The 10 Best Books of 2021 (so far)

We're halfway through 2021 so I've picked out 10 exceptional titles that I highly recommend. 📚 Let me know the best books you've read so far this year in the comments. Click ‘Show More’ for info & links.
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A chat with Claire Fuller about Unsettled Ground:
• Interview with Claire ...
My live reaction to the International Booker Prize winner:
• Booker International P...
Books discussed & purchase links:
At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop
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Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller
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The High House by Jessie Greengrass
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Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
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Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
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Luster by Raven Leilani
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The (Other) You by Joyce Carol Oates
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Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
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This One Sky Day by Leone Ross
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The Performance by Claire Thomas
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My full reviews of these 10 books:
At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop
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Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller
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The High House by Jessie Greengrass
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Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
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Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
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Luster by Raven Leilani
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The (Other) You by Joyce Carol Oates
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Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
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This One Sky Day by Leone Ross
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The Performance by Claire Thomas
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[@hadessabaphomete3955]

I also read that much... Its so nice to escape and discover new thoughts about life!! Transcendence Kingdom and Luster are my favs too.

[@victoratwijuka6738]

OMG Transcendence Kingdom is hilarious, my other favourite is Purpose to change the world by Victor Atwijuka

[@cherylynlarking191]

Thanks for the roundup of your favourite books so far this year. I still have to read 8 of them. The first will be the Booker winner and The Performance. Just finished The Milkman, An interesting read. Happy reading.

[@victoratwijuka6738]

The Milkman is so interesting i really loved it, my other favourite this year is Purpose to change the world by Victor Atwijuka

Transcendent Kingdom was soooo good!!! I think my favorite reads of the year so far were Ring Shout, Normal People (only got around to it now), Klara and the Sun and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman

[@tseringchemiyeaton3581]

My best books in this year so far was 1. War and peace 2. At night all blood is black 3. Curious case of Benjamin Button

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Fab! I need to go on a Tolstoy reading binge at some point.

[@BobTheBookerer]

Ooh, this is a fab set of books, thanks for sharing! Totally agree on the 6 I’ve read- all 5-star reads for me!- and really keen to check out the others! I was really blown away by ‘Unsettled Ground’- such a special book. Excited to check out your interview with her!

[@EricKarlAnderson]

I'm sooo glad you strongly connected with Unsettled Ground. Claire is awesome.

[@lbpaws]

just found your channel - looking forward to binging the videos ; i appreciate your humility and insight

[@BookLabBjorn]

I was just going to write the same! Now I don’t have to haha! Subs

[@pjreads]

I recommend The Yield by Tara June Winch.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

I've been meaning to get to this.

[@converse036]

My favorites of this year so far: -Cleanness by Garth Greenwell -Her Body & Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado -Dune by Frank Herbert -The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro -A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood -Luster by Raven Leilani -What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander💓

[@mradcaqbdb]

Interesting list! My top 2 are definitely Tin Man and Piranesi. After that, the order is not really clear yet. But I would say Minor Detail, The Other Black Girl, Infinite Country, We Are All Birds of Uganda, and Long Way Down are all in my list. So many I still want to read this year including Popisho and The High House.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Fab! 📚 Minor Detail was definitely a top book for me when I read it last year. I very nearly added We Are All Birds of Uganda to this pile.

[@apocalypsereading7117]

oh i adore that premise for The Performance!! it sounds really funny. (i remember seeing Happy Days in a theatre in London so I imagine the novel might bring back some nice memories as an added bonus.) i'm so glad it comes with your recommendation too, because i think if i'd just read about it online it might feel a bit on the nose. there's a kind of intertextuality i love and a kind where i feel the new text is just piggybacking off the cleverness of the older one, but i've got a good feeling about this one now...

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Yes, I love that play. So good. And yeah, I think the novel plays off from the play in a way which isn't just trying to piggyback like that but resonate and say something new.

