I debated the title of this article throughout the morning, which is no surprise. I frequently argue with myself about words and punctuation marks. (Is this a sign I’m a writer? Perhaps, perhaps.) Should I say “best” or “favorite”? “Best” implies a standard of quality—one hopes an objective standard, yet the word often falls victim to conceptions of taste rather than quality. Not “best,” then.
But what does “favorite” connote? It can indicate a ranking, something included and something else, by necessity, excluded. “Favorite” could work for the list that follows, but the word causes misgivings. I avoid the word in conversations about books, mostly because of the typical question: “What’s your favorite book?” My favorite? How could I possibly answer such a question with all the books yet to be read, the wide range of books I have read?
Perhaps not “favorite.” “Interesting”? I tried the word but realized it would expand my list exponentially. (The full list of books can be found at Goodreads.) I read many interesting, even weird, books in 2021, but not all of them require acknowledgement. Thus, my favorite reads of 2021.
Fiction
Thessaly, Jo Walton
Thessaly comprises three books: A Just City, The Philosopher Kings, and Necessity. Walton establishes a world in which the Greek gods decide to found a city based on Plato’s dialogues. The series raises questions about justice, virtue, and other philosophical matters. Genre: fantasy.
Circe, Madeline Miller
Circe examines Circe, the witch known for turning Odysseus’ men into pigs. Miller questions that reputation, not by removing the event, but by establishing Circe as a woman with wants and needs, flaws and strengths, and wounds. Genre: fantasy.
A Thousand Ships, Natalie Haynes
Continuing the Greek theme, A Thousand Ships. This book tells the story of the Trojan War through the perspectives of multiple women, including Briseis, Cassandra, and Helen. Genre: fantasy.
Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell
Hamnet explores how grief affects a family, specifically, Shakespeare’s family. Genre: historical fiction.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Becky Chambers
A Psalm for the Wild-Built offers a hopeful perspective on a post-apocalyptic world. The main character decides to journey the world as a tea monk. During his travels he meets a robot. Genre: optimistic science fiction, solarpunk.
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, T. Kingfisher
A lighthearted read, A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking features a main character whose only magic resides in baking. The book is laugh-out-loud funny at times while still examining questions of right and wrong, good and evil. Genre: fantasy.
A Desolation Called Peace, Arkady Martine
A Desolation Called Peace continues from A Memory Called Empire. The book features new characters, as well as ones found in the first book. Both books grapple with “easy” subjects like culture, politics, and colonialism. Genre: science fiction, speculative fiction.
The Ballad of Black Tom, Victor LaValle
The Ballad of Black Tom reimagines a short story by H.P. Lovecraft. The story combines the best of horror with questions about race and racism. Genre: science fiction, horror.
The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler, John Hendrix
John Hendrix writes and illustrates The Faithful Spy, which covers Bonhoeffer’s life and commitment to loving God by loving others, even at the cost of his life. Genre: graphic novel.
The Singing Bones: Inspired by Grimms’ Fairytales, Shaun Tan
Writer and illustrator Shaun Tan sculpted art pieces for each of the selected Grimm tales found in The Singing Bones. He aimed to present the stories as they would have been first received—essentially compressing the form of the story rather than populating it with blonde-haired princesses and swashbuckling princes. In doing so, Tan’s work unsettles the viewer, much as the original fairytales do. Genre: art, fairytales, folktales.
Nonfiction
The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection, Robert Farrar Capon
Part cookbook, poetry, and theological reflection—with a solid dash of wry humor—The Supper of the Lamb reminds readers that the world God created and gave to people is, in fact, good. I loved this book so much that I bought it as a Christmas present for a couple of people.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Bessel van der Kolk
Bessel van der Kolk’s book takes some time to read, but it’s a worthwhile investment. It helped me understand how trauma inhabits the body and has informed how I address subjects in curriculum and other content.
A Little Book on the Christian Life, John Calvin
I always thought John Calvin was a dour fellow. A Little Book on the Christian Life corrected my assumptions. I even laughed a few times.
The Trinity: An Introduction, Scott R. Swain
After writing Foundations of Faith, a ten-work course about Christian doctrines, I felt I may have done a disservice to the Holy Spirit and the Trinity. I decided I should learn more about the Trinity, so I did. Swain’s book is easy to understand, yet so, so rich.
Poetry
alphabet, Inger Christensen
Christensen bases alphabet on the Fibonacci sequence, and the result is exquisite to behold. In this collection, the threat of holocaust and extinction lives alongside apricot trees and other natural wonders.
The Dream We Carry: Selected and Last Poems, Olav H. Hauge
Olav H. Hauge is a poet of the natural world. His work resonates with poets like Wendell Berry, Basho, and Philip Britts. Hauge’s poems are quiet, inviting the reader to be still and listen to the world humming around them.
Bower Lodge, Paul J. Pastor
Every time I read Bower Lodge—and I’ve read it twice, nearly three, times—I discover something new. The shape of this collection follows the Triduum, the final days of Easter. To me, the collection also corresponds with Dante’s Divine Comedy.
Here concludes my list of favorite reads in 2021. What were your favorite books to read? What are you looking forward to reading in 2022?
Photo by Polina Zimmerman from Pexels