoyed
The Word for World Is Forest by
Ursula K. Le Guin and definitely look forward to read more of her work.
October - 15 books - 4.423 pages
Perhaps the Stars, the conclusion to the Terra Ignota series of
Ada Palmer was my favourite read of the month. I was disappointed in
Bewilderment and
Great Circle from the Booker shortlist,
while winner
Bernardine Evaristo fortunately didn't with
Manifesto: On Never Giving Up.
September - 15 books - 4,473 pages
Favorite of the month was a reread:
The Lord of the Rings earned once more a solid 5 stars. Best liked non-fiction book was
Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages of
Dan Jones.
Minor Detail was harrowing,
Small Things Like These is bound to be a Christmas/winter read hit and
The Cat Who Saved Books was a genuine uplifting novel. No big disappointments this month at all.
August - 27 books - 6.282 pages
A diverse holiday reading month with a few Booker prize nominees (
China Room and
No One Is Talking About This both got two stars,
An Island four stars), a return to graphic novels/manga (with
Heartstopper Series Volume 1-4 Books Set By Alice Oseman getting five stars) and the discovery of Netgalley, with
Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things being the first one starred book of the year.
July - 17 books - 4.807 pages
In terms of fiction this was a rather poor month, with only
Light Perpetual, long listed for the Booker Prize 2021, getting 4 stars. In terms of non-fiction I enjoyed books on a variety of topics, from
The Story of China: A Portrait of a Civilisation and Its People,
The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World,
She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement to
Fathoms: The World in the Whale.
June - 15 books - 5.904 pages
A bumper month in terms of reading! This month I most enjoyed
The Master and Margarita of
Mikhail Bulgakov and
The Fifth Season by
N.K. Jemisin. Her Broken Earth trilogy was a most addictive read, leading me to read 1.400 pages in 7 days.
To Hell and Back: Europe, 1914-1949 and
Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future were both engaging non-fiction reads.
Ik ben er niet was my biggest reading disappointment.
May - 13 books - 3.705 pages
A kind of theme of this month was LGBTQ books, with works of
Rianne Robben,
Édouard Louis and
Tomasz Jedrowski all earning 4 stars. Also race and identity in the Netherlands was a theme with
Jaguarman. Mijn vader, zijn vader en andere Surinaamse helden,
Confrontaties and
Arab.
I disliked
Hummingbird Salamander and
The Secret Commonwealth, both earning 2 stars.
April - 15 books - 4.627 pages
My favourites of this month were all related to the Booker International Prize 2021:
The Employees by
Olga Ravn,
When We Cease to Understand the World by
Benjamín Labatut and
At Night All Blood is Black by
David Diop were all four star reads.
In terms of classics I did not click with
For Whom the Bell Tolls by
Ernest Hemingway earned only 2 stars, as did
Masks by
Fumiko Enchi.
March - 13 books - 4.325 pages
My only 5 star read this month was once again a reread:
De verbeelding from
Herman Franke. However in general this month formed a return to sci-fi, with three of the Terra Ignota books of
Ada Palmer and warmly awaited
Klara and the Sun from
Kazuo Ishiguro. In terms of non-fiction I read
A Promised Land and
From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death. Poetry was represented by
Ocean Vuong's
Night Sky with Exit Wounds. Biggest let down was
Find Me by
André Aciman
February - 13 books - 3.500 pages
Another strong month, with two 5 star reads:
Utopia Avenue from old favourite
David Mitchell and
The Living Sea of Waking Dreams from Booker Prize winner
Richard Flanagan. I gave
Little Eyes from
Samanta Schweblin 2 stars but in general was quite content with my reading during the month, with me reading my first two work of
William Shakespeare:
Hamlet and
Romeo and Juliet.
January - 15 books - 4.457 pages
I reread three books, with both
Never Let Me Go from
Kazuo Ishiguro and
The Gunslinger from
Stephen King retaining their 5 stars.
My favourite non-fiction book was the chilling account
Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster, and with
Dearly: New Poems I managed to read some poetry from
Margaret Atwood as well.
Mijn lieve gunsteling from international Bookerprize winner
Marieke Lucas Rijneveld disappointed me while
Untold Night and Day by Korean writer
Bae Suah surprised me the most.
General goals as imagined at the start of the year
For 2021 I have a few goals, main among them participating in the reading challenge in the group I co-moderate, which already means a commitment of more than 16.000 pages and 55 books.
In general I want to keep up reading non-fiction and the classics, and would like to add a bit more poetry. Also I won't set a reading goal since I noticed it does stress me out, and taps into my competitive side in a way that's not as relaxing as reading should be.
Also for 2021 I want to grow my TBR at a rate lower than my read shelf. This probably means I need to do some weeding out of books I have lost interest in.
Finally I like to keep on doing the monthly reviews of my reading. -
Welcome to the awards for 2021. The glittering celebrities have all arrived and are already sneering, the lights are dimmed so let’s crack on.
THE 2021 AWARD FOR THE BOOK THAT STAYED ON MY ACTUAL BOOKSHELF IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD LONGEST BEFORE BEING READ
Middlemarch by George Eliot
NOVEL OF THE YEAR
Middlemarch by George Eliot
THE DON DELILLO AWARD FOR THE HIGHLY PRAISED NOVEL I SHOULD HAVE LIKED WAY MORE THAN I DID
Guest presenter : Karl Ove Knausgard
(Expect an excruciatingly detailed 400 page novel about presenting a literary prize from Karl in 2022)
The shortlist;
Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai
How it All Began by Penelope Lively
Sleepless Nights by Elizabeth Hardwick
Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann
The Book of Ebenezer le Page by G B Edwards
And the winner is :
Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann
(Applause – Anita Desai, the hot favourite, puts on a brave “I didn’t expect to win anyway” face for the cameras)
THE INTIMIDATING CLASSIC WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE GREAT AWARD
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
FAVOURITE TITLE OF THE YEAR
Things Have Gotten Worse Since we Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca
(it also had a great cover…pity about the book itself. But Eric is gonna do better, I think)
THE BITING-OFF-MORE-THAN-YOU-CAN-CHEW AWARD
This year the award is split between two biographies – I knew I wanted to know all about these two great personalities but I should never have read the enormous 900 page versions of their lives, it was ridiculous.
Dostoyevsky : A writer in his Time by Joseph Frank
(Could be you should steer clear of the ones with the “in his time” or “and his world” subtitles since it tells you the author is gonna write a history of the whole century his guy was born in)
Washington : Ron Chernow
(Ron was fascinated by every single pair of trousers and jacket and hat worn by George Washington, and luckily for Ron, George listed every single thing he ever wore.)
Runner-up : Second Hand Time by Svetlana Alexievich
(This is obviously an enormously important oral history of the collapse of communism in Russia but after page 300 all the voices start to sound the same, telling very similar tales of woe.)
THE LEAST POPULAR BOOK I READ
Bob Dylan : Outlaw Blues by Spencer Leigh – shelved by a mere 17 people and read by an even merer 3. Its unpopularity is richly deserved.
Note : most popular book I read was The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling. Its popularity was not especially deserved.
ODDEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
The Spirit Catches you and You Fall Down : Anne Fadiman
(A great crazy read about the immigration of the Hmong people to the USA and the extreme culture clashes they experienced.)
BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR
Andrea Dworkin : The Feminist as Revolutionary by Martin Duberman
"The argument between wives and whores is an old one; each one thinking that whatever she is, at least she is not the other"
SPECIAL AWARD FOR THE MOST UNEXPECTED VICTORIAN DELIGHT
The Odd Women by George Gissing
Runner up : The Warden by Anthony Trollope
AWARD FOR THE NOVEL WITH THE MOST RIDICULOUSLY INFLATED REPUTATION
The Moviegoer by Walker Percy
(insert eyeroll emoji here)
NOVELIST OF THE YEAR
Patrick Hamilton
(I read no less than four by him this year. That’s a lot!)
THE WHY DO I STILL BOTHER WITH THE BOOKER PRIZE AWARD
Guest presenter, one of our previous winners, Julian Barnes
This goes to 2020 winner
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
A finer slab of misery porn you cannot find.
TRUE CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR
Guest presenter : Jean-Claude Romand, filmed in his cell in the Benedictine monastery in Fontgombault
"Je suis très heureux de remettre ce prix le livre qui détaille mes propres crimes monstrueux."
Winner : The Adversary by Emmanuel Carrere
Runner-up :
The Manson Women by Clara G Livsey
GRAPHIC NOVEL OF THE YEAR
Going into Town by Roz Chast
Which isn’t actually a novel but a sort-of memoir about living in NYC
HEAVIEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Guest presenter : Tyson Fury
Winner : The Story of Film by Mark Cousins which tipped the scales at 160 g. This was nowhere near the all-time champion Century by Bernard Bruce, published in 1999 by Phaidon, which was a staggering 570 g.
THE BRETT EASTON ELLIS AWARD FOR MOST VIOLENT BOOK OF THE YEAR
The Corpse Exhibition and Other Stories of Iraq by Hassan Blasim
(As I read I could hear BEE saying ”Damn, I wish I’d thought of that”)
(Announcer says something oily and simpering about the covid-stricken year of 2021 and how as we peer into an uncertain future great literature is the only thing that can get us through, although cute kitten videos on Youtube also help. Backstage Karl Ove Knausgard is fighting with Julian Barnes.)
-
I moved two daughters, two dogs, one cat, and 2,500 books across the United States of America this year, and right around the time I was involved in that lunacy, I decided I was going to take on a 1970s reading project, as well: “70 from the 70s.”
My goal: to read or reread 70 books, of all genres, that were published in the 1970s (must have a publication date in the 70s, not a book about that time period).
The origins of this project were part-nostalgia, part-denial for me. It's been a difficult year for me personally, and a difficult year for all of us, collectively. I wanted to time travel to a beloved time period that I lived through as a little girl, but experience it, instead, as an adult reader. I wanted to visit people's houses with reckless abandon, go into grocery stores without a mask on my face, listen to live music without overhearing someone arguing next to me about vaccinations.
I didn't head over to the mainstream bestsellers (though I may get to some eventually); I took the road less traveled, and found myself on remote beaches and small towns in the Northeast U.S., then several small towns in England, Scotland and Ireland. Spent more than a little time in London and New York City as well.
I'm only at the halfway mark in this project, and I won't be finished until next year, so I am choosing not to list the titles until I'm done.
In the meantime, I would like to contribute that, so far, the best part of this project has been my introduction to the following writers: William Trevor, May Sarton, Zilpha Keatley Snyder, and Elizabeth Taylor. They have all become overnight favorites, and I am indebted to my own project for these discoveries.
I was also, as usual, reminded of the genius that is John Updike's writing. He was “on fire” in the 1970s, and I still have the flames in my hair to prove it.
My top 5 reading experiences for 2021:
Marry Me (a novel)
Lovers of Their Time (a short story collection)
The Witches of Worm (a middle grades chapter book, bordering on YA)
A Reckoning (a novel)
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (a novel)
As always, I delight in this website of ours, this place where readers and writers have come together to celebrate stories. Despite the fake doctors, the false colonels, and the bots who are currently using profile pictures of Paul Hollywood to lure in lonely women, this is still an excellent site.
