My 10 Best Books of 2021

I always enjoy thinking about and writing this yearly post.  It’s a lovely opportunity to look back through my book journal and remind myself of what I’ve read and what I’ve enjoyed.  Of course there are always some standout books, ones that have remained with me long after I have read them but there are usually some lovely reads I have forgotten and am very happy to be reminded of.

In my Books of 2020 post, I wrote about how important books were to me during 2020.  I wrote that  “books have  provided worlds in which to become lost in; words to be inspired by, and a comfort it was not always easy to find elsewhere”.  After a very difficult beginning, and a challenging end to 2021 I still feel exactly the same.  Books have provided a stability and reassurance it has sometimes been hard to find elsewhere.  When the world has felt out of control and life seemed very uncertain I have always been comforted by my shelves full of books.  Even though real physical travel has remained difficult, between the pages of a book I have been able to visit other countries, and experience other periods of history.  I have been charmed by the characters I have encountered and imagined myself in situations far removed from my own.  Reading, sharing and talking books remains one of my favourite things.

It is always so hard to narrow my favourites down to just 10 especially during a year when I probably read more than any other. Nevertheless, the following, in no particular order are those books and authors which I remember most fondly from 2021.

Fiction

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

What would you do differently if you could undo your regrets?  This is the premise  of this gorgeous story by Matt Haig.  The book is a lovely reminder to look for the joy in the moment and what is already under our noses, rather than always looking elsewhere.  A story full of hope which felt especially poignant as this was the first book I read in 2021.

The Other Bennett Sister by Janice Hadlow

I devoured every 655 pages of this wonderful book.  This continuation of Pride and Prejudice (which is one of my favourite books) with Mary as the protagonist was wonderful.  I loved the development of her character and the clever back story to perhaps the least popular Bennett sister.  It was written very much in the style of Jane Austen and I couldn’t put it down. Despite its hefty size, I took it everywhere with me whilst I was reading it.

Winter and Rough Weather by D E Stevenson

This was the perfect winter read set in the snowy landscape of rural Scotland.  The chill and ferocity of the Scottish winter is brought to life as a perfect backdrop to the story of newlyweds James and Rhonda who come to live in this rural outpost and  and find themselves cut off from their neighbours when a river makes the roads impassable.  Beautiful descriptions of a land under snow and gorgeous characters I would love to meet

When the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

This came to me via my mum and the postal book club I’m, a member of.   I know it is no secret how wonderful this book is but I was completely blown away by it.  A beautiful poetic story of the ‘marsh girl’ Kya and her bravery and innovation.  This made me happy and sad in equal measure. A beautiful tribute to the healing power of nature.  I also love that the author was 69 when she wrote this, her first novel.

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

A beautiful and moving read.  Hamnet the son of Shakespeare dies when he absorbs the fever of his twin sister.  His mother renowned for her ability with medicinal herbs can do nothing to save him and his father working in London does not get back in time.  There is a beauty and sadness to this story which is magically told.  I adored it.

The Mitford Scandal by Jessica Fellowes

This is the third instalment of this series and I was very happy to rejoin some of the characters again.  Lots of decadence and excess prevail in the lives of the Mitfords and that generation of bright young things.  Jessica Fellowes tells a very good story weaving factual and fictional characters together into jolly good yarns.  This is perfect for all fans of golden age crime.  I was a little overawed to meet Jessica Fellowes at a book event just before Christmas and gushed embarrassingly to her to her about my love for her books!

Greengates by R C Sherriff

I’m a  big fan of A Week in September by R C Sherriff, which is also published by Persephone Books, and was excited to rpick up and read Greengates when I was in Bath in the Autumn.   Like A Week in September, this is another quiet novel where you could say very little happens.  It is his eye for the minutiae of life and the foibles of the human spirit which make me love this author so much.  This gentle novel examines the impact of retirement on a previously happily married couple.  Some very good character studies.

Non Fiction

Spring Cannot be Cancelled by David Hockney and Martin Gayford

I’m a big fan of David Hockney and have been lucky enough to get to a number of his London exhibitions.  Spring Cannot be Cancelled is an accompaniment to his exhibition of the same name.  It details the work and thoughts which went into the series of paintings he made during lockdown in Normandy in 2020.  It was an absolute joy to read.  An insight into how he works and has become such a prolific painter.  I loved that it was co written with his long time friend Martin.  Their comments and thoughts exchanged via email are so interesting.

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

I picked this up at my local Oxfam second hand book shop simply because I knew the film.  Miserable in her job Julie Powell wants to do something she enjoys.  She decides to cook every recipe in Julia Child’s ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’  in one year while blogging about it.  A year of ups and downs and triumphs and disasters follows.  I love a challenge myself and so this greatly appealed to me. A thoroughly satisfying read.

Hungry by Grace Dent

A clever and moving memoir by the food critic, writer and and TV personality Grace Dent.  A memoir woven around the part food has played in her life from a very early age.  She reveals how her life developed and how many of the choices she made were due to her love of not just food but new experiences too.  She writes with humour and deep feeling about her relationships with her parents and her experience of her Dad’s dementia.

What next…….?

Cosy and golden age crime remains a great love, and I started the year by reading a vintage copy of The Adventures of the Christmas Pudding and other entrees by Agatha Christie which I received as a Christmas present from my husband.  I shall continue to read through Carol Dunn’s Daisy Dalrymple Series.  I also have some lovely Persephone books I bought last year which I am looking forward to.  I  love vintage fiction and will be reading some more books by D E Stevenson. Your Cheerfully by AJ Pearce, the follow up to Dear Mrs Bird, one of my books of last year is high on my list of reading priorities too.  I’m also looking forward to reading through some non fiction to help me with my writing.  Ann Lamott’s classic ‘Bird by Bird’ and the newly published book by Cathy Rentzenbrink ‘Write it All Down’ are top of my list.  I also have some Jane Austen related fiction I’m looking forward to.

I would love to know what you are looking forward to reading this year.  Do let me know in the comments below.