Halfway Post
We're almost halfway through 2021, so I thought it was a good time to look back over what I've read so far this year. Here are some of my favourites:
Focusing on a quartet of graduates as they embrace the seemingly limitless possibilities of New York City futures, A Little Life descends into a dark and involving tale of toxic relationships and the vicious scars of childhood.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara is one of those books that people seem constantly to be talking about, but you should believe the hype.
Reimagining pivotal moments in the history of science with an emphasis on the moral and ethical dilemmas that dominated the twentieth century, Labatut’s searingly intelligent novel of ideas boasts a cast including Albert Einstein, Werner Heisenberg and Erwin Schroedinger.
When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamín Labatut may not have won the International Booker Prize, but it won my heart.
Navigating the complicated waters of family-making and motherhood in the twenty-first century, this exciting and very funny debut follows the lives of three trans and cis women living in New York.
I love all the books I've read from the Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist, but Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters is my favourite.
A campus novel told from the perspective of a Black student, Taylor’s powerful tale embraces themes of grief, desire and alienation in rich, eloquent prose.
It may be because it speaks to where I am in my life right now, but Real Life by Brandon Taylor is one of my favourite books of all time, not just of this year.
Effortlessly combining both ravishing style and intellectual substance, A Ghost in the Throat traces the passage of a real-life classic of Irish poetry across the centuries, affirming the connections that great art instils in those willing to listen.
With so many literary prizes to choose from, the Republic of Consciousness Prize (for small presses) sometimes gets overlooked, but don't overlook A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa from its shortlist.
Balanced between the utmost darkness and hope, Cho’s piercing account of psychosis and motherhood is a powerful meditation on what it means to understand oneself.
My favourite literary prize is the Jhalak Prize (which champions books by British/British resident BAME writers), and my favourite read from this year's nominees is Inferno: A Memoir of Motherhood and Madness by Catherine Cho.
Impeccably crafted in flawless prose, the delightfully witty courtship of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy is brimming with Austen's characteristic playfulness and comic irony.
Rereading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, this year, reinforced my love for this classic. It is the ultimate comfort read.
Have you read any of these books? Which books would make your list of 2021 favourites (so far)?
Focusing on a quartet of graduates as they embrace the seemingly limitless possibilities of New York City futures, A Little Life descends into a dark and involving tale of toxic relationships and the vicious scars of childhood.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara is one of those books that people seem constantly to be talking about, but you should believe the hype.
Reimagining pivotal moments in the history of science with an emphasis on the moral and ethical dilemmas that dominated the twentieth century, Labatut’s searingly intelligent novel of ideas boasts a cast including Albert Einstein, Werner Heisenberg and Erwin Schroedinger.
When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamín Labatut may not have won the International Booker Prize, but it won my heart.
Navigating the complicated waters of family-making and motherhood in the twenty-first century, this exciting and very funny debut follows the lives of three trans and cis women living in New York.
I love all the books I've read from the Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist, but Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters is my favourite.
A campus novel told from the perspective of a Black student, Taylor’s powerful tale embraces themes of grief, desire and alienation in rich, eloquent prose.
It may be because it speaks to where I am in my life right now, but Real Life by Brandon Taylor is one of my favourite books of all time, not just of this year.
Effortlessly combining both ravishing style and intellectual substance, A Ghost in the Throat traces the passage of a real-life classic of Irish poetry across the centuries, affirming the connections that great art instils in those willing to listen.
With so many literary prizes to choose from, the Republic of Consciousness Prize (for small presses) sometimes gets overlooked, but don't overlook A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa from its shortlist.
Balanced between the utmost darkness and hope, Cho’s piercing account of psychosis and motherhood is a powerful meditation on what it means to understand oneself.
My favourite literary prize is the Jhalak Prize (which champions books by British/British resident BAME writers), and my favourite read from this year's nominees is Inferno: A Memoir of Motherhood and Madness by Catherine Cho.
Impeccably crafted in flawless prose, the delightfully witty courtship of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy is brimming with Austen's characteristic playfulness and comic irony.
Rereading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, this year, reinforced my love for this classic. It is the ultimate comfort read.
Have you read any of these books? Which books would make your list of 2021 favourites (so far)?
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