Please, don't be afraid to BLOCK or FLAG the Creepers, to fight the pollution on here (even if they're not bothering you directly). It's a great place to discuss good reads. It's up to us to keep it groovy.
I wish you Happy Everything in 2022, and I hope you enjoy it in excellent health. -
Community provides a safe space for encouragement —fondness—respect and appreciation.
The Goodreads community has been an instrumentally valuable part of my life….
….with moments of extraordinary meaningful connections, I have benefited from the many contributions made —-
THANK YOU……each and everyone of you whom I’ve had contact with.
Old and new friends have warmed my heart.
It was a great year of reading.
…. I often found myself captivated — deeply moved - getting educated - becoming more aware about the world - laughing or crying.
I’m grateful to how books comfort me most of all.
Rather than list the books I’ve read,
I’d like to share a little story:
A 24-year-old-boy seeing out from the train’s window shouted…
“Dad, look the trees are going behind!”
Dad smiled, and a young couple sitting nearby looked at the 24-year old’s childish behavior with pity. Suddenly the boy exclaimed,
“Dad, look the clouds are running with us!”
The couple couldn’t resist and said to the Dad…
“Why don’t you take your son to a good doctor?” The dad smiled and said, “I did, and we are just coming from the hospital.
My son was blind from birth, he just got his eyes today”.
***Don’t judge people before you truly know them. The truth might surprise you.
A couple more quotes to ponder…
“If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete”.
—Jack Kornfield
“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a prisoner of the future”.
—Deepak Chopra
A little about me in the coming year….
….Paul and I will be busy remodeling our house. I’ll enjoy Goodreads leisurely ….write reviews when I do - read other reviews when I do — connect with friends wholeheartedly as time allows…
….I turn 70 this may ….(entering MIDDLE age)….haha!
My goals are simple ….
good health, love, happiness…..and LOOK GOOD & FEEL GOOD on my May 24th youthful birthday in 2022.
I also want to goof-off more- play more -laugh often-love passionately!!! ….
I plan to read what I want - when I want …..
May the New Year of 2022….be a transformational and beautiful life journey!!!
Be good to yourself.
I’ll do the same!
-
Superlatives Challenge: 2021 Edition
Best fantasy: Words of Radiance
Worst fantasy: The Crown of Gilded Bones
Best friendship: Nona, Ara, and Zole (The Book of the Ancestor)
Best duo: Frances and Aled (Radio Silence)
Best cast of characters: The Stormlight Archive/The Book of the Ancestor
Worst cast of characters: One of Us Is Lying
Best character growth: Dalinar (The Stormlight Archive) / Nona (The Book of the Ancestor)
Most inconsistent character development: The Betrothed
Best ship: Shallan x Adolin (The Stormlight Archive) / Sam x Celaena (The Assassin's Blade) / James x Cordelia (The Last Hours)
Worst ship: Poppy x Hawke (From Blood and Ash)
Best writing: Radio Silence, Klara and the Sun
Worst writing: The Betrothed/From Blood and Ash
Best magic system: The Stormlight Archive
Worst magic system: Keeper of the Lost Cities/From Blood and Ash
Darkest book: The Poppy War
Funniest book: A Very Punchable Face
Saddest book: Crying in H Mart/We Were Liars/The Assassin's Blade
Most surprising plot twist: The Dragon Republic/We Were Liars
Least surprising plot twist: Serpent and Dove/From Blood and Ash
Most wholesome character: Syl (The Stormlight Archive)
Least wholesome protagonist: Rin (The Poppy War)
Most annoying character: Hawke (From Blood and Ash)
Best literary fiction: Do Not Say We Have Nothing
Worst literary fiction: Call Me By Your Name
Best memoir: Crying in H Mart
Best historical fiction: Fingersmith
Worst historical fiction: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Purplest prose: Call Me By Your Name
Most boring plot: The Betrothed
Most exciting plot: The Stormlight Archive
Best action scenes: The Stormlight Archive
Best representation: These Violent Delights/The Book of the Ancestor
Best worldbuilding/setting: Roshar (The Stormlight Archive)
Worst worldbuilding/setting: The Selection
Best ending: The Way of Kings
Worst ending: Romeo and Juliet
Best cover: Six Crimson Cranes/Chain of Iron
Book that was too long: It
Book that was too short: The Girl From the Sea
Most pretentious: Call Me By Your Name
Most understated: This is How You Lose the Time War
Book with most nostalgia potential: Red Sister/Radio Silence
Book with most future classic potential: The Way of Kings
Guiltiest pleasure: A Court of Mist and Fury
Most serious book: Annihilation
Highest average rating on Goodreads: Words of Radiance (4.72)
Lowest average rating on Goodreads: The Betrothed (2.98)
Best debut: The Poppy War
Most cringeworthy: The Betrothed
Most overrated: From Blood and Ash/A Gathering of Shadows
Most underrated: Holy Sister
Most disappointing: A Sky Beyond the Storm
Most surprising: Chain of Gold
Most rewarding reread: The Assassin's Blade
My 2021 Stats:
Average rating: 3.2
Pages read: 49,275
Average book length: 410 pages
Reading challenge: 120 books
Books read: 120 -
2021 was a strange, arduous year but at least the books have been great. I’ve been happily back to really diving into a lot of books and reviewing and I’m thankful for all of you with whom I’ve been able to chat books, share recommendations and just generally make up a cool community on here. Looking back I’ve read quite a few books that skyrocketed up into my favorites, such as
The Dispossessed by
Ursula K. Le Guin, or
No One Writes Back by Jang Eun-Jin.
Mieko Kawakami also became a favorite author this year, and I started the year off
Breasts and Eggs which I continue to think about constantly (
Heaven was also delightful and I’m eager for the English translation of her next book this coming Spring).
I had ended 2020 with a goal to read one Japanese woman author for every Murakami book I’ve read, which continued into this year with amazing books like
So We Look to the Sky by
Misumi Kubo or realizing that I pretty much adore the works by
Hiromi Kawakami (
The Nakano Thrift Shop also made it to my favorites list this year). I have to give a special shoutout to
emily who recommended me a lot of amazing books this year, she never misses with a good recommendation. It led to reading a lot of South Korean novels, with
I’ll Go On by
Hwang Jungeun being a particular standout. I did end up reading another Murakami this year, with
First Person Singular being pretty enjoyable.
I did not read as much poetry as I usually do, though I was really excited to read and review great Goodread friend
Ken Craft’s amazing collection
Reincarnation & Other Stimulants: Life, Death, & In-Between Poems (highly recommended). I did also quite enjoy the new one by
Rita Dove. Less poetry this year, but many more short story collections (
Cursed Bunny by
Bora Chung being an absolute standout for the year as well as
I’m Waiting for You and Other Stories by
Kim Bo-Young which was also recommended by emily and might be my favorite depiction of afterlife ever) and a lot of wonderful graphic novels. I’ve come to really love graphic novels as an storytelling medium and I particularly love how it’s become a home to amazing LGBTQ+ stories, such as
The Girl from the Sea or
Heartstopper: Volume One that were particular favorites. I’m also really into
Lore Olympus which snagged a Goodreads Choice Award and have been enjoying a lot of Greek myth retellings since having enjoyed reading
Circe by
Madeline Miller at the start of the year.
Another exciting development for me is that I’ve returned to loving sci-fi novels, which I haven’t read enough of in recent years. Huge thanks to
Nataliya for reinvigorating this love of sci-fi and recommending
Adrian Tchaikovsky to me (I’m gifting
Elder Race to many people this holiday). I also returned to reading
Dune this year as well as some of the graphic novel prequels, and that was satisfying.
I also got really into Spooky Season this year, reading
Stephen Graham Jones’s short stories in
After the People Lights Have Gone Off, the newest
Brian Evenson collection
Glassy Burning Floor of Hell among others like creepy graphic novels. After that I made November mostly a comfort reading month and have realized I quite enjoy
Lily King.
Oh, and I certainly must mention how good
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by
Cathy Park Hong is, just outstanding. Another really amazing non-fiction book I've read this year was
What White People Can Do Next: From Allyship to Coalition by
Emma Dabiri, which we now have being passed around the library where I work getting everyone to read it. Speaking of my library job, I've had some amazing conversations about books this year with coworkers, and you should all definitely follow librarian
Annaka. I also enjoy being able to work with books at a bookstore, recommending many of these titles to people, or just making weird bookstore noir films for our social media (
watch here).
Whew, it’s been a good year of reading. Another standout I haven’t mentioned is
Winter in Sokcho by
Elisa Shua Dusapin which won the National Book Award for Translated Literature (for
Aneesa Higgins translation, I’ve actually been really into translators this year and want to shoutout to
Allison Markin Powell who translated a few Kawakami as well as
Schoolgirl by
Osamu Dazai that I enjoyed this year). Other standouts include
Matrix,
Peaces (I LOVE
Helen Oyeyemi),
Swimming in the Dark, and
Four Minutes by
Nataliya Deleva which completely floored me. I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot, but this has gotten overly long already.
Thanks for all those who have made this a fun reading year, thanks for those who read my reviews, thanks for friends new and from when I first started on here a decade ago, thanks for all the great recommendations, and thanks for being you. I really appreciate this community and here’s to another great year of reading ahead! -
I could not start this review until 2021 is officially over as there was reading through the last day, after all. But now it’s time.
2021 was an odd year in real life, full of stress and often unpleasantness, and some health issues which luckily by now seem to be pretty much under control, and some changes that I hope will bring a much better 2022.
Book-wise though it was another good year. According to
My Year in Books, my average rating for books this year was 3.8, which is pretty decent.
Oddest read:
Yes, as you can see above, my oddest read for this year -
25 Placenta Recipes - Easy and Delicious recipes for cooking with placenta! - remained sadly underrated on this site. Seeing that there were only 26 other people who shelved this gives me back my faith in humanity.
Most unexpected favorite: This honor definitely belongs to
Saga: Compendium One, really the first comic book I’ve read — and loved to pieces (there may be a certain Prince Robot figurine making its way to me in the next few days). Both irreverently funny and unexpectedly brutal, it is firmly in my heart now. Thanks to Dennis for this wonderful buddy read!
The year of Tchaikovsky: No, not the composer but the brilliant British science fiction writer Adrian Tchaikovsky, as reliably good as he is prolific. There have been a few amazing buddy reads that filled my heart with joy.
Walking to Aldebaran,
Spiderlight,
Shards of Earth - just to name a few.
Murderbot: Well, was there ever any doubt I was going to re-read the entire Murderbot series to celebrate the release of
Fugitive Telemetry? And yes, I am very much ecstatic that not only did the series win the Hugo Award for best series but that
Network Effect got both Hugo and Nebula Award for the best SFF novel.
