{"id":15598,"date":"2021-12-31T18:06:16","date_gmt":"2022-01-01T02:06:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/?p=15598"},"modified":"2021-12-31T18:06:16","modified_gmt":"2022-01-01T02:06:16","slug":"favorite-books-of-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/favorite-books-of-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Favorite Books of 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

A sensible wrap-up list featuring books read and beauty products loved (a perfect pairing, really).<\/em><\/p>\n

SLOW DAYS, FAST COMPANY<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/h1>\n
\"best

Slow Days, Fast Company<\/em><\/a> by Eve Babitz + Hera Pampas (No. 435)<\/em> Sensual Powder Matte<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Before Slow Days, Fast Company, <\/em>I’d only read Eve Babitz’s more popular novels<\/a> (you know\u2014or at least have seen\u2014the ones that flooded Pinterest and Instagram feeds by storm). This collection, however, made me understand why Babitz is so beloved. I started this at LAX and finished it mid-flight on a trip to Nashville earlier this year. It was apropos; it was everything. I’d only just left California and because of her, I couldn’t help miss LA already. When I returned days later, I loved it more because of her.<\/p>\n

Fast forward half a year later. It’s hard to put into words how I felt when I saw the news of Babitz’s passing. It was the day after I flew out to spend the holidays back on the East Coast: how<\/em> (rhetorical) and why, so soon?<\/em> In my head, I harbored this naive fantasy of running into her one day; though I’d fail to muster the courage (and find the words) to tell her how she made me fall in love with her<\/em> LA and want to make the city mine too, just seeing her in the flesh would be enough.<\/p>\n

ALMOND<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/h1>\n
\"best

Almond<\/em><\/a> by Won-Pyung Sohn + Byredo Sciomancer<\/em> Eyeshadow Palette<\/a> + Byredo Tokio Rose<\/em> Lipstick<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Simply put: Almond <\/em>is achingly beautiful. Though it was originally written in Korean, and there are gaps in the English language (and culture) that may never capture every nuance, it’s clear that Sandy Joosun Lee thoughtfully\u2014artfully\u2014preserved the author’s sentiment. There’s a cadence and sensibility in Asian literature that simply cannot be replicated, yet here, it shines with authenticity. The pace is rhythmic; the perspective distinctly East Asian. <\/em>It’s tender, honest, rich without pretense.<\/p>\n

English is my native tongue but I suppose being bilingual and raised in an immigrant household has influenced literary inclinations. I’m Taiwanese-American, not Korean, yet even for me, I understood\u2014no, connected <\/em>with\u2014this in context and cadence both more than I ever have with American or European works. It’s written like poetry and reads like home; my mind is at ease.<\/p>\n

It’s difficult to explain. I’ll find the words one day.<\/p>\n

YOLK<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/h1>\n
\"best

Yolk<\/em><\/a> by Mary H. K. Choi + 3CE #Common Time<\/em> Take a Layer Multi-Pot<\/a> + Merit Clean Lash<\/a> (review<\/em><\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n

This book was highly anticipated according to my Instagram<\/a> feed (I’m ashamed I wasn’t familiar with Mary H. K. Choi’s work prior to\u00a0Yolk<\/em>‘s release) and I wasted no time in pre-ordering the hardcover. Unsurprisingly, it’s deserving of all hype and praise.<\/p>\n

Choi has a mastery of dialogue that reads without affectation and with this story in particular, you can’t help but immerse yourself completely, intensely<\/em>, into and between the lines. You’ll be wholly invested and unable to put the book down until the very end, guaranteed. (Warning: you just might cry, too.)<\/p>\n

A BREATH OF LIFE: PULSATIONS<\/em><\/a><\/h1>\n
\"best

A Breath of Life<\/em><\/a> by Clarice Lispector + 3CE #Common Time<\/em> Take a Layer Multi-Pot<\/a> + #Kind Move<\/em> Flash Lip Tint<\/a> +\u00a0#Fluffy Red<\/em> Slim Velvet Lip Color<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

I bought this a few months ago at des pair books<\/a> in Echo Park, determined to read more Clarice Lispector before the end of 2021.\u00a0A Breath of Life<\/em> just might be one of my favorites from her yet: a true literary treat (as expected), and not just because I felt a kinship to the dialogue in print. This is a must-read. Do pace yourself and enjoy it over at least three separate sittings to savor every word.<\/p>\n

SWEETBITTER<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/h1>\n
\"best

Sweetbitter<\/a><\/em> by Stephanie Danler + Charlotte Tilbury Lost Cherry<\/em> Matte Revolution Lipstick<\/a> + Hot Emily<\/em> Hot Lips Lipstick<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

For the most part, I tend to avoid books that make the rounds in pop media (especially ones with romantic storylines featuring shitty men and end up getting optioned)\u2014but I’m so glad I set aside my pride.<\/p>\n

I shouldn’t have let the blurbs influence me. Stephanie Danler can write<\/em>, and I ended up canceling plans just to stay in and finish\u00a0Sweetbitter<\/em>. In fact, I ordered my favorite plant-based pie from Ghost Pizza Kitchen<\/a> on Melrose and opened a bottle of Avaline ros\u00e9<\/a> for a thematic reading night in. (Ignore the pairing if you’re a connoisseur; I haven’t yet developed a sophisticated palate for wines.) I ate, sipped, read cross-legged from the floor, completely enamored with the way she writes about New York and sensationalized the sensorial. It’s totally indulgent. Raw, yet glamorous, yet unafraid of ugliness. Worthy of devouring in one evening.<\/p>\n

Pizza and wine are optional, but highly recommended.<\/p>\n

.\u00a0 \u00a0.\u00a0 \u00a0.<\/p>\n

Happy New Year. Here’s to 2022.<\/em><\/p>\n

xx<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A sensible wrap-up list featuring books read and beauty products loved (a perfect pairing, really). SLOW DAYS, FAST COMPANY Before Slow Days, Fast Company, I’d only read Eve Babitz’s more popular novels (you know\u2014or at least have seen\u2014the ones that flooded Pinterest and Instagram feeds by storm). This collection, however, made me understand why Babitz is so beloved. I started this at LAX and finished it mid-flight on a trip to Nashville earlier this year. It was apropos; it was everything. I’d only just left California and because of her, I couldn’t help miss LA already. When I returned days later, I loved it more because of her. Fast forward half a year later. It’s hard to put into words how I felt when I saw the news of Babitz’s passing. It was the day after I flew out to spend the holidays back on the East Coast: how (rhetorical) and why, so soon? In my head, I harbored this naive fantasy of running into her one day; though I’d fail to muster the courage (and find the words) to tell her how she made me fall in love with her LA and want to make the city mine too,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"A list of my five favorite books of 2021, because it wouldn't be New Year's Eve without the obligatory wrap-up.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5,1105,1164,27],"tags":[1194,1140,712,902,1193,1188,1189],"class_list":{"0":"post-15598","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-beauty","7":"category-books","8":"category-makeup","9":"category-philosophy","10":"tag-3ce","11":"tag-book-club","12":"tag-bookshelf","13":"tag-byredo","14":"tag-hera","15":"tag-k-beauty","16":"tag-merit","17":"entry","18":"has-post-thumbnail"},"yoast_head":"\nFavorite Books of 2021 • Soft Sensibilities<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/favorite-books-of-2021\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Favorite Books of 2021 • Soft Sensibilities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A sensible wrap-up list featuring books read and beauty products loved (a perfect pairing, really). 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