[@ririschannelx]

Little Women The Colour Purple A Little Life The Kite Runner The Secret History Klara and The Sun are some of my favourites this year :)

[@andrewglasson592]

Best books I have read this year are Luckenbooth and the Sunlight Pilgrims by Jenni Fagen, The Art of Losing by alice zeniter, the book smuggler by Omaima Al-Khamis, when We cease to understand the world, the makioka sisters, lean fall stand jon mcgregor, the book of disquiet by fernando pessoa

[@mera3979]

Amazing. Thanks for sharing, have ordered The (other) you, Detransition Baby and The Performance. My favourite reads this half year were: 1) Vesper Heights by Helen McDonald 2) One Long River of Song - Brian Doyle 3) The Guest List - Lucy Foley 4) Broke Open - Elizabeth Lesser 5) A man called Ove - Fredrik Backman

[@cindyhaiken5644]

Great, eclectic list. I am 300 pages into Popisho and completely enchanted with it. Must read the JCO. Of 2021 releases, the favorites I would add are Sorrow and Bliss, The Guncle, Early Morning Riser and Dictionary of Lost Words. Looking forward to even more amazing reads in the second half of the year.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

I'm so glad you enjoyed Popisho. I've been wanting to read Sorrow and Bliss as well as Dictionary of Lost Words

[@cindyhaiken5644]

@@EricKarlAnderson I hope you enjoy them.

[@jessicalowe4845]

These books seem like such great reads. You've really sold me on At Night All Blood is Black. I'll have to check out Popisho as well! Thanks for the recs. A recent favorite read of this year for me has been We Have Been Harmonized: Life in China's Surveillance State. Very Orwellian stuff and after reading it, I realized how omnipresent the issue actually is.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Wow, that book sounds fascinating. It's such a complicated, scary business.

[@bianquita1]

I read and enjoyed Klara and the Sun (4*) and Luster (4*). I'm going to read At Night All Blood is Black soonish, have Transcendent Kingdom on hold. I've read 67 books so far, not that many books thrilled me but here are my favs so far: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw; Dear Fang, with Love by Rufi Thorpe; Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald; Wearing Paper Dresses by Anne Brinsden. Here's hoping that I'll come across more exciting reads in the second part of the year.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

I hope you find more exciting ones too! 📚 I really want to get to read Philyaw and Macdonald's books!

[@Dottiemi]

I have most of these on my (getting out of hand) TBR! The best books for me this year so far have been My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession.

[@18Alpine]

I had to giggle at your (getting out of hand) TBR. I hear you😉

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

I always look forward to these lists. I already have 6 of these on my TBR (probably because of you) so I better get to them. 😊💙

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Thank you and no rush! We get to books when we get to them. 😊📚

[@polly_34]

My favorite books of the first semester: Black Moses- Alain Mabanckou Such a Fun Age- Kiley Reis Second Class Citizen- Buchi Emecheta No Longer Human- Osamu Dazai Things Fall Apart- Chinua Achebe

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Such a Fun Age! ❤️ And I've not heard of a couple of those so I'll look them up. 📚

[@polly_34]

@@EricKarlAnderson You will love reading these books 💙 📚

[@mylanixon9582]

I can't BELIEVE how beautiful the cover of Transcendent Kingdom is. The US cover is blah!

[@EricKarlAnderson]

It is gorgeous!

[@ameyas9803]

Expected The promise by Damon Galgut in your list...

[@juanasanchez8688]

I discovered this year Octavia E Butler and read Kindred, highly recommended. Also Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo is a novel written in poetry. The Fountaines of silence by Ruta Sepetys amazed me because I thought it was written by an Spanish writer.. Heretics by Leonardo Padura also Como Polvo en el viento but I couldn’t find an English version. Finally The Path by Miguel Delibes. This is a book written in 1950 and I think you’ll love it.

[@jimsbooksreadingandstuff]

My 5 Star reads this year (not all published this year) The Sword of Kaigen by M L Wang Solitary by Albert Woodfox Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi In Dark Water by Lynne McEwan Winter Loon by Susan Bernhard

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Fab! I've not read any of those.

