I love books and I love talking about books and I love recommending books. So in line with tradition on this website, here are some thoughts looking back at my reading life last year.
First thing to acknowledge: I read a lot of L.M Montgomery and Montgomery-related books. Given the trip to Prince Edward Island, I was all in. I re-read my childhood favorites (and was reminded again that Emily of New Moon is better than Anne of Green Gables).
This year was also the first year I subscribed to book boxes (or any type of subscription box, for that matter). Alas, the two I tried are no longer a part of my life. The Pantsuit Politics book box I absolutely adored has been retired, and the other book box subscription I didn’t love enough to keep going. If you have recommendations, drop them below, please! I enjoyed the subscription box very much, just searching for the right fit.
Another thing I noticed about my book life this year: while in the past I have shared the Best Books the Boys/Kids Read, they simply have read way too many for me to keep up. We did it, I suppose –Â we really did raise readers. (If you want recommendations, though, I still really love my article on the Best Chapter Books for Kids.)
Finally, what I noticed when I selected my favorite books of the year from 2021, I saw a clear theme, particularly when it came to the novels I devoured. I was drawn to fantasy and surrealism in 2021 and the books were intense in areas, ultimately they were about finding strength and leaning more fully into self. A lot of these books (all?) encouraged the reader not to shy away from destiny and to really have courage in self-worth and power. These books all showcased how people are immensely different. We are all unique, and that difference is beautiful if we allow it to exist. We must embrace ourselves to find out what our lives are really meant to be.
So for looking ahead…
I will miss having a book box subscription, I can already tell. But I believe I will still find great reads. Also, in 2022, I don’t plan to make any reading goals and am obstinately ignoring Goodreads’ prompt to do so every single time I log on. My word of the year is to simplify. I want to simplify my goals.Â
As you gather your “TBR” (to be read) pile for 2022, I strongly recommend the following titles…
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Best Travel Books in 2021
Clearly, travel is my passion. While reading travel books is slightly dangerous given they fuel my wanderlust and feelings of discontentment with the traditional lifestyle, I also find them incredibly compelling. Arm chair travel can be the best escape.
We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year
By: Charles Wheelan
Look, when I travel the globe with my teenagers, I want to have adventure but I don’t want to sleep in an airport hallway in India and carry only a backpack. That said, I loved this book. It was inspirational, funny, and loving.
The Art of Travel
By: Alain de Botton
I thought this was a really beautiful book. It’s not tips or stories as to where to travel – it is writing on why we travel.Â
Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail
By: Heather Anderson
I am not sure this qualifies as travel literature, perse, but a really fascinating narrative of “Anish,” a woman who has set many records for thru-hiking unsupported. What a fabulous feat of athleticism and mental strength.
Best Nonfiction Books in 2021
I really love nonfiction – and have been gravitating more and more towards this genre as of the past few years. I have found that I am so hesitant to pick up fiction and novels as of late because they all tend to depress me. While nonfiction books aren’t necessarily all rainbows and kittens, there is something about the truth of them, the hope for the future, and the problem-solving approach that leaves me refreshed and restored.
Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted
By: Suleika Jaouad
Heartbreaking in many ways, but celebratory in many others. This was so raw and honest, I found it a very compelling read.
Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning
By: Tom Vanderbilt
This was basically (one of) my life philosoph(ies) in a book! I loved it and underlined many passages. In fact, I drafted a full post on this book as it relates to something else I’ve experienced (some day… stay tuned…).
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging
By: Sebastian Junger
Everyone should read this. Junger talks about the return of soldiers to civilian life – where we fail them and where we can improve. There is a lot of psychology and sociology and history and it simply matters – a lot.
Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century
By: Jessica Bruder
I have not seen the movie and don’t think I will. I found this book a really scathing look at the American economy – and particularly at Amazon. But my parents saw the movie and said they came away with a completely different view regarding the “message” of the movie, so it intrigues me but also irritates me. I felt Bruder made her critiques pretty clear, and they deserve to be considered.
The Home We Build Together: Recreating Society
By: Rabbi Sacks
There is a lot of discussion in America about what’s wrong with us, why we are becoming so fractured, and why individualism is overtaking the idea of a collective good. This book discusses and probes a lot of that. And, interestingly, does so from a British perspective.
Best Novels in 2021
Remember from the introduction above: the novels that I loved went heavy on fantasy, surrealism and powerful female characters. Enjoy!
The Midnight Library
By: Matt Haig
Everything about this book was exquisite and unique. From the plot line of discovering those “what if” lives we all wonder about to the way it ends to the writing … just wonderful.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
By: V.E. Schwab
I wanted to talk about this book with everyone all the time. Did she love him? Did she need him? Did he love her? So many fabulous questions!
The Ten Thousand Doors of January
By: Alix E. Harrow
This book is also about a woman finding her power (literally) and strength, but this has a decidedly fantasy vibe to it that I was really into it.
The Children of Blood & Bone (book 1)
By: Tomi Adeyemi
This took me a couple of tries to get hooked. At first, I felt a little confused, then concerned that it was going to be too dark, but once I got going I was unstoppable. Yes, it’s about finding inner strength and power, but also about fighting injustice and being the unlikely hero. I am grateful I did not give up on this.
I am looking forward to how my 2022 reading life shapes up! In the meantime, if you have a good recommendation, particularly on book box subscriptions, please let me know.Â
Cheers to powerful women, strong nonfiction books that ask us to think, and books that can transport us around the globe…