My TOP 10 BOOKS from 2021!
My favorite reads of the year ...
I had a great reading year in 2021 and had a lot of books to choose from for this list (I had 112 five star reads!), but I have finally narrowed it down to my ten favorite books!
I would love to hear about your favorite books from last year! Let me know in the comments below.
1. My favorite new release:
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir released in May of 2021 and I had so much fun reading it. I enjoyed The Martian by the same author for its problem solving and the main character’s humor, though the amount of language really bothered me. Project Hail Mary had less language, the same sort of problem solving and funny main character, AND it had a really interesting plot. I liked it even more than The Martian, it was fun for me from beginning to end.
2. A book that surprised me:
The Invention of Sophie Carter by Samantha Hastings is an historical fiction following two orphaned twin girls in the 1850’s. One wants to be an artist and the other wants to be an invention and they might have a shot when they are invited to stay with their aunt—but only one of them. They come up with the idea to take turns being “Sophie” and both pursue their dreams.
I think the cover of the book put me off it. I forced myself to start reading it, and wasn’t sure I would like it, but once I started, I couldn’t put it down! I loved the sisters; their personalities were so vibrant and unique. They had their flaws, but both girls were strong in their own way. I also really enjoyed both romances and the problems that came up with the sisters switching places often. There was a side plot about forgiveness that left me in tears. It was a beautiful book that transported me.
My favorite nonfiction:
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson was a book that I had heard so many good things about—and it lived up to the hype. Bryan Stevenson is a lawyer who defends people on death row and the stories he shares in this book are heart wrenching and inspiring. I learned a lot reading it and left inspired to do more to help the world. I think books like this are really important to read.
My favorite spontaneous read:
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson was a book that wasn’t on my TBR list, but I decided to pick it up anyway (hence, the spontaneity). I read it in September after I had Oliver and it was the perfect read to get me through some sleepless nights holding and nursing him!
This is a YA thriller following a girl who decides to use her school capstone project to investigate a murder that took place in her community five years previous. She doesn’t believe the person found guilty at the time was actually guilty and sets out to prove it.
It was a fast paced, engaging mystery with lots of twists. I really liked the two main characters the book follows. It is a trilogy and while I enjoyed the rest of the books (I read them all in quick succession because I really wanted to know what happened!), the first was my favorite.
My favorite Agatha Christie book:
I read One, Two, Buckle my Shoe by Agatha Christie as part of the #readchristie2021 challenge (they’re doing another one for 2022 if you want to check it out, I’m definitely doing it again!) and loved it.
Poirot is one of my favorite detectives and this is from his perspective, which is always fun. The book opens with Poirot visiting the dentist and it’s one of my favorite things ever. It was so funny to see him and his personality handling something so relatable as the dentist.
The mystery in this one was just okay. I didn’t guess the ending and it had me interested and guessing the whole time. The solution was a little complicated (compared to clever), which was why it was just okay for me.
My favorite part of the book, though, was the theme. It explored the question, is the good of the nation or the life of an individual more important? The discussion between Poirot and the murderer at the end of the book is excellent as well.
My favorite book from a series:
The Glamourist by Luanne G. Smith is the second in The Vine Witch series. The Vine Witch is about witches who support and maintain the vineyards in France and has some really cool world building and magic around witches. In the first book, the main character spends some time in jail with two other girls. The subsequent two books in the series follow those two girls.
While I don’t drink wine and don’t particularly love witches, I really enjoyed the first book and the entire series. This second book was my favorite, though. There was a mystery/detective aspect to it that kept me engaged and I loved the character development. This is a series I would recommend to anyone who enjoys cool magic, mysteries around someone’s background, and (of course) witches.
My favorite book recommended through BookTube:
As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner is an historical fiction that takes place during the Spanish Flu epidemic in Philadelphia (one of the cities hit hardest). It was definitely an interesting book to read considering current events with Covid.
I absolutely loved it. I fell in love with the family and loved the Little Women vibes it had. I really enjoyed the way the book was set up as well; the first half follows the family during the actual pandemic and then the second half time jumps and shows us how the Spanish Flu affected the lives of each family member even years later. There was romance, strong family ties, heartbreak, and hope.
A book that made me cry:
Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain is another historical fiction that takes place in the U.S. south during the 1980’s. It follows a newlywed social worker who has her own secret heartaches and a teenage girl whose family is on welfare. The main story revolves around the Eugenics program the government instituted in some states at the time in an attempt to decrease the amount of people on welfare.
I got entirely absorbed in this book! I loved both the main characters and felt very invested in their futures. They were both such strong characters with great goals and the world seemed to be against them. I also learned so much; I hadn’t known anything about the Eugenics program before reading this book. The ending is a time jump, which isn’t my favorite, but I did love the way it tied up and the closure we’re given.
My favorite read aloud:
I read Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono on my own earlier in the year and while I was reading it, I knew it would be one my girls would love. I was right! They had so much fun reading about Kiki and her cat GiGi and all the adventures they go on. It’s such a charming, wholesome book and Kiki is just the kind of role model I love for my girls!
I couldn’t help but include two books in this section. We read a lot of great books together! The Witches by Roald Dahl was probably my girls’ favorite read of the whole year. It was just creepy enough that they were kept in suspense, but not too scary. They also loved the clever way the boy and his grandma end up defeating the witches!
My favorite read by a favorite author:
One of my favorite authors is Wendelin Van Draanen (author of Flipped) and I’ve been slowly working my way through her books. Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen follows a girl who is into drugs, alcohol, and shoplifting. Not knowing what else to do for their daughter, her parents send her to a survivalist camp that helps people overcome addictions. The book follows her experiences in the camp and her journey to becoming a better person.
My favorite thing about this book was the character development. The book does such a good job of showing the main character’s growth as a person and the struggles she faces as she has to forgive her family and herself.
My favorite reread:
Okay, so this may or may not be a bonus section. But it’s hard to narrow down only a few favorites when I had so many great reads! It was especially tricky to pick a favorite reread, because I reread my favorite books, meaning I love a lot of them.
This past year, my favorite was probably Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I love all of Jane Austen’s books, but I have a special place in my heart for Pride and Prejudice. It was the first movie I watched of Jane Austen adaptations, it was the first book by her that I read, and I just love Elizabeth’s character so much (not to mention the romance with Darcy!).
My YouTube video talking about these books: