Episode 42: The BXC’s Best Books of 2021

For our final episode of 2021, we decide to broaden out a personal tradition and share it with listeners... we each share our 10 favorite reading experiences of the year, and discuss why these books made a lasting mark on us. Our choices are not at all limited to books that came out in 2021, but could be any book of any genre from any year. These books were "buried in our heads like a stinger" (to borrow from Flannery O'Connor) and just would not let go, no matter what else we might have consumed. We want to offer a sincere THANK YOU to anyone who chose to spend some of their valuable time listening to us blather on about books this year... we do not take your listening for granted, and while the twinly conversation would go on regardless, it has been humbling and heartening to receive all of your positive feedback about the show. We wish you all a very happy and restorative holiday season, and we'll be talking to you again in 2022!

MUSIC BY YOUNG WOLF, VOIDZ PANDA

BOOKS DISCUSSED/MENTIONED/RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE

What Jude is currently reading/plans to read next:

'White Line Fever,' Lemmy Kilmister (w/ Janiss Garza) -

'A Prayer for the Dying,' Jack Higgins -

What John is currently reading/plans to read next:

'Barkskins,' Annie Proulx -

'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,' Anonymous, trans. by W. S. Merwin

Books/Writers discussed in this episode:

JUDE's BEST BOOKS OF 2021 -

1. 'Extraterrestrial,' Avi Loeb -

2. 'Walking with Ghosts,' Gabriel Byrne -

3. 'The Songlines,' Bruce Chatwin -

4. 'The Reason for the Darkness of the Night: Edgar Allen Poe and the Forging of American Science,' John Tresch -

5. 'The Five Wounds,' Kristin Valdez Quade -

6. 'Klara and the Sun,' Kazuo Ishiguro -

7. 'Challenger: A Major Malfunction - A True Story of Politics, Greed and the Wrong Stuff,' Malcolm McConnell -

8. 'Night Boat to Tangier,' Kevin Barry -

9. 'Solar Bones," Mike McCormack -

10. 'Close Range: Wyoming Stories,' Annie Proulx -

JOHN's BEST BOOKS OF 2021 -

1. 'Via Negativa,' Daniel Hornsby -

2. 'The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World,' Wade Davis -

3. 'Exhalation: Stories,' Ted Chiang -

4. 'Fragments of an Infinite Memory: My Life with the Internet,' Maël Renouard -

5. 'The Mission: A True Story,' David W. Brown -

6. 'Bad Dirt: Wyoming Stories 2,' Annie Proulx -

7. 'The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories, Vol. 1,' Ed. by James D. Jenkins & Ryan Cagle -

8. 'Cockfighter,' Charles Willeford -

9. 'Interior States: Essays,' Meghan O'Gieblyn -

10. 'Barkskins,' Annie Proulx -

Planned next episode of the Book XChange podcast:

Episode 43... TBD!