Favorite re-reads:
- Ursula K. Le Guin’s
The Left Hand of Darkness
The Dispossessed
- Andy Weir’s
The Martian
- Terry Pratchett’s
Night Watch
- China Miéville’s
Embassytown
- Stephen King’s
It and
The Body
- Tana French’s
Broken Harbour
- Frances Hardinge’s
Cuckoo Song
- Roger Zelazny’s
A Night in the Lonesome October
Favorite non-fiction: John McWhorter’s
Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter: Then, Now, and Forever brought me many hours of joy. The re-read of Ian Mortimer’s
The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century was pure happiness.
Best short story: John Scalzi’s
Automated Customer Service and Terry Bisson’s
They're Made Out of Meat, seriously, those are hilariously the best.
Did not live up to the hype: Oooh boy, I wish there weren’t that many books to populate this category, but there were a few disappointments.
The Midnight Library was a simplistic self-help book that did not endear itself to me. Ishiguro’s
Klara and the Sun was an underwhelming effort.
Hamnet by O’Farrell was painfully overwritten.
Dhalgren by Samuel Delany both puzzled and disgusted me.
Toes were dipped in Scandi noir with
Snowblind,
The Darkest Day and
The Root of Evil: An Inspector Barbarotti Novel 2. That saga will continue.
And of course, I pretty much finished my project to read Hugo/Nebula nominees, so that’s a success.
Anyway, here’s to 2022. Let’s have it good — bookwise and otherwise.
————
————
Time for my 2nd annual challenge: read and review all the Hugo and Nebula Award nominees, as my undying love declaration for SF and fantasy. As a bonus, I’m including the younger readers books nominated for Lodestar Award and Andre Norton Award:
✅ = “Category winner”
❤️ = “My favorite(s) in the category”
————
Hugo nominees:
Novel:
☑️ Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke — 4 stars,
review
☑️ The City We Became, by N.K. Jemisin — 3 stars,
review
❌ The Relentless Moon, by Mary Robinette Kowal - 3rd in the series, not happening… yet
☑️ Harrow the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir — 4.5 stars,
review
☑️ Black Sun, by Rebecca Roanhorse — 2.5 stars,
review
✅ ❤️ Network Effect, by Martha Wells — 5 stars,
review
Novella:
☑️ Finna, by Nino Cipri — 3 stars,
review
☑️ ❤️ Ring Shout, by P. Djèlí Clark — 4 stars,
review
☑️ Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey — 2 stars,
review
☑️ Come Tumbling Down, by Seanan McGuire — 3.5 stars,
review
☑️ Riot Baby, by Tochi Onyebuchi — 1-2 stars,
review
✅ ❤️ The Empress of Salt and Fortune, by Nghi Vo — 4.5 stars,
review
Novelette:
☑️ “The Inaccessibility of Heaven” by Aliette de Bodard (Uncanny 7-8/20) — 3.5 stars,
review
☑️ “The Pill” by Meg Ellison (PM Press) — 3.5 stars,
review
☑️ “Helicopter Story” by Isabel Fall (Wyrm) — 3 stars,
review
☑️ “Burn or the Episodic Life of Sam Wells as a Super” by A. T. Greenblatt (Uncanny) — 3 stars,
review
☑️ “Monster”, Naomi Kritzer (Clarkesworld 1/20) — 3.5 stars,
review
✅ ❤️ “Two Truths and a Lie” by Sarah Pinsker (Tor.com) — 3.5 stars,
review
Short Story:
☑️ “Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse” by Rae Carson (Uncanny 1-2/20) — 4 stars,
review
✅ “Metal Like Blood in the Dark” by T. Kingfisher (Uncanny 9-10/20) — 3.5 stars,
review
☑️ “Little Free Library” by Naomi Kritzer (Tor.com 4/8/20) — 3.5 stars,
review
☑️ “The Mermaid Astronaut” by Yoon Ha Lee (Beneath Ceaseless Skies 2/27/20) — 3 stars,
review
☑️ ❤️ “A Guide for Working Breeds” by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Solaris) — 4 stars,
review
☑️ ❤️ “Open House on Haunted Hill” by John Wiswell (Diabolical Plots 6/15/20) — 4 stars,
review
Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book - BONUS CATEGORY:
⭕️ Legendborn, by Tracy Deonn
⭕️ Elatsoe, by Darcie Little Badger
⭕️ Raybearer, by Jordan Ifueko
✅ A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, by T. Kingfisher — 3.5 stars,
review
☑️ ❤️ A Deadly Education, by Naomi Novik — 4.5 stars,
review
☑️ Cemetery Boys, by Aiden Thomas — 2.5 stars,
review
————
————
Nebula Nominees:
Novel:
☑️ Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke — 4 stars,
review
☑️ The City We Became, by N.K. Jemisin — 3 stars,
review
☑️ Mexican Gothic, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia — 3.5 - 4 stars,
review
☑️ The Midnight Bargain, by C. L. Polk — 3 stars,
review
☑️ Black Sun, by Rebecca Roanhorse — 2.5 stars,
review
✅ ❤️ Network Effect, by Martha Wells — 5 stars,
review
Novella:
☑️ Tower of Mud and Straw, by Yaroslav Barsukov — 3.5 stars,
review
☑️ Finna, by Nino Cipri — 3 stars,
review
✅ ❤️ Ring Shout, by P. Djèlí Clark — 4 stars,
review
☑️ Ife-Iyoku, Tale of Imadeyunuagbon, by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki — 1 star,
review
☑️ The Four Profound Weaves, by R.B. Lemberg — 2.5 stars,
review
☑️ Riot Baby, by Tochi Onyebuchi — 1-2 stars,
review
Novelette:
☑️ “Stepsister” by Leah Cypess (F&SF) — 3 stars,
review
☑️ “The Pill” by Meg Ellison, (PM Press) — 3.5 stars,
review
☑️ “Burn or the Episodic Life of Sam Wells as a Super” by A. T. Greenblatt (Uncanny) — 3 stars,
review
✅ ❤️ “Two Truths and a Lie” by Sarah Pinsker (Tor.com) — 3.5 - 4 stars,
review
☑️ “Where You Linger” by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam (Uncanny) — 1.5 stars,
review
☑️ “Shadow Prisons” by Caroline M. Yoachim (Broad Reach Publishing + Adamant Press) — 3 stars,
review
Short Story:
☑️ “The Eight-Thousanders” by Jason Sanford (Asimov’s) — 4 stars,
review
☑️ “Advanced Word Problems in Portal Math” by Aimee Picchi (Daily Science Fiction) — 2.5 stars,
review
☑️ ❤️ “A Guide for Working Breeds” by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Solaris) — 4 stars,
review
☑️ “Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse” by Rae Carson (Uncanny) — 4 stars,
review
☑️ “My Country is a Ghost” by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny) — 2 stars,
review
✅ ❤️ “Open House on Haunted Hill” by John Wiswell (Diabolical Plots) — 4 stars,
review
The Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction - BONUS CATEGORY:
⭕️ Raybearer, by Jordan Ifueko
⭕️ A Game of Fox & Squirrels, by Jenn Reese
✅ A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, by T. Kingfisher — 3.5 stars,
review
⭕️ Elatsoe, by Darcie Little Badger
⭕️ Star Daughter, by Shveta Thakrar -
The second year of Covid draws to an end, with the Omicron variant surging. I’ve changed job, but I’m still working from home. Not what I was expecting when I wrote a prequel to this a year ago, now at the bottom of this review. We still need those lucky charms (and not the breakfast cereal).
I’m grateful for books and GR, but the extra time hasn’t transposed to extra reading, even though I read a lot of short stories. Focus is a real problem for me these days. There was no overall theme or pattern to what I read. There were some real highs and lows, with an average rating of 3.7*, which is the same average as last year! So here’s the same cartoon I used in last year’s review of the year:
Image: New year reading resolution by Tom Gauld (
Source)
This is what I read, in sequence; links are to my reviews:
• ‘Tis the Season, China Miéville, 3*,
HERE
Tragi-comic consequences of ultra-capitalist Christmas™
• The Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury, 5*,
HERE
Stunningly, oddly beautiful prose, with tragedy, comedy, and profundity - on Mars
• My Mortal Enemy, Willa Cather, 1*,
HERE
No redeeming qualities. Not even bad enough for a proper review explaining
• This Census Taker, China Miéville, 4*,
HERE
Three generations struggle and survive for the love of family and belonging
• My Real Children, Jo Walton, DNF,
HERE
If Kafka wrote a double-length episode of The Office, as a novella!
• The Poetry of Solitude: A Tribute to Edward Hopper, Gail Levin, 5*,
HERE
Visions of pandemic lockdown, more than 50 years ago?
• The Great Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax, 4*,
HERE
Debunking linguistic myths, with plenty of snark
• Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Haruki Murakami, 4*,
HERE
Gritty urban cybercrime interwoven with idyllic mythical Town
• The Shadow, HC Andersen, 3*,
HERE
The perils of giving up one’s shadow
• Cove, Cynan Jones, 5*,
HERE
A raw, mesmerising, narrative poem about survival at sea
• Arthur and George, Julian Barnes, 4*,
HERE
Biography, detective mystery, courtroom drama, and campaign for justice - and true
• Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes, 4*,
HERE.
Intelligence, identity, disability, and ethics, wrapped up in a story
• How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C Foster, 4*,
HERE
Chatty insights to broaden readers’ understanding and enjoyment
• The Garden Party, Katherine Mansfield, 4*,
HERE
Short story that is far more profound than it first seems
• Love and Summer, William Trevor, 5*,
HERE
Understated, slow-burn, small town Ireland (a bit like Kent Haruf’s Colorado)
• Hotel Andromeda, Gabriel Josipovici, 3*,
HERE
Disappointing book, but it prompted a fun art/craft activity
• The Invoice, Jonas Karlsson, 3*,
HERE
Humorous battle against bureaucracy
• The Cold Equations, Tom Godwin, 3*,
HERE
Classic trolley-problem dilemma in space
• How to Live on 24 Hours a Day, Arnold Bennett, 3*,
HERE
Edwardian self-improvement with dry humour
• Kafka on the Shore, Haruki Murakami, 4*,
HERE
One - or two - tales told as if on a Möbius strip
• The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo, Zen Cho, 3*,
HERE
Humorous historical romance, for modern sensitivities
• Open Water, Caleb Azumah Nelson, 4*,
HERE
Poetic second-person story of love and racism in London
• Something Special, Iris Murdoch, 2*,
HERE
Murdoch’s only short story is a dud
• The Flame Alphabet, Ben Marcus, 4*,
HERE
What happens when language is literally, lethally toxic?
