Best of 2021: Books

Welcome!

This isn’t a “Best of 2021” list. Reading is long, arduous, known to be difficult when you’re quarantined with Covid and having trouble making it through the first paragraph of the new Franzen novel. And then there’s the reality that the whole of the written word is far too rich for us humble gentlemen to restrict to a mere 12 months of releases.

So instead, this is the “12 Books We Read In 2021 That Changed Our Lives” list. Only the cream of the crop. No filler. Not in any particular order, apart from 1 & 2. It consists mostly of recent releases, but also some older selections, such as the requisite selection from our leader, our beacon, our queen, Agatha Christie.

Buy these books immediately! (or borrow them from us)

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12. Jan Hanff Korelitz – The Plot

A novel about a failing novelist – I couldn’t resist.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55315487-the-plot

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11. Anthony Bourdain – Kitchen Confidential

My quest to consume all things Bourdain continues…

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33313.Kitchen_Confidential

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10. Ken Layne – Desert Oracle

Do you like cults?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50403495-desert-oracle

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9.

Perfect book for a cold pandemic evening by the fire.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11989.The_Plague

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8. Jonathan Franzen – Crossroads

Jason may have not made it through the first paragraph (yet) but Casey couldn’t put it down.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55881796-crossroads

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7. Patricia Lockwood – No One Is Talking About This

Everyone should be talking about this.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53733106-no-one-is-talking-about-this

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6. Agatha Christie – Endless Night

We love Agatha. So much.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16366.Endless_Night

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5. Juan Cardenas – Ornamental

Shoutout to our favorite independent publisher/arts non-profit, Coffee House Press!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53306132-ornamental

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4. Fredrik Backman – A Man Called Ove

A man called Jason thinks it’d be impossible not to love this book.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18774964-a-man-called-ove

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3. Shookoofeh Azar – The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree

Don’t read the synopsis. Go in blind.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35708940-the-enlightenment-of-the-greengage-tree

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2. Julian Sancton – Madhouse at the End of the Earth

I thought it was a novel until I hit the pictures.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54900051-madhouse-at-the-end-of-the-earth

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1. Michelle Zauner – Crying in H Mart

The most emotionally-resonant book you’ll read. Stop what you’re doing. Read it now.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54814676-crying-in-h-mart

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Thanks for reading!

Please help us make our 2022 list even better by sharing your favorite books with us! We’ll read anything.