2021 was a lot of things, to say the least. I graduated at the start of the year, worked within the health department, landed a pretty cool internship, and focused on staying healthy and safe. There were many times I was surprised and many times I was disappointed. This year definitely taught me to give myself grace and focus on things I can actually control.
Last year was an improvement in several ways from 2020. During that year, I was fully encompassed by the workload of grad school, as well as overwhelmed by the weight of the pandemic and world events. Being sent home from classes, not interacting with family and friends as I had before, working with those directly impacted by the pandemic, and the sheer volume of uncertainty really took a toll. One result of this was that I did not read a lot of books, especially those that I actually liked.
But in 2021 I got back into it and read 30 books. I’m pretty proud of myself because there were months where I didn’t pick anything up. At the beginning of the year, I was hesitant to create a reading goal for myself. I, among others, have found that the online book community can seem very daunting with people boasting quick reading speeds and finishing 100+ books a year. I am neither a fast reader nor someone who can read one book at a time so that would be incredibly difficult for me. That being said, I cannot stress enough how important it is not to compare your reading – or other areas of your life – with others (something I am still working on).
I find it fun to track my reading and I wish I had kept some form of a reading list before I started using GoodReads in 2016. This year I found myself reading a lot of shorter books. I also read more graphic novels than I recall having read in previous years. Like in previous years, most of my books have come from the library. I took full advantage of their ebook access, but I did get a few physical books when we were given access to do so. I would like to improve how and what I track in the books I read, but for now, I’m just going to keep things simple by marking what’s read and how I liked them.
So here are my top books of 2021:
Something Happened To Ali Greenleaf
By Hayley Krischer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 [Synopsis]
Content warning: This book contains themes of rape and sexual assault including a graphic scene at the beginning of the book. Please be mindful of how that may impact you when reading or recommending this book.
This book is told from a dual point of view with two very different teenage girls, Blythe Jensen and Ali Greenleaf. Both girls become tied together in the aftermath of a party one fateful night. Ali must deal with the trauma of being assaulted and Blythe must decide what the right thing to do is. As readers, we are privy to information the characters are not, and we are made to develop some sort of an understanding of a character’s motives. The dual POV really helped that and made the story more dynamic. Relationships with family and friends also shape the narrative and inform decisions. There is also bullying – both in-person and online – and a social structure in their community that has been impacting teens for years. This all comes to a head in this book. One thing I really liked is how Krischer showed the girls dealing with their emotions and deciding what course of action they would take. It was also realistic that the book doesn’t have an ending that ties everything together neatly, but shows what we can only hope is the beginning of something better.
The Little Prince
By Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ 5/5 Stars [Synopsis]
In this book, a WWII pilot crashes in the desert where he encounters a young prince who is also very far from home. While he tries to fix his plane the prince recounts how he got to the desert from his home planet. The pilot and the prince explore what is truly important in life and use the lessons the prince learned to do so. The book has been a part of my life for many years. I had a copy of it as a child in its original language (that I could not read by myself lol) and later used it for a 10th grade English essay that I was rather proud of at the time. And I plan to keep rereading this book throughout my life. I certainly think reading this book at different ages and stages of my life has shaped what I’ve gotten from the work. I found myself picking up on the criticisms the prince and the pilot make about losing yourself in desires and cherishing time this time around. Although this is often regarded as a children’s book, I’d recommend this book to people of all ages.
The Wrath and The Dawn
By Renée Ahdieh
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Stars [Synopsis]
This book is a retelling of One Thousand and One Nights. Sharzhad volunteers to marry the young king, Khalid, who has been notoriously killing his wives after one night. She manages to evade death by telling him stories each night, while she attempts to gain intel and ultimately destroy the king who has destroyed so many families. No one in the palace knows that she is motivated by the death of her closest friend from childhood who was one of the king’s latest victims. However, she quickly reveals there is more going on and everyone is keeping secrets. As a young adult fantasy, it was right up my alley. I enjoyed the loyalty between characters due to familial and friendship dynamics. Many characters are strong-willed and willing to fight for what they believe in. I found the book captivating, but for a while, it did seem like Sharzhad had forgotten about the troubles her people faced when she was wrapped up in the intrigue of palace life. I also wish we explored the magical side of the world more given the impact it had on the characters and the plot twist. The author introduced elements of magic that were not fully explained by the end of the book. Hopefully, the second book in this duology can tie up some of those loose ends.
