My Favourite Books of 2021 (so far!)

 Lockdown calls for an updated favourite books list! These are my favourite books I have read so far this year. 

1. What Artists Wear by Charlie Porter

I pre-ordered this book prior to its release in May, but my copy was delayed and serendipitously got delivered on the very first day of lockdown. I devoured it in one sitting! As an art history student and fashion history nerd, I have a huge personal interest in the relationship between clothes and art. It's like Charlie Porter wrote this as my own personal bible. SOOO obsessed with this book and I will think about it forever. 

2. Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency by Olivia Laing 

This is a book of a similar grain to the above. It's a collection of essays about art and art criticism, which is again something that speaks to the art history student in me. Laing's writing is so beautiful. It also happened to be released just as the pandemic was breaking out last year, so it was very appropriate for the times. It's something I wouldn't have loved as much if I didn't have an interest and understanding of art and artists, but it's a glorious book regardless. Earlier this year Laing also released Everybody as a follow up to this book, and I can't wait to read that too. 

3. Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood 

I actually had to read this for one of my university courses, and I absolutely loved it. I have never read anything like it. It's a work of auto-fiction, meaning part of the book is based on real life. It was written in 1939 during the fall of the Weimar Republic due to the rise of Hitler, written from the perspective of a character called Christopher Isherwood. I have too much to say about it because I wrote a whole essay on it, but it's just a thoroughly enjoyable book. Also on my TBR is Olivia Laing's Crudo, which I believe is a sort of re-write of Goodbye to Berlin. 

4. I Love Dick by Chris Kraus 

This is actually another work of auto-fiction, and one that had been on my TBR for a really long time. It's a bit pretentious but also so bizarre and I have never read anything like it. I feel like it's necessary to mention that 'Dick' is a character in the book. Lol. It also has some commentary on art, but the topic of romantic and sexual obsession from a female point of view is not something I have ever really come across. It's absolutely nuts but interesting enough to make it worth it. 

5. Glossy: The Story of Vogue by Nina-Sophia Miralles 

Another book that I absolutely devoured! The history of fashion print and journalism is so interesting and this book was written in such a captivating and simple way, without feeling like it was missing any details. 

Special (embarrassing) Mention: 

As you can see from the above list, there are no fully fictional books that I have read and loved so far this year. BUT I did read the Twilight Saga for the first time ever, as I was in desperate need of something a bit stupid (no reading is stupid but you know what I mean) in between all of my uni reading, and ohmygod it's way too good. Guilty pleasure books that provide a much needed escape from the world in the middle of a pandemic!