As I am sure you would all agree, 2021 was a very hard year and I, for one, am happy to see it go. Please take Covid with you, 2021!
In a year where we have been mostly isolating at home, books have become a sanity saver and means of escape for me.
My list of favourite books this year are a mixture of old and new books and authors in various genres.
For Indie Authors:
Zachry Wheeler's The IMMORTAL WAKE Trilogy, which will stay with you long after you have read the last page. It begins with TRANSIENT.
For Science Fiction:
I liked AGENCY by WIlliam Gibson, which is a sequel to PERIPHERAL. I always look to William Gibson for wonderfully new, original ideas. As the creator of the concept of cyberspace in his book NEUROMANCER, Gibson has been leading us in new directions for a very long time. I have started HAIL MARY by Andy Weir but got bogged down in the math. *sigh*
For Fantasy:
THE WISDOM OF CROWDS by Joe Abercrombie. I love Lord Grimdark. Others may disagree, but I see his books as a satire of our times.
For Historical Fiction:
I really enjoyed the trilogy about Thomas Cromwell by Hilary Mantel which includes WOLF HALL, BRING UP THE DEAD, and THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT. An excellent work about a harrowing time in England's history.
For General Fiction:
FIVE LITTLE INDIANS: A NOVEL by Michelle Good about five children who survived the residential schools of Canada and the trauma they endured. A must-read.
I finally got around to reading 419 by Will Ferguson and it was chilling, heartbreaking, tragic, and unfortunately very real. Recommended reading for everyone.
HOW TO PRONOUNCE KNIFE by Souvankham Thammavongsa is a wonderful collection of stories.
For Memoir:
THE WOO-WOO by Lindsay Wong. Not new to this year, but a great read!
Best Novel I have read in the last ten years:
A LITTLE LIFE by Hanya Yanagihara. It has been a few years but it still haunts me. (I am starting SHUGGIE BAIN by Douglas Stuart and I am being told that it is in the same category as A LITTLE LIFE. I better get my Kleenex box ready.)
I would love to hear your book recommendations. Please share your favourite reads!
Happy New Year!
S.E.
In a year where we have been mostly isolating at home, books have become a sanity saver and means of escape for me.
My list of favourite books this year are a mixture of old and new books and authors in various genres.
For Indie Authors:
Zachry Wheeler's The IMMORTAL WAKE Trilogy, which will stay with you long after you have read the last page. It begins with TRANSIENT.
For Science Fiction:
I liked AGENCY by WIlliam Gibson, which is a sequel to PERIPHERAL. I always look to William Gibson for wonderfully new, original ideas. As the creator of the concept of cyberspace in his book NEUROMANCER, Gibson has been leading us in new directions for a very long time. I have started HAIL MARY by Andy Weir but got bogged down in the math. *sigh*
For Fantasy:
THE WISDOM OF CROWDS by Joe Abercrombie. I love Lord Grimdark. Others may disagree, but I see his books as a satire of our times.
For Historical Fiction:
I really enjoyed the trilogy about Thomas Cromwell by Hilary Mantel which includes WOLF HALL, BRING UP THE DEAD, and THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT. An excellent work about a harrowing time in England's history.
For General Fiction:
FIVE LITTLE INDIANS: A NOVEL by Michelle Good about five children who survived the residential schools of Canada and the trauma they endured. A must-read.
I finally got around to reading 419 by Will Ferguson and it was chilling, heartbreaking, tragic, and unfortunately very real. Recommended reading for everyone.
HOW TO PRONOUNCE KNIFE by Souvankham Thammavongsa is a wonderful collection of stories.
For Memoir:
THE WOO-WOO by Lindsay Wong. Not new to this year, but a great read!
Best Novel I have read in the last ten years:
A LITTLE LIFE by Hanya Yanagihara. It has been a few years but it still haunts me. (I am starting SHUGGIE BAIN by Douglas Stuart and I am being told that it is in the same category as A LITTLE LIFE. I better get my Kleenex box ready.)
I would love to hear your book recommendations. Please share your favourite reads!
Happy New Year!
S.E.