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Best of 2021: Readers' Favorites

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Curated by Longreads.com
Updated Sep 8, 20269 essays
Famous Weight Loss Program Camp Shane's Epic Succession Drama
Famous Weight Loss Program Camp Shane's Epic Succession Drama0.0

For five decades, as the children at Camp Shane shed pounds, made friends, and found romance, a fierce succession drama was playing out.

When the Techies Took Over Tahoe
When the Techies Took Over Tahoe0.0

Spun-out Teslas on snowy roads. Cabins bought for cash, sight unseen. A shoveling disaster. Locals bemoan the pandemic-induced migration of Bay Area residents to the mountains. But there are two sides to the Zoom-town story.

To Protect Me From America, My Parents Changed My Name Without Telling Me
To Protect Me From America, My Parents Changed My Name Without Telling Me0.0

At 18, her parents changed her last name without telling her. She realized that her Asian mother and African father were trying to protect her from racism.

Kevin Durant and (Possibly) the Greatest Basketball Team of All Time (Published 2021)
Kevin Durant and (Possibly) the Greatest Basketball Team of All Time (Published 2021)0.0

The Brooklyn Nets were built to be an unbeatable superteam of eccentric basketball superstars. Will they dominate the N.B.A. playoffs?

Where There’s Muck There’s Brass: Making Money From Sewage in Kolkata
Where There’s Muck There’s Brass: Making Money From Sewage in Kolkata0.0

It’s a story that traverses the very real ecological and sociological issues of our present world — a world at the brink of irreversible damage. Written with poetic articulation, it narrates a well-researched story of the unique wetlands of Kolkata. Despite the imminent urgency of the problems discussed, it still relates an uplifting instance of the human capacity for survival, resourcefulness, and optimism. Beautifully written and moving.

She Dove to Escape Grief—And Became One of the World’s Greatest Athletes
She Dove to Escape Grief—And Became One of the World’s Greatest Athletes0.0

Embracing her pain, Alenka Artnik pushes the limits of the human body, on just one breath.

At Give Kids the World Village, Happiness Inspires Hope
At Give Kids the World Village, Happiness Inspires Hope0.0

Inside Give Kids the World Village, where the ice cream is unlimited, nightly tuck-ins from six-foot bunny rabbits are complimentary, and Santa Claus visits every Thursday.

To Catch a Turtle Thief: Blowing the Lid Off an International Smuggling Operation
To Catch a Turtle Thief: Blowing the Lid Off an International Smuggling Operation0.0

When a padded envelope at the Calgary airport started to move, officials jumped into action

The Epic Battle to Break the Mississippi River Canoe Record
The Epic Battle to Break the Mississippi River Canoe Record0.0

How two rival teams fought storms and sleep deprivation to claim an 18-year-old paddling FKT