38 Books in 2021
Only 38? That’s all? I was disappointed at the end of the year. It’s far fewer than I’ve read in years past. And then I remembered how much I’ve made with my actual hands. Made. Sewn. Woven. Crafted. Smelled. Manifested. Learned.
I’ve taken 40+ classes in 2021 (most virtually, a few in person). And many have given me something to do with my hands, which is a blessing to keep my brain still. So with the time stolen from reading, I learned how to do things and then watched TV or listened to podcasts and I practiced my new crafts.
I did read a bunch of great books too. Follow me on Goodreads.
If you only read one book on the list
The Death of Vivek Oji
So hauntingly beautiful. I can’t stop thinking about it.
Three fiction books if you’re in a reading slump
The Great Offshore Grounds
A solid story with powerful characters.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Shirley Jackson makes what should be scary feel sweet and tender.
Lexicon
An unexpected premise makes the whole book fun to read.
FIVE STARS
The Death of Vivek Oji, *****
Emezi, Akwaeke
And then there’s a book that just wrecks you. You stay up too late finishing it. And ugly cry but hold back sobs so you don’t wake your partner.
Don’t let this stop you from reading this gorgeous book, bursting with life and love.
“I dreamt that I was our grandmother,” I tell him. “I looked in a mirror and she was there, just like the pictures, and she spoke to me in Igbo.” “What did she say?” “Hold my life for me.”
My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Mending of Our Bodies and Hearts, *****
Menakem, Resmaa
Wow, what a simple and powerful book. If nothing else, I feel better about my fidgety habits like rocking and rubbing my feet together. We need to take better care of our bodies.
“Self-care is the constant practice of not letting more pain accumulate. It is about continually remembering that our lives are of value. It is the active process of settling our nervous systems so that we have more access to the present moment.”
“Hug people mindfully. Before you give a hug, do your best to settle your body. As you hug the other person, pay close attention to your body — and to their body, too. This transforms a greeting ritual into a practice for settling and harmonizing bodies. (Of course, only hug people who are okay with being hugged.)”
FOUR STARS
What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat, ****
Gordon, Aubrey
My Fat Friend was the most enlightening blog I read on Medium. And then she created the Maintenance Phase podcast. And now she has a book that everyone should read. Many (most?) of us grew up in homes where anti-fat bias was modeled. My parents constantly dieted. I was praised for my looks and weight loss.
Being fat isn’t a personal failing or a choice. It’s complicated and personal and frankly none of your business. But it is your business to treat fat people with respect as a fellow human. Please read this.
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times, ****
May, Katherine
A beautiful and meaningful book while we struggle through this collective COVID winter.
“We didn’t so much retreat from the world as let it recede from us.”
“I am not baking because I’m hungry; I am baking to keep my hands moving.”
Witchcraft: The Library of Esoterica, ****
Hundley, Jessica
I rarely buy or own books, but I bought this new. Shrink-wrapped even. It is gorgeous, full of artwork and essays about witches, magick and lore.
Hangsaman, ****
Jackson, Shirley
At first, not terrifying, but disturbing. Then really terrifying. Finally, surreal with moments of terror.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle, ****
Jackson, Shirley
The most delicate horror story, completely empty of gore and shock value. Yet, it made me shudder.
Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, ****
Franklin, Ruth
Sometimes I read biographies of authors and it fulfills my curiosity. Not here…I’m very excited to pepper Shirley Jackson books throughout my reading list. Oh, and it was a great biography too.
The Great Offshore Grounds, ****
Veselka, Vanessa
Gorgeous gorgeous book. I fell in love with all the characters, especially Livy. But for some reason this book took me quite a while to finish.
Gather the Daughters, ****
Melamed, Jennie
Dystopian future fiction or just dystopian fiction? A world where women have less agency than today. The daughters are the ones who rail against the status quo.
The Mercies, ****
Millwood Hargrave, Kiran
Wow, a beautiful and gently brutal book about the fear of difference and the quiet power of women.
Also, the 1600s in Norway seem more technologically advanced than I imagined?
Fake Accounts, ****
Oyler, Lauren
First twist, I think I know what’ll happen next. But it doesn’t. She just keeps on being a super typical millennial/gen z. And then I think I know what’ll happen next. Nope, not that either. And then I’m surprised at the end.
Daddy, ****
Cline, Emma
A very A.M. Holmes vibe with Millennial stories
The Once and Future Witches, ****
Harrow, Alix E.
I saved this quote and just love it: “Maybe magic is just the space between what you have and what you need.”
Lexicon, ****
Barry, Max
Wow, what a wild ride! Imagine if a secret word could compel you to do anything, even kill. A secret society of “poets” track down the one person who is immune. A very fun read.
Consent, ****
Springora, Vanessa
Her story is so, so French in the best and worst ways. A reverence for literary figures and a fierce independence. Yet also a reverence for the social elite and a willingness to turn a blind eye.
She sees her own story with such clarity, of how he abused his power and manipulated her feelings.
