A Look At 2021 — B{u}Y THE BOOK

Good Reads (and Goodreads) From 2021

On January 1, 2017, I cataloged my first finished book of the year on Goodreads. I have utilized their book shelving system ever since, and have found it a good way to keep track of titles but also a good way to note my tendencies (mystery, mystery, mystery!) and acknowledge my obvious favorites (Agatha Christie, anyone?) while simultaneously tracking my reading appetites over time in terms of speed of reading and total tomes absorbed.

Early in 2021, I noted that I had fallen behind on my reading averages in 2020. Partly due to screen exhaustion (not that I read from a screen; I don’t — I hold real books in my hands and manually turn their pages) and the eye strain/general burnout induced by it, but also partly because for many years my imaginative enjoyment of book reading was accompanied by the physical pleasure of having a purring cat in my lap while I read. Upon expressing my “miss my kitty” issue to someone who cared, I received a ‘cat’ to keep me company.

It may be silly, but that little piece of snuggle-love helped me over the blocked-interest reading hump.

Once I started reading more (or more at my normal pace), things began feeling — despite the continuing COVID craziness — more ‘normal’.

I read 63 books in 2021.

These were a few of my favorites:

All These Condemned by John D MacDonald

Synopsis: On a weekend getaway, a murder occurs. All of party attendees had reason to want the murdered woman dead. But only one of the people present is responsible.

Why It Stands Out: This book is a fascinating study in character. MacDonald was excellent at creating backstory, and it is present in everything he wrote. But this book — told in first-person vignettes from each character’s point of view — manages to make the backstory the story in a way that is fascinatingly realistic and that stands up against the test of time. Originally published in 1954, it is as entertaining (and horrible, in a ‘reality TV’ kind of way, even though there was no such thing at the time) today as it must have been when it was originally published.

Who Should Read This Book:

• Mystery Lovers
• Writers of Character
• Mid-Century Modern Connoisseurs
• People Who Appreciate Language

Come, Tell Me How You Live by Agatha Christie

Synopsis: In a rare piece of non-fiction, Agatha Christie chronicles her adventures accompanying her (second) husband, Max Mallowan, on archaeological digs across a series of years. It is a humorously educational delve into the concepts of being a foreigner, and her understanding of people — as individuals, rather than as ‘types’ — comes through in every chapter.

Why It Stands Out: As a reader (and lover) of Christie mysteries and as a person who has taken the time to read three books about the author’s life, this book answered a lot of questions that both had raised. It is obvious — if you read Christie — after reading this book where some of her inspirations for stories occurred. It is equally – entertainingly – enlightening as to what kind of person she was. It was written with humor and heart, which are two things I strive to bring to my own writing, and it teaches as much about the time and place{s} in which it was written as it does about the people it involves.

Who Should Read This Book:

• Agatha Christie fans
• The Archaeologically Curious
• Students of Culture
• Travelers
• Anyone with a Sense of Humor

Gaudy Night, by Dorothy L Sayers

Synopsis: Harriet Vane returns to her alma mater for The Gaudy, an annual autumn celebration, and over the course of her stay, murder occurs (repeatedly). In the solving of the mystery, Lord Peter Wimsey — who rescued Harriet from the gallows and has been in (unrequited) love with her ever since — steps in to not only assist with the solving of so many inexplicable deaths but must also resolve the ‘question’ of Harriet once and for all.

Why It Stands Out: This is Sayers at her utmost best. While laying out the mystery of murder aforethought, she also very much lays herself out — Harriet Vane is Dorothy Sayers, a woman once done horribly wrong, afraid to love again — and while the clues collect on un-witnessed mysterious murders, the reader witnesses a collection of vulnerable moments that are expertly crafted insights to the human heart. While I would never characterize Sayers as a romance author, there is definitely a romantic edge to this book — which helps keep the reader on edge as the story progresses — and, paradoxically, a veneer of sometimes-painful realism that helps bring each scene into sharp focus. If you’ve never read Sayers, I would NOT recommend you start with this book. First you must understand who the characters are, which can only come from reading the books that came before it. But if you have read those books (especially Whose Body? and Strong Poison), then Gaudy Night is a must-read.

Who Should Read This Book:

• Lord Peter Wimsey fans
• Readers of Fair-Play Mystery Authors
• People Unafraid of Matters of the Heart

Additional Thoughts

I read a good number of mysteries in 2021; the most-read author of them being Agatha Christie. I also read MacDonald and Sayers (as noted above), Ellery Queen, Ed McBain, Rex Stout, Louise Penny, and — because I am a scourer of used book store shelves — one now-out-of-print lost treasure by John Dickson Carr.

In other genres… Penhallow by Georgette Heyer was – similarly but VERY different – a character study on par with my MacDonald recommendation; Dracula by Bram Stoker was brilliantly and unconventionally told (in a manner I borrowed from and nodded to in my little fiction series I wrote in October); Lady Cop Makes Trouble is the second book in the Kopp sisters historical fiction series written by Amy Stewart that I finally got around to reading (the first book I cataloged on Goodreads was Amy Stewart’s first book, Girl Waits With Gun) and very much enjoyed.

Yeesss… I can see you are thinking… But WHY are you writing all this business about books, Feve?

Well, because I CAN. *laugh*

And because people often ask me for book recommendations — which leaves me completely flabbergasted — so I thought that, instead of recommending books, I’d just tell you what I’m reading. (Or have already read.)

Please feel free to use the comments section to do the same. 🙂

 

.

.

I am linking this post to Wicked Wednesday, where this week the prompt is Looking Back on 2021.

I am not much of one for New Year’s Resolutions, so this is not one, BUT: I am going to try to join in on more community prompts/memes/projects in the coming year. Having largely gotten away from doing so in 2020, I *did* make some effort once more in that direction in 2021, but I intend to be more focused/regular about it in 2022. (Starting NOW, obvs.) So if you have a meme or project — or are aware of one, or are thinking of starting one, or want to join one but aren’t sure how, or whatever — please feel free to use the comments section below to tell me about it. I will try to support you if I can.

🙂