My Favourite Fiction Novels of 2021
Because I’m a multi-faceted nerd
Taking a brief detour from my usual articles, as 2021 is coming to a close, I thought I’d share some of my favourite reads from this year with you.
6) The Vanishing Half
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is a story about race, class, and racism — overt, systemic, and internalized. It’s also a story about family and the ways in which we can never fully leave our past behind us, no matter how hard we may try.
5) A Gentleman in Moscow
After really enjoying Rules of Civility, I was looking forward to reading A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles. I was absolutely not disappointed. A work of historical fiction, this story is based on a reality for those deemed “undesirables” by the Soviet Union.
Many were likely “disappeared” or outright murdered, but some were exiled, or placed on a form of house arrest. The story of the gentleman takes place in a posh hotel where he must reside. He has an amazing intellect and wit, making for a very entertaining read.
The gentleman forms incredible bonds with friends he makes within the hotel walls, not least of which an important friendship he forms with an unlikely companion.
4) The Huntress
The Huntress by Kate Quinn is a story about the midnight bombers, also called the Night Witches. They were an amazing, brave group of all-female night bombers defending the Soviet Union from invading Nazis.
This book is a thrilling and emotional story about the terrors of war, but also the incredible bonds that form between the women.
3) The Lincoln Highway
I found this one so interesting, I wrote an entire review just about The Lincoln Highway, by Amor Towles:
2) The Song of Achilles
I just finished The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller last night, and I loved it so much that I had to update this article to include it.
This novel takes the Greek Myth of Achilles and brings it to life with a rich and complex story of love, hatred, war, and of course, Greek gods.
A few lines from a poem about Achilles, called Iliad:
“Sing, Goddess, Achilles’ rage, Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks Incalculable pain, pitched countless souls Of heroes into Hades’ dark” — Homer, 1975
As the Tragic Hero, there is much to love about Achilles, but he is not the only main character of this book. The story is narrated by Patroclus, who is sweet and in some ways naïve, yet outsmarts those around him when he needs to.
Patroclus is not a warrior and is not physically strong, so he must compensate for that with his intelligence. I was much more drawn to Patroclus than I was Achilles and I am glad Madeline Miller chose to tell the story from his point of view.
I highly recommend The Song of Achilles!
1) The Rose Code
Hands-down, my absolute favourite read of the year was The Rose Code, by Kate Quinn. This story was riveting and engaging all on its own, but I also very much related to one of the main characters in the story.
The Rose Code is set in England during the second World War. The main characters are three brilliant young women who are scouted to work at Bletchley Park, a top-secret campus which was home to many unconventional thinkers.
These odd geniuses were trained to read and decipher coded messages the Germans sent to their front lines. While the story is about the war and the race to break the codes, it is even more about the people at Bletchley. This story enchanted me from start to finish and had me searching online for anything and everything by Kate Quinn.
Honourable Mentions
Some other great reads this year, especially if you don’t love historical fiction, and prefer something a little lighter:
- The Stranger in the Lifeboat, by Mitch Ablom
- Fight Night, by Miriam Toews
- Akin, by Emma Donoghue
- Rules of Civility, by Amor Towles
- Dry, by Augusten Burroughs
Current fiction read
The Post Postmistress of Paris, by Meg Waite Clayton
Current non-fiction reads
How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi
Authoring Autism, by Remi Yergeau
All my favourite reads in one place
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