Over 2021, I didn’t have a target number of books to read as I wanted to read bigger books and enjoy my reading without the challenge of reading as many as possible. I read 35 books, my reviews for which can be found on my Goodreads, however here were my favourites for the year:
In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom - Yeonmi Park
This memoir was extremely interesting and the different sections reminded me greatly of other poignant tales: the first section in North Korea was extremely informative (albeit quite shocking) and the narration from a child’s point of view in very difficult situations reminded me a lot of Madeleine Thien's ‘Do Not Say We Have Nothing’. The passages into China and Mongolia were reminiscent of Jeanine Cummins' ‘American Dirt’ as everyone has to do what they need to do in order to survive, and the final section was reminiscent of Tara Westover's ‘Educated’ in the author’s thirst for knowledge and the need to unlearn childhood teachings in order to learn to work with others in a new environment and get into a prestigious university.
From start to end, this book was fascinating and made me extremely grateful for the (comparatively much easier) life I’ve been able to lead. It’s so easy to live in a comfortable bubble and to forget that these atrocities are occurring in the same world that we are living in; which is why it’s so important to educate yourself on these matters and this book is a great place to start.
‘In Order to Live’ provides a unique perspective on various topics from how authorities treat refugees, to the education system, to the notion of freedom being overwhelming. This read is heartbreaking but very highly recommended.
The Guest List - Lucy Foley
Despite loving thrillers, I usually find them to be fairly predictable due to the sheer number that I’ve read, however in The Guest List, not only did we not know who the murderer was but we also didn’t know who the victim was for the majority of the book. Each of the characters had very different lives at the beginning and yet by the end everything came together and no ends were left untied. It was a very enjoyable and suspenseful read and had everything that I’d want in a thriller.
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
War and Peace is a classic and had been on my radar for a while but I’d never found the time to sit down with it and take on the 1300+ page challenge. Nonetheless, a lockdown in the early months of 2021 provided the perfect opportunity to tackle this bucket list item and my full review can be found here.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz - Heather Morris
*contains spoilers*
As insinuated by the title, this book is heartbreaking but I felt it was important to read as it provides a unique perspective on life at Auschwitz and beyond. Alongside the harrowing events in this book there are many small acts of kindness and humanity and the fact that both Lale and Gita survived and went on to enjoy life is the silver lining. The contrast between the devastation at Auschwitz and the way in which the Russia soldiers in the chalet were living was stark, but one of the small acts that really touched me was the effect of the stationmaster giving Lale his food and coffee after seeing his tattoo.
The Couple at No. 9 - Claire Douglas
With thrillers, the less you know going into them, the better. I will however say that this was one of only two 5-star ratings I gave in 2021 (alongside ‘The Defining Decade’) as it was gripping and contained some good plot twists, so it is worth the read if you want something easy and riveting.
The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter—And How to Make the Most of Them Now - Meg Jay
I really enjoyed this book, despite it making me feel like I have to do a billion things as soon as possible. A lot of this book was just stating facts that many twenty-somethings vaguely think about but rarely take action on, and there were some very interesting facts, including that cohabitation before marriage can be detrimental, waiting until your 40s to have kids can make it impossible (and very expensive), and that many things we consider to be ‘carefree’ and ‘fun’ are actually making your goals for your 30s and 40s unattainable. As a very productive and motivated person, I often think about how little time we have and have saved towards a mortgage and pension since I was at uni, however I also have the mindset of 'making the most of your twenties' and having fun (mainly by putting off proper commitment) as I’m very aware that no-one knows how long they have left on this planet and tomorrow could be your last day. This book clarified many things I was unsure about and although I still think it's very important to have fun and make memories in your twenties, it made me feel more confident in thinking ahead in terms of a mortgage, my career path, and setting goals. It was both reassuring and motivating, and I feel like it's a good book to read over when you're feeling unsure about your life in your twenties. I am very stingy with my 5-star ratings on Goodreads and in 2021, this was my only other 5* rating so I’d definitely recommend it to anyone in their twenties.
A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
Although I didn't find it as heart breaking as The Kite Runner (which to this day is the most poignant book I've ever read and one of my favourite books), I did think this book was more gripping and I enjoyed the storyline greatly. It is fast-paced and big moments appear very suddenly, but I learnt a lot about a culture and history that I knew fairly little about (Afghanistan’s) and I'd highly recommend the read.
All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
This narrative provides an interesting perspective of WWII from French and German youths. I enjoyed the storyline and especially liked how the stone's legend didn't overpower the story, as well as how the romance between the two teens was brief and understated. The narrative was interspersed with some horrible imagery, which portrayed the realities of the war, however it was also laced was various aspects of human nature and I found Jutta's discomfort of being a German in France after the War very interesting. There are many heartbreaking parts, as well as touching moments, however overall I appreciated the realistic ending (as opposed to everyone being alive and all of the romances being fulfilled). This was a gripping and very enjoyable read, and I still think about this book often.
East of the Moon, West of the Sun - Sam Donegan
This book was written by a former colleague of mine about his experience of travelling from England to New Zealand over 16 months. It was genuinely entertaining and I enjoyed the combination of the author’s personal experiences through each country alongside the history and culture of the places themselves. It has made me want to visit some countries that I hadn’t previously considered (some of which I will hopefully write blog posts about one day!) and was an enjoyable read.
The Midnight Library - Matt Haig
As someone who wants to experience as much as possible in this life and who often thinks about Plath’s fig tree analogy, this book provided an interesting perspective on life for me; it was thought-provoking and was an easy read during my commute.
The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Despite only rating this book 3 stars on Goodreads (the other books on this list were rated 4/5 stars), I thought it deserved a special mention on this list due to the author's ability to convey emotion exceedingly well and to describe intense feelings and important moments without using many words. Her portrayal of how power and ego can affect people and get to their heads is astounding and the end features a very interesting narrative between life and death. The only reason that I didn’t rate this higher was because it took quite me a long time to get into, however once Patroclus was chosen to be Achilles’ companion (which is fairly early on), the plot became much more fast-paced and enjoyable. I found the first 30 pages were quite slow to get into (due to personal preference) but thereafter I finished this in practically one sitting. This book has been raved about on TikTok and is a retelling of Greek mythology in an easy-to-digest manner.
Although these books were my highest rated books of 2021, it is important to note that my ratings can vary depending on my mood, for example I often rate books that move me or are heartbreaking higher than thrillers, despite enjoying thrillers more, and some books that stick with me (for example, the Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri) are rated lower than others that don’t simply because I didn’t find them as immediately enjoyable as the others. Therefore, take my ratings with a pinch of salt as you may find other books on my Goodreads more enjoyable than some of these at this time in your life.
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