If you’ve followed my blog through 2021, you might have noticed that I tried to read more books. Back in March I was impressed with my ability to up my book completion to three books. By November, I’d read ten books and had a target of twelve.
Well, the final two made their way onto my iPhone and into my ears. If you didn’t see the previous posts – the way I upped my reading count was to switch from printed copies of books to audiobooks. Close friends have assured me that listening still counts as reading and so I’ll use these words interchangeably throughout this post.
For November, I read Jews Don’t Count by David Baddiel. It’s a short but interesting read which observes how antisemitism is considered in society and how it’s often denied the same severity of other -isms.
Throughout December, I read Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe. Where Jews Don’t Count plays out over less than 3 hours, Say Nothing is a hearty 15 hours of stories and historical notes about the Provisional Irish Republican Army and troubles in Northern Ireland.
Not every book I read this year was good. Some were harder to get through than others. Certain books were a joy to read. I’ll try and pluck out a few below, but before i do that, here’s the complete rundown for 2021.
coxy’s reads for 2021
The list
- Joe Moran – If You Should Fail
- John Gray – Feline Philosophy
- Bill Gates – How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
- Alok Vaid-Menon – Beyond the Gender Binary
- Afua Hirsch – Brit(ish)
- Caroline Criado Perez – Invisible Women
- Grayson Perry – The Descent of Man
- Kate Murphy – You’re Not Listening
- Dolly Alderton – Ghosts
- Bob Mortimer – And Away…
- David Baddiel – Jews Don’t Count
- Patrick Radden Keefe – Say Nothing
And now, for the books that – if they were physical – would stay on my shelf, and the books that would be cast out into the world on bookcrossing.com
🏆 Most Fun Book to Read
Dolly Alderton – Ghosts
I guess this was one of the few books on the list that wasn’t about something factual and slightly depressing. It was fiction and a whimsical story and a little bit of a predictable ending. But whatever, it was enjoyable.
🏆 Most Captivating Book to Read
Patrick Radden Keefe – Say Nothing
You’d think after near to fifteen hours of listening to one particular subject that maybe you want to listen to something else. But this hefty read kept me captivated from beginning to end.
🏆 Most Interesting Book to Read
Caroline Criado Perez – Invisible Women
It was tough to chose the most ‘interesting’ book because Brit(ish) by Afua Hirsch was also up there. But, Invisible Women takes the title for the book that taught me a lot of stuff in an area I wasn’t fully clued up about.
💩 Worst Book to Read
John Gray – Feline Philosophy
Cats! I think I was tricked into listening to a whole load of philosophy which was lightly sprinkled with vague connections to our feline friends. I really struggled to take in this book. It became a bit of a chore to listen to towards the end, but I made it and almost regretted doing so.
Okay, that’s it for my year in books summary. If you want to know more about any book, click the links. If you want my opinion or to discuss any books, you probably know where to find me.
For 2022, I’ll try to replicate my target of 12 books for 12 months. If you have any recommendations, leave them in the comments of this post.
Expect a new book-related summary in January 2023.
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