• Thomas Murphy, Roger Rosenblatt, 4*,
HERE
Rambling and humorous memoirs of a fictional Irish-American poet
• Flatland, Edwin A Abbott, 3*,
HERE
Satirising Victorian society via 2D geometry
• Grief is the Thing with Feathers, Max Porter, 3*,
HERE
The messy unpredictability of grief, with a magical-realist twist
• Permafrost, Alastair Reynolds, 4*,
HERE
Time travel adventure for a topical reason
• The Book of Evidence, John Banville, 5*,
HERE
Chilling insight into the criminal mind of a clever, entitled, amoral, and beguiling raconteur
• Hot Potatoes, Arnold Bennett, 4*,
HERE
Social comedy
• A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles, 5*,
HERE
Perfection
• The Line, Amore Towles, 3*,
HERE
Rose-tinted short story of peasants in Russian Revolution
• Goldberg: Variations, Gabriel Josipovici, 4*,
HERE
Dialogues between writer(s) and reader
• How to Scrape Skies, George Mikes, 4*,
HERE
A British-Hungarian’s satire on USA in 1947, including segregation
• Rules of Civility, Amor Towles, 3*,
HERE
Light, enjoyable, derivative
• It has to be this way 2, M Anthony Penwill, DNF,
HERE
Intriguing, confusing, icky
• The Overcoat and Other Short Stories, Gogol, 4*,
HERE
Satire of Russian life in the 1830s
• Everything Under, Daisy Johnson, 3*,
HERE
Contemporary English twist on a Greek myth
• Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me, Kate Clanchy, 2*,
HERE
Memoir, tract, tribute, othering, and outright offense
• Genesis, Geoffrey Carr, 4*,
HERE
Fast-paced, cyber-espionage sci-fi-thriller
• The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett, 4*,
HERE
Colourism and the perils of “passing”
• How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude and Hope, James Crews, 2*,
HERE
Mindfulness through contemporary poems
• Just William, Richmal Crompton, 5*,
HERE
Nostalgic children’s humour and adventure
• Blimey, I’m Knackered!, Marshall Hall, 2*,
HERE
British English for Americans riddled with errors
• Fen, Daisy Johnson, 4*,
HERE
Magical, elemental short stories about young women in the Fens
• Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village, Maureen Johnson, 4*,
HERE
Fun stocking-filler
• The Soul of the Marionette: A Short Enquiry into Human Freedom, John N. Gray, 3*,
HERE
Philosophy of freedom, free will, and Gnosticism
• Bartleby the Scrivener, Herman Melville, 5*,
HERE
Humour and tragedy in the workplace
• Lanny, Max Porter, 5*,
HERE
Ancient myths in a modern village
• Blandings Castle, PG Wodehouse, 4*,
HERE
Love the Blandings stories, the Mulliners in Hollywood not so much
• The Circus, Jonas Karlsson, 2*,
HERE
Not as good as the other two
• To Be Taught, If Fortunate, Becky Chambers, 5*,
HERE
Beautiful thoughtful writing about the ethics of searching for life on other worlds
Prequel, written 1 January 2021
Covid, Covid, Brexit, Covid…. Rinse and repeat.
I am fortunate to be well. I’m grateful those I love and care about are too.
But after ten months of lonely claustrophobia with my husband and I working from home - and we’re fortunate that we can - 2021 starts with a more infectious strain of the virus rampant in the UK and the tightest level of lockdown reimposed on most of the country, including us.
Even before the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020, there were Covid-related delays in ports, creating shortages of some fresh food, exacerbated by and exacerbating panic buying, even though most of us weren’t allowed to see family over Christmas.
I hope that at the end of 2021 I’ll be able to say “Happy new year” with some belief in its possibility - and that I’ll have read some wonderful books.
Review due 31 December 2021, all being well. Fingers crossed for lots of good luck...
Until then, and in the spirit of fraternité with the French, and by extension, the whole of the EU, here’s what purports to be their traditional language of lucky charms. We need them:
(
Source) -
Best Lesfic/WLW/Sapphic Books of 2021
This is actually my 6th annual best of lesfic awards list. I started this because Goodreads doesn’t have an LGBTQ+ award category (and after 6 years it still doesn’t) and for the fact that there are always deserving sapphic books that get overlooked by others awards. Plus, it is just fun celebrating the books that gave me such joy during the year and I want all of you to be able to enjoy them too. (If you don’t want to read my ramblings skip down three paragraphs to the awards.)
I think we can all agree that 2021 was another hellish year. In some ways I actually think it was worse for me than 2020 since everything really started to take its toll. In 2020, I still had hope the virus would end soon, in 2021, everything seems never ending instead. While not always related to covid, so many of my friends lost love ones that I found myself running out of ways to express my sympathy. Personally, in the last couple months I lost two family friends, one at age 94 and the other at 103. While they both had amazing and long lives, it’s still depressing seeing the end of the World War 2 generation. My family did have a bad covid scare with my great-aunt, who is 93. While it was bad enough to take most of her vision, she is somehow still with us and is as feisty as ever. I don’t think anyone has survived these last two years without loss, and we are all hurting, but we will get through this together and I wish you all the best!
While some of you already know this, I think it is important to mention since it affects some of my reviews. A few months ago, I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel in my left wrist. Since then I’ve been told I also have tendinitis in both arms and that I might have carpal tunnel in my right hand too (I’m waiting on a February doctor’s appointment to be tested on my right side). Unfortunately, this is from doing repetitive office work for almost 20 years and a lot of typing and mouse work. You don’t realize how much you rely and your hands, wrists, and forearms until they are constantly hurting (you should have seen me trying to read a hard cover copy of Dune). I’m not bringing this up for sympathy, lots of people are dealing with much worse right now, but I wanted to mention it since it does sometimes affect my reviews and comments on Goodreads. I ramble and am used to writing meaty reviews, but you might have noticed recently some have been pretty short. I get worn out easily and am sometimes in too much pain to type much. I’ve been commenting less on my Goodreads friend’s reviews too. Trust me, I’m reading and enjoying all of your fantastic reviews even if sometimes I can’t do more than “like it”. I will be trying to learn some text to type software so fingers crossed it will really help out on Goodreads.
I sincerely want to thank all my friends, followers, and everyone who took the time to message me, comment, like, or read one of my reviews. You all are the best and the reason I keep coming back and reviewing year after year. I am constantly shocked and moved by the kind comments and messages I receive and just amazed at how wonderful the people on this site are. Especially in a year like 2021, the fun I have on this site, but also the kindness I receive, just really means the world. I also want to thank all of the amazing reviewers that blow me away year after year and keep my ‘to read list’ overflowing.
Thank you all!
Finally, it’s time for my best of list in the world of lesfic/WLW/sapphic books. Like previous years, the only books eligible are books published in 2021. I’m pretty strict about this but I do add one category for ‘best book I read not published in 21’. Anyway, all the books are wlw or at least have a queer main character. I try to cover just about every category that I feel had a worthy winner. My other rule is that each book can only win one category. An author can win multiple categories, but it is only because they released more than one book. There are some books this year that could win or come close to winning multiple categories but I want to spread the love around so all deserving books have a chance. If you see (2) after a title, that means the book is part of a series and the number corresponds to where the book is in the series. I would always suggest starting with the first book in the series but it is up to you. I hope you all find some great books to add to your to read lists.
Best Book of 2021
The Clinch by Nicole Disney
Best Debut of 2021
Guardian by Jen Lawrence
Best Romance:
Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth
Best Slow Burn Romance:
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Best Butch/Femme Romance:
The Awkward Truth by Lee Winter
Best Medical Romance:
The Fifth Surgeon by Faith Prize
Best Contemporary Romance:
Table for Two by Kate Gavin
Best Age-Gap Romance:
Worthy of Love by Quinn Ivins
Best Emotional/Angsty Romance:
The Commitment by Virginia Hale
Best Fauxmance Romance:
Elemental Attraction by K. Aten
Best Family Drama Romance:
An Unlit Candle by Caren J. Werlinger
Best Steamy or Erotic Romance:
The Secrets we Keep by Donna Jay
Runner-ups in the Romance Category:
The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley,
Chemistry Lessons by Jae,
Leaving's Not the Only Way to Go by Kay Acker, and
Zero Chill by Carolyn Elizabeth (3)
Best Drama:
Concussion and Contentment by Liz Faraim (3)
Best Contemporary:
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
Best Sports Book:
Bruised by Tanya Boteju
Best Sports Romance:
Pas de deux by E.J. Noyes
Best YA:
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Best YA Romance:
When Sparks Fly by Kristen Zimmer
Best YA Mystery:
The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl
Best YA Paranormal:
The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters
Best Comedy:
Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters
Best Steampunk:
Fur and Fangs by Nita Round (3)
Best Fantasy:
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
Best Fantasy Romance: A tie between
Rand by Silvia Shaw and
The Noble and the Nightingale by Barbara Ann Wright.
Best Paranormal:
The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl
Best Paranormal Romance:
Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper
Best Dark Paranormal:
The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
Best Urban Fantasy:
Give Me Grace by Bethany A. Perry
Best Horror:
To Break a Covenant by Alison Ames
Best Apocalyptic:
Dead Lez Walking by G. Benson
Best Sci-Fi:
Activation Degradation by Marina J. Lostetter
Best Action:
Unbreakable by Cari Hunter
Best Crime:
Journey to Cash by Ashley Bartlett (4)
Best Crime Romance:
The Devil Incarnate by Ali Vali (7)
Best Thriller:
The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh
Best Mystery:
A Message in Blood by Catherine Maiorisi (3)
Best Mystery Romance:
Illusion Lake by Sheryl Wright
Best Intrigue:
Go Around by E.J. Noyes
Best Historic Fiction:
The Tell Tale by Clare Ashton
Best Holiday Book:
The Great Charade by Gerri Hill
Best Holiday Novella:
Baking Spirits Bright by Bryce Oakley
Best Retelling:
The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh by Molly Greeley
Best Retelling Novella:
Gretel on Her Own by Elna Holst
Best Romance Short or Novella Collection:
Sliced Ice by Lee Winter
Best Fantasy Novella:
Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard
Best Fantasy Short:
Taking Flight by Diana Green
Biggest Surprise of 2021
AITA?: A Modern Fairy Tale by Cassie Alexander
Best Book More People Need to Read:
Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin
Best Book Read in 21 But Not Published in 21:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
That’s it for the book awards. It is mostly the same categories from last year but with a few changes. Hopefully there are books here that will appeal to everyone. These last two awards are for authors.
Best Author of 2021: Lee Winter Runners-up: Cari Hunter, E.J. Noyes, Ciara Smyth, and Nicole Disney
Best New Author of 2021: Jen Lawrence Runners-up: Morgan Rogers and Faith Prize
That is it for my 2021 awards. I do have all these books on a shelf titled “2021 favorites” just encase it is easier for people to navigate. I also have last year’s winners on a “2020 favorites” shelf for anyone who might have missed them plus a shelf for the 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016 favorites too. Thank you again everyone. I hope you all have a safe and Happy New Year and a wonderful 2022. -
Ahoy there, my fellow bookaneers!
I spent most of 2021 writing and releasing a novel (
In the Shadow of Time), while also caring for my wonderful father-in-law (since departed), so had genuine reasons for only reading eleven books.
That isn't to say that the unread novels in my house didn't object to my desertion. Some came to me in the dead of night in hollow-voiced dreams, while others flapped their pages and chirped at me as I hurried by.
Nevertheless, these are the books that did grab my attention...
FIVE-STAR READS *****
The Sea, the Sea, by Iris Murdoch
In the Wings: Stories of Forgotten Women, by various authors
The Line, by Amor Towles
FOUR-STAR READS ****
Despair, by Vladimir Nabokov
The Story of a Nobody, by Anton Chekhov
A Faulty Eviction, by Daniel Adam Garwood
A Year of Marvellous Ways, by Sarah Winman
The Lady With the Little Dog, by Anton Chekhov
Girl Stories & Game Plays, by Betsy Robinson
Brighton Rock, by Graham Greene
THREE-STAR READS ***
Luckenbooth, by Jenni Fagan
And that is that, beautiful people.
