2021 was like 2020 in reverse, for my reading habits. Last year, the pandemic ground down my reading into a fine paste at the beginning, and it took time to recover and reintegrate reading back into my schedule. I had previously mostly read on public transit to and from work, so I had to make more deliberate time. I kept reading strong through early 2021 until petering out right around the time that we had to move from our apartment into our newly purchased townhome. I didn’t finish a book until October as we packed everything up, moved, and then settled into our new home. Then, it was slow going to get back in the habit. But the good news is that I finished several books that had been half-read since the beginning of the pandemic. I read a number of things I loved this year (though it seems like forever ago), and most was pretty good.
As for stats, I read predominantly women and non-binary authors (19 books), who published in the past decade. Many of those where white and American, though there were a smattering of authors of color: 2 Chinese, 2 Black, 1 Japanese, 1 Arab, and 1 Bi-Racial author.
Faves:
Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategies, and Network Effect by Martha Wells
I started The Murderbot Diaries late in 2020, and then burst into 2021 with these. Technically most of these are novellas, which I think is underrated as a form. All but Network Effect are around 150-200 pages of tight, pulpy science fiction with our non-gendered Murderbot friend. There’s an overarching story, but a central mission in each book, which breaks down well. There are some good twists and turns, and I heartily recommend the series.
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
I really loved this book. It was my suggestion for book club, and I just fell in love. The story of a varsity Field Hockey Team in Darry, MA in the late 1980s who maybe develop witchy powers. It’s narrated in second person, it deals with silly and serious topics, from kissing to gender to sexual orientation to a perhaps sentient hairstyle. I loved this book a ton.
The Echo Wife, by Sarah Gailey
Some science fiction focuses on how a scientific advancement could affect a whole society. What changes would be wrought, and how would that play out? Gailey goes miniature, examining a divorced scientist couple who are seeking to perfect human cloning. What does that mean for this specific couple, the thorny wife and needy husband? There are plenty of twists and turns in this one, written in a steely, singular voice. This was gripping.
Mostly Dead Things, by Kristen Arnett
Some of the best fiction puts you in a place. “The setting is a character” has become a bit of a cliche, but it also is true. Arnett brings the poor Florida swamps to life, spotlit by a family taxidermy practice, and centers a difficult, borderline alcoholic, lesbian main character. Again, the voice comes through beautifully in this, but so does the process of attempting to change difficult things. It’s not easy, it requires false starts, fuck-ups, admissions, and perserveerance, and Arnett brings it all into gooey, gory life.
A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine
The first of a science fiction diptych that gets into the complicated feelings of colonization, especially cultural colonization. Falling in love with a foreign culture, acknowledging its impact on yours, the differences, and how a separate culture views you and your culture. Martine invents made up space cultures for this, centering beautiful poetry and underhanded politics in the conquering empire, but the feelings are recognizable, especially in this point in time, discussing the colonizing of white points of view. It’s a good read, with a propulsive mystery at the center, and also features a neat technology to explore. I’m keen to read the second book next year.
Good:
The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke
A series of short stories by Susanna Clarke that all take place in a similar world as Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Some excellent eerie stories and creepy tales here.
The Poppy War, by RF Kuang
A Silkpunk fantasy novel, incorporating Chinese culture and myths into a fantasy world, loosely based on Mao’s life. The first in a series, but this in particular was a brutal novel. Bad things happen all over the place, our lead character begins as dedicated and plucky, and we watch her become more and more hard-headed and difficult over time. The circumstances make sense, but at the end of the novel, I think I ceased to be on her side. I’m not sure if that was the intended effect though, and I got the sense the author really did appreciate Mao’s point of view. I’m glad I read it, I don’t think I would move forward with it.
Silver in the Woods, by Emily Tesh
A very cute fantasy M/M romance novella, similar to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell in tone, but uniquely its own.
