Favourite Books of 2021

 To give this some context - I read 125 books in 2021. 100 of these were fiction and 25 non-fiction - I think this is more heavy on the fiction than usual, but I did a lot of comfort reading and re-reading last year which has made the difference. I re-read a lot of books I'd read before (almost the whole of PD James's Adam Dalgliesh series) and also read 28 Agatha Christie books - many I'd read before, but some I definitely hadn't. I've narrowed it down to 20 books - mostly in the order I read them.

1. A Caribbean Mystery - Agatha Christie

I re-read the entire Miss Marple series, having not done so for probably 20 years, and they were all good - Miss Marple is probably one of my favourite fictional characters. It was hard to choose a favourite, but I went with this one - the setting is great, and I like the character of Mr Rafiel a lot.

2. Dead Beat - Val McDermid

I read the whole Kate Brannigan series, and the whole Lindsay Gordon series, neither of which I'd ever read before, and I really enjoyed both series very much. I picked this as my favourite because I think Kate is just slightly my favourite character of the two, and I picked the first book to feature her, although I enjoyed all of them. I also really liked the Manchester setting in the 90s as I was there often as a teenager in the late 90s. 

3. The Secret Adversary - Agatha Christie

I almost made myself pick only one Christie, but as I read so many of them I thought I'd pick two - this one I'd never read before and was expecting more Poirot/Marple vibes, but it was much more like a spy/adventure novel which was fun and unexpected. I enjoyed almost all of the Tommy and Tuppence books - the final one is a bit sedate, but the others are all really good and have more action than I'd expected from a Christie. 

4. A Still Life - Josie George

I keep thinking about this even though I read it when it came out in the early part of the year. It's a memoir about having a chronic illness, but not depressing at all, as that subject can be. It was really uplifting and inspiring, and really helpful as someone who has a chronic illness, albeit one much milder than Josie's. It's a beautiful book. 

5. Piranesi - Susanna Clarke

Probably my overall favourite book of the year. It's weird and brilliant and I was absorbed. I absolutely loved it.

6. The Dinosaur Hunters - Deborah Cadbury

This about Mary Anning and the period when the first fossils of dinosaurs were being discovered in the UK. I didn't expect this to be as gripping as it was, towards the end I couldn't put it down, wanting to know what happened in the "race" between certain historical figures involved. I ended up rooting for Gideon Mantell!

7. Wintering - Katherine May

A non-fiction book about the importance of having periods of quiet and rest in life where we aren't constantly trying to achieve things. I read it at a perfect time and it was a real solace. 

8. The Postscript Murders - Elly Griffiths

I read a lot of Elly Griffiths this year, catching up on the Ruth Galloway series. This is a book from a different series (it's the second) and can easily be read on its own. It was the perfect modern crime novel for me, a small group of characters I really cared about, and an intriguing murder to solve! 

9. Humankind - Rutger Bregman

I've been recommending this to everyone because it gave me back some hope in a year where everything felt bleak and dystopian. A reminder that a lot of the horrible things we believe about humans are total rubbish. 

10. Real Estate - Deborah Levy

I've really loved Deborah Levy's memoirs, this is the third volume but they can be read in any order. I just love the way she writes about everything and it makes my brain think in a new way which I can't entirely explain.

11. Mrs England - Stacey Halls

Brilliant historical fiction - probably my favourite of Stacey Halls' three books although I've loved them all. Reminded me of Rebecca and Jane Eyre, but brilliant on its own merit.

12. Bryant and May - London Bridge is Falling Down - Christopher Fowler

I completely love the Bryant and May series - crime with weird stuff going on, lots of humour, and lots of London history. This was the final book in the series and was wonderful.

13. Devices and Desires - PD James

I read 12 PD James books this year and it's hard to choose between them but I mostly picked this because of the setting on the Norfolk/Suffolk coast and the fact it's really long and the characters are well developed. All of the Dalgliesh books are excellent though.

14. How to Be Sad - Helen Russell

I loved her book The Year of Living Danishly and this was also great - a book about why it's fine to be sad when we are sad, and the problems with a culture that can't accept sadness as a normal part of life. It's not a sad book though, just interesting and thought-provoking.

15. 84 Charing Cross Road - Helen Hanff

This is also here because it really cheered me up in a really depressing year. I love that it's a true story. And it's about a bookshop so what more can you want, really?

16. The Man Who Died Twice - Richard Osman

I know it's hyped but I loved it. I love both his books for managing to have a good mystery, and be funny and moving at the same time, and I really care about his characters. Excellent cosy crime.

17. Four Thousand Weeks - Oliver Burkeman

Loved this because he's actually acknowledging what most "self help" books don't - we have a finite amount of time, we can't do everything, and trying to pack it in and be more "productive" just backfires. It's about trying to enjoy the time we actually do have and I loved it. 

18. The Haunting Season - various authors

A collection of short ghost stories. First short story collection where I have loved every story and it's been exactly what I wanted from a book. Perfect for autumn/winter and some reminded me of MR James, who is the ghost story god.

19. The Moth and the Mountain - Ed Caesar

I picked this up at random in an actual bookshop - one of the few visits of the year - which made it extra special. I am obsessed with books about climbing Everest/K2 etc and polar exploration, and this about a man who decides he is going to fly a plane to Everest and climb it on his own when he has never climbed anything before and can't fly a plane. It was fascinating and a brilliant addition to the genre about someone who had become quite obscure. 

20. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Probably cheating as this is the fourth time I've read this and it's one of my favourite books of all time but I still completely love it.