{"id":4471,"date":"2022-01-05T19:18:50","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T19:18:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/farefwd.com\/?p=4471"},"modified":"2022-01-05T19:18:54","modified_gmt":"2022-01-05T19:18:54","slug":"the-best-books-we-read-in-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/farefwd.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/05\/the-best-books-we-read-in-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Books We Read in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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FF Editor Picks for 2021<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Stuck on what to read as the new year begins? The Fare Forward<\/em> editors recommend the best books they read in 2021. Look for them in your library, local bookstore, or that growing pile of unread books on your desk.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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By the FF Editors
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The Guest Cat<\/em> by Takasi Hiraide<\/p>

Sarah Clark, Editor-In-Chief<\/p>

One of the best books I read this year was that most delightful of surprises, the genuine bookstore find. I acquired The Guest Cat<\/em> by Takasi Hiraide at my local bookseller based on nothing but the title and the slimness of the volume and ended up picking it up one evening and reading it slowly over the course of the next several nights. The story is as charming as is advertised on the back cover: a childless couple who rent out the guest house of a much grander estate and \u201care not cat people” gradually welcome the titular cat, Chibi, who belongs to their neighbors, to inhabit their home and lives as much as she chooses. The writing from award-winning Japanese poet Hiraide is beautiful and melancholy. It manages to be as much about life and loss as about a cat\u2014and completely without ruining its own effect with lessons or morals, too.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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None of us are immune to suffering, and yet there are few sources that face the reality of it head on.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Gravity of Joy<\/em> by Angela Williams Gorrell<\/p>

Moriah Hawkins, Managing Editor<\/p>

Within the splashy covers of Angela Williams Gorrell’s The Gravity of Joy<\/em> is a story that begins not in times of jubilation but in times of mourning. In the first third of the volume, we walk with Gorrell through the suicide of her cousin, the sudden death of her nephew due to cardiac arrest, and her father\u2019s body succumbing to years of opioid addiction. All this takes place as Gorrell has been newly hired to teach on and research the topic of joy. How on earth, she wonders, is she going to do that? None of us are immune to suffering, and yet there are few sources that face the reality of it head on. In Christian circles particularly, deep pain and earth-shattering loss are often simply explained away with trite, saccharine prooftexts. Gorrell\u2019s book takes seriously the omnipresence of despair and delivers the message, far from fluffy, that joy has a mysterious ability to radiate through our suffering if we can learn to yearn for it, recognize it, and give in to it.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Livingston\u2019s surprising imagery, dreamy voice, and meticulous language is what I aspire to as a poet.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Queen of the Fall: A Memoir of Girls and Goddesses <\/em>by Sonja Livingston<\/p>

Whitney Rio-Ross, Poetry Editor<\/p>

A female friend gave me Sonja Livingston\u2019s Queen of the Fall <\/em>as a gift, and reading the book felt like an act of fellowship with hundreds of women I\u2019ve known. The collection of short lyric essays follows the arc of Livingston\u2019s life, with each essay addressing distinct and interweaving topics. Using religious and mythological touchstones rendered both familiar and enchanting, Livingston explores universal feminine themes\u2014feminism, sisterhood, fertility\u2014while situating them in her individual experiences with poverty, the Catholic church, and a troubled family. Though the book is written as essays, it reads like poetry. Livingston\u2019s surprising imagery, dreamy voice, and meticulous language is what I aspire to as a poet. I suggest reading Queen of the Fall<\/em> as you should read the best poetry books\u2014slowly, sinking into each essay\u2019s depths, where you can commune with Livingston and all the other women you\u2019ll find in her pages.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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We all know what it\u2019s like to yearn for something just out of reach.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Night Circus<\/em> by Erin Morgenstern<\/p>

Sara Holston, Editor<\/p>

In the dark of the night it appears: Le Cirque de Reves. One evening in one city, the next morning halfway around the world, the Circus of Dreams offers just that. From the ever-burning cauldron of white fire at its center, to the Scented Jars that release patrons\u2019 memories when opened, the Circus brings to life wonders from the depths of the imagination. But at its heart lies a dark secret; each new tent comprises the next move in a grand competition between two young magicians who were bound to each other and the game as children. The very existence of the Circus depends on the challenge, but as the contestants dream of escaping the game to a life together, there are many who have structured their own lives around their love of the Circus.\u00a0\u00a0The story itself is simple, but as it plays out in such a wistful and whimsical setting\u2014vividly conjured by Erin Morgenstern\u2019s prose\u2014it paints a surprisingly resonant picture of longing. We all know what it\u2019s like to yearn for something just out of reach. Though the narrative is understated next to its otherworldly setting, it tells a familiar story: seek, and you shall find\u2014though perhaps not always the way you expected.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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We are quietly invited to interrogate our own experience of memory and the way we build the narrative of a person\u2019s life\u2014our own and those whom we encounter along the way.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Sense of an Ending <\/em>by Julian Barnes<\/p>

Jake Casale, Editor<\/p>

Though it was released a decade ago, I came across The Sense of an Ending<\/em> by Julian Barnes for the first time in a book club this year. The novel proceeds from a simple premise disguising philosophical weight. We follow an isolated retiree named Tony Webster as he recounts the arc of his life, tracing a complex web of old friendships and romantic entanglements. Barnes wields language in equal parts as a tool for misdirection and an ephemeral hint at unknown truth, keeping the reader tethered to Tony\u2019s perceptions even as it increasingly becomes clear that he is a textbook unreliable narrator. Along for the ride, we are quietly invited to interrogate our own experience of memory and the way we build the narrative of a person\u2019s life\u2014our own and those whom we encounter along the way. Barnes finds a way to refresh this invitation countless times throughout The Sense of an Ending<\/em>, creating a haunting meditation on the power and frailty of the human spirit.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stuck on what to read as the new year begins? The Fare Forward editors recommend the best books they read in 2021. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4472,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"0","ocean_second_sidebar":"0","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"0","ocean_custom_header_template":"0","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"0","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"0","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"0","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"off","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-review","category-newsletter","entry","has-media"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farefwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Best-Books-of-2021-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1440&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/farefwd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/farefwd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/farefwd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farefwd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farefwd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4471"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/farefwd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4483,"href":"https:\/\/farefwd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4471\/revisions\/4483"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farefwd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/farefwd.com\/index.ph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