My Favorite Books of 2021!

[@Jere616]

Re: The Idiot - a favorite of mine as well. Interesting how the opening scene on the train traveling through the fog and describing how cold the Prince was due to his inadequate clothing exactly prefigures how inadequately prepared he was for the harsh cold society of Petersburg he was heading into.

[@Caliban_80]

Just got back from a long trip, poured a nice bourbon, sat down and saw this notification. Providence.

[@myrarucker7953]

I’m readyThe Idiot now. I’m a little more than a third of the way through. I’m also going to start The Historian tonight. I’m a reading nut. I read all the time. Just found you. Enjoying your web!! Happy New Year 🎆

[@librariesandlabradors]

Oh that passage from The Marble Faun transported me. I have visited Rome, and you are so right that it takes you right back.

[@josmith5992]

I know what you mean about looking back on books you ranked highly and them being forgettable, also the way five stars can be awarded for so many different things including emotional impact which I think often wins the day for me. So happy you have thought so much about A Room With A View- I love it so much, really enjoyed In the Woods and not a fan of Moby Dick but that could have been where and when I read it. Lots on this list I will be adding to my want to read Jennifer!

[@booksandpizza]

I remember hearing you talk about the Marble Faun before but I don’t remember if I had commented on it so I hope I won’t repeat myself 😅 I love how passionate you are about it and I really feel it could be a book for me too especially since I’ve only read (and really loved) The Scarlet Letter by Hawthorne, I since wanted to check out more by him and this sounds just perfect! I agree that conveying the atmosphere and constructing effective descriptions is a gift only some authors have and I came to the realization later because previously I just thought it was my fault if I couldn’t follow or got distracted reading settings descriptions.

[@melissahouse1296]

*Such* a great wrap up I have several of these for 2022 inc MDick (& Ahab's Wife) as a 'literature in conversation' theme.. ? I *so* want to read TMFaun 😍i totally trust your reccs (all have been 4-5*). You are an amazing reviewer & i cant wait to continue the journey with this channel in 2022.. Happy New Year Jen!🙃🙂

[@jenniferbrooks]

Thank you so much, Melissa! Happy New Year!

[@Lisisca13]

The Marble Faun is beautiful, thank you for mentioning it, I think a lot of people will pick it up and love it. Lovely video as always Jennifer!

[@jenniferbrooks]

Thank you!! 💕

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

Moby Dick was one of my best books of 2021 too! (#1, actually!) I watched your review of it before reading and found it incredibly informative! :D

[@jenniferbrooks]

It’s such a wonderful read!!

[@aethereal100]

One of the reasons I've given up on modern fiction is because they've removed all the beautiful prose and reduced the writing to a generic standard. I mostly read nonfiction now, but if I do read fiction, it's the classics or decades-old novels where the prose is still lush and descriptive. It's really too bad that publishers and writers have fundamentally altered the art of writing in exchange for quick and easy. :/ I will definitely be checking out The Marble Faun. Thank you!

[@melissahouse1296]

I feel the same way on every point.. im indulging in lots of Henry James in 2022 (not the most loved author here on bt & i understand why), but i adore his long languid 'purple prose', i find it hypnotic & spell weaving. But yes many other classics.. & i hope to read TMFaun too! 🙂

[@SarahAsYouWish]

You need to try Tiffany McDaniel’s books if you want lush, descriptive prose. Her writing is stunning!

[@sarahferguson5478]

I could definitely see some of these coming 🐋 haha my favorite read of the year, which is one of the first I read this year, was The Starless Sea. There isn't a week that goes by that I haven't thought about. It's such a beautiful story. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend!

[@kimesch9698]

Happy New Year from NY, Jen. Your reviews are terrific, and I value your opinions of books. I’ve put a bunch of these on my TBR.

[@jenniferbrooks]

Thank you, Kim! Happy New Year!

[@BrandonsBookshelf]

Oh I cant wait to read A Room with a View! this has been on my list for a while and you got me excited for it because I too am not a romance reader so that's hopeful! I also just read my first Ivan Turgenev and am looking for more so that was great!

[@foxedfolios]

I am also definitely NOT someone who looks for or enjoys romance in book (😴/🤢 - 😂), but I reread ARWAV this year after a 20+ year gap and was blown away by how much I enjoyed it this time. I think a large element is Forster’s razor-sharp observational commentary and his ability to absolutely nail the ‘shape’ of his characters through dialogue and mannerisms. One immediately understands the psyche and preoccupations of every person in the book. His skill with characterisation and observation also make it a very funny book - not LOL funny, more wry knowing smile - which also makes it a strange candidate for one of my favourite (re)reads of the year as I don’t tend to get on with ‘funny/comic’ novels either…😅🤷 (Give me a unrelentingly depressing text and I’m generally good. 😂) Anyway, hope you enjoy it if you decide to give it a shot. I’m slowly working my way through Forster’s stable, alongside several bios and commentary collections, and it’s proving to be an enjoyable ride so far. Best wishes for good reading in 2022. 🦊📚🤓

[@foxedfolios]

Oh, and favourite book of the year…. It’s probably really basic of me but it has to be The Promise by Damon Galgut, winner of this year’s Booker Prize. I loved it when I read it and it was immediately my pick for The Booker (not that I particularly care about prizes, but for the first time this year I found myself ‘coincidentally’ reading several books on the longlist so just decided I might as well go all in!😅). And I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. I honestly think it’s a modern master work. I’ll also shout out Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky, a spectacularly good poetry collection that reads more like a play. A must-read IMO. The Waiting Years by Fumiko Enchi and Berg by Ann Quin were both also 🔥. Reread An Artist of the Floating World by Ishiguro - still a fantastic book. In terms of recent releases, very much enjoyed The Archer by Shruti Swamy and O Beautiful by Jung Yun. I also read Swann’s Way by Proust this year for the first time. It was a tough hang at times, but very happy to have read it and will be continuing (slowly!) with the sequence. (Tana French 🔥🙌. The Trespasser is my favourite, though I know this puts me in the minority. The writing style in that book is 👨‍🍳 😘!) Happy reading!