[@fallingwickets]

at night is fantastic...thanks for the rec. Probably not your cup of tea, but two of my great reads this year: the emperor of all maladies and empire of pain

[@EricKarlAnderson]

I definitely have been wanting to read Empire of Pain

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

I keep getting Unsettled Ground mixed up with another book I’ve already read this year. Which makes me think I’ve read it when I obviously have not. I agree with you about Transcendent Kingdom & Luster but I didn’t get on with Klara and the Sun ☀️ Still want to read De transition Baby

[@EricKarlAnderson]

That happens a lot to me with book titles and authors when I've not read them.

[@marichristian1072]

None of these books are weird enough to win the Booker Prize!

[@titolaire7]

It is missing Poemas Destilados from Titolaire!!!

[@metsch]

I recommend Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls 🤟😍💙📚🍀

[@MarcNash]

3 of those make my top 10 of the year so far. I would also offer Lina Meruane's "Nervous System" and Rebecca Watson's "Little Scratch" and Lisa Samoaske Simpson's "Noopiming".

[@EricKarlAnderson]

I've been meaning to read Watson's novel and I'll try to prioritise the other books.

[@MarcNash]

@@EricKarlAnderson Too many books, too little time!

[@lauracorsi3309]

I would add The Removed by Brandon Hobson to this list and Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Burnt Sugar was definitely a top book for me when I read it last year. I've not come across The Removed so I'll look it up. Thanks!

[@Erika-fl7wz]

I recommend Are Prisons Obsolete by Angela Y. Davis 😊

[@EricKarlAnderson]

I’ve not heard of that but I’ll look it up. Thank you!

[@captainredbond]

I honestly should stop watch your videos, every time I do I end up buying a bunch of books...not that I am particularly complaining 😂😂 I also really enjoyed unsetteled ground, as someone who lost their mum, I was really intrigued with their perspectives and how they dealt with it because I wasnt affected much but thats not really how most people are, and I feel like it helped me deepen my understanding of grief and how people cope with loss.

[@myrarucker7953]

The author??

[@icianian]

Just tried to read Klara and the sun and I only got to chapter 3 before I zoned out and lost interest and returned the book to the library.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Thank goodness you didn’t buy it and waste your money!

[@sandra7319.]

Interesting that your top ten are all new releases or I think they are?? Mine are Go Tell it On the Mountain and The Fire Next Time by Baldwin, Miss Jane by Brad Watson, In Pieces by Sally Field, The Destiny of the Republic, about the shooting of James Garfield, The Fatal Shore about the "founding" penal colony of Australia.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

I kindof self-consciously only talk about new releases unless I happen to read an older book that's really extraordinary. Plus I almost exclusively read newly published fiction. I love Go Tell It On The Mountain and I've been meaning to read Field's memoir.

[@p.k.1401]

Minor Detail really took my breath away. It was so well executed, I’m disappointed it didn’t make the international shortlist. I have mixed feelings about the Diop book. I don’t mind the pacing and the repetitiveness of the language. I think that was particularly well done, as the trauma the main character experienced, stood out in stark contrast. however, his use of female anatomy as a descriptive device, was disappointing and unnecessary. How is a war trench like a vagina? Really? I didn’t appreciate the imagery of women’s bodies as objects. It’s like I was more disappointed with Diop the writer, and not the main character.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Yes, Shibli's book was one of the best I read last year and it's such a shame it wasn't shortlisted. That is such an interesting point about Diop's book and thank you for raising it. I felt uncomfortable with those descriptions as well, but after thinking about it while reading the novel I felt like it really is an expression of the character as this is the feverish mind of a young man. Amidst his grief and rage, it seems logical to me his mind would also drift to frustrated sexual energy and longing which has no release. So the ridiculous comparison between the landscape and female body makes a kind of sense. But I entirely admit this might be too generous an interpretation of these sections and, if that was Diop's intention, perhaps it wasn't executed well enough to convey that meaning. I'd be *really* interested to hear translator Anna Moschovakis' thoughts on this.

[@mradcaqbdb]

Yes, the misogynistic imagery kept it from being a 5 star read for me. Still thought it was a great book but only 4 stars.

