Books of the Year

It's time for our final post of the term - and of 2021 (what a year). In spite of everything else that's been going on, somehow, we've all kept reading.  Here are some of the books we've enjoyed most. 

Sandro Weeks recommends The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach: 'a fun book about the journey of a college baseball team in Wisconsin with a storyline riddled with drama, anticipation and complicated relationships'.

Luke Buckland recommends The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angelina Boulley: 'it is a thriller about Daunis Fontaine, a Canadian girl with a French Canadian mother with inheritance to the Sugar Ojibwe Tribe of her late father. She encounters a tragic murder, which leads her down a path of drug trafficking in her community, eventually intertwined in an FBI investigation of the trafficking ring. I would argue that this book is insightful, suspenseful and emotionally complex, as it depicts alongside the thrilling plot, some of the great contrasts between her tribal heritage and Westernised culture from her French Canadian mother.'

Rahul Marchand recommends a sci-fi classic, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick: 'this is the novel that was adapted into the iconic Blade Runner film.  I very much enjoyed reading this sci fi dystopian book and how it explored deep moral and philosophical questions whilst maintaining a brisk thriller like pace.'

And Avi Dwivedi recommends another twentieth century classic, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: 'this book puts you in the shoes of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield after he has been expelled from prep school. Confused and disillusioned, Holden searches for truth and rails against the 'phoniness' of the adult world. He ends up exhausted and emotionally unstable.'

Suleyman Ansari recommends Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy: 'I really enjoyed this book because of the raw, visceral nature of the plot as well as McCarthy's style of writing. I really enjoyed the descriptions of nature in the book and also the way plot moved at a slow but gripping pace.'

Lucas Suarez enjoyed The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt: 'The Goldfinch is a coming of age story told in the first person by 13 year old Theo Decker who survives a horrifying bombing and leads us through a haunting odyssey in present-day America. It is brilliantly written and an emotional read.'

Ms Muir writes: 'My thanks to the Library staff who always kindly send an eco-book my way before it hits the SPS library shelves. One such book that I particularly enjoyed reading this year was Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Working as a professor of Environmental and Forest Biology, Kimmerer combines her scientific knowledge of plants and wildlife with the mystical understanding of her people – the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. 

Whenever I attempt to talk about our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world, I fear that my expression is trite and limited. Kimmerer’s writing, however, is both succinct and heartfelt as she interweaves concepts of the sacred and science with passion and hope: 'For all of us, becoming indigenous to a place means living as if your children’s future mattered, to take care of the land as if our lives, both material and spiritual, depended on it.''

Dr Harrison recommends Attack Surface by Cory Doctorow: 'Doctorow specialises in trenchant, hopeful dystopian fiction, perhaps a near-future yet recognisable world (Unauthorised Bread, Walkaway, Down and Out of the Magic Kingdom or Eastern Standard Tribe) or in this the present day universe where our protagonists, introduced in Homeland and Little Brother, are coming to terms with widespread surveillance, where our smartphones and much of our everyday tech are working against us. We follow Masha Maximow as she moves from inside a counterterrorism company designing the tools to do the monitoring and controlling, switching sides to help the insurgents and radicals use the technology for the greater good. 

Doctorow’s non-fiction is stridently pro-activist, seeking to highlight how The Man is subjugating the little guy and how Big Tech is both enabling so much good but giving big tools to unaccountable multinational megacorps. He brings these messages of doom and gloom  to his fiction, but with a clear manifesto of how to make life better. The technology described is real, the dangers and opportunities clear and present, but the ultimate message is hopeful and optimistic, that you should never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed people can change the world; because it is the only thing that ever has.'

Mrs Cummings has two books to recommend. First of all, The Betrayals by Bridget Collins 
'Montverre is an elite academy high in the mountains of an unnamed country. Students train for the Grand Jeu, an mysterious contest with a mix of music, mathematics and ruthless strategy. Leo Martin was a student there and has now returned as a disgraced politician to keep an eye on the Magister Ludi, the woman in charge. He is sure they have never met, but he feels an odd connection with her.

Claustrophobic and mysterious; this is a book that drags you in and keeps you turning the pages. It’s is beautifully written and gives a real sense of this harsh other world. It reminded me of Gormenghast.'

Secondly, Eight Detectives by Alex Pavesi.  

'Murder mysteries must follow a set of rules, otherwise they are no fun. This book plays with the rules while telling the story of Grant McAllister, the author and mathematician who sat down and worked them out. Thirty years later Julia Hart is preparing a new edition of his stories and together they revisit the past as she tries to understand how they work. She gradually realises that things don’t make sense and there are hidden references to a long-unsolved murder.

