Books Read In 2021

While this year is already well underway, I thought it would still be nice to continue with my annual post listing all the books I managed to read during the previous year.

So here is my list for 2021 (in the order I read them in):

  1. Doughnut Economics - Kate Raworth

    A book that was on my to-read list for a while. It's about the idea of a new economic system that takes notice of the boundaries of the planet's resources, but also wants to keep a minimum living standard for all people.
    I can definitely see some of those ideas work, and it's good to see people like Kate Raworth articulating new ideas to address some of the problems the world is facing in the next decade.

  2. If This Is A Man, The Truce - Primo Levi

    I seemed to remember I read a book by Primo Levi a long time ago, and my initial idea was to re-read it (even though I couldn't remember what the title of that book was). When I read this book, I did realise this wasn't the book I read before. But it was still a very good read, detailing some experiences and horrors the author experienced during his time as a prisoner in the Auschwitz concentration camp.

  3. The Physics Of Climate Change - Lawrence M Krauss

    While I have a decently sized to-read list, this book was not on that list. I came across it in the local library where it was on the new arrivals' shelf, and it seemed interesting when I flicked through it.
    The book is definitely a more scientific read where it looks at some of the numbers and theories behind common climate change phenomenons, illustrated with various graphs and diagrams.

  4. The Summer Book - Tove Jansson

    A lovely little novel describing a summer spent on a Finnish island by a grandmother and her six-year-old granddaughter where they go explore and talk about various life subjects.
    Interestingly the author also wrote the Moomin stories (if you're a person who grew up in the 80's and 90's you might still know them).

  5. Wilding - Isabella Tree

    This book is about the rewilding process of the Knepp estate in the South of England. It describes the journey and challenges the author and her husband faced while trying to turn a traditional farm estate back into a wilderness.
    While there is definitely a need for more rewilding around us, in this case I did sometimes feel that the privileged position the author and her family were in (her husband inherited the estate) did provide a more rose-tinted view of it all.

  6. Autumn - Ali Smith

    This novel was written after the Brexit referendum in 2016 and set in the UK during that time as well. It is mostly about the relationship between a woman and her old neighbour, and the complexities of their relationship during their lives.
    It was an enjoyable read, and it's the first book of four (all named after the seasons), so I plan to continue reading with the next ones this year as well.

  7. Underland - Robert McFarlane

    The final book I read during 2021 was fascinating and probably my favourite one of this year's reads.
    The author visits and explores some locations around the world that all have a connection with the underground world. From the catacombs in Paris, glaciers in Greenland and mines in Yorkshire to caves with a dark past in Italy and Slovenia, it all is described in a detailed way that makes you experience those places with him.

This year all the books I read came from the library. I did read fewer books than last year, as I only started reading again in the second part of the year when our baby son was sleeping through the nights a bit more, and I felt less tired in the evenings.

My to-read list still has a good number of books on it and will probably be enough to keep me going for this coming year.