[@MsReadsAlot]

Wow! I haven’t read any of these books! Saving this for later when I need a new book! Detransition baby is the only one I own! 😳

[@EricKarlAnderson]

It’s a fantastic novel though so definitely recommend reading it.

[@janethansen9612]

I have read 8 of these, adding the other 2 to my TBR. Another of my top reads for this year is The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr which I thought was stunning.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Yes! I came very close to putting The Prophets on this pile.

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

Best books read so far this year The Yield The Glorious Heresies 🍀 Transcendent Kingdom Swimming in the Dark The Vanishing Half Luster Memorial Just Mercy Piranesi Currently listening to The Prettiest Star ⭐️ My Policeman 👮‍♂️ Both of which are potential 5 star reads.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

✨📚 Argh, I still need to get to reading The Yield!

[@ipekaltinok]

The Yield! Definitely!

[@johnnamurraycamp5100]

Yes: The Vanishing Half.

[@18Alpine]

I struggled with "The Glorious Heresies".

[@18Alpine]

"Snow Country" - Sebastian Faulks; "The Island of Missing Trees" - Elif Shafak; "Narrow Door" - Joanne Harris.

[@julianallen6849]

The Wanderers / Richard Price --- The Story of Lucy Gault / William Trevor -- Enlightenment - Britain and the Creation of the Modern World / Roy Porter -- Rough Crossings : Britain the Slaves and the American Revolution / Simon Scharma

[@UKLeonie]

I recommend reading "Mrs death,misses death" to EVERYONE, been my FAVOURITE since January and nothing has toppled it off yet. Now adding "The other you" to my library list and Yaa's catalogue because I keep avoiding for some reason.

[@victoratwijuka6738]

OMG! those books are hilarious, i have read 1. At night all blood is back 2. Purpose to Change the World by Victor Atwijuka They are so fantastic...

[@RM-uy3yp]

I really loved Transcendant Kingdom. Yaa Gyasi created an exceptional melancholic mood. Klara and The Sun was especially disappointing, I felt like Ishiguru tried to create an original world but it felt long winded, with many slow scenes and ultimately failed to say anything meaningful.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Gyasi is such a star. I guess I felt more in sync with the meditative mood of Ishiguro's novel.

[@user-iu4ws6vh5s]

Great recommendations-I too loved All Night Blood is Black and Transcendent Kindgom (the latter I read last year). I enjoyed Unsettled Ground (though the plot machinations at the end kept it just shy of a five star for me). Klara was one that I wasn’t sure I loved until I realized I was comparing it (somewhat unfairly) to Never Let Me Go. One of the incredible gifts of Ishiguro is his ability to shape-shift as a writer with each book being so different. Klara might have felt like a ghost image of Never but it raised different questions and it’s subtle ingenuity became clearer only later. Ishiguro is not a heavy-handed writer but his themes are…once they hit they do not let go. I recommend also the Copenhagen Trilogy, The Employees, and Open Water. For nonfiction I am reading and finding myself enthralled by Hidden Valley Road.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Yeah, tricky not to compare those two Ishiguro books since they have some overlapping themes and imperfect future vibes, but you're right his subject matter and the genres he employs are so varied. I've still only read the first part of the trilogy but loved The Employees and Open Water as well (they came close to making my top ten 😄)

[@GreenBitterfly]

I don't think I've got a top ten (turns out I've got a top eight!), I'll just look at my Goodreads and go from there. In no particular order, 1. The Silent Stars Go By - Sally Nicholls 2. Grown - Tiffany D. Jackson 3. The Survivors - Jane Harper 4. The Louder I Will Sing - Lee Lawrence 5. Kate in Waiting - Becky Albertalli 6. Remember Me This Way - Sabine Durrant 7. Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? - Séamas O'Reilly 8. Nick and Charlie - Alice Oseman

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Nice! I’ve not heard of some of those so will look them up. Thanks 📚

[@myrarucker7953]

Who is aly smith?✌🏻

[@afrozahmad8172]

Hii. Really enjoying your book recommendation's video's. Urging you to make more of political fiction books.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Thanks!