So clever! This would make a great Christmas gift for the murder mystery fan in the family. Enjoy trying to spot the errors and work out who the murderers are. Then compare with Ronald Knox’s Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction and see which rules you think are best.'

Will Cronshaw enjoyed American Beauty by Edna Ferber: 'I would recommend this as my chosen book of the year as I found it to be extremely well written. The way that relationships are explored in the Oakes family over a more than 200 year period shows how attitudes evolve through a time of supreme change.'

Topo Gilpin recommends My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite: 'it's a novel told from the point of view of a young Nigerian woman who's sister is a serial killer. The book explores themes of culpability and family and is a throughly enjoyable book.'

And Federico Nanni recommends another novel about an amoral murderer: 'The Talented Mr. Ripley is a book that gives an intriguing look into a twisted while incredibly high functioning mind, and shows as this mind slowly unravels into insanity through a series of dramatic events, providing a thrilling read.

Leo Pavell recommends The Undiscovered Self by Carl Jung: 'this is a book concerned with how individuals’ unconscious emotions can result in primal emotions boiling over when they gather in groups. Jung reminds us that the individual has become less and less important in modern societies that place more value in the collective. It is short, and not an accessible read: 'ultimately everything depends on the quality of the individual, but our fatally short-sighted age thinks only in terms of large numbers and mass organizations...’

Mr Harris recommends The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon: 'written in a creolised West Indian patois, The Lonely Londoners is an intimate, humorous, and sometimes uncomfortable tale of immigration during the Windrush era. 

Its mosaic narration, which enters multiple different characters’ viewpoints, focus on urban poverty, deconstruction of ‘standard’ English and elements of stream of consciousness embody a constant tension between its Dickensian heart and modernist influences, and as such set a perfect backdrop for a story that depicts a city undergoing significant cultural change.'

Rohan Nightingale's novel of the year is Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart: 'excellent novel that lays bare the issues of poverty and derelict housing within 1980s Glasgow. The novel taps into the ideas of Thatcher’s political decisions and its effects which shape the livelihoods and experiences of the characters.'

And Ed McFie recommends The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon: 'follows the protagonist's psychedelic-driven adventure into a trivial, confusing conspiracy theory, laced with Anarchist undertones.'

Mr Dormandy's book of the year is A Traitor's Kiss: The Life of Richard Brinsley Sheridan by Fintan O’Toole: 'this wonderfully vivid biography of the great playwright and Whig politician Richard Sheridan paints an unforgettable picture of late Eighteenth-Century London – its theatres and clubs, its political intrigues and romantic entanglements.  

Sheridan was a nobody – the son of an Irish actor-manager – who shot to fame through an impossibly romantic love affair that was the celebrity scandal of its time, out of which he built, first, a career as the leading comic playwright and theatre owner of the age, and then as a senior Whig politician and trusted confidant of the Prince Regent.  An astonishing story beautifully told.'

Dr Ruddick has two favourites from her 2021 reading. First of all, A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth: 'this is the book that took me the longest to read this year – an immersive dive into the swirling political and cultural currents of post-Partition India, told through the intertwined experiences of four families. At the heart of the story is Lata Mehra, a 19-year-old woman whose mother is determined to find a suitable match for her, but the vast array of subplots range far and wide through Indian society, religion and politics. 

Think Middlemarch, but set in 1950s India – history, humour, drama, and richly drawn characters who start to feel like your friends and family.  When I finally reached the end, I missed their company - always a sign of a good read!'

Dr Ruddick's second recommendation is Into Thin Air by John Krakauer: 'this is the book that took me the shortest amount of time to read this year – a gripping, page-turning account of the ill-fated 1996 Everest climbing expedition that claimed eight lives, written by one of the survivors. 

Krakauer pulls no punches in highlighting the commercialization, poor decision-making and clashing egos that contributed to the tragedy. However, he also captures something of the beauty of the mountain and the lure of adventure which continues to draw climbers to attempt the summit year after year, despite knowing the risks.'

Mr Staniforth also has two recommendations: 'Deviant Globalisation: Black Market Economy in the 21st Century by Gilman, Goldhammer and Weber is a selection of essays examining a wide range of underground industries and discusses how these illicit activities are an integral part of globalisation and how, with appropriate understanding it may be possible to intelligently and humanely enact policies that will minimise the ill effects of globalisation while allowing us to make the most of its benefits.

English Magic by Uschi Gatward is a selection of gorgeous and intricate short stories that comfort and unsettle in equal measure. These are small and perfectly formed snapshots of England, familiar and strange, domestic and wild, recognisable and alien. Stories to whirl you round and make you look again.'

