My 21 Favorite Books I Read in 2021
This year was an odd reading month for me. I started the year strong, but once I went to college in person, my reading slump hit me hard and I suddenly did not complete a book in about three months. Besides my reading, this year had extremely high highs and extremely low lows. But we are here for my favorite books of the year, so without further ado, here are my top 21 books of 2021.
Please note, not all of these books were released in 2021, but all of them are books I read in 2021. Also, if you click on the book, it will open to its Goodreads page. Also, I do not have trigger warnings because I do not know the specific list or each book. Please do research if you have triggers.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
This is a story about a young woman, Kya Clark, who lives in the marsh and meets amazing (and not so amazing) people along the way. We follow her throughout her time growing up and how she comes to understand the world around her.
I loved this book way more than I expected to. My roommate kept recommending this book and online I had heard such good things, but I never thought it was going to be for me, but I was so wrong. I cannot stop thinking about this book. I read it back in April and I still remember every emotion I felt while reading this novel. The character work is astounding- every person feels real and complex (even the side characters). This book helped me discover how much I love the southern bayou setting. I remember my roommate being asleep and me sobbing silently, trying to not wake her up. I think every kind of reader will enjoy this book just because of how raw and visual it is.
2. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This story follows the infamous Mick Riva’s four children as they throw the biggest party of the year in Malibu. This story switches between present-day 1980s party day and takes you back in time to understand how their past shaped the Riva kids’ present.
It comes as no surprise that Taylor Jenkins Reid is on my favorites list. She consistently surprises me with her writing and her characters. I love the sibling relationships in this book. They are so complicated and realistic. Not only are the sibling relationships amazing, the parental relationships are beautifully crafted. They are messy and imperfect, but they are also heartwarming and heartbreaking. The romantic intertwinings surrounding the four main characters are painful and genuine. Nothing and no one in this story is perfect and beautiful. Everyone is flawed, and that is what makes this story s fabulous.
3. One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
August moves to New York to finish school, and one day on the train she meets a beautifully mysterious woman on the train. She sees this woman so often that over time, she starts to fall in love with her. However, when she realizes this woman cannot leave the train because she is stuck in time, August does everything in her power to get her dream woman.
The romance in this book made me want to read more romances, and normally I hate reading within the romance genre. The blend of the real and the speculative is just magnificent. The timeline actually makes sense, which is difficult to do in any story surrounding time and time travel. The romance was complicated but beautiful. The friendships August makes are stunning. Overall, this book has made me immeasurably happy.
4. The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Rin is normally no one special, but that all changes when she takes the Empire-wide exam (called the Keju) and passes with flying colors. She then gets thrown into a school and a war she knows nothing about. She is forced to become a warrior while also facing prejudice within the world she is fighting for.
This fantasy changed the game for me; it made me realize that YA fantasy is not always going to cut it for me; I want the darker stuff and this book delivered. This story broke me; it was painful and wild. I really need to continue with this series, but I am afraid of how much it will make me feel. The exposition is not too long, the training portions are such fun, and the war aspects are harrowing. If you like grimdark fantasy, I highly recommend this book.
5. Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
The prequel to The Hate U Give follows Maverick Carter when he gets the news that he is going to be a father at seventeen years old. He is confused and scared, but most of all he just wants to do right by the people he loves.
This book did an amazing job at not villainizing the main character for being a teen parent, but also did not make him perfect. The main character was flawed, but you could see he was doing the best he could with the tools he had. It is an important story that not only adds to the The Hate U Give universe but also works really well on its own. Every detail feels purposeful, which helps make this book feel almost like a memoir.
6. Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
Enchanted wants to be a famous singer. She finally gets the chance to live her dream when R&B legend Korey Fields spots her at an audition. Her world turns upside down when she becomes famous and her professional relationship with Korey becomes romantic. Is Enchanted willing to do anything for fame and love?
This book ripped my soul out and threw it in the garbage. I sobbed and gagged throughout this novel. The realness of Enchanted’s situation hit me hard. Knowing that this is a fictional story but that the subject is very real for so many people makes this book so visceral. Jackson does a great job at writing this incredibly difficult topic.
7. Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
Ellingham Academy is the home for the nation’s most elite minds. Stevie has the unique chance to study how to be an outstanding detective at this school, and most importantly, she gets to study the infamous murder that took place in the 1920s at Ellingham Academy. But when she gets close to solving the murder, Stevie is in more danger than she could have ever imagined.
YA mystery novels are not usually my favorite, but this one really worked for me. It had a perfect mix of fun sleuthing and serious danger. Stevie is a great character to read from. I love this series and this book and I think that if you are a fan f the mystery genre, you will enjoy this book.
8. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
It’s 1920s Shanghai and the Scarlet Gang and their rival gang, the White Flowers, rule the city. Daughter of the Scarlet Gang leader, Juliette Cai, is learning the ropes to be able to run the gang one day. But when she runs into Roma Montagov, heir to the White Flowers and her ex-boyfriend, her world gets much more complicated. It gets even more complicated as the city is overrun by a virus that is turning its citizens into monsters. It is up to Juliette and Roma to figure out what’s poisoning their people.
This Romeo and Juliet retelling was written expertly crafted. The setting was unique and I loved the aspect of the monsters and the virus within this classic story. The romance was not too overwhelming; it was just enough to give the reader butterflies without being the entire story. This story hit hard, and I am sure the sequel hits even harder.
9. The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
Tau never wanted to be a part of the war his people have been fighting for centuries. But when his plan to get injured and dismissed from battle goes wrong, he gets a new plan. He wants to become the best swordsman that has ever existed.
This book has the perfect mix of action and plot development. This novel is not all battles or training, it also has heart and pain. Tau is so tortured and develops so much through this novel that it is a joy to read. The writing is really great. If you are into action-packed political fantasy novels, then I would highly recommend this book.
10. The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
This novel follows four different friends in the aftermath of a hunting trip gone awry. Trust me, the less you know about this book going in, the better the book will be.
This blew me away. I was confused most of the time but in the best way possible. Even though I almost never knew what was going on, I could not get enough of this story. The characters were unique, the horror was terrifying, and the writing was astounding. If you like horror, I cannot recommend this book enough.
These next 11 books are out of my top ten, so they’re not getting full reasons as to why they are on the list.
11. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
12. Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown
13. Vicious by VE Schwab
14. Admission by Julie Buxbaum
15. A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab
16. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
17. The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He
18. Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
19. She’s Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard
20. When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
21. Blackout edited by Tiffany D. Jackson; written by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon
I am so happy with all of these books. Do any of you have any of the same books on your favorites list? Hopefully, 2022 will be my best reading year yet. Have a safe and happy new year!