Schatje's 25 Best Books of 2021

Since today is the last day of the year, I’m presenting my list of the Best Literary Fiction I read in 2021.  I’ve divided my 25 choices into two categories:  Best Canadian Literary Fiction and Best Literary Fiction from Outside Canada.  All the books were published or translated into English in 2021. 

 I’ve added 10 other titles divided into two other categories:  Best Crime Fiction (all published in 2021) and Best Pre-2021 Books.

 

Best Canadian Literary Fiction

A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/02/review-of-town-called-solace-by-mary.html

A Funny Kind of Paradise by Jo Owens:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/03/review-of-funny-kind-of-paradise-by-jo.html

The Good Father by Wayne Grady:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/04/review-of-good-father-by-wayne-grady.html

Swimming Back to Trout River by Linda Rui Feng:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/05/review-of-swimming-back-to-trout-river.html

Darkness by David Adams Richards:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/06/review-of-darkness-by-david-adams.html

What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/07/review-of-what-strange-paradise-by-omar.html

Fight Night by Miriam Toews:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/08/review-of-fight-night-by-miriam-toews.html

Undersong by Kathleen Winter:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/08/review-of-undersong-by-kathleen-winter.html

August into Winter by Guy Vanderhaeghe:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/09/review-of-august-into-winter-by-guy.html

The Mystery of Right and Wrong by Wayne Johnston:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/09/review-of-mystery-of-right-and-wrong-by.html

Astra by Cedar Bowers:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/11/review-of-astra-by-cedar-bowers.html

 

Best Literary Fiction from outside Canada

Silence is a Sense by Layla AlAmmar:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/03/review-of-silence-is-sense-by-layla.html

Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/05/review-of-unsettled-ground-by-claire.html

How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps her House by Cherie Jones:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/06/review-of-how-one-armed-sister-sweeps.html

No Honour by Awais Khan:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/09/review-of-no-honour-by-awais-khan.html

One Last Time by Helga Flatland:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/10/review-of-one-last-time-by-helga.html

Lean Fall Stand by Jon McGregor:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/09/review-of-lean-fall-stand-by-jon.html

Strange Flowers by Donal Ryan:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/10/review-of-strange-flowers-by-donal-ryan.html

Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/10/review-of-oh-william-by-elizabeth.html

Girl A by Abigail Dean:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/10/review-of-girl-by-abigail-dean.html 

Phase Six by Jim Shepard:  https:// .blogspot.com/2021/10/review-of-phase-six-by-jim-shepard.html

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/12/review-of-lincoln-highway-by-amor-towles.html

Olga by Bernhard Schlink:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/12/review-of-olga-by-bernhard-schlink.html

Promise by Damon Galgut: https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/12/review-of-promise-by-damon-galgut.html  

Summerwater by Sarah Moss:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/05/review-of-summerwater-by-sarah-moss.html

 

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Best Crime Fiction of 2021

The Seven Doors by Agnes Ravatn:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/07/review-of-seven-doors-by-agnes-ravatn.html

Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/08/review-of-gone-for-good-by-joanna.html

The Darkness Knows by Arnaldur Indriðason:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/08/review-of-darkness-knows-by-arnaldur.html

Girls Who Lie by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/11/review-of-girls-who-lie-by-eva-bjorg.html

Lemon by Kwon Yeo-sun:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/12/review-of-lemon-by-kwon-yeo-sun.html

 

Best Pre-2021 Books

*I did read some novels published prior to 2021 and, of those, I’d recommend the following:

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/03/review-of-vanishing-self-by-brit-bennett.html

The Ditch by Herman Koch:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/04/review-of-ditch-by-herman-koch.html

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell: https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/04/review-of-my-dark-vanessa-by-kate.html

The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/05/review-of-tidal-zone-by-sarah-moss.html

Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller:  https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/10/review-of-our-endless-numbered-days-by.html