Best of 2021: Fiction
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.
Best of 2021: Non-Fiction
2021 was a stellar non-fiction year for me. I read almost 70 books in this category, which made this list very difficult to put together. Even after setting aside my absolute top favourites that I have already covered, I ended up with more than 15 books I wanted to highlight. I could of course have steeled myself and whittled the list down to 10 or something else more manageable, but as I didn’t do regular monthly round-ups last year, I prefer to include more books rather than less.
Things I Want: Birthday Edition
I occasionally like to write down things I am lusting after: partly as an exercise in wish-fulfilment and aspirational daydreaming, but also as a way to focus on things I really want. It is a constant goal for me to buy fewer, better things – it’s OK if they cost a bit more, if that means I will buy less random stuff that I’ll get tired of soon.
2021. aasta parimad: eestikeelne kirjandus
Eks ole üldiselt teada, et 1) varakal vallalisel mehel tingimata naist on vaja ja 2) Annikky loeb liiga vähe eestikeelset kirjandust. Eelmine aasta oli ses osas siiski pisut parem kui viimane dekaad üldiselt: loetu pealt saab kümne parima edetabeli ilusti kokku panna ja täitsa mitu teost jääb veel ülegi. Niisiis, rahva tungival nõudmisel (ehk siis umbes kaks inimest on küsinud) on allpool minu eelmisel aastal loetud eestikeelsed lemmikraamatud, suvalises järjekorras.
Into the New Year: Darkness and Unicorns
It’s been a weird start of the year for me. I had a good break: celebrating with family, visiting the snowy Estonian countryside, reading, eating gingerbread and sauerkraut, buying a new dress. Then I learned that our (rented) house in Brussels had been broken into.
Best of 2021: Books
This has been a great reading year for me: I am currently finishing my 149th book and there’s more than a day still to go! This is a lot of books even for me and this outcome is mostly down to two factors: 1) the first months of 2021 being slightly less insane on the work front than usual, and 2) me discovering audiobooks, which added a significant amount to my ‘reading time’.
Best of 2021: Beauty, Style, Perfume
In the two years of the pandemic, my makeup, perfume and clothes purchases have slowed down – although not stopped by any means. Perhaps most irrationally, my habit of buying a few evening dresses per year is as strong as ever. But if you are expecting a proper ‘best of’ of fragrance or beauty releases, this I’m not able to provide. Still, perhaps this overview is useful as you are planning your own wardrobes or makeup buys.
What I Wore for Christmas
For years, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Christmas – I guess I found it too bourgeois or something. I was never a hater either, though, and the older I get, the more I seem to appreciate this holiday of gingerbread, tinsel and Die Hard. Perhaps I’m just becoming more bourgeois myself, who knows. Or perhaps living abroad most of the time, spending time with one’s family just feels more special, Christmas or not.
Best of 2021: Skincare
I am happy to report that in general, I have been buying fewer things. Well, with the notable exception of books – things seem to be getting worse on that front. But otherwise, there has been progress. I still have a soft spot for skincare, however, and tried quite a few things this year, some of which were very good. So here they are, in a vague order of application.
On Getting Older (and Golden Capes)
When I first received the pictures from this photoshoot (which, for the record, I absolutely adore), I momentarily considered asking the photographer to touch up my face. While I got over this reaction almost immediately, I cannot deny this happened*. And for the first time in my life, I didn’t have that impulse because I thought I looked ugly (this has happened on countless occasions), but because I looked old. Or perhaps more precisely, I looked my actual age: in the harsh light outside, you can pretty much count every single one of my 41 years on my face.