Spring is an excellent time to hone one’s reading muscles, and 2021 promises no shortage of books with which to do so. Whether fiction or nonfiction, there are likely several good books from either genre sure to pique your interest, with reviewers recommending many noteworthy examples. Let’s look at three of Spring 2021’s best books:
1 – Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese-American Heroes in World War II
Author Daniel James Brown recounts the story of Japanese-Americans who volunteered for service after Pearl Harbor. Sent to Europe to fight against the Nazis rather than to the Pacific Theater to face the Empire of Japan, these Americans also had to worry about their families, many of whom faced internment camps and xenophobia back home. Known as the Nisei, these second-generation Japanese-American WWII service members served heroically and sometimes suffered greatly.
2 – Klara and the Sun
Kazuo Ishiguro’s past works include classic works of fiction such as Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go. As in his previous works, Ishiguro’s plot in Klara and the Sun turns out to be quite the opposite of what the characters think they understand. The story’s protagonist, Klara, is a robot or “Artificial Friend” built to serve as a child’s companion. She’s intelligent but can’t see everything when that’s what she must do. So, she ends up another of Ishiguro’s tragic figures fated to experience sorrow.
3 – The Flip Side of Free: Understanding the Economics of the Internet
The old saying that “There’s no such thing as a free lunch” applies equally to the “free” internet: If you aren’t paying for the product, you are the product. World Bank Group’s digital development specialist Michael Kende describes how unified standards made the web accessible for all while also examining various risks, including cybersecurity. Finally, Kende delves into various impending social considerations as the public realizes just how much a free internet is costing everyone.
Spring is always a time of renewal and new life. This year promises a good chance to break out the latest fiction thriller or thought-provoking nonfiction examination of some issue of import or historical significance. See your favorite bookseller now to grab some of 2021’s best books.