Hot dang! I’m actually getting this list out top of the year! [high five]
So, same as in 2020, I had a hard time reading steadily and regularly in 2021. That’s because (a) pandemic, (b) new job as an acquisitions editor, (c) working from home still, (d) finishing my own book, and (e) I left my role as contributing editor at Electric Lit (see b as the reason) and so I wasn’t reading as many galleys for new reads as per usual. Was I reading? Absolutely! But was I reading for funsies? Not as much. No daily commute means once again irregular reading time. I gotta say, as much as I dislike the MTA (I stand by those words) I got a good 2 hours or more of reading in Monday through Friday when I worked as a production editor in uptown Manhattan. That commute shortened with my new job in early 2020 and then all together went away once working from home became a, lucky, reality for many of us. It is a bit harder for me to read at home though I tried to rectify this in part with a new velvet reading chair! Here’s a link to it. (Thanks to Ebony Elizabeth Thomas for the inspiration!). And end of year I did actively take the week + off to just read and veg and write all for fun! Imagine that?!
As I say, to myself, every year I have no idea what 2022 will bring! If all bodes well my own book will be coming out in fall as will one of my first acquisitions as a new editor. So I expect busy times and maybe even less time for pleasure reading, but when I do get to read for pleasure it is indeed gratifying. Of the books I did get to read, I’d like to share some of my faves with you. Without further ado…
Circe by Madeline Miller (2018): Friends had been raving about this book all year. When folx hype stuff up I get a bit nervous because you’re going in with a lot of anticipation rather than as a blank slate. But, Circe did not disappoint! In fact I started it during Thanksgiving break thinking I would get in a chapter every few days. But I was unable to put it down, spending full evenings reading through. The prose is impeccable, the details luscious, the story fantastic. This is the book you should use as a teaching model for details and also character growth. It is SO good. Y’all read it. Just read it and re-read it now, for your own good. I now have Song of Achilles and cannot wait to savor that.
I’m Not Hungry But I Could Eat: Stories by Chris Gonzalez (2021): Gotta love friends debut years! This taut flash fiction collection from Gonzalez provides just the taste (pun intended) of stories to savor about so many facets of being. My favorite was “Here’s the Situation.” The stylings of this are absolutely something to learn from. Definitely get this collection and absorb these stories in one gulp or bit by bit—hey more food puns!
Born on the Water: The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones, Renée Watson, & Nikkolas Smith (2021): The collaborative development of this picture book is gorgeous from the poetics and love within the text to the vibrant illustrations. The trio of Hannah-Jones, Watson, and Smith make sure to convey light and darkness in real ways both textually and visually. I hope ALL kids/families get this book on their shelves and read it over and over and over again.
Catrachos: Poems by Roy G. Guzmán (2020): The experimental stylings in format and style really do bring together so many elements and voices and perspectives throughout. These are poems to be savored and each piece builds so well into a satisfying whole of a collection.
Bastards of the Reagan Era: Poems by Reginald Dwayne Betts (2015): Y’all need to read this collection! I also requested folx in a criminal justice reading group read some of these poems because Betts really brings you into the heart and mind of a system and the people within it. From varying POVs the truth is never lost and what more can you ask for in great art but an inherent truth?
The Creature of Habit by Jennifer E. Smith & Leo Espinosa (2021): This was one of the last books I got to work on when I was part of the Random House Studio team and it’s adorable! Leo Espinosa’s artwork always makes me smile. It’s so bright and the fuzzy wuzzy Creature of Habit is adorable! Plus it has the sweetest lesson when he makes a new friend.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (2021) : The latest from McQuiston is so good! It’s funny, heartwarming, sensual, and all that good stuff! And McQuiston did their diligence when it came to NYC subway research, appreciate that. The building romance between Jane and August, plus the family dynamics of August’s roommates leaves you rooting for everyone.
Mean by Myriam Gurba (2017): One of my first reads of 2021, Gurba’s hybrid work of nonfiction captures her voice, her experiences, and the exhilaration as well as the (unwanted) expectations/affections when growing up femme. I love Gurba’s writing in general and Mean blew me away showing what’s possible. Let us all embrace short texts that pack a punch.
Books I also read and eagerly enjoyed in 2021 include Hoodwitch: Poems by Faylita Hicks (2019), Pedro’s Theory by Marcos Gonsalez (2021), Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu (2020), What Will My Story Be? by Nidhi Chanani (2021), and Mutiny: Poems by Phillip B. Williams (2021), Those Kids From Fawn Creek by Erin Entrada Kelly (2022).
Happy Reading!