Wishing each and every one of you a bookish 2022! : ) -
Here are the 4.5 stars and 5 stars books that I read in 2021
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
-
My sincere thanks to those I have engaged with through our shared love of reading and a special thanks to those I have connected with on a personal level. Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year filled with many great books. I had a good number of favorites this year, so I’ll list my MOST favorite, beginning with the most recently read .
These Precious Days: Essays - a gift to Patchett’s readers in so many ways.
The Island of Missing Trees - imaginative and beautifully written.
Geographies of the Heart - ordinary becomes extraordinary in this author’s hands.
Jayber Crow - my kind of story, quiet, meaningful and full of life .
North - beautiful connections between good people.
The Lincoln Highway - Amor Towles, need I say more ?
Enemy Women - fine historical fiction, wonderful story telling and an unforgettable character.
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois - a history we must know about and remember.
Still Life - loved everything about this book.
Indian Horse - another history we must know about and remember.
Small Things Like These - beautiful writing, a good man who makes you want to be a better person.
The Book of Magic - fabulous Alice Hoffman made me sad this series was over.
Today a Woman Went Mad in the Supermarket: Stories - discovered I’ve been living under a rock to have found this author so late in her life and mine as well.
A Million Things - powerful gut punch of a story.
Oh William! - Lucy, a favorite character and Strout, a favorite writer.
All the Children Are Home - the most affecting book I’ve read this year leaves me still thinking about these characters.
The Seed Keeper - a beautiful story with an impactful message.
The Salt Fields: A Novella - woke up thinking about this book when I finished it.
The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland - kindness that knew no bounds .
The complete list of my favorites for the year on this shelf :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
Thanks once again to Fionnuala for the lovely idea . -
2021 Book Reading Goal~ 120 books
Books Read~ 145 books
Average Rating~ 3.17 stars
Favorite Books of 2021~ The Dragon Republic, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Six of Crows, Letters to the Lost, Pride and Prejudice
Honorable Mentions: Daisy Jones & the Six, The Poppy War, The Wicked King, Good Girl Bad Blood, The Silvered Serpents
Favorite Author of 2022: Taylor Jenkins Reid
~5 Book Series I want to read~
• Misborn
•Shadow and Bone
•The Poppy War
• Daughter of Smoke and Bone
•Throne of Glass(DNFed series after Bk3)
~5 Book Series I want to finish~
•Cursebreakers
•The Diviners
•Anne of Green Gables(DNFed Bk4)
•The Lunar Chronicles
• Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard
~5 Standalones I want to read~
•1984
• Sense and Sensibility
•Rebecca
• The Lord of the Rings
•Layla
Additional Goals
• To read all of the books on my
physical TBR (current count: 24/83).
• Keep re-reading to a minimum and pick up new books. (Books re-read: 11)
• Read more Classics and books in genres I wouldn't typically read.
End of Year Reflection: I didn't finish my physical TBR, but I did a well enough job of keeping rereads to a minimum and diversifying my reading as far as genre goes. I feel like I have read a lot of amazing books this year and have branched a lot out of my comfort zone. I have read my fair amount of bad books but I have also discovered a few favorites. Overall, my best reading year by far.
~Monthly Wrap Ups~
italic= reread
✸= audiobook
will not rate: for a plethora of reasons.
~ January ~
books read: 15 books
Average rating: 2.96 stars
Favorite Book: The Silvered Serpents
Least Favorite Book: Unlocked
Nightfall ★★★★☆ ½
Bonus Keefe Story ★★★☆☆
Three Dark Crowns ★★☆☆☆
Flashback ★★☆☆☆
Julius Caesar ★★★☆☆
A Heart So Fierce and Broken ★★★★☆
Legacy ★★☆☆☆ ½
Unlocked ★☆☆☆☆ ½
Cinder ★★★★☆
Scarlet ★★★☆☆
City of Fallen Angels ★☆☆☆☆ ½
Glitches ★★☆☆☆ ½
The Silvered Serpents ★★★★☆ ½
An Enchantment of Ravens ★★★★☆ ✸
Vampire Academy ★★☆☆☆ ½
~ February ~
books read: 12 books
Average rating: 2.84 stars
Favorite Book: Cress
Least Favorite Book: One Dark Throne
Daughter of Smoke and Bone ★★☆☆☆ ¼
City of Lost Souls ★☆☆☆☆ ½
Frindle will not rate
One of Us Is Lying ★★☆☆☆
One Dark Throne ★☆☆☆☆ ½
Cress ★★★★☆ ½
Bird Box ★★★★☆ ✸
1984 ★★☆☆☆
Fairest ★★★☆☆ ½
Two Dark Reigns ★★☆☆☆ ¼ ✸
Winter ★★★★☆ ½
Stars Above ★★★☆☆ .28
~ March ~
books read: 10 books
Average rating: 3.35 stars
Favorite Book: The Dragon Republic
Least Favorite Book: Throne of Glass
City of Heavenly Fire ★★★☆☆
Throne of Glass ★★☆☆☆
Rejected Princesses: Tales of History's Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics ★★☆☆☆ ½
The Fellowship of the Ring ★★★☆☆
A Vow So Bold and Deadly ★★★☆☆
The Poppy War ★★★★☆ ½
Himagus ★★☆☆☆
The Dragon Republic ★★★★★
The Drowning Faith ★★★★☆
The Burning God ★★★★☆ ½
~ April ~
books read: 16 books
Average rating: 3.28 stars
Favorite Book: Know My Name
Least Favorite Book: Layla
House of Earth and Blood ★★☆☆☆
Lady Midnight ★★★★☆
Aurora Rising will not rate
The Rape of Nanking ★★★★☆ ✸
Crown of Midnight ★★★☆☆
Heir if Fire ★★☆☆☆
Love From A to Z ★★★★☆ ½ ✸
Lord of Shadows ★★★☆☆
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord ★★★☆☆
Know My Name ★★★★★ ✸
I'm Still Here ★★★☆☆ ½ ✸
Layla ☆☆☆☆☆ ½
The Assassin and the Healer ★★☆☆☆ ½
The Assassin and the Desert ★★★★☆ ¼
The Assassin and the Underworld ★★★★☆ ½
The Assassin and the Empire ★★★☆☆ ½
The Assassin's Blade ★★★☆☆ .55
~ May ~
books read: 11 books
Average rating: 2.95 stars
Favorite Book: Pride and Prejudice
Least Favorite Book: Queen of Air and Darkness
We Hunt the Flame ★★★☆☆
Pride and Prejudice ★★★★★
Harrison Bergeron ★★★☆☆
Shadow and Bone ★★★☆☆
Once Upon An Eid ★★★★☆
The Lottery ★★★☆☆
Tuesday Siesta ★★★☆☆
Siege and Storm ★★☆☆☆
Thank you Ma'am ★★★☆☆
Bernice Bobs Her Hair ★★☆☆☆
Queen of Air and Darkness ★☆☆☆☆ ½
~ June ~
books read: 7 books
Average rating: 3.21 stars
Favorite Book: White Tears/Brown Scars
Least Favorite Book: All the Stars and Teeth
All the Stars and Teeth ★★☆☆☆
White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color ★★★★★ ✸
Rebecca ★★★★☆
We Free the Stars ★☆☆☆☆ ½
Lair of Dreams ★★☆☆☆ ½
The Demon in the Woods ★★★★☆
Ruin and Rising ★★★☆☆ ½
~ July ~
books read: 11 books
Average rating: 2.93 stars
Favorite Book: Six of Crows
Least Favorite Book: Wilder Girls
We Were Liars ★★☆☆☆
The Tailor ★★★☆☆
Before the Devil Breaks You ★★☆☆☆ ✸
Chain of Gold ★★★★☆ ¼
The Witch of Duva ★★★★☆
King of Crows ★☆☆☆☆ ½ ✸
Renegades ★★☆☆☆ ½
Pumpkinheads ★★★☆☆ ½
Six of Crows ★★★★★
Wonder Women: Tempest Tossed ★★★☆☆ ½
Wilder Girls ★☆☆☆☆ ✸
~ August ~
books read: 12 books
Average rating: 3.5 stars
Favorite Book: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Least Favorite Book: What If It's Us
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo ★★★★★
Archenemies ★★☆☆☆ ✸
The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 1: The Apocalypse Suite ★★☆☆☆
Chain of Iron ★★★☆☆ ½
Crooked Kingdom ★★★☆☆ ½
I'm Thinking of Ending Things ★★★★☆
Supernova ★★★☆☆
What If It's Us ★★☆☆☆ ✸
Daisy Jones & the Six ★★★★☆ ½
A Darker Shade of Magic ★★★★☆
Long Way Down ★★★☆☆ ½
Letters to the Lost ★★★★★
~ September ~
books read: 9 books
Average rating: 2.8 stars
Favorite Book: The Bronzed Beasts
Least Favorite Book: Frankly in Love
Mistborn: The Final Empire ★★★★☆
A Gathering of Shadows ★★☆☆☆
This Savage Song ★★☆☆☆
Star Daughter ★★☆☆☆ ½
After I Do ★★★☆☆ ½
The Hating Game ★★★☆☆ ✸
The Bronzed Beasts ★★★★☆
A Conjuring of Light ★★★☆☆ ½
Frankly in Love ☆☆☆☆☆ ½ ✸
~ October ~
books read: 10 books
Average rating: 3.2 stars
Favorite Book: The Love Hypothesis
Least Favorite Book: One of Us Is Next
Heartless ★★★☆☆ ½ ✸
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder ★★★★☆
One of Us Is Next ★★☆☆☆ ✸
The Love Hypothesis ★★★★☆ ½
Our Dark Duet ★★☆☆☆
Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions no rating
The Duke and I ★★☆☆☆ ½ ✸
The Duke and I: The 2nd Epilogue ★★��☆☆ ✸
The Unhoneymooners ★★★☆☆ ½ ✸
The Cruel Prince ★★★★☆
~ November ~
books read: 17 books
Average rating: 3.4 stars
Favorite Book: Good Girl, Bad Blood
Least Favorite Book: The Upside of Falling
Horrid ★★★☆☆ ½
Fingersmith ★★★☆☆ ½ ✸
The Lost Sisters ★★★★☆
The Well of Ascension ★★★☆☆ ½
The Viscount Who Loved Me ★★☆☆☆ ½ ✸
The Viscount Who Loved Me: The 2nd Epilogue ★★★☆☆ ½ ✸
An Offer From a Gentleman ★★★☆☆ ½
An Offer From a Gentleman: The 2nd Epilogue ★★★☆☆ ½
Good Girl, Bad Blood ★★★★☆ ½
Get a Life, Chole Brown ★★☆☆☆ ✸
As Good As Dead ★★★★☆
Romancing Mister Bridgerton ★★★☆☆ ½
Romancing Mister Bridgerton: The 2nd Epilogue ★★☆☆☆ ½
The Upside of Falling ★★☆☆☆ ✸
Malibu Rising ★★★★☆
Cracked Up to Be ★★★☆☆ ½
Vicious ★★★★☆
~ December ~
books read: 14 books
Average rating: 3.6 stars
Favorite Book: The Wicked King
Least Favorite Book: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
The Wicked King ★★★★☆ ½
The Flatshare ★★★★☆
What to Say Next ★★★★☆
The Queen of Nothing ★★★★☆ ½
How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories ★★★★★
The Ex Talk ★★★☆☆ ½ ✸
Vengeful ★★★★☆
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares ★★☆☆☆ ✸
In Five Years ★★☆☆☆ ½
The Wife Upstairs ★★☆☆☆
Today Tonight Tomorrow ★★★★☆ ✸
How to Fail at Flirting ★★★☆☆ ½ ✸
Hopeless ★★☆☆☆ ½
The Picture of Dorian Gray ★★★★☆ ½ -
I had a good reading year despite the sad state of the world, and it was hard to pick my top ten books. In the end, I decided I would select based on how much I'd thought about them. That doesn't necessarily make them good - but if you can't stop thinking about a book, then surely it has something going for it? So without further ado:
Book from the Ground by Xu Bing. A brilliant concept: a book written entirely in emoji! Xu Bing apparently spent seven years working on it. He has developed his own language, with a consistent grammar and vocabulary, and there's a story with humour, irony and even self-reference: you can understand everything if you're prepared to read the book twice and think a little. Who would have imagined it was even possible?
