Ringing in the new year by writing up this blog post about all the books I read in 2021. I found myself needing a lot more "fun" books, like mysteries and fantasy novels, with less headspace available for more difficult reads. But I still managed 60 books in 2021 (same as in 2020!), and completed my reading challenge with 13 days to spare.
What did you read in 2021? Feel free to share! Whether you read one book or 100 of them, I'm interested to hear your recommendations.
Below is the list of what I read (with links to reviews), followed by my reading challenge list.
Top 5
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet, by John Green
The Deep, by Rivers Solomon
The Kingdoms, by Natasha Pulley
Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke
Loved it - (highly recommend!)
Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson
Home Fire, by Kamila Shamsie
In This Moment: Revolution, Reckoning, Reparation, curated by Amanda Chestnut
The Library at Mount Char, by Scott Hawkins
Little Eyes, by Samantha Schweblin
My Sister, the Serial Killer, by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Nothing to See Here, by Kevin Smith
Raybearer, by Jodran Ifueko
Red at the Bone, by Jacqueline Woodson
Turtles All the Way Down, by John Green
Vulnerability is my Superpower: An Underpants & Overbites Collection, by Jackie Davis
Liked it - (enjoyed it & would recommend, though I probably won't read it a 2nd time)
Area X: The Southern Reach Trilogy: Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance, by Jeff Vandermeer
Conjure Women, by Afia Atakora
Detransition, Baby, by Torrey Peters
The Devil & the Dark Water, by Stuart Turton
Dispossession, by Tayari Jones
Empire of Wild, by Cherie Dimaline
Firekeeper's Daughter, by Angeline Boulley
Gods of Jade & Shadow, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The House on the Cerulean Sea, by T.J. Klune
If We Were Villains, by M.L. Rio
Inside Jobs: Tales from a Time of Quarantine, by Ben Winters
Into the Water, by Paula Hawkins
The Ladies of Grace Adieu, by Susanna Clarke
Mixed Feelings, by Avan Jogia
The Museum of Whales You Will Never See, and Other Excursions to Iceland's Most Unusual Museums, by A. Kendra Greene
The Near Witch, by V.E. Schwab
Nights When Nothing Happened, by Simon Han
Nowhere Boy, by Katherine Marsh
Once Upon a River, by Diane Setterfield
Parable of the Sower, and Parable of the Talents, by Octavia Butler
The Prison Diary of Ho Chi Minh, by Ho Chi Minh
They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei
Tongues: On Longing and Belonging Through Language, edited by Eufemia Fantetti, Leonarda Carranza, & Ayelet Tsabari
Transcendent Kingdom, by Yaa Gyasi
It was fine - (read if the subject matter interests you)
A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness
American Spy, by Lauren Wilkinson
The Body: A Guide for Occupants, by Bill Bryson
Cultish: The Language of Fanatacism, by Amanda Montell
The Glass Hotel, by Emily St. John Mandel
Long Division, by Kiese Laymon
Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold, by Bolu Babalola
Out of Darkness, Shining Light, by Petina Gappah
Such a Fun Age, by Kiley Reid
Where the Dead Sit Talking, by Brandon Hobson
You Talkin' to Me? The Unruly History of New York English, by E.J. White
Amazing re-reads
Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi
The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman
A Darker Shade of Magic and A Gathering of Shadows, by V.E. Schwab
And two books I really disliked
The Book of Hidden Wonders, by Polly Crosby
Pet, by Akwaeke Emezi
Completed 2021 Reading Challenge
1. a book of diverse folktales/mythology; or a diverse retelling; or in a non-western setting
Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold, by Bolu Babalola
2. POC author: Black/African
My Sister, the Serial Killer, by Oyinkan Braithwaite
3. a book by a female author in a male-dominated genre
Parable of the Sower, and Parable of the Talents, by Octavia Butler
4. POC author: Middle Eastern/South Asian
Home Fire, by Kamila Shamsie
5. a book that was published independently or through a small publishing house
In This Moment: Revolution, Reckoning, Reparation, curated by Amanda Chestnut
(not technically "a" book, but a series of 10 booklets)
6. a book that focuses on sexuality &/or gender identity
Detransition, Baby, by Torrey Peters
7. a book about mental health or addiction
Turtles All the Way Down, by John Green
8. POC author: Hispanic/Latinx
Gods of Jade & Shadow, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
9. a book that focuses on people with disabilities &/or disability rights
Tongues: On Longing and Belonging Through Language, edited by Eufemia Fantetti,
Leonarda Carranza, & Ayelet Tsabari
(cheating a little here - only two of the essays focus on disability)
10. POC author: Native American/Indigenous/First Nations
Empire of Wild, by Cherie Dimaline
11. a book that focuses on a religious minority
Firekeeper's Daughter, by Angeline Boulley
12. POC author: Mixed race
Mixed Feelings, by Avan Jogia
13. a book that has been translated from another language
Little Eyes, by Samantha Schweblin
14. a book by a local author
Vulnerability is my Superpower: An Underpants & Overbites Collection, by Jackie Davis
15. a memoir, biography, or autobiography
They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei
16. a book that was published in 2021
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet, by John Green
17. POC author: East Asian/Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander
Nights When Nothing Happened, by Simon Han
18. a book by or about a refugee or the refugee experience
Nowhere Boy, by Katherine Marsh
19. a mystery where the victim is not a woman
The Devil & the Dark Water, by Stuart Turton
20. a book written by someone in prison
The Prison Diary of Ho Chi Minh, by Ho Chi Minh
As for a 2022 Reading Challenge... undecided as to whether I will do one or not. It's TBD!
Sharing a beautiful Happy New Year from Yo-Yo Ma:
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