Favourite books of 2021
Most feature strong female characters
My daughter met her goal of reading 50 books in 2021 which is quite an accomplishment. She recently posted her list of favourites on social media and inspired me to do the same, although I didn’t read nearly as many. Below is a list of the books I really enjoyed last year, most of which have strong, female characters. I highly recommend them.
HISTORICAL FICTION
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. The hidden history of women who worked at Bletchley Park during WWII. Quite fascinating and Quinn weaves a great story. Some characters are real but lightly fictionalized such as the wealthy socialite, Osla Benning, who was Prince Philip’s wartime girlfriend before he married Queen Elizabeth.
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. A story about the unsung valor of a ring of European female spies in WWI. Another gripping story. You come away marvelling at these women and wondering why you’ve never heard of them. Hint: they’re female.
Note: you must read Kate Quinn’s other bestseller, The Huntress, which is about the search for a female Nazi post WWII. One of the characters is a tough-as-nails Russian fighter pilot; unlike the Allies, Russia had squadrons of women pilots. I had no idea. I read this book in the summer of 2020 and literally could not put it down. Totally engrossing.
SELF-HELP & NONFICTION
Keep Sharp by Sanjay Gupta, MD. Research and tips on how to build a better brain at any age. Good book with practical suggestions on lifestyle changes that can help prevent dementia and Alzheimers later in life.
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. An often-quoted bestseller that explores and explains how social epidemics work — fashion trends, diseases, crime. Timely and interesting.
MEMOIRS
The Road to Station X by Sarah Baring, the friend of Osla Kendall from The Rose Code (see above). Baring writes about their time together at Bletchley Park in England during WWII.
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt, Irish writer and teacher. I had been wanting to read it for years and finally got around to it. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Moving, sad and funny at the same time.
’Tis by Frank McCourt. His story continues.
Are You Somebody? by Nuala O’Faolain, Irish writer from Dublin.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, African-American writer and poet. Again, I had been wanting to read it for years and finally got around to it. A touching and inspiring book.
FICTION
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. A friend lent it to me then I passed it on. Engrossing story of the ordeal a Mexican woman endures trying to get to America with her young son.
The Last Anniversary and What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. I’ve become a real fan of hers in the past few years. This Australian writes about women and their personal stories and relationships. Two of her books were recently made into streaming series and were huge hits: Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers.
Faithless in Death by J.D. Robb. Latest in a vast murder mystery series written by Nora Roberts under a pen name. Stories are set in the future which is different. It has some nice twists and good characters, including a tough, female homicide detective in New York City named Eve Dallas.
Outsider and Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo. Part of a series of books about a female police chief, Kate Burkholder, who grew up Amish and now solves crimes in a small town in rural Ohio. A different angle on murder mysteries with some good twists and turns.
Fortune and Glory, Tantalizing Twenty-Seven by Janet Evanovitch. Latest in the Stephanie Plum series of books that have quirky characters and are always good for a laugh. When I want something light and amusing, I read these.
CURRENT READING
Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer by Steven Johnson. Interesting and timely book about how and why human life expectancy has risen dramatically in the last 100 years. Hint: vaccines, pasteurization, antibiotics, public health data collection. I wish it was required reading in schools around the world.
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Long anticipated ninth book in her widely successful Outlander series. The story of time-travelling, Claire, and her Scottish Highlander, Jamie continues. Engrossing and enjoyable, as always!
NEXT ON MY LIST
The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett. Prequel to The Pillars of the Earth. He’s a master story teller. We are watching The Pillars of the Earth series which is currently streaming then I plan to read this Prequel.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. Winner of the Booker Prize. My daughter recommended this one to me and I look forward to reading it.
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