Diaspora by Greg Egan. No one writes hard SF like Greg Egan. An absolutely chilling manifesto for transhumanism, explaining why we should abandon our outdated bodies and become pure intelligences dwelling among the stars. My feeling is that the people in Silicon Valley who are creating our future take Mr Egan very seriously.
Hávamál by Anonymous. Sort of as though the Book of Proverbs had been rewritten by a pirate. Beautiful, laconic, and full of really excellent advice.
Hildegard by Anne Lise Marstrand-Jørgensen. A wonderful, poetic novel about the life of Saint Hildegard of Bingen. I have just got hold of the second volume and can't wait to read it. Astonishing that they haven't been translated into English.
Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer and
Jim Knopf und die Wilde 13 by Michael Ende. Just one of the best children's books ever.
Liberty by Jakob Ejersbo. Fantastic novel about Africa and Europe: for once, the last book of the trilogy is the high point.
Méditations métaphysiques by René Descartes. I disliked this classic of philosophy, but no one puts the case for dualism as clearly as Descartes does.
Le Père Goriot by Honoré de Balzac. I reread this excellent novel after getting properly familiar with Balzac's universe and was blown away. One of the finest black comedies I know.
Sexism and God Talk: Toward a Feminist Theology by Rosemary Radford Ruether. Read some feminist theology, it'll open your eyes. This was the standout of the ones I looked at: passionate, scholarly, witty, and utterly convincing.
Sodome et Gomorrhe by Marcel Proust. I read it in English a long time ago and didn't appreciate how funny it was. Strange how your perspective changes with time.
Onwards to 2022! My top goals: read more Danish (I had no idea that there was so much excellent Danish literature), read more Old Norse, read more feminist theology, finish rereading Proust, and try to do something about my miserable Italian. That'll keep me busy.
Merry Christmas and a happy New Reading Year to you all! I do not know anywhere in the world that has as many interesting, kind, sane people as Goodreads. UNESCO should designate this site a cultural monument without further delay. -
Average star rating for 2021: 3.2
The books I read in 2021 (now completely updated with all of my 2021 reads):
5 stars:
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Trials of Death
The Black Flamingo
Rogue: Untouched: A Marvel Heroines Novel
Beautiful Redemption
Dangerous Creatures
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Scythe
Darling
Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms
A Lot Like Adiós
Heartstopper: Volume Two
The Charm Offensive
Me
Jocelyn's Story
2020: A Year in Taiwan
Jane Eyre
Eclipse
4 stars:
Tunnels of Blood
Vampire Mountain
The Vampire Prince
Payback
Beautiful Darkness
Junior Hero Blues
The Yellow Wallpaper
Before the Claiming
A Grown-Up Guide to Dinosaurs
The Cat in the Hat
Vampire Knight, Vol. 1
Attack on Titan, Vol. 2
Call Me Athena: Girl from Detroit
Crank Palace
Instructions for Dancing
Missing Pictures
You Will Get Through This Night
May the Best Man Win
Blackout
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
Attack on Titan, Vol. 3
Attack on Titan, Vol. 4
Attack on Titan, Vol. 5
Attack on Titan, Vol. 6
Attack on Titan, Vol. 7
3 stars:
A Living Nightmare
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
The Vampire's Assistant
Beautiful Creatures
Hunters of the Dusk
We Free the Stars
Beautiful Chaos
Violet City
Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense., Vol. 1
The Mortal Heart
The Seer's Spread
Dreidel To The Grave
In Real Life: My Journey to a Pixelated World
Harrison Bergeron
Every Body Shines: Sixteen Stories About Living Fabulously Fat
Circe
The Lost Girls
Returning to Carthage
Never Say Never
City of Lost Souls
Thomas’s First Memory of the Flare
Why Can't Relationships Be Like Pizza?
Beautiful Creatures: The Graphic Novel
2 stars:
The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky
Emma
The Luckiest Girl
The Elite
Cool for the Summer
A Gatlin Wedding
Pride and Prejudice
The Landlady
China Room
50 Queers Who Changed the World: A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Icons
ハイキュー!! 1 Haikyū!! 1
Dangerous Deception
Gearbreakers
A Court of Thorns and Roses
A Flight in the Heavens
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
City of Heavenly Fire
The Acceptance
Djinn
Dangerous Dream
The Lofties
1 star:
The Garden Party and Other Stories
Love, Unscripted
The Last Battle
The Rose Kiss: Beauty and the Beast Retold
Three Men in a Boat
Taming Red Wolf
The Queen's Gambit
Unlucky Charm
The Sea Is Salt and So Am I
The Shadow in the Glass
The Council of Animals
Didn't rate but still read all of it:
Spinner
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
The Desolations of Devil's Acre -
Reading Challenge: 108/100 books
Fav series of the year: The Stormlight Archive
✦ Reflection:
2021 is definitely my worst reading year ever since I joined GR *sobs* That 3 month long slump was a huge blow and then school... 💀 but also I discovered lots of heartbreaking & beautiful books/series and found my all time favourite series so 2021 was also amazing?? And then there's also me becoming friends and getting closer with so many people who are a huge part of my lives now🥺 Definitely complicated with all the craziness that happened this year but hopefully 2022 is much better in both life and reading.
ALSO I CANT BELIEVE I READ ALMOST ALL THE BOOKS I PLANNED FOR 2021?? I read 22 out of 28 sdfsfsfs I'm proud of that.considering how i rarely follow through with plans wheeeze
---✦---
January:
The Poppy War: ★★★★.5
Shadow's Legacy: ★★★★
The Iron Raven: ★★★★
The Dragon Republic: ★★★★★
The Drowning Faith: ★★★★
The Penultimate Hours: ★★★★
This Golden Flame: ★★.5
A Vow So Bold and Deadly: ★★★★
Love in English: ★★★
Avg. rating - 3.89
Fav book this month - The Dragon Republic
February:
Chain of Iron: ★★★★★
Hot British Boyfriend: ★★★★
Crown of Midnight: ★★★★
We Are the Fire: ★★.5
A Court of Silver Flames: ★★★★★
Six of Crows: ★★★
Avg. rating - 3.92
Fav books this month - Chain of Iron & A Court of Silver Flames
March:
The Inheritance Games: ★★★★★
Red Winter: ★★★★★
The Burning God: ★★★★.5
Heir of Fire: ★★★★.5
Dark Tempest: ★★★★★
A Trial of Sorcerers: ★★★★
Crooked Kingdom: ★.5
Counting Down with You: ★
Avg. rating - 3.8
Fav books this month - The Burning God, Dark Tempest, & Heir of Fire
April:
House of Earth and Blood: ★★★★★
Indian Horse: ★★★
From Blood and Ash: ★★★.5
Queen of Shadows: ★★★★★
Empire of Storms: ★★★.5
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire: ★★★★★
Hana Khan Carries On: ★★★.5
The Crown of Gilded Bones: ★★★★.5
Skyward: ★★★★.5
The Way of Kings: ★★★★★
Avg. rating - 4.25
Fav books this month - House of Earth and Blood & The Way of Kings
May:
Words of Radiance: ★★★★★
To Kill a Kingdom: ★.5
Made in Korea: ★★★
These Hollow Vows: ★★.5
Gild: ★★
Glint: ★★★★.5
Mistborn: The Final Empire: ★★★★★
The Immortal Game: ★★★★.5
Where the Rhythm Takes You: ★★★
Lady Midnight: ★★★★★
Avg. rating - 3.6
Fav book this month - Words of Radiance
June:
Gleam: ★★★★★
DELOS: The White Tree: ★★★
Warbreaker: ★★★★
Daughter of Sparta: ★★★.5
The Box in the Woods: ★★★★.5
The Spanish Love Deception: ★★.5
Iron Widow: ★★★★
Boku no Hero Academia 23: ★★★★.5
Boku no Hero Academia 24-to-
Boku no Hero Academia 30: ★★★★★
Avg. rating - 4.36
Fav book this month - Gleam & BNHA vol.24-30
July:
Grace and Glory: ★★
Edgedancer: ★★★★
Oathbringer: ★★★★★
Blade of Secrets: ★★★★
Curses: ★★
Avg. rating - 3.4
Fav book this month - Oathbringer
August:
Boku No Hero Academia 31: ★★★★★
Boku No Hero Academia 32: ★★★★★
Gods & Monsters: ★★
The Indigo Spell: ★★★★★
Avg. rating - 4.25
Fav book this month - BNHA vol.31 & 32
September:
It Ends with Us: ★★★★
Tokyo Revengers 9-to-
Tokyo Revengers 22: ★★★★★
Avg. rating - 4.9
Fav book this month - Tokyo Revengers vol.9-vol.22
October:
Tokyo Revengers 23: ★★★★★
Tokyo Revengers 24: ★★★★★
The Great Gatsby: ★★★
Kingdom of the Cursed: ★★★★
All These Bodies: ★★.5
The Bronzed Beasts: ★★.5
The Hawthorne Legacy: ★★★★★
Avg. rating - 3.85
Fav book this month - The Hawthorne Legacy
November:
Our Violent Ends: ★★★★★
Hamlet: ★★★
Starsight: ★★★★.5
Sunreach: ★★★★
ReDawn: ★★★★.5
Cytonic: ★★★.5
Born a Crime: ★★★★
Avg. rating - 4.1
Fav book this month - Our Violent Ends
December:
The Love Hypothesis: ★★★★.5
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me: ★★
Tokyo Revengers 25: ★★★★.5
Dawnshard: ★★★
Rhythm of War: ★★★★★
Avg. rating - 3.8
Fav book this month - Rhythm of War
---✦---
Most Anticipated Books:A Vow So Bold and Deadly
A Court of Silver Flames
Chain of Iron
The Crown of Gilded Bones
Curses
Grace and Glory
Gods & Monsters
Kingdom of the Cursed
The Bronzed Beasts
As Good As Dead
The Serpent's Curse
Series/books I NEED to read:Six of Crows
Crescent City #1
The Poppy War Trilogy
Skyward series
The Stormlight Archives
Mistborn Era 2
The Priory of the Orange Tree -
Goodreads 2021…
UPDATED FROM EARLIER: FULL LIST INCLUDED THIS TIME.
