Friday 31 December 2021

My Reading Year 2021

Like so many people, I had hoped that 2021 would be a better year. Unfortunately, the pandemic continued impacting all aspects of life. In the second half of 2021 I spent several months at home in lockdown. While this kept me safe from COVID, it was a drain on mental health and wellbeing. With a stressful job, in perpetual crisis-mode, I found it hard to concentrate and take my usual pleasure in reading. But I muddled through.  Fiction was my saviour - transporting me to new places and introducing me to new characters to escape the drama of real life.

My reading goal for 2021 was 30 books with a focus on fiction, which I achieved by reading 31 titles this year. When planning for 2021 at the start of the year, I did not really name any specific titles, which served me well as I went wherever my interests took me.  Instead I used the reading bingo card I created to help me diversify my reading and my achievements are highlighted below. 

B
I NGO
Set during
Wartime 
Retelling of 
another story
 Novel in 
Translation		Poetry 
Collection		Women's Prize 
Longlister
Lesser known book 
by a Famous Author
Essay
Collection 
Set in the
Future
Booker Prize 
Longlister
About a non-Western 
world leader 
Debut 
Novel
19th Century
Classic  		Published
in 2021 
Biography 
or Memoir
Set in Space
or at Sea
Short Story
Collection
Australian Literary 
Prize Longlister
Current Affairs
/ Politics
Protagonist 
is over 50		Coming of 
Age Story
Pre-19th Century 
Classic		First Novel
in a Series
Book on the 
1001 List
Fiction Based
on a True Story		Written by a 
male author

So here's what I read in 2021:

Fiction
This year I continued my interest in feminist retellings of ancient myths which I started with Madeline Miller's Circe in 2020. During lockdown I read two novels by Pat Barker back-to-back. The Silence of the Girls is the fascinating story of Achilles told from the perspective of his slave, Briseis. The Women of Troy continues this story, giving voice to the women left behind when Troy falls. Can't wait for the next instalment.

Mid-year I discovered the Simon Serrailler series by Susan Hill. The Duchess of Cornwall has an online book club and I noticed on her instagram account that one of the books her club was reading was the first Serrailler novel, The Various Haunts of Men, which I had never heard of. So I tracked down a copy and soon fell down the rabbit hole, reading the first three novels in rapid succession. I am now taking a short break after The Pure in Heart and The Risk of Darkness, but will undoubtedly resume my reading of the Serrailler series in 2022. 


I read some books that I have had for ages, including John Fowles' The Collector, Edna O'Brien's August is a Wicked Month, and Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt.   Other works of fiction I enjoyed included Tana French's The Searcher, Raven Leilani's Luster, Matt Haig's The Midnight Library, Joyce Carol Oates' short story collection The (Other) You, and Emily St John Mandel's The Glass Hotel. 

After my 2021 hiatus from reading books authored by men, I finally got around to reading the two Chris Hammer books I had been looking forward to. Silver and Trust conclude the Martin Scardsen series. While neither lived up to the promise of Scrublands, I enjoyed reading both novels. In the new year I will read his next book Treasure and Dirt.

Award longlists provide me with much reading inspiration. From the Stella Prize Longlist I read Intan Paramaditha's The Wandering and absolutely loved the winning title, Evie Wyld's The Bass Rock. One of the highlights of the year was reading Susanna Clarke's Piranesi - winner of the 2021 Women's Prize for Fiction - a uniquely brilliant story. From the Booker Prize Longlist, I really enjoyed Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro.

This year there were a handful of incredible novels that made a lasting impact that I have most often recommended or gifted to friends. Tara Moss' The War Widow is a wonderful crime novel featuring a plucky heroine, set in postwar Sydney. I loved this book and look forward to the next instalment. Two other Australian novels I enjoyed are Hannah Kent's Devotion and Emily Maguire's Love Objects - both of which I have thought about a lot since reading. But my most favourite novel of the year has to be Still Life by Sarah Winman. I absolutely lost myself in this epic tale of a group of misfits who form a family together in Florence. 



Non-Fiction
This year I didn't end up reading as much non-fiction as I normally do, having prioritised the escape of fiction. But what I did read, I thoroughly enjoyed.

I began the year reading an amazing work of non-fiction by journalist Louise Milligan. Witness covers Milligan's investigation of sexual assault and child sexual abuse cases through the court system and how victims are treated. This was a thought-provoking, compelling book which should be essential reading for police and the legal profession.

Kate Ellis' memoir of her time in Parliament, Sex, Lies and Question Time, was fascinating. The timing of publication was impeccable, with the allegations against members of Parliament and the March for Justice. An important book from someone who made a difference during her time in office. 

Two books I was really looking forward to, by authors I really admire, didn't hit the mark for me. Sarah Krasnostein's The Believer was hit-and-miss, and while I loved certain stories, others didn't resonate. Tegan Bennett Daylight's collection of essays, The Details, was also uneven and missing something for me. But I am glad to have read both.

Dolly Parton's Songteller - My Life in Lyrics was joyous, especially when accompanied by the audiobook where her stories were interspersed with song. I have huge admiration for Dolly - as an artist and a humanitarian. A look back on her life through her songwriting shows how she raised awareness about difficult issues.

Finally, my reading year would not be complete without at least one Helen Garner. How to End a Story, the third volume of Garner's diaries. This volume chronicles the downfall of her marriage and her growing success as a writer. 

While I really appreciated all the non-fiction I read this year, if I had to choose one favourite, without hesitation I would select Sean Kelly's The Game -  A Portrait of Scott Morrison. This is a fascinating, well-researched exploration of our Prime Minister and what has happened to our country. A must-read for anyone who cares about politics, ethics and the state of the nation.


Best of 2021
I read so many great books this year. I loved and highly recommend:
If I had to choose my absolute favourites, I would pick Sarah Winman's Still Life (2021) and Sean Kelly's The Game (2021).  

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