What’s your favourite book from the 21st century?
From my friends across the globe, Australian book-lovers have been buzzing this week as our Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Radio National released its list of the top 100 books of the 21st century – as voted by the community!
A big congrats to the spectacular Trent Dalton for taking out first place for his gorgeous Boy Swallows Universe – but I want to talk about Hannah Kent today.
There were so many wonderful books in this countdown, and when I saw Burial Rites by Kent in the top 10, I felt the need to remind the world how incredible she and her books are.
Burial Rites is such an accomplished and beautiful novel, it’s crazy to me that it was Kent’s first. Set in 1800s Iceland, it’s the story of the last woman to be executed in that country, Agnes Magnúsdóttir.
Convicted of murder and (sort of) imprisoned on a family’s farm, Agnes awaits her execution and tells a young Reverend, Tóti, her life story.
What struck me the most about this novel was Kent’s wonderful descriptions of the environment, a place both desolate and strikingly beautiful. We the reader know all along that Agnes is destined for death – and nature helps to tell that story.
This is a book about morality, truth, and redemption – and what, if anything, makes someone deserving of death.
Make sure you check out Kent’s other books (she’s just released a new memoir!) because everything she turns her hand to is sublime.
You can purchase Burial Rites by Hannah Kent here.
Cherie lives, works, and reads in beautiful Tasmania – the green island gem below Australia known for its gorgeous landscape and beautiful wildlife. She holds multiple academic qualifications in English, journalism, and fine art theory, and has worked in writing, editing, and communications roles for more than a decade. Most importantly, she has a deep love for books that began as soon as she learned how to read.
Old, new, any genre – for Cherie, reading is about as vital as breathing. She is interested in sharing books that move, excite, and compel, so others can share the joy of a truly great read. While she reads across most genres, her favourite is literary fiction. Particularly anything by Margaret Atwood, Ottessa Moshfegh, Kate Atkinson, Elizabeth Berg, Ann Patchett, and Anne Tyler.
Cherie frequents Tasmania’s beautiful boutique book shops as well as scouring secondhand shops for books to add to her extensive home library. Catch up with her on LinkedIn and on Instagram.
