My 18 books finished in 2021

This list is simply a recap of the books I've read this year, and they are ordered by reading date, don't read any ranking into it.

Some are short (50 pages), others long (500 pages), but this year there are a lot more audiobooks than usual. Against my goal of 15 books for 2021, I finished with 18 books (including 6 audiobooks).

TW: Some authors on this list (notably Voltaire and Lovecraft) use racist, misogynistic, antisemitic terms, etc... I endorse neither these ideas nor this vocabulary.

#1 - Southern Vampire Mysteries - Book 1

by Charlaine Harris

Much better known by the name of the TV series "True Blood," the novels are really accessible, funny and engaging, and I loved returning to the universe of the show I watched so much, even though the storyline diverges quite drastically.

I recommend it if the fantastical world of vampires and other creatures interests you, and you're not closed off to romance.

#2 - Sherlock Holmes - The Hound of the Baskervilles

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This was my first novel in English this year, but above all my first Sherlock Holmes. Luckily the novel was from the Harrap's learning collection, because the vocabulary is quite advanced.

I'm not a fan of detective or investigation novels, but I must say Sherlock Holmes has a really particular atmosphere that I like.

I recommend it, at least to find out if you take to the genre!

#3 - The Royal Game (Chess Story)

Stefan Zweig

This is the book that managed to finish my withdrawal from the fabulous series Queen's Gambit. Obviously revolving around chess, but centered on humans and their stories, it's a perfect blend.

I recommend it, even if chess doesn't interest you all that much.

#4 - The Innovators

Walter Isaacson

A masterpiece. My favorite of the year, and then some. I've already talked about it in my article "Top 4 books on the history of computing" but Walter Isaacson has an indescribable talent for biographies, whether about the lives of humans, machines, or inventions.

I recommend it, but only if computing truly fascinates you!

#5 - L'esprit Critique

Isabelle Bauthian & Gally

If I had to sum up this (graphic) book, it would be with a quote (from memory):

It may seem absolutely improbable that a statistically impossible event would occur. But when you think about it, with everything around us, it's very common for any improbable event whatsoever to come true.

Must-read, for everyone, no exceptions!

#6 - La maison de Jules Verne

by Régis Hautière & David François

The story of Jules Verne, who today revisits his legendary house in Amiens, renovated and turned into a museum. This book can only be bought at the museum, is very short, but you can feel the love its authors have for the legend that is Mr. Verne.

Only read this if you're a Jules Verne addict, otherwise move along.

#7 - Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury (Audiobook)

A novel considered a must-read but which gave me a hard time at the start. Like "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley, which I had struggled to appreciate at its true worth because of its atmosphere, except here, I couldn't put it down from the second half of the book onward.

A must-read, because in the end it's a beautiful and melancholic ode to books.

#8 - 1984

by George Orwell (Audiobook)

Everyone talks about it, and for good reason. Of course it's a dystopian vision that, in my opinion, could no longer happen in the democracies already established today and in the age of the internet, but that doesn't take anything away from it.

The world, the characters, the concept of Newspeak (and not what you hear on Twitter from people who've never read the book), pure genius.

Do I still need to advise you to read it?

#9 - The Island of Doctor Moreau

by H.G. Wells (Audiobook)

I don't know what to think of it. I had a good time, the plot manages to surprise us, and I'd say it's a good book, but not a masterpiece either.

It's up to you to decide, you won't waste your time either way.

#10 - Animal Farm

by George Orwell (Audiobook)

I really thought I wouldn't take to a book where 90% of the protagonists are animals. But the story is so well told, some characters so endearing, and the work so intelligent that I had a very good time!

I recommend it!

#11 - The Time Machine

by H.G. Wells (Audiobook)

A bit like with "The Island of Dr. Moreau," I liked Wells's storytelling, I liked the beginning and the end of the novel, but the middle doesn't leave me with amazing memories.

I think these two novels suffer from their fame, and their plots are known to many.

Not a must-read but interesting.

#12 - The Last Day of a Condemned Man

by Victor Hugo

When I take on such a famous author, I'm always afraid of being left on the sidelines, of failing to glimpse the genius and getting bored. Plus I almost never read realistic narratives, so I was doubly afraid.

But what a blow! A magnificent pen, able to convey so many emotions. You don't just feel the character's emotions, you live your own emotions at the pace of his adventures.

Especially if it's your first Victor Hugo, it's very short and unmissable.

#13 - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Robert Louis Stevenson (Audiobook)

I was talking about books whose success and fame end up hurting the original work, well that's not the case here. Everyone knows the myth of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and yet I had a wonderful time, notably thanks to the writing of the characters.

A big yes!

#14 - Too Smart to Be Happy?

by Jeanne Siaud-Facchin

This year, I was diagnosed as "gifted" (also called HP, HPI, "zebra," etc...), and this announcement mainly led me to read this book and learn more about myself, the reason behind my journey.

I read it on my therapist's recommendation, so I'll let yours recommend it to you!

#15 - Candide

by Voltaire

Do you remember when I talked about the pressure of not liking a well-known author, and one of the most famous works of literature? Well, here we are.

I didn't have a bad time reading it (thank god it's very short), but I didn't appreciate it much more than that as a literary object. Yes, there's a bit of philosophy in there, but in terms of narrative, there are inconsistencies, deaths that keep coming back to life, absolutely inappropriate reactions, etc...

I recommend it if you're forced to read it, in French class for example.

#16 - Fritt-Flacc

by Jules Verne

This is an extremely short short story (15 pages) by Jules Verne, almost never published (the copy I have comes from the Amiens museum), but not uninteresting for all that.

If I tell you it's the story of a doctor who gets up at night to go see a patient, I've told you half the story, but the plot twist remains surprising.

Like my other read of this year, only read it if you want to read all of Jules Verne, otherwise focus on the classics!

#17 - The Colour Out of Space

H.P. Lovecraft

I was afraid of coming across a story resembling what I'd already read by Lovecraft, but not at all. So yes, it's dark, it's written to scare, but it's intelligent, and above all, as always, what writing!

The handling of the lexical field of darkness, horror, and strangeness has never been so well mastered...

I recommend it if you're not allergic to Lovecraft.

#18 - Colonel Chabert

by Honoré de Balzac

I suffered... This was my first Balzac and during the first quarter of the book, stuck in a lawyer's office, speaking in old-old Parisian slang, I almost gave up.

Fortunately, the plot promised by the back cover kept me motivated, and what followed kept me hooked, but it was a difficult read, just because of the vocabulary used.

I recommend it if you like reading with a dictionary on your lap, and you like stories rooted in real history!