The Best Books I Read Last Year
I worked really hard to diversify my reading last year. While the majority of what I read was fiction [and quite a bit of fluff], I did read some excellent poetry and nonfiction too. Without further ado (with affiliate links) … here are the best books I read in 2021 (in no particular order).
Fiction:
Kindred by Octavia Butler-I read this twice in 2021. I first read it in February and loved it so much I made my book club read it later in the year. About an interracial couple in California in 1976 who time travel to a Southern slave-owning plantation in the 1800s, this is a book that I want to revisit again and again. Butler uses her brilliant storytelling to tackle themes of race, power, gender and class. Jam-packed with tough things to think about, Kindred is a book we should all be talking about.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah — This is absolutely THE BEST book I read in 2021. I have been a big fan of Kristin Hannah ever since The Nightingale. I loved every single moment of it. It’s not a happy book, but it is beautifully written, and takes you right smack dab into what it was like living in the Great Depression. It made me start reading (and writing) stories about my own Grandma, who was a child living on a farm during the Great Depression. I will read it again. And again. And again.
The Light Between Oceans by M L Stedman — This book had been on my TBR list since it was first released in 2012. I’m not sure what made me pick it up this year, but I am so glad I did. Warning: the story revolves around miscarriages and infant-loss. It is another tough read, but so worth it. It made me think about ethics and heartbreak and hope and family.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke — This is the only book in the list that I only gave 4-stars when I first rated it, but after sitting on it for a few months, it’s one I keep going back to. I don’t read a lot of fantasy, but this book is fascinating. Using the characters of Piranesi and The Other, Clarke creatively tackles what isolation can do to a person’s mental health. I especially love the importance of journaling to the main character. Telling you anything else about the book will ruin it, so read it, and come back to talk about it with me, m’kay?
Poetry:
What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer — If any one book changed my life last year, it was this one. The poems in What Kind of Woman made me think about who I am as a woman, as a mother, as a wife. It made me . I bought copies of this book for just about every woman in my life last year. I think it’s just one of those books we should have on the shelf at all times, for when we need to remember that we are not alone in this vast world of womaning. [Yes, I did just make up that word. For your dictionary reference, it means “being a woman” in whatever way that means to you.]
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur — I devoured this book. Rupi Kaur originally self-published this book of poetry in 2014, and it became a NYTimes Bestseller. Within months, she was contacted by a publisher who wanted to bring the book to the world. This book made me want to write poetry. It’s fun, thoughtful, and empowering all at the same time.
Writing:
Syllable of Water: Twenty Writers of Faith Reflect on Their Art — This was assigned reading for one of my Critique Courses last year and I used an entire pack of BookDarts in it. With essays by many of my favorite authors, it’s chock full of tidbits, helpful hints, and advice on how to make your craft even better. I’m considering re-reading it again this year.
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott — This is another book that has been on my shelf for at least ten years and I’m so terribly sad that I waited so long to read it. Anne Lamott is hilarious. Reading this book is like listening to a very wise friend tell you to just get off your derriere and do something about the dream you’ve been holding on to for far too long.
Nonfiction:
Shameless: A Case for Not Feeling Bad about Feeling Good (about Sex) by Nadia Bolz-Weber — In May, I wrote [and submitted] an essay about how I lost my virginity at nineteen and the decisions that followed. It did not get accepted. It was a terrible essay. The material is good, but the essay itself needs a lot of work. I put it to the side and made a list of all the books about the effects of purity culture and how to overcome them. Nadia is an ELCA Pastor who’s theology always creeps on the side of more grace than not and I simply adore her for it. I had NO idea she wrote this book and bought a copy as soon as I discovered it in my research. This is another book I will reread this year. Anyone who has ever struggled with wondering if sex is really good [thanks bad theology from our teen years] will find this book to be a breath of fresh air. It may even start you on your path to healing; I know it did me.
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay — I sat through Roxane Gay’s MasterClass on Writing for Social Change last year and realized I had never read anything she wrote. I started with Hunger and good gracious does she have a way with words. Gay’s words gave me courage to write down the really hard things I have been avoiding writing about for so long. We all hunger for something, and Roxane Gay explores those desires through sharing the story of her own body and self-care.
Originally published at https://www.soulmunchies.com on January 24, 2022.
