5 Favorite Books of 2021

Hey there! As the year comes to a close, I wanted to give 5 recommendations of books that I’ve read this year. As per the theme of this blog, all of these books tell stories of LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and/or people from a historically marginalized group. Below you’ll find a brief synopsis of the book, and why I loved it. Note: Some of these books were published this year, but others were not. 

Interested in any of these titles? Click the links below each image to reserve the book online, or call the library at 781-934-2721

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (2017) 

“In Her Body and Other Parties, Carmen Maria Machado blithely demolishes the arbitrary borders between psychological realism and science fiction, comedy and horror, fantasy and fabulism...Earthy and otherworldly, antic and sexy, queer and caustic, comic and deadly serious, Her Body and Other Parties swings from horrific violence to the most exquisite sentiment.” 

There are a handful of authors that make me want to write. After reading their book, I immediately want to sit down and write something of my own. They’re that inspiring. Neil Gaiman is one of those authors to me. Carmen Maria Machado is now another one. You can tell from this short story collection that Machado seems to understand the horrors and wonders of life like no one else. There are stories that read like fairy tales, like horror stories, like fanfiction of Law & Order SVU episodes. And it’s all part of the wonder of Machado’s brilliant writing. 

Borrow from the Duxbury Free Library 

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun (2021) 

“In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy--reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch--an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer.”

I love a good rom-com. Even better when it’s a gay love story. However, queer rom-coms (written for adults) are far and few between. So when I saw The Charm Offensive come in at the DFL, I checked it out immediately. This book is fun and sweet, with high stakes and found family. But there are also serious, important conversations about identity and mental health. Would especially recommend it to any fans of reality television dating shows like Love Island or The Bachelor. Hopefully this shows a trend in more LGBTQ “new adult” rom-coms. 

Borrow from the Duxbury Free Library 

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (2021)  

“It’s been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and laid down their tools; centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again; centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend. One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of “what do people need?” is answered. But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how.” 

This book gave me hope for the future. Truthfully, not a lot of science fiction books can do that. But reading this book felt like sitting in front of a fire with a warm cup of tea. It felt like we could have a future where robots and humans can live together, where we can solve the climate crisis, where we can find meaning in ourselves through nature. It’s a quick read, maybe only 150 pages or so. But it’s packed with meaningful self-reflection. For a story about a future world with sentient robots and environmental safety, it feels highly relevant to our current day-to-day lives. 

Borrow from the Duxbury Free Library 

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (2019)  

"Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions."

Two enemies in a war through time and space fall in love through letters. What more could you ask for? I read this over the summer, sitting in my hammock, and if I recall, I finished it in an afternoon or two. I loved the fact that the whole thing is written in messages. But more than that, I thought the writing is so genuinely beautiful and lyrical, even if the plot does move at a breakneck speed.

Borrow from the Duxbury Free Library 

The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel (2021) 

“From the author of Fun Home, a profoundly affecting graphic memoir of Bechdel’s lifelong love affair with exercise, set against a hilarious chronicle of fitness fads in our times.” 

Bechdel’s highly anticipated book (9 years in the making) is part memoir, part literary analysis, part exercise instruction manual. Not surprising, when you look at Bechdel’s other works. There’s an exercise fitness fad in here for everyone: skiing, aerobics, karate, hiking, running. But it’s Bechdel’s relationships to aging and her body that really shine through in this text. And of course, because it’s Bechdel, you also get highly analytical references to the works of Jack Kerouac and the Beats and transcendentalism, all tied together in a colorful graphic novel. 

Borrow from the Duxbury Free Library

Have a favorite book of 2021? Let me know in the comments below! I'll be back soon with another post: my November Book Breakdown.

-Sam