Best Picks from 101 Books in 2021




Hey friends! How did your year go?

It's time for the yearly affair of picking out the top books from my read list. This year I managed to hit my goal of 100 books, hurray! 

Art Books: 8
Comics:10
Fiction: 52
Non-fiction (including autobiographies, self-help etc): 31
Total: 101

Though the good news it that I finished my challenge, the bad thing is that I read many unspectacular books so this year's list is rather short. I guess this is just a natural process where I just have to read widely to separate the wheat from the chaff. Ah well.

Fiction


All The Names They Used For God

A splendid short story collection.



Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Oh, the joy of not reading an overly depressing sci-fi novel! It was a heart-warming story. Fun read by the author of The Martian.

On this note, Liu Cixin's Three Body Problem is getting a Netflix adaptation! I'm so excited for this.

The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst
Great story-telling.

Firefly Lane
This book has its own Netflix drama adaptation! I really enjoyed how the theme of friendship through the times was explored.


Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong
Set in the mountains of Mongolia, Wolf Totem is an epic, intense read where a wolf pup is raised in a village that both hunt and fear it. 


A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
An absolutely enjoyable fantasy tale of parallel worlds!




Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Loved this! Race, history and hero tropes are explored within this magical, fantasy coming-of-age novel. 

Super Fake Love Song by David Yoon
Cute and quick read.

The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
Preacher goes to space. Interesting premise though it can be draggy at times.

Eartheater by Dolores Reyes, Julia Sanches 
Girl gains information about people and events by eating earth. 


Non-fiction


Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Korean-American author shares stories about her Korean mother, identity and cultural practices of being Korean and living in the USA. Moving and poignant. 


Is It Really Green?
Informative and snappy look at green practices and their supposed effectiveness or efficacy. Useful! 

Personally I pursued my interest in Buddhism, the universe, art icons like Andy Warhol and also historical figures like Genghis Khan. I also read some autobiographies and books by Obama, David Attenborough and restaurant owners.

Singapore

On a whole, I had a good year with #Singlit!


The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal 
Join the Shergill family for a dramatic adventure in India. I thoroughly enjoyed this fun romp of a book! 



Impractical Uses of Cake by Yeoh Jo-Ann
Not perfect with its manic pixie dream girl plot device but still interesting though kind of sad.


This is Where I Won't Be Alone by Inez Tan 
A fun and refreshing short story collection that is a lovely addition to Singapore literature! At times thought provoking, absurdly funny and poignant.



Regrettable Things That Happened Yesterday by Jennani Durai
Superb short story collection!



Eating Chilli Crab in the Anthropocene: Environmental Perspectives on Life in Singapore
by Matthew Schneider-Mayerson

Wonderful collection of essays on nature and environment in Singapore.

Art



Japanese Notebooks by Igort
This art book was so moving and beautiful. I really enjoyed it and want to borrow it again! 

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Moving forward, I will continue this new practice of borrowing art books because they kick-start my engine to be creative! Sci-fi and fantasy are still my favourite genres. Not too sure what to read next year, what do you think? If you have any book recommendations, chuck 'em book titles over!

For my whole book list of 2021, click here.

Happy reading!

Love,
Skye

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