Top 10 Books of 2021
Reading time: 9 minutes
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Intro
Another year, another endless list of books I was supposed to pick up, a list of books I never finished and, though not as long as the other two, a list of books I have indeed read.
2021 has not been an easy year for 21st century standards, and personally, the past twelve months have been packed with emotions. The second year of the pandemic has been a period of reflection, adjustment, wait, expectation, discovery, change, exhilaration, dread, puppy blues, anxiety and creativity; and this is reflected in what I chose to read.
Instead of compiling a boring top ten, I came up with ten categories; nine positives, one negative (you've got to see the glass half full, right?) so that I could include all the titles I really wanted to suggest.
In case you need a last-minute Christmas gift, I'm sure you can take inspiration from the list below.
Enjoy!
Best Overall: The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood. (Read the full article)
Novel, 536 pages.
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This intricate, heart-breaking, familiar and yet universal novel is one of the finest works of Margaret Atwood and winner of the booker prize 2000.
Every page is like dark chocolate, and although it's quite a long book, you couldn't cut a single paragraph without undermining the final result.
The Blind Assassin is the story of Iris and Laura Chase and their complex relationship in the years before the second world war; but also a novel within the novel, and a story told by a character in the novel within the novel.
"Ten days after the war ended, my sister drove a car off the bridge." This is the opening. Do yourself a favour and read it.
Score: 10/10
Best Novel: Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. (Read the full article)
Novel, 354 pages.
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Life of Pi, for me, was almost as good as The Blind Assassin. To be fair, those two awards could be swapped, and I'd still be satisfied with this list.
Molitor "Pi" Patel is an Indian teenager who ends up stranded at sea on a small lifeboat for 277 days. With a tiger.
Regardless of how much this premise intrigues you, Life of Pi is written with such mastery and attention that it will make you stretch the limits of what you're ready to believe. It's poetic, and sweet, and intense, and deeply, deeply sad, but also optimistic and heavily human. If I'll ever get the chance to shake Yann Martel's hand, all I want to tell him is: "You got me."
Score: 10/10
Best Non-Fiction: Pandora's Jar, by Natalie Haynes. (Article coming soon)
Essays, 320 pages.
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Greek myths have proven to be immortal over and over again; not only because they're still very much part of the texture of our society, but because they can be retold infinite times from infinite different angles.
In this collection of essays, Natalie Haynes brings to life 10 famous women of the Greek myth, and all the nuisances that a male-dominated narrative has cast over them. It is, quite frankly, an eye-opener—especially for a man—and an extremely fascinating read. Every time I walk past the places where I was listening to "The Amazons," or "Pandora," or—my personal favourite—"Medea," I hear Natalie's voice warning me about taking social norms for granted, and I smile.
I can't wait to read another of her books.
Score: 9/10
Scariest: The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson. (Article coming soon)
Novel, 246 pages.
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A classic of the highest standard for horror fans, The Haunting of Hill House is able to give you the chills over 60 years after its publication.
This was the first long work of Shirley Jackson I've read, (I have, of course, read "The lottery" in the past. Another must, in my opinion) and it took me a while to get over her style. Despite this first bump, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, horror in the most subtle meaning of the term, and scary with no need of gore.
The explorations of Eleanor's mind are as good as any genre fiction will give you, and the sense of uneasiness that seeps through the pages is second only to the best Stephen King.
Score: 8/10
Most Surprising: Letter to a Child Never Born, by Oriana Fallaci.
Novel, 114 pages.
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Oriana Fallaci is in the Olympus of Italian writers and journalists, and deserves all the praise and success she received both in life and posthumously.
Talking about this book is quite tricky, as I've read it in Italian, but I can say it wasn't what I expected it to be.
The nameless female narrator of the story is writing a letter to her unborn child, and doesn't hold back a single thing. Thoughts of abortion, regret, love, frustration and warnings pour into the pages in the most elegant of flows of consciousness. It is a glimpse into what it means to be a woman, in Italy, in the '70s; but also the '80s, the '90s, today and, unfortunately, any day.
A book everyone should read and digest.
Score: 9/10
Most Disappointing: The Outsider, by Stephen King.
Novel, 560 pages.
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Full disclosure; The Outsider is loosely related to the Bill Hodges Trilogy—which I haven't read—so, probably, that's the reason why I couldn't utterly appreciate the flavour of the book. Nevertheless, I do believe this novel is quite underwhelming for being a Stephen King's piece of writing.
Terry Maitland is unmistakably connected to the brutal murder of a child, although he was miles away when it happened. How could he be in two places at once? This premise, though very exciting, is not satisfyingly developed, and almost all the characters involved lack the deep empathetic layer typical of King's creations.
I've got loads of things I didn't like about The Outsider, but also one I absolutely loved.
Stay tuned.
Score: 4/10
Most Useful: The positive birth book, by Milli Hill.
Non-Fiction, 320 pages.
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It's no secret that I'm about to become a dad for the first time, which means that, among the novels and short stories and self-development books I usually consume, this year there's also a lot of stuff about babies and birth.
The Positive Birth Book is an outstanding compendium of how giving birth can be a positive experience regardless of the circumstances. It is a guide to help mothers take control, rather than giving it up, and it's full of evidence-based techniques and suggestions; music to my engineer's ears.
If I can suggest only one source to prepare for that terrifying day; that's my one.
Score: 8/10
Strangest: Last and First Men, by Olaf Stapledon.
???, 336 pages.
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This is a strange book indeed. As the preface of the Audible version mentions: "Maybe it's not a novel, but it's surely sci-fi."
Written as an account of mankind aimed at contemporary folks—or, better, Olaf's contemporary folks—it follows humanity for two billion years. Yes, you have read it correctly. Two billion.
There are almost no characters and no plot, and considering it has been written before World War II, the level of ingenuity is nothing short of remarkable. Martians, apocalyptic events, synthetic men; everything goes in this epic journey which starts from a place very much different from what we know happened between 1930 and today.
Score: 6/10
The Easiest Read: The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig. (Read the full article)
Novel, 304 pages.
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I adore Matt Haig, even more as a person than as a writer. Well, I don't know him personally, but I'd love to; that's what I'm saying.
Short chapters and inventive scenarios drive us through all the possible lives of Nora; a woman who gets stuck in a place between life and death after attempting to take her own life. This place is called "The Midnight Library;" and over there, every book shows how her life would look like if she had overturned one decision in her past.
As I said in the article I wrote about this book, this will probably never earn Matt a Nobel prize, but it doesn't matter. If someone is struggling out there, I insist they read The Midnight Library. It might not solve their problems, but it will feel like a hug from a loved one.
P.S. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to the samaritans.
And remember: you are not alone.
Score: 8/10
The Most Unconventional: Steal like an artist, by Austin Kleon. (Read the book summary)
Non-Fiction, 160 pages.
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Although every artist is unique and every creator should follow his own muse, I believe anyone can benefit from Austin Kleon's highly aesthetic book. Easily digestible in one afternoon, this is a compendium of what it means to be an artist, what type of life promotes creativity and a beautiful collection of quotes, all in Austin's lovely style.
It is about time we bust the myth of the damned artist, and this book can be a very good first step in that direction.
Score: 7/10
Here you go. A bit of everything for everyone.
Please, please, PLEASE talk to me about books. About the books above, other books, books you've read, books you hate, books you'd like to read or books you don't know whether or not are worth the effort.
Maybe, one day, we'll talk about my book.
Alla prossima
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash
