Yahoo StyleThe 10 best books of 2021 (so far)
- 1/11
The 10 best books of 2021 (so far)
It may only be in March, but 2021 has already served us some delicious, heartrending, captivating and thought-provoking reads. So, if you're in the market for your next book, here's our selection of the ten best page-turners of the year so far.
- 2/11
1) Mrs Death Misses Death, Salena Godden
Despite the bleakness assumed by its title, this is a profoundly hopeful book, full of inspiring feats of imagination. Set in modern-day London, this bold debut from spoken-word poet Godden is packed with an intertextual feast of lyrics and auto-fiction, all the while making sharp observations about gender, race, happiness and (Mrs) death herself.
Read Bazaar's interview with Salena Godden in the February 2021 issue.
- 3/11
2) Open Water, Caleb Azumah Nelson
A beautiful debut novel from the multi-talented writer and photographer Caleb Azumah Nelson, who draws on his upbringing in Bellingham to create a poetic world that celebrates first love, Black identity and the messiness of youth. - Helena Lee
Read Caleb Azumah Nelson's ode to South-East London in the March 2021 issue
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- 4/11
3) Fake Accounts, Lauren Oyler
This hilariously astute debut novel is a trippy exploration of the holes, lies, madness and confusion of a life spent online. One woman discovers the dark internet persona of her boyfriend and decides to begin her own journey of digital deception.
- 5/11
4) Little Scratch, Rebecca Watson
This startling debut novel chronicles the every waking thought of its young female protagonist throughout one seemingly normal day. Blisteringly insightful, it plays with form, boredom (and Whatsapp messages) to portray the fascinating minutiae of a life haunted by trauma.
- 6/11
5) Aftershocks: Dispatches from the Frontlines of Identity, Nadia Owusu
This stunning memoir charts the extraordinary life of Nadia Owusu, from familial tragedy and abandonment to a constant flux of languages and homes, across continents and, ultimately, sense of self. A moving and captivating debut work.
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- 7/11
6) Empireland, Sathnam Sanghera
Interrogating the role of Empire in everything from the artefacts in museum collections to the origins of our nation’s multiculturalism and racism, this clear-sighted book also manages to be empathetic and witty – testament to Sanghera’s extraordinary skill in telling this complex story. It should be on every school’s reading list. HL
- 8/11
7) Acts of Desperation, Megan Nolan
The debut novel of Irish journalist Nolan, Acts of Desperation is already causing shockwaves. A compelling tale of frantic, obsessive love, it charts the ecstasy of infatuation of one woman's relationship and the dark twisted comedown she feels of self-doubt and anxiety.
- 9/11
8) Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro
Set in an undetermined future, where AI plays a central role in society, Klara is an ‘AF’ – an Artificial Friend, valued for her ability to serve as a human companion for the teenager Josie. At the heart of the novel is their relationship, which prompts fresh perspectives on the fragility of society and what it means to be human. - Helena Lee
Read Bazaar's interview with Kazuo Ishiguro in the April 2021 issue.
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- 10/11
9) Speak, Okinawa, Elizabeth Miki Brina
Elizabeth Miki Brina grew up frustrated at her Okinawan mother’s inability to assimilate in Western society, while admiring her indefectable all-American father. But when she looks into the tumultuous history of Okinawa and how warring countries rocked those who grew up there, it precipitates a journey of self-reflection, captured in this searingly honest memoir. - Helena Lee
- 11/11
10) Asylum Road, Olivia Sudjic
Asylum Road is the third book from Olivia Sudjic, known for her acclaimed debut novel Sympathy (2017). Her latest novel weaves the tale of a young woman on the brink of marriage, who is haunted by the trauma of her past in the battle of Sarajevo.
Read Olivia Sudjic’s essay on visionaries and hope in the February 2021 issue.
Ready, steady, read...
