Another Best Books of 2021 list just came through my inbox. I’ve lost count of how many best of lists I’ve skimmed and deleted there, not to mention the ones that are on Twitter and every magazine and newspaper, too. We love lists, no news there. I love books and, I’m guessing because you are reading this you love books, too. I’m not going to include a list here but I am going to recommend two books that maybe didn’t make it on any list you have seen, but certainly deserve to be.
The first book is a short story collection by Louise Marburg, her second, called No Diving Allowed. I got it from my local bookstore the day it was released and participated in a few remote, Zoom readings. If you aren’t familiar I also recommend Marburg’s first book, The Truth About Me which is filled with stories that punched my gut and made me laugh out loud. I can’t think of any short story writer working today who applies a keener eye to human entanglements and their subsequent triumphs and fuck-ups as she does. The book was awarded the W.S. Porter Prize and it deserves to be not only read by prize committees but readers who are looking for surprises, insights and transformation in the waves of a swimming pool.
The second book is The Sum of Trifles by Julia Ridley Smith. This memoir in essays begs to be read from cover to cover but is available for readers to read at random. The book centers around Smith’s parents, who were antiques dealers, and their deaths, which happened six months apart. Left with a house full of the couple’s personal collection and things from their shop, Smith has to reckon with what the objects meant to her family and what legacy and inheritance look like in a world poised to dispose of anything deemed old. I spoke with Smith about the book for the Chicago Review of Books.
Best wishes for a healthy and peaceful holiday season. I’ve enjoyed sharing my thoughts on a few books with you in 2021. There will be plenty of books to read and explore for Blind to Condition in 2022! Comments are open if you’d like to share a few titles you are looking forward to reading in the new year.
Thank you for reading!