2021 was a pretty rubbish year, as far as my reading was concerned. But there were still a few highlights: here are my favourite books I read last year.
No 1: Waterland by Graham Swift. You probably already know of my love of Swift and reading Waterland only reminded me of something I already knew to be true: Swift is one of this country’s finest writers. This book follows the tried and tested Swiftian formula: a traumatic event in the narrator’s youth haunts them their whole life and they spend the whole book unravelling the tale. There is so much left unsaid in Swift’s writing; he really makes us work for the story and nothing is ever given out easily. For his inventiveness and sheer brilliance, Swift easily tops the list every time.
No 2: Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? by Lorrie Moore. I’ve just reviewed this brilliant novel so I’ll keep it short and sweet: probably the best novel about female friendship I have ever read. Moore simply doesn’t have a word out of place.
No 3: Department of Speculation by Jenny Offil. This novel is written in an almost tweet-like way so every sentence is a short snippet of observation from the narrators mind as she juggles new motherhood, work and her marriage. I loved the originality and I was surprised by how the novel could remain insightful in spite of, or maybe even because of, its unique style. Offil is a writer I will be seeking more of in 2022.
