“Highlights of 2021” might seem like an oxymoron, but when it comes to books there was so much goodness for me last year. I broke my personal reading record, even if I don’t count the audiobooks I listened to. This surprised me, because I have a tighter schedule this year and had to do some shuffling around – I was worried about losing reading time – I must have overcompensated! I do know that my blogging and blog-reading suffered – I’m still working on getting the balance just right, but I won’t hold my breath.
Atlantic Canada
Six years ago I decided to challenge myself to read more books from Atlantic Canada. As a result, I have read 172 books from Atlantic Canada in the last six years.
You can check out results of previous years here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.
#of Atlantic Canadian books read: 41 (last year, 31)
% of books read from Atlantic Canada: 34% (last year, 39%)
Newfoundland: 7 (last year, 9)
Nova Scotia: 27 (last year, 21)
New Brunswick: 5 (last year, 0) — I no longer have to hang my head in shame over my NB stats!
Prince Edward Island: 2 (last year, 1) — Thanks Jeff Bursey!
STANDOUTS:
(not necessarily published this year, and in no particular order)
THE REST OF CANADA AND BEYOND!
%CanLit: 83% (last year, 80%)
Out of 80% CanLit, 41% is from Atlantic Canada (last year, 48%)
I know what you’re thinking, because I’m thinking it myself… Am I really allowed to have 48 favourite books in a year?! Is that fair to everyone else who has honed it down to 10 or 12? Or even 20? Well, the answer is yes! Plus, I love to look at the display of beautiful book covers at the end of each year.
But because I am just as curious as you are which of these books I would choose–if forced–for a top ten list… (in no particular order)
My Top 10 12 Books (Fiction)
- Some People’s Children
- The Appendage Formerly Known as My Left Arm
- After Shock
- Brighten the Corner Where You Are
- Butter Honey Pig Bread
- Fishnets & Fantasies
- The Sound of Fire – review to come!
- Even So
- The Book of Eve
- Fight Night
- Why Birds Sing
- Such Miracles and Mischief – review to come!
My Top Nonfiction (aka a sneaky way to add more books to the list)
- Where Beauty Survived – review to come!
- Just Mercy
- Disorientation – review to come!
- Senior Management – review to come!
Consumed by Ink 
So pleased to see Jon McGregor as one of your standout reads. I can’t wait for Em!
Em is beautiful!
I can’t wait to read another McGregor!
I’m happy to see your NB reads are up, Naomi!
I thought you might be. 😉
Me too!
So many authors I’ve not heard of – dangerous territory to be in when I have so many unread books already!
You’ve done so well with that Atlantic Canada project. Are you planning to continue it or have a different focus now?
At this point, I can’t imagine NOT continuing my Atlantic Canadian reading – I love it too much!
Thanks for reading, Karen!
There must surely be an award one of the provinces/ states could give you for being such a good ambassador???
Haha! I just want them to keep writing! 🙂
You have certainly been doing well on your Can Lit project and have encouraged me to read some of your favorites, too.
That’s the best part! 🙂
I love that you chose 48 – narrowing it down to 10 is really hard! And those book covers do look pretty and enticing.
I just love seeing all the covers grouped together. Sometimes I choose my favourite cover, but I didn’t this year. The Strangers is definitely a contender for that!
A particularly gorgeous set of covers. I think I’ve read precisely one of your picks, Shame on Me. But I have What Strange Paradise out from the library, and a proof copy of Fight Night. (Why don’t you count audio books?!)
Oh, I do count audiobooks! I just thought maybe it was my new audiobook habit that accounted for my new reading record – and they do make up most of the difference – but even without them, I read more books than usual.
I hope you love What Strange Paradise and Fight Night as much as I did!
Oh, I see! It’s great that they’ve helped you add in extra reading time. Do you have a (partially) empty nest now? I wonder if that could account for part of it too.
Everything I’ve read about Fight Night is tempting.
Oh, you’re right! My partially empty nest might have had something to do with it. I hadn’t thought of that, because right now my son is home again.
