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 contemporary times. Set in Sweden, the author takes us through the lives of the people taken hostage by a bank robber, with all of them eventually helping each other fight their inner battles, reminding us that what we perceive is often very far from reality. With stark descriptions of hidden turmoil offset by delightfully crafted humour, this unconventional book stands unchallenged from the rest. If you have read this book, what are your thoughts on it?

“This story is about a lot of things, but mostly about idiots. So it needs saying from the outset that it’s always very easy to declare that other people are idiots, but only if you forget how idiotically difficult being human is.”

Indeed, how often we forget.