The Fire Never Goes Out, by Noelle Stevenson
A graphic novel memoir. I follow Noelle on a variety of social media accounts, so most of this wasn’t that new to me, but collected together it was quite moving. I’m glad they’re feeling better.
This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
A longer novella/short novel, epistolary, jumping between times and realities. Fun and inventive!
Fangs, by Sarah Andersen
A cute series of comics about a vampire and werewolf dating.
Bitter Root, Volumes 1 & 2 by David F. Walker and Chuck Brown
Completely fascinating graphic novels that tells depicts racism in the 1920s as an actual infection that can fester and infect other people. It’s not really like anything else I’ve read, and I’d love to read more.
The Grand Odalisque by Bastien Vives, Jerome Mulot, and Florent Ruppert
Slick French lady art thieves graphic novel. Moves like a movie. Some great panels, story was so-so.
Convenience Store Woman, by Sayaka Murata
Due to a variety of circumstances, I took a train from Portland to Seattle this summer on one of the hottest days of the year, and while waiting for the train, and on the train, I read this book. It was advertised to me as a uniquely disturbing Japanese novel about a woman who devotes her life to a convenience store. What I read, at least as it was translated, was much more a story about a woman on the spectrum, who finds structure, satisfaction, and even joy in working for a humble convenience store. Yet, she struggles in the incredibly conformist Japanese society that initially approves of her choices, but then shuns her when she will not further conform. I quite liked the book, it went one or two wild places, but thanks to my wife persistently educating me about some of the nuances of Japanese culture, this didn’t seem as wild to me as it did some readers.
My Life in France, by Julia Child and Alex Prud’Homme
Julia Child’s biography of her time in France. Romantic, informative, and packed with delicious food and booze.
Inferno, by Eileen Myles
A radical leftist poet’s novel that is a thinly veiled autobiography. Some beautiful language here, but I almost forgot that I read this had it not been on my list.
Hench, by Natalie Zina Walschots
What if you had a very good henchwoman, and promoted them appropriately? Shenanigans ensue in a super-powered world.
Good Booty: Love and Sex, Black and White, Body and Soul in American Music, by Ann Powers
Surprisingly academic exploration of sex and race in the history of American music. I either wanted it to be more pop-literature, or I wanted it to go deeper on specific subsets of music. The broad selection was difficult to indulge in.
Shock Value, by Jason Zinoman
More non-fiction, this time more pop-history about the transformation of horror during the 1970s, thanks to John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and others. Informative!
Disappointed:
Invisible Cities, by Italo Calvino
I had turned this into something in my head that it categorically was not. It’s sort of my fault for being disappointed, but when I tried to accept what I was getting, I just wasn’t interested.
The Three Body Problem, by Liu Cixin
I started this early in the pandemic, and picked it up and put it back down many times. I finally finished in December of this year, and I found myself somewhat disappointed. I appreciated some of the initial concepts, but the last 50 pages or so just ultimately lost me, once everything was on the table.
Conclusion
One of the things that I did try to do this year, when I was looking at picking back up reading is trying to figure out why I wanted to read some books, and if these books still compelled me. Last year, I told myself to be happier reading books that I wanted to read. I’d like to reading books to not feel like I’m checking off a list, but actively engaging with the book on its own terms. I dropped a surprisingly large number of books this year. I tried reading Old Man’s War, by John Scalzi and found it surprisingly of-its-time, meaning it’s views on sex very old-fashioned. I tried reading Horrorstør, a haunted-house in an IKEA type store, but found that I didn’t care about any of the characters. I also tried reading a book called Thrill Me, which was pitched as an exploration of what literary books could learn from genre, but wasn’t that at all. I did re-read Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir for Halloween, which was a great time.
I’ve been thinking more about romance, horror, imagery, and narrative voice more. I’m keen to explore more of those concepts in the next year. I expect that I’ll be reading more sci-fi and fantasy, but also looking for weirder literary fiction and other work.
Word Choice 