The 20 Best Books of 2021 (So Far)

Our favorite books of the season come from authors both emerging and established, meditating on everything from life online to life in the intersections of identity. If you have trouble reading this message, view it in a browser.       Make 2021 the Year You Join Our Club—We'll Send You Something (It's a Magazine)   But that's not all you'll get by joining Esquire Select, our new membership program. In addition to an annual print subscription, you'll also get unlimited access to all of Esquire.com—including Politics with Charles P. Pierce and every Esquire story ever published via Esquire Classic. Plus, we'll send you a weekly, subscribers-only email, and give you exclusive access to deals and discounts from our favorite brands. It's just one way your year is sure to be better than the last—we guarantee it. Read More           The 20 Best Books of 2021 (So Far)   As the pandemic continues to disrupt film and television releases, there remains one entertainment constant we can all count on: new books. By and large, the latest and greatest books are continuing to hit shelves as planned, meaning that when it comes to your literary entertainment diet, you'll never go hungry. Now that we've turned the page to 2021, we're in for another fantastic year in books, beginning with this winter's stunning slate of new releases. Our favorite books of the season come from authors both emerging and established, meditating on everything from life online to life in the intersections of identity. Set everywhere from the all-too-real world to the distant past, and even peering into the speculative future, they offer escape, education, and spiritual enlargement—whatever you're looking for. Not all of these books have hit shelves yet, but if you see something you like, do yourself a favor and pre-order it. When it lands on your doorstep in mere weeks, consider it a gift from Past You—and don't waste any time diving in. Read More           Amazon Is Having an Unannounced Sale on All of Your Favorite Apple Products   You can finally buy an Apple watch for an affordable price and have it in your hands by tomorrow evening—you don't even have to leave your bed. (Although you might want to get a feel of what it's like to get your steps in.) If you've been thinking about taking the plunge on the cult favorite AirPods, a new iPad, and so much more, now is absolutely the time to check out of that shopping cart. If you keep up with the news of Apple products, you know that these deals don't last for long. The latest Airpods Pro are discounted down to $219 from $249. You know, the ones that feature active noise cancellation for immersive sound and offer 24 hours of battery life with their charging case. Read More           The Sea Shanty Is Ascendant. Here's How to Dress Like the Flyest Sailor on the Ship.   It's official, folks: The world has flipped for the sea shanty. Bolstered by a wellspring of surprisingly delightful renditions first circulated on TikTok, the sea shanty—a style of folk song attributed to sailors working on board large merchant vessels during the mid-1800s—has fully taken over, dominating timelines from port to starboard. Intrigued by the stylistic merits of the genre? You're in luck! So are we. Because, as it turns out, there's never been a better time to dress like a rugged old sea dog. Which means it's time to hop on the bandwagon, baby. No shame in it. And if you've already mastered the best of what #shantytok has to offer, we put together a list chock full of thick, gale-ready knitwear (and a few well-chosen accessories) sure to see you through any storm—on the high seas or the high street—in style. Read More           It's Not Too Early to Shop for Valentine's Day. Here are 50 Sure-Fire Gift Ideas   Giving a romantic gift is all about knowing your partner. If you've been married for 30 years, you know them pretty damn well, but you might be stumped on how to surprise them. If you've been dating for three months, you probably have a lot left to learn, including what kind of gift will strike the right chord without being overly cheesy. Finesse is required, whether your relationship is brand spanking new or in its golden years. Should you want to get your ducks in row early for the sappiness-fest that is Valentine's Day, allow us to help you crush that gift-giving occasion with the following 50 ideas. Each will give the day a dash (or heap) of romance. Read More           This Is Joe Biden When No One Is Watching   One Sunday morning a few weeks after Ryan D'Agostino interviewed Joe Biden for the cover of Popular Mechanics, before the issue had even gone to press, his son, almost 7, awoke with a headache.His eyes began to close. It got worse quickly, and within an hour he was airlifted to a children's hospital. There was a brain surgery he almost didn't survive. Then another. Doctors said words, and they tried to make sense of them. Late at night, lying awake on the pull-out hospital bed, D'Agostino sent a note to Hunter Biden. The next day, his phone rang: a weird number. He answered. It was the sitting vice president of the United States. "Ryan, it's Joe Biden. Dammit I'm so sorry. What happened?" Here, D'Agostino tells the story of how, when his son was diagnosed with leukemia, Biden didn't have to call. But he did, three times. Read More         Read More on Esquire.com       Follow Us     Unsubscribe  Privacy Notice   esquire.com ©2021 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019