6 books that changed my life in 2021 (fiction and non-fiction)

2021 has been pivotal for many different reasons and for many different people. For me, personally, I landed my first job in UX and moved cities (and out of my parents’ house!), into my own cosy little urban apartment. I’m not sure if it’s the change in lifestyle or the continued working from home, meaning much less time wasted commuting, that inspired me to pick up more books this year.

So many more, in fact, that I more than doubled what I read last year, and read more than I ever have done in one year! This year I have read 23 books (currently reading #24, fingers crossed I can finish it before New Years).

Out of these books, there have been 6 that particularly stood out to me. 3 fiction and 3 non-fiction, I chose to write about these books because they had some kind of profound impact on me — whether my eyes were opened to an entirely new culture and way of existing, political and humanitarian catastrophes taking place thousands of miles away, or a beautiful new way of looking at life, these books will remain staples on my bookshelf for years to come.

Fiction

#1 The Midnight Library, Matt Haig

I have always been deeply interested in a phenomenon known as ‘the butterfly effect’, and this book is rooted in that concept.

The butterfly effect refers to the idea in which small actions, as tiny as the flap of a butterfly’s wings, can greatly impact future events. The Midnight Library is a dark yet humbling tale about a young woman named Nora who, feeling deeply unsatisfied and unfulfilled with the course of her life, commits suicide. She finds herself in a sort-of ‘afterlife’, or purgatory as some may call it, where she ventures into a mysterious library containing books, in which lie the endless parallel lives she might have lived. She’s given the chance to start afresh and live one of these lives, provided she finds true happiness. She quickly finds that these ‘perfect lives’ she so longed for come with their own unique challenges and maybe aren’t so perfect, after all.

I found myself reflecting on my own life decisions and where they have led me, but most of all, how unhelpful it is to sit and dwell on past decisions and “what if’s”. I’m incredibly guilty for it, but this book was a huge eye-opener in what is really important in life and the opportunities we have at our disposal, without even knowing it.

This is a short book — I read it in just one day. It is a beautiful and thought-provoking story and while it does cover a lot of dark subject matter (including suicide), it really is quite heartwarming.

#2 The Phone Box at the Edge of the World, Laura Imai Messina

This book was a shift away from other page-turners I had been reading. The story is deeply rooted in the atmospheric qualities of the surrounding environment and the themes of grief and hope that this book is built upon.

Inspired by a real telephone box located in north-east Japan, The Phone Box at the Edge of the World is about a woman living in Tokyo called Yui who lost her mother and daughter in the 2011 tsunami and is forced to navigate this terrible grief. She hears of a phone box in Bell Gardia, a place offering comfort to those struggling with the loss of a loved one. The phone box, which isn’t connected to anything, is used to speak to loved ones and their words are “carried away by the wind” and “scatted to the four corners of the earth”. She meets Takeshi, who is mourning his wife, and they develop a beautiful relationship built on a shared grief.

This book tells the story of a real natural disaster that took place and the immense irreparable damage it caused to thousands of lives, and this trauma is ingrained in Yui’s story as she navigates her new world. It’s both heart-wrenching but the writing style is incredibly soothing and reading it feels like being wrapped in a big silk sheet. This book is in fact a celebration of life.

Similarly to The Midnight Library, it deals with difficult topics but addresses how we deal with grief on an individual level in a dream-like way.

“Yui and Takeshi gradually realised that the Wind Phone was like a verb that conjugated differently for each person: everybody’s grief looked the same at first but, ultimately, was completely different.”

#3 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid

I’ve saved this one until last because it has completely won my heart as my favourite book (ever) and ticks every box as the perfect read.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is vintage Hollywood, glamour and fame packed into one novel with page-turning drama, secrets and the price of stardom turning this into one jaw-dropping piece of fiction.

I have always been a lover of all things vintage Hollywood, and if you resonate with that, this book hits the mark and more. It’s tear-jerking, heartwarming and overall show stopping with some of the best character development I have seen. You really feel like you’re being whisked through a black and white movie following the tale of a real Hollywood starlet, which both makes this read fascinating and heartbreaking.

If nothing else, read this book for the adventure, atmosphere, and for Evelyn. She won’t let you down.

This book set the bar very high for my future fiction reading.

Non-Fiction

#1 Becoming, Michelle Obama

I was definitely a latecomer when it came to reading this book, as I am with a lot of things. I found it on my dad’s nightstand, who said he got bored a few pages in by the time Michelle starts telling the story of her piano lessons. To be fair on him, he is more of a Game of Thrones kind of guy.

My verdict is quite different. Becoming is an uplifting, candid and in-depth look into the life of the first black woman to serve as first lady, complete with her natural warmth and wit shining through in every sentence. It’s also a surprisingly emotional book, as she takes you through the tough reality of growing up on the south side of Chicago during years of increasing racial tension, and her quite frankly incredible journey to where she is now as one of the most iconic and inspiring women of our era.

I started the year with this book, and it was perfect timing too, as this gave me such a boost of motivation and confidence to go out there and achieve what I wanted to achieve. I admire Michelle’s determination, incredible work ethic and relentless energy and resilience. I strongly believe every young woman should read this book.

#2 Letters from an Astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson

I’ve always been interested in space, astronomy and all-things-cosmos since I can remember. Having not taken a science class since my GCSEs over 7 years ago now, I hadn’t had the chance to delve into this exciting subject again, until late last year when I discovered Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Youtube channel and podcast, StarTalk. I fell in love all over again with the mysteries and wonders of this fantastical topic, and just had to invest in this book.

Letters from an Astrophysicist is no ordinary science book in that you won’t find textbook-style chapters and complicated diagrams. It’s instead a collection of letters and other correspondence collected over a span of two decades, complete with Tyson’s candid responses. He answers a vast array of questions on topics including science, religion, science fiction and philosophy, asked by people of all ages, backgrounds and religious upbringings.

The result is a fascinating, widely-accessible insight into our universe and what could lie beyond. As someone with a deep interest in our place in the cosmos, this book was a brilliant delve back into the study of space and life as we know it!

#3 I am Malala, Malala Yousafzai

I saved this one until last, because it has to be the book of the year for me.

Girls’ rights to an education is something I am incredibly passionate about and so it’s ridiculous how long I have put off reading this book. I think it’s because I knew that I wanted to give it my fullest attention and was waiting for the ‘right time’ to pick it up!

Malala takes us through her story from her experience growing up in Swat Valley, Pakistan, through to the event that changed her life forever — she was shot at point-blank range in the head by the Taliban on her way home from school. Her miraculous recovery leads her to become a global symbol of peaceful protest, girls’ rights to an education and the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner, all despite suffering an incredibly traumatic experience at just 15 years old.

I have to say, this book moved me to tears. To see a young person, who is only a year older than I am, achieve what she has achieved for young girls globally is so awe-inspiring and and heartwarming, that I finished this book determined to contribute to this cause myself. One of my key themes for 2022 onwards will be girls education, and I’m already working on a UX course for young females interested in joining the tech industry and an enterprise bootcamp to teach young people how they can launch their very own tech for good project.

Now that 2021 is coming to a close, I’m looking forward to doubling (if I’m lucky!) my book count next year and continuing to write about my favourite reads going forward.

Happy New Year!