2021: The Best Books I Read — Please Read It To Me

Dec 31

Dec 31 2021: The Best Books I Read

This year I did something I haven’t done before. In re-assessing my book ratings, I made some adjustments.

Books can find you at the right or wrong time, and your personal environment — both emotional and physical — can alter how you receive a story. While I write reviews after completing a book, sometimes those that linger within me the longest aren’t those that initially resonated so deeply.

Additionally, during a reading slump, the book that pulls you out of it can feel like a five-star read after mediocre fare, but it might only be a solid three-and-a-half or four-star story when held up against all-time favorites.

Like many others, for me 2021 was a roller coaster. So, it was only fair that I gave all my reads a second look before looking in the best of list.

Overall Favorite Book

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (2019)
Dates read: May 23 – June 5, 2021

There were passages in Vuong’s debut novel that cut straight to my soul. It’s one of the most challenging and beautiful stories I’ve read, and one that leaves me almost at a loss for words because there is no way my words could compare to those that Vuong poured into this “Earth.” His talent is almost otherworldly.

This isn’t going to be a novel that everyone will enjoy. In fact, my husband hated it. But I think that was more a product of him listening to it as an audiobook. The language and non-linear storytelling don’t lend itself to that format – even for expert listeners.

Favorite Book Published in 2021

Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny
Dates read: November 15 – 21, 2021

I’ll be fair to the critics — there’s nothing gasp inducing that occurs in this dramedy, but there are enough plot points to keep you hooked, especially as you learn more about the characters. Throughout, the story zigged when I thought it would zag and it kept me pleasantly engaged. In the end, I was charmed by this novel of introspection and reflection that is also a surprisingly funny and sentimental story of chosen family.

My Other Favorite Reads

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
Dates read: January 20 – 23, 2021

While genre spanning, Clark’s short story is mostly horror fantasy with our heroes — almost all BIPOC women — racing to disrupt a re-release of D.W. Griffith’s 1915 film “The Birth of a Nation,” before it converts susceptible white people into hate-filled bigots, giving the Ku Kluxes a stronghold over humanity. Clark packs a lot of story and backstory into less than 200-pages, but the narrative remains tight and terrifying. It’s also a fantastic audiobook narrated by Channie Waites.

The Beast in the Garden: The True Story of a Predator’s Return to Suburban America by David Baron
Dates read: February 20 – March 14, 2021

Baron’s nonfiction account of how mountain lions descended the Rocky Mountain foothills into Boulder, Colo., neighborhoods is the best environmental nonfiction book I’ve read, and, quite frankly, one of the finest nonfiction books I’ve read. He presents the events as a tense, slowly unfolding disaster complete with disagreeing citizens, unconcerned politicians and a few people determined to raise the alarm. It’s a tight and focused narrative that will cause your pulse to race.

Mama’s Boy: A Story From Our Americas by Dustin Lance Black
Dates read: June 18 – 24, 2021

Part personal memoir, part family history and part cultural commentary, this is nonfiction that follows the formula of quality historical fiction — a strong female character, intersection with landmark events and overcoming barriers both within yourself and from the world around you. The heart of the story is Black’s mother, Rose Anna, who despite her many hardships never let life get her down. Her resilience, courage and love shine through the pages, and Black writes (and narrates) with a cinematic flair that keeps you hooked.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Dates read: August 4 – 8, 2021

While pandemic-focused novels may not be at the top of everyone’s reading lists these days, this is one of the finest post-apocalyptic tales I’ve read. Combining atmospheric and character-driven plots with flashbacks that show life before and during the Georgia Flu, St. John Mandel plays at the line of typical end of times tropes but never crosses it, delivering a wholly original and intimate tale of survival, history and art. Several chapters were strong enough to sustain an entire novel.

The Only Plane in the Sky: The Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff
Dates read: September 7 – 13, 2021

These 500 stories brought the day back vividly — and it becomes a full sensory experience. You simply cannot write fiction as gripping or powerful as hearing a person talking about the last time they saw or spoke to a loved one. The quiet resolve in a person’s last words. The long-term questioning of how you survived by going left when everyone else went right. While painful, it’s the human toll of this tragedy that needs to be preserved. I recommend experiencing the phenomenal narration.

Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob
Dates read: September 18 – 26, 2021

The graphic novel-esque structure may give a light-hearted sheen to Jacobs’ cultural commentary, but she knows precisely how to nail a point. There are few writers that can so deftly deliver an emotional punch in so few words. While her more cringeworthy personal experiences provide many of the more interesting moments, the acknowledgement of her own shortcomings when interacting with others gives her even more relatability (and goodwill).

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Dates read: November 21 – 25, 2021

I was expecting a science fiction snooze-fest, but instead was treated to a surprisingly funny and touching story about second chances and building community. This was a solid step forward in storytelling for Weir, but I hope he starts to let a talented editor do their job to tighten the narrative and remind him that not everyone needs a refresher on the properties of nearly every gas found in our solar system to appreciate the story. Definitely listen to the audiobook – my favorite one of the year.

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
Dates read: December 7 – 19, 2021

I’m probably not the only person that got misty-eyed watching Gorman deliver “The Hill We Climb” at Joe Biden’s inauguration — spoiler alert: it had me crying again as the bookend of this collection — but it is far from the only stellar poem that should pull people in. Through six-sections, Gorman shows us that she is as much a child of history and pop culture as she is of words, and this is an accessible entry to poetry for readers who shy away from the genre.

Honorable Mentions

Here’s the rest of my long list of “favorite read” contenders. Each of these has merit and is worth a read or listen: