Very broadly speaking, I read equal amounts non-fiction and fiction, but as my fiction reads further branch out into different genres, literary fiction doesn’t have such a central place in my reading as it has for many other people. Still, as my overall book-count was rather high last year, I ended up reading a fair amount of fiction – some of it very good.

First, let me mention again the books covered in my absolute top 12 of last year’s reads: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, Summerbook by Tove Jansson, Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsuda, Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi and Assembly by Natasha Brown. I would strongly suggest you consider reading all these. Now, on to the rest.

Tell Them of Battles, Kings and Elephants, Mathias Enard. This was one of the first books I read in 2021 and what an auspicious start! This is a gem of a book – small and gorgeous. It tells a fictional story of Michelangelo’s visit to Constantinople, to build a bridge over the Golden Horn. It has art, passion, politics and history and it is brilliant.

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi. It is my considered opinion that Emezi is one of the most talented people currently writing. In the entire world. I have read all three of their published books for adults and although The Death of Vivek Oji is perhaps of my least favourite of them, it still comfortably made it into this top. It is also probably the most accessible of the three, so I would recommend starting here and then move on to Freshwater and Dear Senthuran. It is not a spoiler to say it starts with the death of Vivek Oji, but I don’t really want to give much more away. This book is best approached with an open heart and mind, without preconceptions.

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, Deesha Piljaw. This was an absolutely wonderful collection of short stories – I seem to have warmed to short stories recently and read some really great collections in 2021. These aren’t strictly related, but they are all about black women and girls and somehow connected to the church. But frankly, these stories are more about sex than they are about religion. I believe many consider Peach Cobbler the best story of the book (and it’s great), but I enjoyed the lighter ones even more – Dear Sister and How to Make Love to a Physicist were my faves.

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed, Mariana Enriquez. Told you I read lots of good short stories. These were less enjoyable for me than the abovementioned church ladies, as horror is not my natural habitat. That said, I wanted to include the collection, because I think if it IS your element, you shouldn’t miss The Dangers of Smoking in Bed. It is of course very literary horror: beautifully written, unsettling and redolent of Buenos Aires.

Matrix, Lauren Groff. This is probably the easiest read on this list – perhaps surprising, considering it’s a book about a nun in the 12^th century France. But it is very readable, especially the first half of the book flies by, as we follow Marie de France being expelled from the court and building her own world as a prioress in an impoverished abbey. In terms of sensibility, it’s a modern book, but the medieval world is beautifully evoked. I highly recommend reading it in winter, because vibes.

Silverview, John le Carré. OK, I realise I was perhaps too hasty when pronouncing the winner of the Most Readable award, as Silverview flows rather effortlessly as well. While I agree with those who say it’s not quite on the same level with the author’s finest, I was somehow really charmed by this. It is not a traditional spy story, but it is very old school in other ways and this felt very refreshing. It is also a quick read, so recommended to old and new fans alike.

Of Love and Other Demons, Gabriel García Márquez. I read this in Estonian and I covered it already on my list of 2021 favourites in my native tongue. But as it’s available in many other languages as well, I’m including it here, too. I don’t read many classics or modern classics these days (probably should do it more), so this was a nice change. The fact that is not a new book, that it’s set in Colombia and that it’s written by a man all make it unusual on my reading list – although I’d say Marquez writes more like a spirit possessed than anything else. It is opulent, grotesque, obsessive and original. Also uncomfortable, but that’s not a bad thing to be on occasion.

To finish off, let me also mention two books that are NOT on this list. Yes, I read Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney – the most anticipated book of the year for many people – and I thought it was fine, but not as good as her two first novels. I also read Patricia Lockwood’s No One is Talking About It, possibly (and ironically) the most hyped book of the year in more literary circles, and did not like it much at all. It was an interesting experience to read and provoked quite a bit of inner – and sometimes outer – monologue, but no, I cannot honestly say it belongs among the best books of the year.

Tell me, what were your favourite fiction reads in 2021?