[@GunpowderFictionPlot]

Hard Agree on Unsettled Ground, but I love that your reasons for loving it, are different to mine. I thought it was about how society treats people who don't conform to the normal. Hopefully the Booker will make up for the injustice handed out to Torrey Peters. Detransition Baby was one of the most thought provoking books I've ever read, and I really recommend Darryl by Jackie Ess which push some of the ideas further. Luster was also fantastic and also robbed of a shortlist spot on the women's prize, but not for controversial reasons.

[@johnnamurraycamp5100]

I hope that Detransition Baby and Unsettled Ground and The Performance will be widely read (and I hope the book judges who might help will agree!). Great reads. Klara, too. Sad to confess I've yet to read Diop. Soon I will!!

[@ropd1538]

Well done vdo...concise and well spoken summary...just hard to watch this handsome man and listen too...had to set my device away to listen through. Those eyes, that shy demeanour, the beard, so desitreacteing .... gulp

[@amybiscoe9114]

These are not all 2021 releases, but my favorite books I’ve read so far this year are: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, The Arsonists’ City by Hala Alyan, The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry, The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna, A Spool Of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler, and Summerwater by Sarah Moss.

[@LouiseReader]

I loved The Performance too. I think Jhumpa Lahiri's Whereabouts is my book of the year so far. I just read it last week. Fabulous. I also loved Deesha Philyaw -The Secret Lives of Church Ladies Bill Hayes - How We Live Now Elizabeth Tan - Smart Ovens for Lonely People (Australian short stories) Janice Hadlow - The Other Bennet Sister Rebecca Giggs - Fathoms Richard Flanagan - Toxic Rachel Clarke - Breathtaking Ingrid Persauld - Love After Love (magnificent in audio, read by the author)

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Oh fab, I've been meaning to get to reading Whereabouts. And I've really been meaning to read Philyaw's stories too. So glad you loved Persaud's novel. 💖

[@chaitanyasethi1580]

Books that I'd recommend this year - Patti Smith - Just Kids, M Train Kate Raworth -Doughnut Economics Ann Patchett - The Dutch House Italo Calvino - If on a winter's night a traveller Tyler Feder - Dancing at the pity party Love your channel and your recommendations! :D

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Thanks! I loved reading The Dutch House. And that Calvino - I keep meaning to read more by him.

[@chaitanyasethi1580]

@@EricKarlAnderson Looking forward to your review when you get the chance to read him 😊

[@secondbase]

I’ve finished 85 books so far this year. My top reads have been Your House Will Pay, The Undocumented Americans, Convenience Store Woman, and The Death of Vivek Oji.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Wow! 📚 I adored Convenience Store Woman and I've been meaning to read the others.

[@juditkovacs1205]

I have read 57 books thus far. Some of my favorites are: We Need New Stories: Challenging the Toxic Myths Behind Our Age of Discontent by Nesrine Malik (very contemporary non-fiction) The Drowned and the Saved by Primo Levi (WWII but possibly the most humane work I have read) White Teeth by Zadie Smith (funnier than I thought it would be) Zami: A New Spelling of my Name by Audre Lorde (in parts very sexy) Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler (finally a book that incorporates social media and how we use it now in a realistic way, and not just as a gimick) Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud (one of the most entertaining reads, and also the language is great) Transit by Rachel Cusk (very literary, but great observations about people) Summerwater by Sarah Moss (possibly my favorite read of this year) And a book titled Stalin’s Cows by Sofi Oksanen that is not available in English. But Oksanen’s writing is really good, so I highly recommend her other stuff. But content warning: the have a lot of eating disorder and violence against women in them. Still worth a read. I almost bought At Night All Blood is Black and Detransition Baby last time I was in a bookstore, and I think I will do that next time. But I am kind of interested in most of the books you mentioned.

[@victoratwijuka6738]

OMG, i have read We need stories too, it is really fantastic My other favourite this year is Purpose to change the World by Victor Atwijuka...it is hilarious too

[@SM-vr8dz]

You’ve made me quite curious about The High House and The Performance. Some of my top reads this year are backlist books, but here goes: The Famished Road by Ben Okri The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector Weather by Jenny Offill I Hold A Wolf by the Ears by Laura van den Berg Daylight by Roya Marsh The Employees Olga Ravn

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Fab! 📚 Those are great choices. Big fan of Offill and Ravn too and been meaning to read some of those other ones.

