Time for the first of a couple looking-back blog posts! I love stories, but I think you all know that. What a year for them it was! In the broadest strokes, this list examines the stories which had the most impact on me in 2021. Whether or not the stories themselves are actually from 2021 is not the point- it’s whether or not I read, watched, or listened to them this year. It was a tough one, with many close challenges, but in the end the power of these stories speak for themselves. From the hopeful to the horrid to the romantic to the realistic, my friends and family will be familiar with the dozens of times I’ve mentioned these works through the years. Without further ado, let’s get to it!
5- Beautiful World, Where Are You, Sally Rooney.
One of my more recent reads, and proof Sally Rooney has to be one of my favorite modern authors. Beautiful World, Where Are You also has a recent blog post, and it’s fresh enough in my head (and my copy already in the hands of someone else) to warrant yet further attention. Rooney has again shown her mastery of interpersonal relationships, of the messiness of life, and the brutal honesty a writer can bring to both of those things. What’s more, she has managed to capture the existential dread of a generation in a way I hope some find soothing, if only because they feel heard. That sense of shared belonging and understanding might be the best gift an artist can give to the world, and Rooney knocks it out of the park. Another tearjerker for more reasons than one, and not a bad way to kick off the list.
Top Quote: “In that case we are standing in the last lighted room before the darkness, bearing witness to something.”
4- The Mitchells VS The Machines, Sony Pictures Animation.
I don’t know why I never blogged about this movie, but considering its position here I guess this means that this is my top movie of the year. I mean, it is. It’s heartwarming and sincere, a love letter to creativity and weirdness and everything that goes along with a life led in feeling and experiencing difference and honesty. I find the characters unerringly charming for everything they are, and especially their flaws. The plot is fun if familiar, the jokes land on the hundredth rewatch, the representation is integrated and appreciate so well, and the animation… THE ANIMATION has moments of being needlessly gorgeous and all the more enchanting for it. If any of you think I’ve recommended this movie enough, you haven’t been paying attention.
Top Quote: “Is that a dog, or…? Dog? Pig? Dog? Pig? Dog? Pig? Dog? Pig? Dog? Loaf of bread. System error!”
3- Fox & I, Catherine Raven
Fox & I shares a previous book review post with The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating (honorable mention). I appreciate this book still for everything it encourages the reader to take in about the wild world. The questions Raven raises about how we interact with nature, with each other, and with ourselves continue to be a source of both discomfort and reflection when I find myself drawn to both of these things. Add in my natural affinity for foxes (I love them so), and plenty of time spent wandering woods and watching animals, and I was destined to fall in love and grieve alongside everything featured in the book. The depictions of nature are lovely, the examination of relationships intoxicating, and the lessons taken cut as deep and true as if I experienced them myself. I bawled my eyes out. Another I frequently recommend.
Top Quote: “All the while his mantra played: Time is on no one’s side.”
2- Plain Bad Heroines, Emily M. Danforth
Like most of the books on this list, Plain Bad Heroines has already been reviewed in a blog post. I don’t really know what more I could say about this book. It redefined for me both romantic writing and horror writing. Everything is rich and soaked in irony and twisted meanings as tricky as the thicket and as pervasive as the swarms of yellow jackets ensnaring our titular plain bad heroines. The audiobook performance was as enthralling as the text itself, although I feel the latter more than stands on its own. It tugs at your heart and skin, it tugs at your dreams and nightmares, it flickers about you sucking sweetness from the rot. One I will remember, for better and for worse, for years to come.
Top Quote: “’Come now dear,’ Elaine said, ‘If you’re determined to sail such ruinous waters you might as well boast about the voyage.’”
1- A Memory Called Empire, Arkady Martine
I have written a blog about this one already, but here we go again. Just how big the concept of ‘you,’ anyway? The questions of identity and purpose weigh heavy over this sharp, inquisitive, and thoroughly poetic novel. Martine’s skill in developing the complexity of human relationships, the struggles of assimilation and admiration of a culture devouring one’s own, and the search for self when surrounded by millions translate effectively to a standout work recommended to so many of my friends. As a lover of history, politics, and poetry, the book was memorable in a multitude of ways. But I will always remember Mahit’s journey through a world she longs to be a part of without losing herself to, a story as personal to an adopted child of color as it is to so many immigrants and other journeying souls. For challenging my worldview, giving me words to grapple with that challenge, and for more than a few heartfelt sobs and laughs, A Memory Called Empire rightfully earns its place atop my list of Top Five Stories of 2021.
Top Quote: “Poetry is for the desperate and for those who have grown old enough to have something to say.”
Looking forward to the holidays and plenty more good stories to come! Some exciting news around the corner. Stay safe out there, everyone.