Favourite Literary Fiction Reads of 2021.

 Hello Loves! 

Today let's look at some amazing literary fiction reads of mine from 2021. Some amazing books you need to read! And all of these books, in spite of being Literary Fiction they are all very, very accessible and very easy to read and love. 

Let's just jump in shall we? 

1. The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai: This book just...broke my heart and these people, these characters just held my heart and will always stay with me. So so good. Seriously this might be the best thing I read all year.  Set in Vietnam  for nearly a century this powerful novel is a family saga and a swift lesson in Vietnamese history and everything they've had to survive. I am so so so happy I read this book and  I implore you to pick it up if you haven't already. This is something I will definitely re-read in the future. Absolutely luminous and amazing! But go in knowing there will be tears involved. 

2. Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri: I mean..of course Lahiri is on the list. She is my absolute favourite and what a blessing to read something new from her this year. A new Lahiri book was honestly a highlight of my otherwise bleak year. I was looking forward to this from the very beginning of the year and read it within a week of release. A little different from her usual stories this one still had elements of her style and I enjoyed it very much. Is it the best Lahiri? I am not sure. Is it the worst? No, because there is no bad Lahiri. 

A full review can be found here. 

3. Rebirth by Jahnavi Barua: A second year in a row when Barua's book makes it to my list. Last year I read and loved Undertow and made it a goal of mine to read more of her work and this year I picked up Rebirth and loved it. 

Did a full review which you can read to hear my complete thoughts on this beautiful book. 

4. Prelude to a Riot by Annie Zaidi: What a powerful little book. I meant to read this for ages and ages and this year I finally got around to reading it. This little book is a thing of force. At only 192 pages this book keeps you hostage to it's building tension and dread. A book set very much in today's India and does a eerily good job of capturing a small town on the cusp of a riot. This book felt like a ticking time bomb and I loved it and honestly cannot recommend it enough. Seriously pick it up, you won't be sorry. 

It's available on Kindle Unlimited for free, if you are a member. 

5. A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson: I picked up this book because it was on the Man Booker Long List and it sounded like something I'd enjoy. I was right. This book came me some Anne Tyler vibes and it took me to a small town in Canada and in a world of three very different characters all connected in unsual ways. There was a comforting quality in this book. So much heart and a little misfortune and a lot of longing. A precocious child pining for her missing sister, a young man dealing with the end of his marriage and an elderly lady waiting for her inevitable end. All in not-so-perfect situations and all in a town called Solace. I loved this book. It made me smile and it made me sad. Beautiful and moving and still and lovely. I am certainly going to pick up some Mary Lawson in 2022. 

6. The Echo Chamber by John Boyne: This was the funniest book I read in 2021. It was hilarious. Very tongue in cheek and very, very British in it's dry wit and humour. I have read John Boyne before and loved his work, please read The Heart's Invisible Furies if you haven't already. This one was a hoot from start to finish. This book is such a no holds barrel look at the over sanctimonious woke folks and how so much of this virtue signalling is just performative and there were so many bits that I was furiously nodding along and agreeing with. You might either love this book or be very pissed with it. Depends on how you see things. I loved it. Seriously good! 

7. First Person Singular by Haruki Murakami: A year with a new Murakami. What a blessing! I am a Murakami super fan, I've read pretty much most of his books and this one I got and read within a week of it's release! I will say I prefer his novels to his short stories but this collection I enjoyed very much. Again, some Murakami is better than no Murakami, so I was happy to drown myself in his words and stories. 

8. Kim Jiyong Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo: Another powerful and thought provoking read that a lot of us (women mostly) will find too painfully relatable. A short read this one yet it manages to punch you in the gut. The novel tells a story about an ordinary life of Kim Jiyoung including a short family history, her birth, growing up and an adult life. The book presents not only the hardships the eponymous character had to go through from her early childhood but also the experiences of other women that she knew. It shows the discrimination and social judgement the women faced, what they thought about that and how they responded. So much this book and in this life is relatable. How women are treated and how much they endure. Stark and without any frills or sugar coating this one was an incredible read. Highly recommend.