[@christinehopkinsconnelly5726]

I received Popisho through an independent book shop's book of the month club when it was released here in the US. Definitely adding it to my July pile thanks to your review!

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@BellesBooksbyCarly]

Nice to hear more about The High House, it’s on my tbr but haven’t seen many people talking about it. Unsettled Ground will definitely be on my top 10 too, I loved it!

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Yeah, I wish Greengrass' book was getting more attention. Maybe some prizes will nominate it!

[@CharlieBrookReads]

Transcendent Kingdom is also one of my faves so far along with The Eighth Life (I finally got to it !) and An Ordinary Wonder by Buki Papillon 📚🥰♥️ Thank you for chatting about your faves with us xx

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Yay, so happy you've read The 8th Life. And I'm reading Papillon's novel at the moment! It's really moving. 📚🤗

[@johnnamurraycamp5100]

Transcendent Kingdom is wonderful. Still raving about Homegoing, I haven't been as good a cheerleader for TK. Oops. My bad.

[@SixMinutesForMe]

Completely agree re The Performance 🎭 💕🙌🏻

[@EricKarlAnderson]

🤗📚

[@audreygrima7257]

Merci 🙏 for your video I love so Frère d’âme of David Diop ♥️ Have a nice reading bye Audrey

[@EricKarlAnderson]

💖

[@The7cristina]

It's very comforting to read books in these circumstances

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Definitely! I don't know what I'd have done without them.

[@beckybleaden]

Loved watching this and have requested a few from the library! (I've just picked up Unsettled Ground following your praise) Best books so far: Middlemarch by George Eliot, Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes, Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, Sistersong by Lucy Holland and Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Thank you! Awe, Song of Achilles ❤️ And I love Middlemarch and Mrs D. I’ve been curious to read Pandora’s Jar. Is it really good? I really enjoyed A Thousand Ships

[@beckybleaden]

@@EricKarlAnderson it was an empowering and very eloquent work, that almost provided justice to the women, whilst also keeping it relevant to today. I recommend the audiobook which is narrated by Natalie H and you can hear her passion!

[@kaislakuurama]

Super intriguing set of books, I really got inspired to read at least most of them! My personal favourites from this year are Transcendent Kingdom, REC by Marisha Rasi-Koskinen and A Field Guide To Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit!

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Fab! 📚 Wasn't it Rebecca Solnit that wrote the later book? I was worried for a second that Maggie Nelson had a new book I'd not heard about.

[@kaislakuurama]

@@EricKarlAnderson Ohhh right, yes, that's right! I've read the authors almost side-by-side, (and also I'm horribly bad at remembering names) so I got the names mixed up! Although would be lovely if Nelson would have secretly published a new book 😍

[@LarryHasOpinions]

i really wish i had liked klara as much as you did, i found it quite disappointing. Really want to get around to reading detransition baby, nice vid as usual :-)

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Thank you! It'd be really interesting to hear what you think of Peters' novel.

[@BookishTexan]

I enjoyed reading _Detransition, Baby_ this month. Such great characters. I will definitely being adding _At Night All Blood is Black_ to my TBR

[@EricKarlAnderson]

I hope you find Diop's novel as moving as I did.

[@jennywhisconier7777]

Thanks for the recommendations -- just finished The Testaments and Peter Camenzind.

[@purplecrayon7281]

Is there anyone who thought All Blood is Black a tad underwhelming? It's good but a bit repetitive with the hand chopping and a so-so ending.

[@frgabrielmary4620]

Finally, a list of your own :) "At Night all Blood" was suggested for my book club, but it sounds incredibly dark. Is there enough literary depth to sustain the violence? I really wanted to like Gyasi's T. Kingdom but couldn't warm up to the protagonist and felt the treatment of religion was a caricature.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Definitely, I think Diop's novel probes a lot of social and philosophical issues.