Goodreads 2021....
Was much better than last year!!
I read 100 more books this year than last year. I did a massive list purge cutting down my TBR list from over 4000 to 2500- at the time of this writing. I set new guidelines for myself and just like in real life, when I got rid of all the clutter, I felt so much better. I am still having a blast discovering all those hidden gems I’d long forgotten about and feel a growing sense of accomplishment for sticking to a plan and exercising some willpower when it comes to adding more books to the TBR pile. It’s still a work in progress… and always will be…
I also managed to catch up with several long running series and kept up with more favorites without falling behind on them, but I’m still the ‘Series Queen’ and have yet to find the will power to pass one up. 😁
Favorites of 2021-
As always- the books on this list were READ during 2021- but not necessarily PUBLISHED in 2021.
Nonfiction:
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
A Knock at Midnight by Brittany K. Barnett
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
Cultish- By Amanda Montell
The Office by Andy Greene
Historical Fiction:
Yellow Wife by Sedeqa Johnson
Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce
The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan
Memoir:
Just as I am by Cicely Tyson
Brat: An 80s Story- by Andrew McCarthy
Do you Feel Like I Do? By Peter Frampton
Contemporary Fiction:
The Attic on Queen Street by Karen White
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan
The Summer of Lost and Found by Mary Alice Monroe
Contemporary Romance:
Tucker by Emily March
Boone by Emily March
To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne
Mysteries:
The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey
Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March
What’s Done in Darkness by Laura McHugh
The Missing American by Kwei Quartey
Historical Romance:
Frederica by Georgette Heyer
Someone to Romance by Mary Balogh
Lovely Digits by Jeanine Englert
True Crime:
Evidence of Love by John Bloom
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream by Dean Jobb
Thrillers:
Take it Back by Kia Abdullah
In the Blood by Lisa Unger
For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing
The Prodigal Son by Gregg Hurwitz
Classics:
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Cozy Mystery:
Fatal Fried Rice by Vivien Chien
Killing in a Koi Pond by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran
Murder with Orange Pekoe by Karen Rose Smith
Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O’Connor
Horror:
The Invited by Jennifer McMahon
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejide
Most Disturbing:
Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
Most Emotional:
The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib
Biggest Disappointments:
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
The Wheel of Fortune by Susan Howatch
When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash
Most Delightful Surprises:
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark
So much fun!!
Every Last Secret by A. R. Torre
A Cat’s Tale by Paul Koudounaris
I don't make New Year's resolutions- but I have a few goals in mind for 2022 that will help me get organized, control my TBR list, and READ MORE BOOKS!
Happy New Year everyone!! 🎉🎉🎉 -
سال عجیبی بود این دو هزار و بیست و یک. سالی که حالا که فکر میکنم بیشترش رو در دو اتاق گذروندم. یا اتاق خواب روی تخت، یا اتاق کار پشت میز. سالی که تقریباً همش به بیماری گذشت. کرونایی که دو بار دستش رو گذاشت روی گردنم و دفعه دوم دیگه رها نکرد. تا همین امروز. زندگی عجیبی که در دارو خوردن، درس دادن، خوابیدن، کلافگی و درد مدتهاست خلاصه شده
لذتهای این زندگی همینجوری هم کوتاهه و کمه. این وضعیت لیست کوچک من از این لذتها رو دونه دونه خط زد. سفر رفتن، غذا خوردن، معاشرت با عزیزام، درس خوندن و چیزهای دیگه کامل از بین رفت یا کمرنگ شد. این شد که من موندم و کتابها که در بهترین و بدترین روزهام خوندم. توی تاریکی و روشنی. توی درد و آرامش
فکرام رو گره زدم به داستانها و اطلاعات شگفتانگیز کتابهام و مغزم رو فرستادم دنبال نخود سیاه. چون میدونم که اگر به حال خودش ولش کنم جفتمون رو از بین میبره. میخوام فقط این روزها رو دوام بیاره که میدونم بالاخره این دورانم تموم میشه
امسال کلاسیکهای خیلی خوبی خوندم و ارزش خوندنشون رو بیشتر از همیشه متوجه شدم. با یک مجموعه علمیتخیلی به این دنیا برگشتم و باز حس کردم که چقدر دوسش دارم. کتابهایی که در مورد مشکلات جامعه و تاریخه برام جالبتر و مهمتر شد و سال آینده بیشتر سراغشون میرم. از دوستان گودریدزی یک گروه کوچک هم تشکیل شد که هفتهای یکبار صحبت میکردیم و خیلی به من در راستای فکر کر��ن و بحث کردن کمک کرد. در کل گودریدز و آدمهاش سالهاست که دایرهی امن من بودن �� موندن
از همتون ممنون که کلی ازتون یاد گرفتم
پ.ن۱: ناگهان حس و حال نوشتن این اومد و فکر کردم اگر ننویسم دیگه نمینویسم
پ.ن۲: امیدوارم بتونم توی این دو هفته چالشم رو تموم کنم
*غیرداستانی*
تاریخ
فلسفه
اجتماعی
زندگینامه
True Crime
*داستانی*
کلاسیک
علمیتخیلی
فانتزی
ایرانی
تصویری
ناتمام
---------
Note to self
برنامه و اولویت ها
بیست و پنج تا نان فیکشن و بیست و پنج تا فیکشن
همونقدر که کمیت مهمه، کیفیت هم مهمه، حواست رو جمع کن
در فیکشن تمرکز اصلی روی کلاسیک ها
در نان فیکشن تمرکز روی کتاب های علمی و تاریخی
اولویت با کتاب های کتابخونم و وانت تو رید
ممکنه به این برنامه نرسی، امسال سخت ترین سال کاریته، پنیک نکن
می تونی چالشت رو کمتر کنی
Literally no one cares but you.
لذت ببر، اینم مثل همه چیزهای دیگه ی زندگیت تبدیل به "کار" نکن
٩٩.١٠.١١ -
If 2020 was a bastard of a year, 2021 was a bitch. No getting around that in my world, and I think it may continue that way for a little while longer, sadly.
BUT, I am pleased to report that one of my true joys in life is consistently found in wonderful books, and in this community of beauteous readers that I'm lucky enough to be part of. Thank you, true friends, for being a warm light, for shining your intellect, your humour, your insights, your recommendations, your opinions, and your kindness. Thanks for taking time to read my reviews, to comment and commiserate and contribute. It feels like my reading of a book is never quite complete until it's shared with you all, so thank you, for... being there.
Robin's 2021 Reading Stats
Books read in 2021 - 54
Books by male authors - 26
Books by female authors - 28
Compilations - 0
Short story collections - 6
Translations - 6
Poetry - 1
Non fiction - 2
Re-reads - 1 (Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie who is so, so comforting, to me....)
New to me authors - 29
Books published in 2021 - 7
Canadians - 1, if Rachel Cusk counts?
Classic lit - 0 (nothing a century old made it onto my stack this year)
World Atlas - USA (21), England (13), Ireland (9), Scotland (3), Japan (2), Europe (4), Canada (1), Cuba (1)
Other Highlights
* I continued to co-moderate monthly group reads at Newest Literary Fiction, an honour for me to rub shoulders with brilliant readers, and to keep an eye on what is happening "right now" in the world of books.
* I took on a full time job, the first one since my daughter was born in 2008. Good for the finances, not so great for reading goals.
* Speaking of work, that's where I joined my very first in-person book club, and as a result some of my reading choices were wildly hijacked. But it's also been a bit of an adventure that I'm not quite ready to abandon! I am, however, taking a pass on December's pick (the new Andy Weir book).
* I rediscovered and fell deeply in love with the work of Patricia Highsmith. I'm sorry to harp on her so much, but that's what you do when you're in love. At least it allows for a bit of a reprieve from my Updike talk! (I'm still in love with him too, in case you were worried.)
* I delved into the work of William Trevor and Muriel Spark, three of each, and more to come....
* Last but not least, my book update: this autumn, a big fish showed interest in my teeny tiny novel. Turns out, one fish (no matter how big) isn't quite enough to get a publishing deal, and I've been through quite a journey so far, one of highs and lows. Thankfully, the journey continues and the big fish is still in the picture, though goodness knows there are no guarantees. All I can say is now that I've had a few experiences in the book biz, I consider each wonderful book published to be a minor miracle, and I can't help but wish for my own, one day soon. Until that happens, I read, I write, and am grateful for good people in my life.
Now, the moment you've all been waiting for... (drumroll....)
Biggest Disappointments of 2021
The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.
Second Place by Rachel Cusk
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Top 5-star Reads of 2021
Telephone by Percival Everett
The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard
The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor
Chouette by Claire Oshetsky
Honourable Mention
Edna O'Brien's The Country Girls trilogy won my heart, even if it ended rather sullenly.
Favourite Read of 2021
It's a tie! Isn't that wonderful? TWO new books to add to my favourites list.
Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith AND
The Children of Dynmouth by William Trevor
Well, that's another year in books. Wishing you all many more, and happy ones, filled with the rustling of pages and the marking of brilliant turns of phrases. Much love, friends! -
Recap
When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face …
W.B. Yeats
As unbelievable as it may seem, I am getting older, 😊 and I venture into visions of being even older, retired, nodding by the fire, and taking down that book. And, of course, joining my many friends on Goodreads to share my thoughts and some Irish craic. Unfortunately, as a reparation for the worst of all years (2020), this year had my day job drag me into greater and greater commitments as my time on Goodreads slipped through my fingers. Clinging to this fantastic community, I have continued to read and submit the irregular review – thanks for the kind and encouraging comments.
My year started with the fabulous Shuggie Bain, and continued with many great authors who released new books, including Craig Russell, John Boyne, Sharon Bolton, MW Craven, John Marrs, Claire Keegan, Elizabeth Strout, Kate Moss, Joe Abercrombie and John Banville. The magical aspect of reading and sharing our thoughts is that we all have different tastes and expectations from a book. If I can offer a selection of books from this year that made it onto my favourites shelf and deserve a shout out, they include:In the Shadow of Time by Kevin Ansbro
Fields of Grace by Wendy Waters
While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal
Hyde by Craig Russell
The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
It is always a danger to start naming people, especially with so many wonderful friends, but I have Ceecee, Beata and Julie to thank for their buddy reads and making those experiences even more rewarding than reading alone. I want to thank all the publishers, NetGalley, and authors for providing me with ARCs and trusting me with their precious work to share my honest thoughts. I remain humbled by the steps authors take to sweat blood on the keyboard, publish their books and release them to the world for our enjoyment and appreciation.
