Another year, another book recap (click here for 2020)! Throughout 2021 I am proud that I managed to find time to read a diverse range of books. Altogether I read 9,480 pages across 32 books. 22 of these were non-fiction, ten fiction. The majority of books were written in English (28), four in German, my native language. I will start with the best fiction and non-fiction book, then include a few honourable mentions, talk about a few surprising disappointments, and finish with my complete list with ratings (out of 10) for all books.

The Very Best

Best Non-Fiction Book: Wordslut. A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language – Amanda Montell

This book really has it all: It is outrageously funny (I am in love with Montell’s footnotes), yet it is full to the brim with knowledge that you will not be able to hold back at the next dinner party (and people will actually want to listen to you!). It is warmhearted, accessible, and educational – all without every sounding preachy or condescending. What a fantastic debut!
Read this: as soon as it is available again (I could not find a single copy anywhere in Europe to gift for Christmas!)

Best Fiction Book: The City We Became – N.K. Jemisin

Jemisin’s novel is impossible to be put into any one genre: Some parts read like an enticing poem, others like a fast-paced sci-fi novel. The author paints a vivid world similar, yet radically different, to the one we inhabit. If you ever fell under the enchanting spell of a big, bustling city you might recognise yourself in this book. Caution: might cause severe urges to book flights to New York City. 
Read this: to experience a book unlike any other

Honourable Mentions

An Enthralling Crime Novel: Thursday Murder Club – Richard Osman

This debut novel tells the heartwarming story of a quaint retirement village that sets out to to solve a murder. I found all of the four main characters extremely likeable and it was a pleasure to follow them hunting down whoever dared to disturb their well earned peace. It’s an easy read with many moments that made me laugh out loud. 
Read this: for a wholesome, yet thrilling murder mystery fix

A Candid View on Pop Culture: Cultish. The Language of Fanaticism – Amanda Montell

Amanda Montell, again?! Yes, indeed, the author is featured twice in this article, and rightly so! For her second book she takes on the language of cults, both extreme and everyday. In an approachable and engaging manner Montell is your guide through the convoluted world of linguistics. By picking well-known examples and pop culture classics the author excels at writing for any audience, no matter what their prior knowledge is. 
Read this: before you indulge in her podcast “Sounds Like A Cult”

A Thought-Inducing Read: Starting A Revolution. What We Can Learn from Female Entrepreneurs About the Future of Business – Naomi Ryland and Lisa Jaspers

This book offers honest and insightful accounts by women entrepreneurs from a variety of sectors, backgrounds, and ages. It successfully combines testimonies with studies and hands-on recommendations, all following a common goal: re-thinking how we work. Throughout it remains applicable and relevant and it allows you to explore a multi-faceted topic through stories in an almost autobiographical manner. Bonus: this book is available both in English and German.
Read this: if you are curious about new ways of working

Would Not Recommend

• x + y. A Mathematician’s Manifesto for Rethinking Gender (Eugenia Cheng): I had such high hopes for this book but I was bitterly disappointed. The concepts are ill-conceived, badly argued, and lack all scientific justification. In 2021 I would have expected more of such a book than to clumsily insist on a male vs female dichotomy.
• Just Like You (Nick Hornby): Full of old tropes, flat characters, and pseudo-woke topics. Unfortunately, it’s just boring.
• Conversations With Friends (Salley Rooney): I know, I know, I know – so many people adore Salley Rooney. I just have a problem with her blatantly passive characters that all sound the same across her books. You either love Rooney or hate her, and I, unfortunately, fall into the latter category. 

Complete List

	Title	Author	Pages	Rating	Language	F/NF
1	Public Policy in an Uncertain World	Charles Manski	218	7	ENG	NF
2	Berlin Rules: Europe and the German Way	Paul Lever	270	8	ENG	NF
3	Montags könnt ich kotzen	Thomas Rampge	250	4.5	GER	F
4	Wordslut. A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language.	Amanda Montell	295	9.5	ENG	NF
5	How to Talk to Robots. A Girls’ Guide to a Future Dominated by AI.	Tabitha Goldstaub	241	8	ENG	NF
6	The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation	Jon Gertner	365	5.5	ENG	NF
7	x + y:  A Mathematician’s Manifesto for Rethinking Gender	Eugenia Cheng	272	2.5	ENG	NF
8	Working Hard, Hardly Working	Grace Beverly	212	5	ENG	NF
9	Independence or Union: Scotland’s Past and Scotland’s Present	T.M. Devine	282	5.5	ENG	NF
10	Grit	Angela Duckworth	353	6.5	ENG	NF
11	21 Lessons for the 21st Century	Yuval Noah Harari	364	5	ENG	NF
12	Thursday Murder Club	Richard Osman	374	8.5	ENG	F
13	How To	Randall Munroe	270	7	ENG	NF
14	Mating In Captivity	Esther Perel	220	7.5	ENG	NF
15	Scabby Queen	Kirstin Innes	385	7	ENG	F
16	Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism	Amanda Montell	283	8.5	ENG	NF
17	Humble Pi	Matt Parker	313	7.5	ENG	NF
18	The Big Five For Life	John P. Strelecky	226	6.5	ENG	NF
19	Handmaid’s Tale	Margaret Atwood	479	8	ENG	F
20	The Nordic Theory of Everything	Anu Partanen	337	6	ENG	NF
21	The Man Who Died Twice	Richard Osman	423	8	ENG	F
22	The Fine Art of Invisible Detection	Robert Goddard	329	5.5	ENG	F
23	The City We Became	N.K. Jemisin	434	9.5	ENG	F
24	Just Like You	Nick Hornby	309	4.5	ENG	F
25	Starting a Revolution – was wir von Unternehmerinnen über die Zukunft der Arbeitswelt lernen können	Naomi Ryland and Lisa Jaspers	194	7.5	GER	NF
26	In AI We Trust – Power, Illusion and Control of Predictive Algorithms	Helga Nowotny	162	6.5	ENG	NF
27	The Midnight Library	Matt Haig	288	8	ENG	F
28	Everything Abridged	Adam Rutherford and Hannah Fry	280	6	ENG	NF
29	Act Like a Leader Think Like a Leader	Herminia Ibarra	190	6	ENG	NF
30	Conversations with Friends	Salley Rooney	321	4	ENG	F
31	Raus aus der Mental Load Falle	Patricia Cammarata	205	8	GER	NF
32	Es kann nur Eine geben	Carolin Kebekus	336	7.5	GER	NF