M. Suzanne Terry

I bet you think I can’t do this, but I am. I’m going to narrow it down to just one book. Not necessarily the best book that came out this year but rather my pick for best book that I read this year. 

I put a lot of thought into it. I hemmed and hawed with fervor. I tried to choose specific criteria. Most relatable? Most touching? Most thought-provoking? 

I tried keeping you in mind. What book would I recommend the most? That process immediately branched off into a lot of paths. Because it depends on who you are and what you read. Do you like character-driven fiction (Anxious People) and exquisite storytelling (Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows and The Song of Achilles and The Book of Longings)? Do you like books that challenge you (Hood Feminism or Caste)? Do you want to like the main character (I Wish You All the Best), or do you get a thrill from an unreliable narrator you know is up to no good (You)? 

So I scrapped all my criteria and asked myself what book meant the most to me. What book – of all the ones I read – was exactly what I needed to read in 2021.

That book for me was The Hollow Kingdom.

That’s right. The zombie novel narrated by a crow (named Shit Turd, of course – ST, for short) who loves humans and wants to be one.

That look on your face right now? I feel that. The premise is odd as hell. And the author could have gotten real weird and super dark with it. 

(Real talk – I probably still would have read and enjoyed that.)

But it’s so clever. It’s funny and delightful. I swapped between reading the print version and listening to the audio on commutes, and I think I liked the audio better. The reader captures the characters well.

I love ST. This crow’s purity of heart and stubborn hopefulness is so endearing. ST’s unwavering belief in and love of humanity – even in the face of all of them becoming mindless zombies – makes me want to feel that way about humanity, too.

I don’t know if you would enjoy this book. It may be too strange for some people and too crass for others. Having a pretty high tolerance for both, though, I was able to enjoy all the delights that kept surprising me throughout the story. I loved a lot of the books I read this year, but The Hollow Kingdom was my favorite.