The High Master has three recommendations, starting with William Blake vs The World by John Higgs

'This is an eminently readable guide into the life and mind of Blake.  I would recommend to anyone interested in literature, art, politics or philosophy. Great if you know nothing about Blake and want an introduction or if you are already an expert.  Especially recommended if you enjoy singing Jerusalem in a public school setting!

A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon

'Roman history told through a dark lens, this is a fascinating read which provides insight into a range of Roman attitudes, not just those directly linked to crime and death.  Not as flippant as it first appears to be and some great sections on women, slaves, and other outsiders in the ancient world.'

Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirlees

'Neil Gaiman has recently shone a spotlight on this almost forgotten fantasy novel, written in 1926.  It’s childlike on the surface but has a lot of say about art, convention and rebellion.  A must for anyone who has enjoyed spending time in Narnia or Middle Earth.'

And Mr Kemp trumps everyone with a mighty four books of the year, starting with Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe: 'an absolutely extraordinary non-fiction account of ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland. Equal parts tragic, horrifying, menacing. It was totally unputdownable. I have never known very much about The Troubles in Northern Ireland, so it was amazing to see the whole history so entertainingly presented.

Strongman: My Story by Eddie ‘The Beast’ Hall: 'a zippy, rather charming autobiography of 2017’s World’s Strongest Man, and one of Stoke-on-Trent’s most famous exports. Some eye-wateringly grisly moments of deadlifting mishaps. And some unexpectedly candid meditations about mental health.;

Oh William! By Elizabeth Strout: 'one of my all time favourite writers, back with her third book in her Lucy Barton series. A lovely short novel about age and friendship. Some of the sentences are just so beautiful and elegant. Strout’s the real deal. No one writes like her.'

And finally Exhalation by Ted Chiang: 'I absolutely loved Chiang’s second collection of SF short stories. 'The Life Cycle of Software Objects,' a novella about human relationships with conscious AI computer programmes, was really heartfelt and intelligent. Imagine a mix of the Nintendo Switch game Animal Crossing and the Spielberg film AI. A properly excellent story, that has made me think more than any other book I’ve read this year.'  

Eddie Atkinson recommends Orlando by Virginia Woolf: 'I'm only about halfway through but I'm very much enjoying Orlando. A very wittily written false biography of a Tudor nobleman who inexplicably changes genders midway through the novel and goes on to travel through the ages meeting various literary figures. An entertaining read which is heavily interesting for its exploration of ideas of attitudes to literary figures, its feminist ideas and also can be read as an early portrayal of transgender identity - very little is made of Orlando's previous maleness once she has transformed.'

Nikolas Boyd-Carpenter also opts for Virginia Woolf: 'Mrs Dalloway is amazing and quite short, so you can read it quickly. Set in London in 1925, it is a deft portrait of various lives written in a pioneering style. It is beautifully written and I really liked it.'

Liam Corcoran's book of the year is The Gathering by Anne Enright: 'introspective, evocative, very well written piece of modern Irish literature.'

Adam Ahmed-Mekky recommends A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes: 'a very exciting retelling of the traditional Homeric stories from the oft forgotten female perspectives.'

Theo Warshaw enjoyed How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Ahmed: 'second person narrative which many people won’t have experienced. Good view of slum life and a lovely story with a nice journey to follow the protagonist. Under 150 pages so great little novel to read.;

Mr Gardner enjoyed French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David: 'this had been sitting on the shelf in my kitchen for a while before I finally sat down with it earlier in the year. Having only ever dipped in via the index - when in the mood to cook something pretentious - I was delighted to discover this is much much more than just a recipe book. Cultural study, autobiography, travel journal and, above all, passionate homage to the fascinations and delights of fine food, no particular culinary skills are needed to enjoy the wit, wisdom and lapidary prose of this non-fiction classic.'

Miss McLaren recommends two biographies and a novel: 'Hermione Lee's epic account of the life and works of Tom Stoppard is utterly absorbing, and Mark Dery's Born to Be Posthumous vividly evokes the eccentric American artist Edward Gorey. The most enjoyable novel I read this year (despite the gloomy title) was Everyone in this Room will One Day be Dead by Emily Austin, a comedy about angst, Catholicism and social ineptitude. A bit like Sally Rooney, but gentler.'

And our final recommendation comes from Mr Lowes, who enjoyed Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir: 'necromancers in space combined with a haunted house murder mystery. What’s not to love?!

Thanks as always to everyone who contributed to the post, and to all our readers and writers over the year: have a fabulous holiday, read lots of books, and see you in 2022!