Reading in 2021

[regshoe]

Right then...

I read 96 books in 2021, which is rather fearsome by my standards. Times continue to be good ones for curling up inside with a book. Highlights included:

• Jill by E. A. Dillwyn
• The Bull Calves by Naomi Mitchison
• A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr
• Return to Night by Mary Renault (perhaps I ought to list The Friendly Young Ladies as well, it being certainly very memorable...!)
• John Halifax, Gentleman by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik
• Anderby Wold by Winifred Holtby
• Re-reads of A Glass of Blessings by Barbara Pym and Flemington by Violet Jacob
• Three books by D. K. Broster, of which my favourite was Ships in the Bay!
• And four books by E. W. Hornung, of which my favourites were Fathers of Men and Witching Hill

I've slowed down both my author read-throughs this year—partly because I'm getting through both bibliographies and I don't want it to end!, but partly also because my fannish attention as regards both authors was taken up by fandom read-alongs—the Raffles one in the first half of the year and the FotH read-along more recently. These have also definitely been highlights!

It has, on the whole, been a pretty good reading year. I'm pleased with the several new Victorian novels I've read—those are always good fun—and with the variety of non-fiction. Also the new books I've read for book club—none of those were favourites, which is probably not surprising when I'm not picking them, but it's been good to read a few things I wouldn't have picked up for myself and discuss them in a new context.

And the 2022 reading year has already made a very good start indeed, of which more shortly. :)

Comments

[osprey_archer]

I would be hard-pressed to call The Friendly Young Ladies a highlight or a favorite or anything like that, and yet it IS one of the most memorable books that I read in 2021! Mary Renault sure knows how to twist the screws on her readers.

I have Flemington and John Halifax, Gentleman on my ereader, although who knows when I will get to them. I need to carve out a special ereader reading time, because there's a LOT of stuff on there that has been languishing for ages.

[regshoe]

She certainly does!...

Agh, I know the struggles of books languishing on the ereader! But Flemington and John Halifax are both very worthwhile.

[luzula]

That is a lot of books! I have yet to make my final tally, but I seem to be at around 50 books this year. That's less than usual; I think it's because I've been writing so much and commuting less.

Your highlights of course have some overlap with mine, and some of the ones I haven't read are on my list of books to check out (which is long...). : )

[regshoe]

Ah, I walk or cycle to work, so less time commuting means more time at home reading for me—and you certainly have written a lot :D

And I hope you enjoy whichever of these books you check out :)