I remember 2021. So long ago! You and Marcie got me to read Butter Honey Pig Bread, which was great, and this year – well I should read 6 Canadians, starting with Nalo Hopkinson and maybe including a Trickster. Flashing through your pretty covers I see I read What Strange Paradise too (just ok).
Oh, Bill, you’re still holding a grudge because he made you CARE? 🙂
I love so much that you read Butter Honey Pig Bread – that’s what made me want to put in *extra effort* to get The Spare Room read and reviewed in time. I can’t wait to hear what you think about your other Canadian reads!
Wow! What an exciting list of authors who are new to me! I did read (and love) Just Mercy last year. Happy to see it on another’s favorite list~!
Wasn’t it amazing? I listened to that one on audio, and I think I could listen to it again.
Thanks for visiting, Stacia! 🙂
What an interesting list Naomi – lots here that I’m not familiar with but which sound very enticing!
It’s amazing to me that many of us have such different end-of-year book lists depending on where we’re from and what’s available, but they are all equally wonderful – just different. So many good books in the world!
48!? LOL Really? Hahaha Well, why else have your own little corner of the ‘net if you can’t do as you please in a tough corner like this. But does it make the rest of us look mean for paring it down? :shrug: Maybe. Heh There are just so many favourites we share that I can’t even name them all. Which kinda surprises me in a way, cuz this year I read less CanLit than ever, but we still have so many reads in common. You’ve definitely inspired me to read more Atlantic Canadian writers; just knowing about someone else reading in a different direction makes me want to investigate that too, to see what is drawing their attention. It’s been a treat!
It makes me happy to think that I have inspired someone from the big city of Toronto to read more books from Atlantic Canada. *smiles so broadly that cheeks hurt*
You, too, have inspired me to read so many books in so many different directions! xo
I don’t think it makes the rest of you look mean… I think it makes you look decisive (and me, indecisive)! Lol
Maybe it’s just natural that, as we read more and more of CanLit, we start to become aware of the gaps. Like your renewed determination to find more books from New Brunswick. When I think about texts we had at school (Who Has Seen the Wind, The Stone Angel) the prairies may have been over-represented heheh…but that’s hardly true in my contemporary reading. To say nothing of how hard it can be to find work by northern writers! Ahem.
True! And now that you mention it, I have so many more provincial gaps to fill!! Lol
What an amazing list and there are some very creative covers there! Why Birds Sing is completely new to me, but now I am sure I will enjoy it immensely. I don’t think I ever read a book whose central character is an opera singer (maybe only Willa Cather’s The Song of the Lark?), really great stuff.
Why Birds Sing is a gem. It deserves more love, so I’m glad it caught your eye! 🙂
You’re allowed as many books as you want on your list, and they ARE lovely covers! Mine are here and I allowed myself 18 … https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2021/12/31/book-stats-and-best-books-of-2021/
Thank you, Liz! I’ll pop over to have a look…
Wow awesome job Naomi, you’ve got some books on there that I really want to get to – especially Fight Night by Miriam Toews!
Re: reading more books this year, I think bookworms like us can’t help ourselves, we need to read, it’s part of our DNA and we will find the time come hell or high water. 🙂
It’s true! Even when I was little, I used to hide in the coat closet behind all the coats so no one could find me. And when the kids were really little, I hid in the bathroom until they noticed I was missing. 🙂
Wishing you continued reading successes in 2022 Naomi! I’m hoping to read more this year. I’ve been reading of course, but nothing like I used to, and so many books I want to get to 🙂
I miss you, Madame B! I have to get over to your site and visit! 🙂
That’s really kind Naomi! I’m hoping to blog more this year after a very slow couple of years, fingers crossed… But I’m enjoying getting back to catching up with everyone’s posts!
🙂
48 favourite books of a year sounds like a dream, honestly, haha. That’s wonderful you found so many books to love!
I feel like there must be something wrong with me… I love almost all the books I read! 🙂
Nothing wrong! Teach us your secret 😂 On a more serious note, though, do you ever DNF books?
I do, but rarely. And, if I do, it usually happens within the first few pages. Maybe I’m just good at knowing what I like? Or maybe I just like a wide range of stuff? *shrug*
Either way, it works out well for you! haha 🙂