2021 In Review - My 5 Favorite Reads

 

Five Of My Favorite Reads in 2021

My favorite genres are history, including both local history books and historical fiction,  and murder mysteries.  In addition to the books below, I also really enjoyed the Hamish Macbeth Series by  M.C. Beaton (I read the Agatha Raisin series by the same author in 2020) and the week between Christmas and New years I read the Midwinter Murders by Agatha Christie.  It's perfect for that time of year, not only because it's a seasonal theme, but because the stories are short, requiring just enough thought to be interesting, but not so much as to be tedious.

Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts.  Historical Fiction, very factual, based on the life of Maud Baum, widow of the author of the book The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz.  Dual timeline, it switches between Maud's youth as the daughter of a leading suffragette, and her mission to make sure the 1939 movie stayed true to Franks vision.  It was a fantastic read, well done, and very interesting. https://amzn.to/3pCxRlI

Another book for my list of "How did I now know this??"  In 1939, Quintuplets were born in Ontario Canada.  Not only were the babies tiny, but they were born in a little farmhouse with no electricity.  They shouldn't have survived - and yet they did.  And then, In an effort to protect them from hucksters and showmen, the Ontario government took custody of the five identical babies, sequestering them in a private, custom-built hospital across the road from their family — and then, in a stunning act of hypocrisy, proceeded to exploit them for the next nine years. The Dionne Quintuplets became a more popular attraction than Niagara Falls, ogled through one-way screens by sightseers as they splashed in their wading pool at the center of a tourist hotspot known as Quintland. Their faces sold everything from Baby Ruth candy bars to Colgate toothpaste.  The Miracle and Tragedy of Dionne Quintuplets by Sarah Miller is a quick and easy read, based on true events, even though it seems more fantastic than any fiction I read this year.  https://amzn.to/3EIACX0

I first learned about the quintuplets from a mention of them in my absolute favorite fiction series this year - The Chief Inspector Armand Gamache books by Louise Penny.  I've read a couple of these before, out of order, and I have to admit, I never really understood all the fuss.  But consistently, for years,  these are rated as the BEST on every book list I am on.  So this year I started at book 1, and by book 3, I was telling everyone I know that they need to read these books.  Read them in order. It shouldn't matter, but it does. Learning the characters faults and failures, and seeing the mercy and grace that comes out of those faults and failures - it's inspiring in a way you would never expect from a series that is technically murder mysteries.  Absolutely, hands down, my favorite books this year.    Not only have I loved the Gamache books, but reading them has inspired us to check out assorted art and poetry books that came up in the series, as well as things like the Quintuplets story.  I made a sign for our home with one of the quotes from the books - "Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering. There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in."  That quote is actually from a song, which introduced us to a new artist...  ( Don't let her recent co-author color your view - it's a completely separate book.  I certainly won't touch that one myself - I am well practiced at keeping politics out of my life.)  

https://amzn.to/3JziuCn

Well, Normally I'm well practiced at keeping politics out of my life.  Another one of my favorites this year did delve a bit into Russian politics in the 1980s.   The Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 25th 1986, but I truthfully knew very little about it.  The book details the reasons behind the explosion, and should probably be read by everyone, so we never allow that history to repeat itself. Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham. https://amzn.to/3EBfIZT

For a much lighter read, The Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer was really good!  . There's a tv series based on these that I have not yet seen, but as a lover of all things Sherlock Holmes, I loved these books.  So far I have only read the older ones, but I was happy to see the author took advantage of the fame brought by the tv series to pen two more this year.  https://amzn.to/3406g5u

  

And because I'm terrible at just picking five favorites...  I also loved the Historical Fiction Florence Nightingale Mysteries by Christine Trent https://amzn.to/3qIVybw, Dan and I continued to enjoy the Andy Carpenter series by  David Rosenfelt  on our road trips Light mysteries, funny, but not silly - smart funny. Carpenter is a lawyer, who runs a dog rescue.  He managed to tie in a lot of mafia plots & big conspiracies, all without being silly, nor being too serious.   https://amzn.to/3Hq9Ynk and I have been REALLY enjoying the essays in What The Dog Saw by Malcom Gladwell.  I'm really not sure what I think of Gladwell just yet, and I can't say I would fully trust his interpretation of all events, but he has this knack for finding people who think differently, or have unique qualities or experiences.  They make you think, and in a good way, I think. https://amzn.to/3EGOykh

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