As we get closer to the deep winter months, is there anything cosier than curling up with a good cup of tea (or a glass of wine) and an even better book? Here are some of the best fiction and non-fiction debuts published in 2021 for some escapism to get you through those cold and dark evenings.
Detransition, Baby – Torrey Peters
Longlisted for this year’s Women’s Prize, this novel is vibrant and bright, balanced alongside a moving view of a community not often seen in commercial fiction. We follow Reese, a trans woman living in New York, as her ex-partner Ames, who has de-transitioned, asks Reese to form an unconventional family and co-parent their new baby. Each of Peters’ characters are complex and passionate, and make this novel truly gripping.
The End of Men – Christina Sweeney-Baird
Christina Sweeney-Baird’s novel is in many ways prophetic; some elements of this pandemic novel will feel familiar to readers after the last two years. However, Sweeney-Baird’s story of a virus that only affects men is a genuinely original take on the post-apocalypse, and her ability to handle the number of viewpoints captured in the book is truly astonishing for a debut.
Snowflake – Louise Nealon
It may not be not the most-talked about Irish novel of the year, but Louise Nealon’s debut is heartwarming, heartrending, and well deserving of attention. A stirring look at being somewhere new and how the actions of our parents can haunt us, Snowflake is a beautiful debut that is not necessarily an easy read, but certainly a rewarding one.
A Passage North – Anuk Arudpragasm
Shortlisted for this year’s Booker Prize, A Passage North is a moving and emotive story about the impact of the Sri Lankan civil war. Through Anuk Arudpragasm’s compassionate and measured prose we follow Krishan as he journeys south to north to attend a funeral. Despite the depth of the topics, this novel is easy to get picked up and swept away by.
I Belong Here – Anita Sethi
Anita Sethi’s memoir and travel diary follows her journey through the Pennines after she is racially harassed on a train in Manchester. An important and rousing book, I Belong Here reflects on a number of topics: how nature can help heal trauma, why nature is an inaccessible resource for many people in the UK, what it means to belong somewhere, and how we can create a society that truly allows people to belong.
Crying in H Mart – Michelle Zauner
Michelle Zauner’s memoir follows a trifecta of relationships: with her mother, with food, and with her family’s roots in Korea. After her mother becomes seriously ill, Zauner moves back to her parents home to help care for her. Their story is touching and beautiful, weaving memory, nostalgia, and love into a beautiful poignant book.
The Anthropocene Review – John Green
John Green’s non-fiction debut, The Anthropocene Reviewed is an extension of the podcast where Green selects features of our current age and ranks them out of five. Often funny and affecting, this collection features extended discussions of topics from the podcast as well as new ideas. The pandemic hangs over the newer essays, but for many of us that reflects the year we’ve had. Highlights include Auld Lang Syne, Diet Dr Pepper, and Canada Geese.