Fave Reads of 2021 (#Bestof2021)

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!

Fave Reads of 2020 (#Bestof2020)

I did mean to publish this end of 2020/early 2021. I had 80% of it drafted and everything, y’all! As the saying goes: better late than never. So here are my faves of 2020.

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From 2020 draft: I’m gonna say something similar that many have said this year: I had a hard time. With a lot of things but especially my tried & true love: reading. Jess Zimmerman at Electric Literature wrote a really good post about having a hard time reading due to the events of 2020 that are also bleeding into 2021 and will be in our psyche for a long while.

Now, I did start and stop many books. Some that I just didn’t have the bandwidth to finish due to content but were/are great reads and others I just wasn’t feeling and gave up on 50 or more pages in. If I had included those my tally would’ve been 50+, which is still less than my 62 aim for 2020. Perhaps next year I’ll go above and beyond my goal or perhaps I won’t and may get stymied from our current situation extending. Who knows? I do know that by not reading, notice the dearth of poetry on this list (sigh), really hampered my own creativity. I get SO much inspiration from arts and not being able to go to museums or live shows, socialize, or read steadily/daily impeded other ways I was absorbing methods for my own artistic expression. TV and film can do but so much. And a hope I have for 2021 is to not only be healthier by moving/exercising more in my current WFH life but to also carve out time to read at least 45 minutes a day to help get the mind percolating. Wish me luck! Now on to some of my favorite reads of 2020.

The Illness Lesson by Clare Beams (2020): I believe this may have been one of the first books I read start to finish in 2020 and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. The premise had me intrigued and the writing dug the hooks in so that I couldn’t stop. I even wrote an essay about the themes in Illness Lesson because Beams’ prose really tapped into how much the world can beat you down and make you second guess yourself.

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel (2021): The writing is sparse but the emotions run high in what would become an immediate bestseller for Engel. This is the kind of book you can also learn from, tightly packed, clear details, sensory utilized consistently. So beautiful and not a “typical” immigration story as labeling it as such is not only inaccurate but a limitation. Really enjoyed this and can’t wait for more from Engel, and to read her backlist.

Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry (2020): I am a huge fan of Mabry’s National Book Award longlisted YA novel All the Wind in the World. So I was pleasantly surprised when I received a copy of her latest book smack dab at the start of quarantine. This was one of the first books I read start to finish once quarantine was officially in play throughout the United States and Mabry did not disappoint! Mabry’s writing is always excellent and her sentences are to be savored. Get this one if you hadn’t already.

Class Act by Jerry Craft (2020): I wouldn’t dare compare the bestselling Class Act to the bestselling/award-winning New Kid because they stand solidly on their own. This was exactly the type of book I needed during quarantine. Graphic novels in general have, finally, been more sought out by major publishers. And I’m glad because books that combine humor, commentary, and put you at ease like this one are really great for kids, especially Black kids, to have when times are dreary.

Twins by Varian Johnson & Shannon Wright (2020): As I mentioned, I craved graphic novels as we headed into fall and several months in quarantine. I needed the visuals and “lighter” fare. So you’ll see a few on this list because I wanted more and more. I loved the sisterly bonds in Twins and how their love for each other, even as they were coming into their own never wavered.

A Is for Audra: Broadway’s Leading Ladies from A to Z by John Robert Allman and Peter Emmerich (2019): Emmerich’s illustrations really make this book for me, no offense to the wonderful rhyme from Allman, connecting each letter and person(s). It’s so vibrant and encapsulates the beauty of Broadway that I miss so much. Whether you’re a fan of Broadway or not I highly suggest this book as a celebration of women in the arts.

The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans (2020): I’m a big fan of short stories and wish I had been able to read more or had more on my radar. Either way, Evans’ latest was a great read utilizing humor and reality and, on occasion, turning the world on its head slightly to show how what we’re dealing with now has been part of a larger history. Read this and her debut Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self ASAP if you hadn’t already.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (2020): One of the biggest bestsellers of 2020, Bennett’s second novel was one everyone heard about. And it is a lovely and piercing read. Switching POVs over time—and you know I love multi-POV stories—as well as looking at passing and giving us a bit more context from a contemporary lens, though a good chunk of the story is in the past/recent past, outside the Harlem Renaissance tomes, Bennett’s look at two sister’s choices in how to live their lives doesn’t skirt hard truths.

Max & the Midknights by Lincoln Pierce (2019): Another graphic novel! And a fun one to a bestselling series from Pierce. Max and his merry friends are on a mission and it’s great to see a kind of Scooby Doo gang vibe in this medieval look at young people finding their destinies. Super cute and funny.

How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C. Pam Zhang (2020): Longlisted for the Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, Zhang’s debut is phenomenal and a great first read of 2020. I’m hoping we’ll see a worthy adaptation of this to the screen because Zhang’s storytelling is absolutely cinematic.

Running by Natalia Sylvester (2020): Sylvester’s YA debut is just the book we need. As the daughter of a conservative politician comes into her own politics and beliefs there’s a lot to traverse. You can love folx and also disagree but this is hard. How much have people sacrificed for other’s dreams and what about broaching hard conversations? In Running, there are no easy answers, which is why I love this book and what it provides for young readers who are more politically aware than I was at their age.

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi (2020): As always Emezi’s prose is pristine, taut, and emotionally charged. The beauty of Vivek Oji is the love for a character we know from the start will pass, but has such a bright life on the page as a corporeal being and in the after life.

Other enjoyable reads in 2020 include: Real Life by Brandon Taylor, Memorial by Bryan Washington, Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds & Dr. Ibram X. Kendi.

Happy reading!

@WriteOnCon's Mid-Winter PitchFest 2013

The time is nearing for WriteOnCon's mid-winter PitchFest for 2013! This is a great opportunity for emerging writers to pitch their completed YA/MG manuscripts with agents on the hunt!

A couple of weeks ago the forums opened so that writers could post their pitches on the YA or MG writers' forum to get feedback from other writers on their pitches. I put mine up for my YA sci-fi piece and got incredibly helpful feedback. The people on the board are helpful and generous and have some great pitches themselves. I learned a lot about the process of getting to-the-point in my pitch and am confident the synopsis for my book is much stronger thanks to the input from others.

So sign up for alerts from WriteOnCon to find out more about the upcoming PitchFest and other PitchFest/Conferences they have throughout the year. As I may have mentioned in my post thanking my YA critique partners I met these wonderful ladies through WriteOnCon and have been all the richer for it. So, just sign up. There's nothing to lose only stuff to gain.

Happy writing!