The Empress of Salt and Fortune
By Nghi Vo
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5 Stars [Synopsis]
I was drawn to this book because it was a high fantasy based in imperial China. This book follows a cleric taking the histories of those in the land who learns the story of an exiled queen from her handmaiden. It’s a very interesting tale with dynamic writing and fantastical characters. I enjoyed this as an audiobook – in part due to the narrator – but I have heard that the written versions are captivating as well. This is a part of an ongoing series that I am super excited to continue. Especially because I don’t often catch series as they are being released AND keep up with them!
The Night Masquerade
By Nnedi Okorafor
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 Stars [Synopsis]
Nnedi Okorafor is now an auto-buy author for me and this series is why. This is the third and final book in the Binti series, which I spoke about in my 2019 yearly reading wrap-up. Binti, who left her community and Earth to attend one of the most prestigious universities in the galaxy, has not returned home. Those who knew her now consider her to be completely different both physically and figuratively. And those who don’t understand her now attempt to use her to create more division in a long-standing war. Although this was not my favorite book in the series, it was a really nice ending to a story about transformation and discovery. Binti learns more about her family history and future in this book. While she lost many people she cared about along the way, she continued to be surrounded by her family and built relationships during her travels that helped her grow. By the end of the series, Binti still has a lot more she will discover about herself, the universe, and those around her. However, it’s clear that now she is better prepared to handle the unknown than she was when we first met her at the start of the series.
The Bird and the Sword
By Amy Harmon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars [Synopsis]
This was my first adult fantasy book of this nature and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I flew through it in literally two days and it was all I could think about for weeks to come. It tells the story of a young woman, Lark, who “lost” her voice when she witnessed her mother’s death as a child. She becomes weighed down by grief and the expectations of those around her including her father. Many people think little of her due to her lack of voice and she is constantly underestimated. When Lark gets tangled in the web of those vying for the throne and the mysterious enemy destroying the kingdom, she discovers that there is more to her than anyone ever realized. The book has magic with many people falling into four main Gifted categories in some way. However, due to fear and persecution for hundreds of years, most people hide their gifts. So I think you can imagine Lark’s difficulty with having no voice while also having the Gift of being a teller who can use words to shape reality through suggestion. Lark spends the book slowly growing into herself and I really came to care for her. This is now one of my favorite books. I’m excited to read the second book that follows different characters from this world who we’ve been introduced to previously. I am curious about how the books will connect because to me it seemed like the epilogue of this book takes place further in the future than the events of the next book.
Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation
By Octavia Butler, Adapted by Damian Duffy
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 Stars [Synopsis]
Octavia Butler’s classic work is beautifully adapted here. As a graphic novel, this book still retains Butler’s dynamic storytelling and the complexity of the characters and their storylines. Dana is a writer in 1970s California who ends up transporting back in time to a plantation in antebellum Maryland that she is historically connected to. This ability impacts her life and the lives of those around her in both periods forever. I believe having this adaptation widens the reach this book can have, and the discussions it can foster. The themes of this work remain as relevant today as they were when this book was written. However, I would recommend still engaging with the novel which likely has a more detailed approach to the story.
How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps
By Andrew Rowe
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5 Stars [Synopsis] [My Review]
This short audiobook was really fun to read. It is written like a videogame, where the character does challenges to “level up” their skills to progress towards their goal. The ending was surprising with unexpected villains and outcomes. I love that the main character, Yui Shaw, is not the hero or the chosen one. In fact, the chosen one won’t arise for several more decades, which prompted the main character to try and defeat the evil force proactively. Yui has to cleverly cultivate skills and garner travel companions and allies to navigate the trials she comes across. The book is a quick and fun read that also challenges the ideas of heroes and villains. I would suggest the audiobook so you can experience the dynamic even better.
Now for 2022, I am going to take the same approach to my reading. Just going with the flow. We’re one month in and I already have some books I’m considering top tier. In terms of tracking, I now have a StoryGraph account, and will be updating both that and my GoodReads moving forward. I’m not doing a yearly TBR anymore, but instead, have a list of books I’d like to read next. Happy Reading!
– Tatyana x
Are there any books you enjoyed in 2021? Any books you enjoyed recently?
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