Top Nine for 2021

Barbara Comyns was my hot discovery of the year.

Did I mention Barbara Comyns?

The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante. Raw and intimate, this book cast a dark, disquieting spell over me. Loved it. Bought it for a friend who was horrified by it. So, there you go.

A Woman in the Polar Night by Christiane Ritter. Enchanting. High adventure in understated prose.

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee. It’s been a while since I read a book with a highlighter, but I turned these pages bright yellow. Extraordinary prose..

Excellent Women by Barbara Pym. Chuckled like a kettle on the boil all the way through.

Malamander by Thomas Taylor. Fabulous seaside setting with monsters.

A Touch of Mistletoe by Barbara Comyns. One of my great literary loves started right here.

Journey to the Last River by Teddy Keen (the Unknown Adventurer). With torn, creased, and blood-spattered pages, this book expands the notion of what a children’s book can be. Gorgeously illustrated.

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell: Tremendous. Loved it.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata. Fast, funny, and dark, with hints of horror. Excellent voice.