[@BrandonsBookshelf]

@@foxedfolios Hot Damn! what an endorsement! I'm all over it!

[@foxedfolios]

@@BrandonsBookshelf I hope I haven’t oversold it! 😳😅. I honestly don’t remember enjoying it so much the first time, but this time was just great. Also, I don’t have much memory of any of the books I read in my teens and twenties so it may just be an age thing! 😄

[@AnNTje2000]

I haven't read any of these books yet, but a lot of them are on my endless tbr. My favourites this year were Mansfield Park, My Cousin Rachel, The Phantom of the Opera, The Other Bennet Sister and A Monster Calls.

[@jenniferbrooks]

My Cousin Rachel almost made it onto my list too! You had a great reading year!

[@PoiemaLee]

Excellent, I enjoyed every word! You may have convinced me to try Tana French. And. . .I think I read an adapted version of Moby Dick to my kids way back in the day. After listening to the snippet you quoted, I'd like to revisit it for myself. Great thoughts, thank you!

[@jenniferbrooks]

Thank you, Terri! I hope you enjoy Tana French if you pick her up!

[@svea7175]

You make me want to try Tana French again! I tried In the Woods but it wasn't really for me tbh. So many of these books are on my TBR for next year!

[@jenniferbrooks]

😱 I thought Tana French would be an author you’d love!!

[@dream816]

The Marble Faun is on my January TBR and I’m so excited to read it based off of your recommendation! I’m really tempted by Moby Dick too. I loved the passage that you read and how much is resonates. Sounds like I might save it though for a read when I’m next at the beach or on the water 🥰 Thanks for all the wonderful bookish content this year Jennifer!! I love your channel!

[@jenniferbrooks]

Oh, I hope you love it! Yes, Moby Dick was fun to read near the water!

[@kubekherbaty690]

Hi! Since you like reading about Nero I think you would love 'Quo Vadis' by Henryk Sienkiewicz. I don't know if it's known in the USA but for Polish students it's actually a school read. It's written beautifully and in my opinion you should check it out!

[@jenniferbrooks]

Thank you for this rec! I've heard a little about Quo Vadis but didn't know it had anything to do with Nero!

[@kubekherbaty690]

@@jenniferbrooks it does! It tells the story of the first Christians living in Rome under the rulership of Nero

[@Shellyish]

Jennifer, amazing video! Tana French is brilliant and has such gorgeous prose. I’m prioritizing picking up First Love (sounds like a read I will really enjoy). You’re making me want to pick up Moby Dick. Beautiful quote! I REALLY want to read Guy Gavriel Kay. 😊 Your number 1 surprised me.

[@jenniferbrooks]

I think First Love would be right up your alley, Shelly! It's really dreamy but packs an emotional punch.

[@Shellyish]

@@jenniferbrooks Yes!! Exactly my kind of read.

[@susanm2128]

Yesterday I finished First Love and Other Stories. This was the first Turgenev book I've read. Besides First Love, I liked Mumu and King Lear of the Steppes. Through his descriptions I really felt I was in the midst of 19th century Russia. Looking forward to Father and Sons. Have you read The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck? This was a reread for me this year. The first time I read it, I cried so hard at the end because I knew there would be no more. Steinbeck died before completing it.

[@librariesandlabradors]

I bought Moby Dick because of you and can’t wait! You’ve convinced me it’s worth reading.

[@jenniferbrooks]

Oh, I hope you love it!!

[@marianamasbooks]

I was expecting to see Moby Dick on this list! It’s on my classics list I for sure want to read in 2022, I added it after I first heard you review it. At that time I’d just finished reading Fathoms, by Rebeca Giggs, a very philosophical nonfiction book about whales (which I loved). So when you mentioned all the tangents Melville goes on about whales, I knew I wanted to read it :)

[@sabinelipinska8614]

I´ve got a Goodreads account some days ago and I like it. When it is about A Room with a View - I am just finishing it. Do you watched the film (1985). I love the film, even more than the novel.

[@SarahAsYouWish]

My goodness, can you sell a book! You have made me want to pick up every one of these books that I haven’t yet read. If you love a book with incredible atmosphere and lush, purple prose, you need to read Tiffany McDaniel’s books. You may want to start with The Summer That Melted Everything. It is about a man in a small Appalachian Ohio town who puts an ad in the local newspaper inviting the devil to come to town and what happens when the devil, in the form of a 13 year old Black boy, accepts. You will be transported as you read and will be emotionally impacted by this gorgeous story.

[@jenniferbrooks]

Thank you, Sarah! I'm definitely adding Tiffany McDaniel to the TBR!

[@nancyabbott2660]

I must have missed something because I hated Moby Dick and I love most Classic literature…I read many years ago..so maybe I need to try again. Age can make a difference

[@ConnorStompanato]

i need to read a room with a view, i own it and i really enjoyed maurice by em forster so i dont know what im waiting for. you almost convinced me to read moby dick, but i really just dont know if its for me 😅 maybe one day...

[@jenniferbrooks]

Maurice is one I'd really like to get to this year!