The Western Wind, ****
Harvey, Samantha
A beautifully simple book from the POV of a priest in a rural English town in the 1500s. As he navigates the death of a favorite parishioner, you learn about the townspeople.
The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History, ****
St. Clair, Kassia
From the linen used to wrap mummies to the wool used to make Viking sails to astronauts’ space suits to Arctic explorers who froze rather than wearing furs — this book was full of weird information that I don’t need to know, but I’m really glad I learned. Thanks Heather for the recommendation!
What Fresh Hell Is This?: Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You, ****
Corinna, Heather
Recovering from hormone treatment was hands down the hardest part of cancer treatment for me. I thought I was prepared. At least I didn’t have hot flashes. 🥵
THREE STARS
Broken Faith: Inside the Word of Faith Fellowship, One of America’s Most Dangerous Cults, ***
Weiss, Mitch
Nobody joins a cult. But cults create situations where people lose themselves bit by bit. I’d never heard of Word of Faith Fellowship, but the founder sounds unhinged.
True Story, ***
Petty, Kate Reed
Does the truth even matter when people fill in the cracks of a story with their own details? The author attempts a unique storytelling technique with mixed results.
Magic Lessons (Practical Magic, #0.1), ***
Hoffman, Alice
Lots of crying and worrying. But also great storytelling about the Owens women and magic.
There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor’s Baby: Scary Fairy Tales, ***
Petrushevskaya, Ludmilla
Spoiler…Russian fairy tales are dark. Very dark.
The Push, ***
Audrain, Ashley
A mom’s worst nightmare or generational trauma or both? Violet and her mom clearly have issues, but it seems like they’re at least open about it…unlike every other character.
White Magic, ***
Washuta, Elissa
A Native woman’s journey with magic (conjuring and slight of hand) and magik (working with the energy of the universe).
Luster, ***
Leilani, Raven
Yikes, I had nervous stomach the whole book. White privilege, awkward adultery and bad choices.
Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close, ***
Sow, Aminatou + Ann Friedman
I had a bit of a crush on these ladies listening to the Call Your Girlfriend podcast. Their thoughts on friendship make me think of chosen family.
The Sun Collective, ***
Baxter, Charles
Unusual and unexpected. The Collective didn’t seem all that appealing. Why were people so dedicated to its cause? The descriptions of Blue Telephone, a multi-dimensional recreational drug, were fascinating.
“His absence from their lives had a quality, Alma thought, of simmering rage that children sometimes felt toward their parents when a grievance couldn’t be spoken aloud or even described.”
The Near Witch (The Near Witch, #1), ***
Schwab, Victoria
I haven’t been reading enough, so I needed some quick fiction to get me back on track. Witches on the moor, a rebellious teen, mysterious disappearances…it did the trick.
The Ash-Born Boy (The Near Witch, #0.5), ***
Schwab, Victoria
The kinda prequel to the Near Witch. Misunderstood teen, magical powers, social expectations…it was also a good read.
The Witchcraft of Salem Village, ***
Jackson, Shirley
All things Shirley Jackson and in time for Samhain. I had forgotten just how bad Salem was.
The Power of Ritual: How to Create Meaning and Connection in Everything You Do, ***
ter Kuile, Casper
Of all the things I love doing — reading, hiking, crafting, etc — ritual can be layered upon them. I love the idea of bringing intentionality to the things that I already do and love.
“Pilgrimage can happen anywhere: a hike in the desert or a walk around the block, solo camping in the Rockies or a family trip to the dog park. What matters is setting an intention before we head out, paying attention to the natural world along the way — using all five senses if possible — and returning home again with a new perspective.”
Ariadne, ***
Saint, Jennifer
In the same vein as Circe, but it lacked the same depth. It did bring me full circle to one of the characters in the TV show Dark with her red thread.
TWO STARS
The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America, **
Moore, Marcus J.
I think Kendrick Lamar is incredibly gifted. This book gave me social context and details about his creative collaborators.
Witches of America, **
Mar, Alex
Sort of interesting take on witches by a not-so-interesting non-witch.
Basically, she’s embarrassed by all things magical and by witchcraft itself. She wants to be accepted by the “cool kids” of paganism but never drops her own guard. She also comments on good looks, thinness, etc enough to make me dislike and distrust her.
The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer, **
Rodman, Liza
I wanted to read it after AHS: Red Dawn. Small, insular East Coast living gone horribly wrong.
ONE STAR
The Rib King, *
Hubbard, Ladee
A slow start…but when Jennie starts telling her story, things get interesting. A cautionary tale about selling your (trade) secrets.
“Sometimes telling the truth is stupid. Don’t you know that? Sometimes you just keep your mouth shut, nod your head, do what you got to do, and go on about your business. . . . Don’t tell the truth unless you’re ready to tell it. It’s called being strategic.”
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer: How Hormone Balance Can Help Save Your Life, *
Lee, John R.
There is good information in here if you take everything with a grain of salt. But they start the book saying don’t trust the flawed findings of large cancer studies, and then ask you to trust anecdotal evidence. They end up sounding as preachy as some of the traditional medicine misconceptions they rail against.