I know things can always get worse, but they can also get better, and while this Coronavirus will probably remain with us for a very long time, I hope we all vaccinate up, stay safe and have a fantastic 2022. I’m 100% convinced that the Goodreads community has provided us all with a lift to our spirits and shines brightly in moments of darkness. Our shared journeys through many written stories have often been that escape into another world that fills us with delight and happiness when the real world seems a crazy place. Thank you!!
Each new year involves setting a target number of books plus choices to be made to help authors, publishers and readers. In 2022 I hope to continue reading a wide variety of books, and from published, Indie, debut, and established authors. This year I want to revisit the classics and side more with CS Lewis when he says“It is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.”
rather than as Mark Twain wittingly stated“‘Classic’ – a book which people praise and don’t read.”
-
“This is awful. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me or to anyone else in the world.” (Raymond Carver, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love)
As the hand struck midnight and the year turned over from 2020 to 2021, I suspect many of us had the exact same thought as Raymond Carver back in 1981. He helped kick off the year and provided a great deal of distraction, as did Colum McCann (Dancer), who caused me to daydream for hours on end about Rudi Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn. In fact, I was off and running with my reading right from the popping of the champagne, or the pouring of the bourbon cream, in my case. (I’m awaiting the offer of a free case from a couple of choice distilleries in exchange for my tireless efforts to convert my friends here to this most delightful spirit. My efforts have been in vain thus far!)
Anyway, my beverage of choice is old news now. The scoop for this year is that I spent a fair amount of time in the company of some contemporary writers. And many of them dazzled me! Heather Rose (The Museum of Modern Love), Bernardine Evaristo (Girl, Woman, Other), Sally Rooney (Beautiful World, Where Are You), Deborah Levy (The Cost of Living), Megan Stielstra (The Wrong Way to Save Your Life), Maria Gainza (Optic Nerve), Rufi Thorpe (The Knockout Queen), Patricia Lockwood (No One is Talking About This), Claire Keegan (Antarctica and Small Things Like These), Brandon Taylor (Filthy Animals), Rachel Cusk (Outline), Anthony Veasna So (Afterparties: Stories), and Keith Ridgway (A Shock) all added some fresh new perspective to my reading.
Time to get on with it and share with you all my highlights of 2021. In no particular order:
The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose: This is a fictional piece about Marina Abramovic’s work of performance art at the MoMA in 2010. We may observe art, but we can also truly experience art and be active participants in life itself. Watching the documentary titled “Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present” afterwards really made for a breathtaking experience.
Full Review
The Constant Gardener by John le Carré: I suspect that any year I pick up one of le Carré’s books, it’s destined for my favorites-of-the-year list. John le Carré puts together the entire package of a rewarding reading experience - vivid settings, incredibly nuanced characters, intelligent writing, and in this book specifically, an exciting adventure. The film with Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz is very well done, too.
Full Review
Just Kids by Patti Smith: This beautiful, magical memoir is an ode to art, to music, to writing, to New York City, to life, to love, but most of all to enduring friendship. A quintessential tale of struggling artists, living in New York City, trying to make their big break. I listened to some of Patti’s songs and peeked at a sampling of Robert Mapplethorpe’s photography on the internet afterwards!
Full Review
A Frozen Woman by Annie Ernaux: I can’t hide the fact I’ve been on a bit of a feminist reading jag of late. This slim volume covers Annie’s childhood, marriage and early motherhood years. She writes with a clarity and openness that I found very exhilarating. She echoes so many of my own feelings and experiences, but puts into words those things I could never articulate quite so perfectly.
Full Review
Let Me Tell You About a Man I Knew by Susan Fletcher: This beauty is about Jeanne Trabuc, wife to Charles Trabuc , one of the doctors charged with van Gogh’s care at the asylum of Saint-Paul-de-Mausole. Both Jeanne and Charles are real-life figures that van Gogh painted, but here they are shaped into vivid characters through the artistry of Susan Fletcher’s beautiful prose. Fletcher is one of my favorite novelists. I have no idea why she’s not more widely read! I’m always trying to shove her book Corrag into my friends’ hands!
Full Review
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain: I love dining out. What I learned here is that I’ve been in the right place – in the dining room rather than the kitchen of these restaurants! This was humorous, crude, exhilarating, mouth-watering, and highly informative. My timing was perfect as the documentary film “Road Runner” was released shortly after my reading – and it was a real treat to watch!
Full Review
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo: Evaristo gathers a harmonious ensemble of characters with distinct voices and demonstrates that they work best when combined together. She celebrates diversity, while at the same time demonstrating how connections are so very important. This one builds women up without tearing men down. How else can we do this if we don’t all work together? I felt energized after finishing this book!
Full Review
Flesh and Blood by Michael Cunningham: This is a saga of the Stassos family. Each is full of imperfections. But Cunningham always makes us understand why his characters behave as they do. Our lives can be enriched by opening our hearts, embracing differences, and setting aside preconceived expectations. I truly felt the experience of walking in another’s shoes while reading! This author is a clear favorite over the past couple of years.
Full Review
The Wrong Way to Save Your Life by Megan Stielstra: This collection of essays made me laugh and cry, and most importantly, gave me some much needed courage. Megan writes frankly about fear, mistakes, and our ability and responsibility to continuously learn in order to better ourselves and our world.
Full Review
The Field by Robert Seethaler: Despite the fact this is told from a chorus of voices in the Paulstadt cemetery, or The Field, this is not a ghost story. Through first person narration, each of the deceased shares a piece of themselves with the reader. Longings, regrets, small joys, loneliness, love, misunderstandings, fear, and hope – the emotions and essence of life.
Full Review
And another tie this year for first place! It was a photo finish between an established favorite author and a new-to-me voice in contemporary writing:
Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout: The amazing sequel to the equally impactful My Name is Lucy Barton. A story about those invisible connections between us all and the meaning of empathy. Lucy also questions those choices we make. Were they the right ones? Don’t we all ask ourselves this – constantly?! I felt Lucy’s pain, confusion, and joy like it was all my own.
Full Review
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney: The biggest surprise of the year, especially considering my reader friends were hugely divided regarding this book! Rooney knows people. She knows that some of us are unlikable; we have faults, indulge in selfishness, and harbor inner turmoil. And yet, there is something in each one of us that wants to be seen and heard and loved. We all deserve this despite our shortcomings, don’t we? Let’s start listening to the younger generation – after all, it’s their future and they deserve some say in it, do they not?!
Full Review
If I said that 2021 was an improvement over 2020, you would all know that I was being dishonest. It may actually have been much worse. To have hope and then for it to be squashed once again is one of the most disheartening feelings. Working with the public shines a glaring light on the worst and a golden ray on the best of humanity. Books are a salvation. Sharing them with others, especially here, is a lifeline to what could be if we all worked together and paid attention to those invisible connections. I continue to cherish those connections, some quietly hidden and others unmistakable. A non-reading highlight of the year was the delightful discovery that at least one of you is more than just a voice on the other side of a computer screen! Remember friends, have bourbon, will travel (or gin and tonic, a bottle of wine, you name it)! Just let me know how many bottles to bring when I knock on your doors :)
“Without friendship, we were each alone in the wilderness.” (Vivian Gornick, The Odd Woman and the City) -
Welcome to 2021 on goodreads!!!
This year I had been determined to complete challenges after opting out for a few years. And then life happened. The year 2021 has taken a huge effect on mental health more so than in 2020. You are all probably wondering where I have been; I’m still on goodreads and chatting in two groups- Thank you friends in Retro Chapter Chicks and the Baseball Book Club-, but it is the first week of August and I have read 18 books. Whether I read two more this year to make it an even 20 remains to be seen, although the smart money is yes only because Alice Hoffman is publishing the final installment in her Practical Magic series, and Tracy K Smith is coming out with a new collection of poetry. Update- I read the newest Faye Kellerman mystery and that Alice Hoffman magical book to reach 20!
The year 2021 has seen me become a full time substitute teacher. I go from preschool to middle school to elementary and back to preschool sometimes in the same day. By the time I get home, I’m either too exhausted to do anything but watch videos or I’m too agitated to read. Instead of reading books I have been learning languages on DuoLingo which I highly recommend. So I have been reading in multiple languages just not in book form. So far I have completed the Hebrew course and I am nearly finished with the Yiddish course and should be done in time for Rosh Hashanah. This helps me at work as well because it enables me to sub in even more classes. As a Spanish major in college years ago, I have always found language learning fun so why not learn a bunch more. With the year winding down, I decided to refresh the Portuguese that has been dormant since college and my husband is learning it with me. Who knows, colleagues have encouraged me to try Russian next.
Meanwhile, 2021 has been a year of change. My oldest daughter finished 8th grade and is off to high school in another state. My son is already in 11th grade in a dorm so now it’s just two kids at home full time. My baseball team has moved on from its glory days hence the goodreads avatar I chose to use in August and September. Just as I thought about getting out of my year long funk, baseball decided to make me cry rather than escape so it’s back to more videos and less contemplation of reading. In three short weeks it will be back to work and it’s busy schedule so those two books might actually seem like a luxury.
Perhaps a year without reading was just what I needed. I got too stressed out over deadlines and reviews taking away premium time I had for myself. Luckily books aren’t going anywhere. I have my 2021-22 list that I will get to when I get to it. And I still have a lecture with Doris Kearns Goodwin- my author idol- to look forward to in October. I was giddy when I found out that news from my public library. Hopefully I will get to meet DKG and will keep you all posted if I do. I have wanted to be her when I grew up from the time I was 14 years old and I am still convinced that Wait Til Next Year was written just for me.
I hope everyone has enjoyed a wonderful 2021 reading year. I did read quality books in January and February before the overload of teaching and life in general shut me down. I hope to be back and reading with everyone in 2022 or sooner. There are all those classics, Pulitzers, and other award winners that I neglected this year, plus my monthly Agatha Christie reads; however, who knows what the future will bring. In the meantime, here is what I read at the beginning of the year and thankfully they were some great books.
Contemporary Fiction:
1. Tracks by Louise Erdrich (1987)
2. Still Life by Louise Penny
3. Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
4. Four Souls by Louise Erdrich
5. The Lost Boys by Faye Kellerman
6. The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
Classic Fiction (1971 and earlier):
1. The Education of Hymen Kaplan by Leo Rosten (1937)
2. Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
3. Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming
Poetry:
1. The Bean Eaters by Gwendolyn Brooks (1963)
2. Blood Dazzler by Patricia Smith (2007)
Plays:
1. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange (1975, also poetry)
Baseball/Sports:
1. Jackie Robinson: My Own Story with forward by Wendell Smith (1948, also autobiography, classic)
2. The Forgotten 1970 Chicago Cubs by William S Bike
3. 1996: A Biography - Reliving the Legend Packed, Dynasty Stacked Most Iconic Sports Year Ever by Jon Finkel
Biography/Memoir:
1. Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir by Natasha Trethewey (2020)
2. Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende
Kids/Young Adult:
1. A Crowded Farmhouse Tale by Karen Rostoker-Gruber
2. Finding Langston by Lesa Cline- Ransome
3. Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson
