10 Best Books of 2021 So Far | Books of 2021 You Should Read In June

We’re just about halfway through the year and now’s the perfect time to look back on our reading experiences in the first half of 2021. This will enable us to modify and plan out our reading months in the second half. However, if you haven’t read the books on this list that were released in the first five months of 2021, you need to do so in the sixth month at least! Here are our 10 best books of 2021 so far, that we think should definitely make it into your TBR. These are the books of 2021 you should read in June.

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

Perhaps the only YA on our list, this novel comes from the acclaimed author of ‘The Hate U Give.’ In fact, this novel is a prequel to his fantastic story. This follows the seventeen year old Maverick Carter in his struggle to provide for his family by dealing with the King Lords, a gang. However, when he finds out that he is a father, his ideologies and definitions will alter.

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

A moving novel that deals with the sensitive issue of deportation, “Infinite Country’ is the story of the couple Elena and Mauro in Colombia. Splintered by violence, the country no longer seems safe to raise their family. Elena and Mauro decide to leave their hometown for America, from where they send their wages back to Colombia. However, with no legal documentation, they constantly face the threat of deportation. The stress leads Elena to make a touch choice, which will make some things easier but fracture the family forever.

Consent by Vanessa Springora

This book is a deeply moving memoir of resilience, strength and trauma is a #MeToo story. It follows a young teenage French girl and her abuse at the hands of a much older male writer. This novel exposes the chauvinism and misogyny that is deeply embedded in society and the disastrous consequences it can have on mental health and childhood.

How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue

This novel follows the story of an African community in the village of Kosawa as the battle environmental degradation at the hands of an American oil company. This eco-criticism novel is told from the perspective of a young girl Thula, who grows up to become a revolutionary.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

The latest addition to the sci-fi world, this book was published on the 2nd of March this year. It’s set in a dystopian future where children are genetically engineered to be smarter and deliberately kept away from socialization. Klara is our protagonist and one such Artificial Friend. This novel, which has created a lot of buzz in the reading community, chronicles her experiences in the dystopian world.

Performance by Claire Thomas

As wildfires soar in the hills around the town, a play unravels within the walls of the theatre. This play brings three women together. They are – Margot, with her ailing husband and distant son; Ivy, a philanthropist running away from her past and Summer, an aspiring dramatist. Dealing with themes of art and connection, this novel is intimate and feel-good.

Second Place by Rachel Cusk

This literary fiction novel is Cusk’s meditation on love and art. through the lens of human relationships. Cusk’s Outline trilogy which took a stunningly microspopic view at human connection is a beloved literary work in the book community. In her new venture, she tells the tale of a woman who invites an artist to stay with her, believing that his vision will give her a new perspective on her life and its mysteries. This one is definitely on our TBR and it should be on yours too!

The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter

Carter’s thriller follows a photographer who captures birthday parties of New York’s elite kids as she is pulled into depths of envy and obsession. This is a hugely character driven thriller. Our protagonist is a chameleon, changer her colours to fish out intimate details of people’s lives and using their secrets against them. This book should definitely be on your radar, especially if you love thrillers.

Languages of Truth by Salman Rushdie

This collection of essays is one of the sonly nonfiction book on our list. It is a compilation of celebrated storyteller Rushdie’s essays from 2003 to 2020. The story explores language in its realest sense. It talks of the literature of acclaimed writers like Cervantes and Shakespeare and what it means to him. He views literature from the lens of an eternal truth and from the prism of an ever-evolving cultural paradigm. Ultimately, he explores how storytelling is a need rather than a product of talent. This is definitely a must read for all lovers of literature.

Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie lost her dear father to kidney failure in the summer of 2020. The pandemic had already torn families apart, and this great loss augmented the grief. In this memoir, Adichie tries to find catharsis through her creative craft. In the process, she talks about loneliness, anger, and familial and cultural aspects of grief.

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