2021 Book of the Year
credit: https://chaptersofmay.com/ In 2021, I had read sixteen books, a paltry amount compared to the thirty-two I read in 2020. But choosing the best book I read this year—even from this narrowed range—was more difficult than last time, which meant whittling down the list to the top three; Roots by Alex Haley, A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende and Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. The first two have in common the deep subject of longing for one's homeland, albeit the former by an African boy in the 1760s snatched from his family and the latter a refugee of the Spanish Civil War era. Lastly, Anxious People is an endearing drama about, well, being taken hostage by a bank robber! Any of you who have read these books know that they were indeed very well-written. Now for the moment of truth: The Seaside Librarian declares Anxious People as the 2021 Book of the Year! Anxious People is similar to The Authenticity Project with its take on human relationships in con