The Best Books of 2021 (according to the NY Times)

Finding new best books of the year lists is like opening an advent calender! Today's list is the NY Times' 10 best books of 2021 including fiction and nonfiction. Click ‘Show More’ for info & links.

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Books discussed & purchase links:

How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue

Intimacies by Katie Kitamura

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers

No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut

The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen

How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith

Invisible Child by Andrea Elliott

On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed

Red Comet by Heather Clark

My reviews of the books I've read so far:

No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut

Childhood by Tove Ditlevsen

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Get in touch

[rod]

Intimacies is one of my favourites of 2021! The narrator’s thoughts on language, the male gaze, budding relationships, moving abroad, belonging… ah I truly loved it! I also had a minor interaction with Katie Kitamura of Instagram because of the book and she was so nice! I would have never expected her to respond to a random person’s thoughts on her book but she did and she was genuinely lovely.

[liliapereira]

Great recomendations! And I want a tea calendar like yours!

[hayleystenger]

How the Word is Passed is a favorite of mine this year. I just moved to Virginia and a few of the locations are here so I look forward to taking a few field trips to learn more for myself.

[BobTheBookerer]

Ahh, I will never not love these lists!

The Copenhagen Trilogy sounds so interesting to me, but yes, I can totally imagine the need for a pause in between them!

It's been so lovely to see Labatut's book still getting so much love this year- I was really blown away by it!

Those non-fiction books sound great- like you said, I tend to miss most of the good non-fiction coming out because of focusing more on novels, but I really want to read them all! Red Comet is one I've heard some amazing things about!

[cindyhaiken]

I was able to watch the reveal of the NYT Top Ten live on Tuesday. It’s always interesting to hear the critics talk about these books and also mention personal favorites that did not make the cut. I have read five of these. I adored the Lockwood and was extremely impressed with the Labatut and the Smith. Intimacies actually left me dissatisfied but people do love it. Looking forward to more best book lists throughout the month!

[KierTheScrivener]

I really recommend the audiobook of How The Word Is Passed. He narrates it himself and just adds to it.

Loved Juneteenth as well!

[bookofdust]

I think Red Comet is a landmark biography that future biographies will be measured against.

[dangvy]

Hi Eric, could you make a video recommending “Books about books”? I’m reading Reading Lolita in Tehran and that book just wowed me, so I’m wondering if there are other books like that out there. Please help, yes?

[andrea_]

"Red Comet" will be translated soon in my country. Can't wait to read it.

[MsReadsAlot]

A tea advent calendar!!! That is very cool! I keep seeing love songs and am very curious about it! Interesting picks by NY times

[annakap]

I really want to read Intimacies, which I hadn't heard of prior to this list, and When We Cease to Understand the World, which has been on my TBR since you recommended it a few videos back!

[jimsbooksreadingandstuff]

Interesting selection. How the Word is Passed sounds fascinating.

[mradcaqbdb]

How the Word is Passed is brilliant. It’s my top non-fiction book of the year. I definitely recommend the audiobook read by the author. After listening to it, I went out and bought the physical book. (I accidentally bought the book twice!) Highly recommended!

[avolynfisher]

All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days by Rebecca Donner, writing about Mildred Harnack, an American woman who worked to aid the Resistance against Hitler. Truly fascinating and an incredible story (nonfiction).

[bookreview]

Ah, the Love Songs of W.E.B Du Bois is one that is everywhere just now and I wish I had the time just now to dive into such a big novel.

[annegibson]

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Dubois is a wonderful story. I have heard quite a few people say it's a Putilzer Prize contender. I tend to agree. Invisible Child moved me to tears several times. I think it is a contender for the Putilzer Prize for nonfiction. I am not good at picking prize winners. You are much better at that.

[michaeldornan]

Enjoyed most of that, thank you. You said that Intimacies was about a translator. I looked it up as it sounded very interesting but it is about an interpreter, not a translator. There is a huge difference. I should know as I am both. A translator writes, an interpreter talks... FYI.

[SpringboardThought]

Ohh I want to get to almost all of these ones. Especially Love Songs, which yeah, so many people are singing the praises of. A couple are coming down the line on Libby. Slowly but surely.

[LarryHasOpinions]

only read lockwood out of these, there's always way more books than i can keep up with!

[jacquelinemcmenamin]

Intimacies by Kitty Kitamura begins well and the writing is lovely. However I found the final chapter disappointing.
I don’t understand the fascination book prize judges have with No One Is Talking About This.