of clownery, and ca-bad alliteration.

Now I'm not very good at doing things in moderation.

And so in 2021, I read 164 books.

You know, some people deal with a breakup

by having a glow up or a ho phase.

Not me. You choose looks, I choose books.

Thank you very much.

So I actually filmed another video where I went

through every single book that I read in 2021

and reviewed them in one sentence each.

But today I wanted to dedicate a whole video

to my absolute favorites, the creme de la creme,

and give them the love and praise and R-E-S-P-E-C-T

that they deserve.

So let's start with some honorable mentions.

These are some absolute bangers that I read this year

that didn't quite make my top top list.

So we have Kafka on the Shore, Convenience Store Woman,

Luster, The Houseguest, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982,

Gold Dust, Call Me by Your Name, and Exciting Times.

I love these books, my compliments to the chef.

But now, on to the top 12.

In no particular order, because these are all

six out of five stars.

They're all wonderful.

So firstly, we have Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell.

This won the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2020

and won my heart in 2021.

I'm pretty sure I first heard it recommended on a podcast

and I knew, immediately, just from hearing

a description of it, that it was gonna be my cup of tea.

And it turned out to be my whole damn kettle

'cause I loved it.

It's basically a book about the members

of the Shakespeare family who history often glosses over.

William Shakespeare is there,

but he's never called on by name

and his anonymity allows for the spotlight to instead

be shifted to his wife and his children.

And it's a real vindication of them and a celebration

of what they did and who they were.

And so it's a portrait of messy family dynamics,

as well as loss and grief.

And you get such a fascinating insight

into what life would've been like for them at the time.

But also, as well as all of that,

the prose is just completely and utterly stunning.

This book is bursting at the seams with lyrical writing

and vivid descriptions, which draw on all of your senses.

And I think that detailing mundane experiences

and everyday occurrences in full Technicolor,

like Maggie O'Farrell does, just makes them so palpable,

which means you experience every emotion and sense

that the characters are feeling.

And as a result, when they then go through heartbreak

and heartache, you feel it too.

And, as a result, this book is devastating and winding.

I wish I could witness the world

through Maggie O'Farrell's eyes all the time,

but I'm so grateful that she gave us

this little glimpse into it.

So with each of these books, I'm gonna read you a quote

so that you can get an idea of the writing style.

So here's one of my favorites.

"What is given may be taken away at any time.

Cruelty and devastation wait for you around corners,

inside coffers, behind doors.

They can leap out at you at any time like a thief

or brigand.

The trick is never to let down your guard.

Never think you are safe.

Never take for granted that your children's hearts beat,

that they sup milk, that they draw breath,

that walk and speak and smile and argue and play.

Never for a moment forget they may be gone,

snatched from you, in the blink of an eye,

borne away from you like thistledown."

Imagine. Imagine being able to write like that.

Insanity. I rest my case.

This is the kind of writing that reminds me

why I love literature so much

and also really have it inspired me

with my own writing career and what I want

to write in the future.

So, speaking of careers, actually, now is the perfect time

to talk to you about today's sponsor of this video.

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And so a massive shout-out to Bright Network for,

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that I have personally used and appreciated.

And actually, speaking on my time at university,

that brings me onto another favorite book

that I read in 2022, which is Loveless by Alice Oseman.

This is such a special book,

which invites you in to learn about asexuality

and being aromantic.

And these were terms that, before reading this book,

were completely new to me.

I was definitely aware of them, but I didn't know much

about what they actually meant.

But then the point is,

nor does the central protagonist of the book.

She is learning the terminology and the definitions

and the nuances at the exact same time

and speed as the reader themselves.

So even if you don't personally identify with those labels,

you still learn so much.

And you can literally see that I was gripping it so tightly

that some of the pages have actually fallen out.

I'm so grateful for reading this

'cause I think it's gonna make me a much better friend

and ally in the future.

And Alice Oseman have just masterfully creates

this really open and warm and safe space to be educated.

And so I think the character's development

where she is being exposed to new experiences

and unlocking words and labels to explain the ways

that she feels makes your understanding

as a reader so much more nuanced.

So I'm really pleased to have read this book

for that reason, but also this book

is set at Durham University,

which is where I did my undergrad degree.

And Alice Oseman lived on the same street as me,

took the same subject as me,

and graduated the year that I arrived.

So I definitely have a very special place in my heart

for this book 'cause it made me feel all types of nostalgic.

And there's something incomparable

about reading a book where you know all the street names

and you can map out the geography of where characters

are moving and visualize everything

that's being described from memory.

And this book addresses a lot of Durham quirks

and traditions and so I just loved it.

But still, anyone could enjoy this book,

especially if you're a university student,

because it's also a study on friendship and coming of age

and human communication, as well as jealousy

and imposter syndrome and misunderstanding

and realizing when you're the one in the wrong.

"In the end, that was the problem with romance.

It was so easy to romanticize romance

because it was everywhere.

It was in music and on TV and in filtered Instagram photos.

It was in the air, crisp and alive with fresh possibility.

It was in falling leaves, crumbling wooden doorways,

scuffed cobblestones, and fields of dandelions.

It was in the touch of hands, scrawled letters,

crumpled sheets, and the golden hour.

A soft yawn, early morning laughter,

shoes lined up together by the door.

Eyes across a dance floor.

I could see it all, all the time, all around,

but when I got closer, I found nothing was there."

So I'd say this definitely comes under the category

of YA, but it's just all about self-acceptance,

so endearing, so empowering, and bloody brilliant.

Okay, the next book is a recent read

and that is Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

because holy moly, this is divine.

The writing just flows so smoothly. I was drinking it up.

Every word in this short little novel is perfectly chosen

and the sentences just dance across the page.

For a debut novel, especially, it is so tender

and vulnerable and it just feels

like it comes directly from the soul.

And so Open Water explores modern masculinity and romance,

but also police brutality, racial profiling,

and the black body in modern Britain.

And also music, specifically rap music,

is a huge motif in this book.

It is literally the soundtrack to the character's existence.

And I loved the way it explores

this really visceral response to art.

And every bit of dialogue and every bit of prose

is just so meticulously pieced together.

I just think it's a masterclass in writing.

It is written in the second person,

which I think some people may find a little bit jarring

at first, but the overall effect it builds

is so immensely powerful.

Such an awesome up-and-coming author.

I will literally read anything he puts out next,

whether that's a shopping list or a novel.

As with a lot of these books,

I underlined so many great quotes,

but I really love this section about reading,

which I think is especially appropriate to this video.

"The rest of the day, a blanket draped over you,

poring over the pages of a novel, Zadie Smith's NW.

'I love her writing,' her mother says.

'She's my favorite writer.

NW is the book I return to most.'

Perhaps that is how we should frame this question forever,

rather than asking, 'What is your favorite work,'

let's ask, 'What continues to pull you back?"

And that quote makes me think of this next book

and that is No One is Talking About This

by Patricia Lockwood.

And the reason that quote reminds me of this book,

specifically, is because I didn't necessarily

love reading this.

I didn't think it was my favorite reading experience.

At times I found it a little bit fractured

and maybe even too niche,

because it's about this very specific time

in 2017 Twitter culture,

but it is a book that just continues to pull me back.

I cannot stop thinking about it.

This book is living in my head rent free,

and the title is no longer even correct.

No One is Talking About This, I can't shut up about it.

It's a book of two halves.

So like I said, the first half

is all about internet culture,