Top 10 of 2021 is hosted by Books of My Heart.
Also linking up with
Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl, and
Connect Five Friday, hosted by Book Date.
The Top Ten Tuesday topic today is the Best Books I Read In 2021. Is it cheating to bend the rules for a post like this? I tried to narrow the list down to ten but then realized there was an easier way--and I could include all of my top rated books in the process! I can be stingy about giving out 5 paws to the books I read, but five managed to earn my highest rating this year. There were a number of books though that came really close, ten of which I have listed below along with my top five. (Check out my list of Top Ten Covers of 2021 if you haven't already!)
My Five 5 Paw Reads
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
What Mothers Withhold by Elizabeth Kropf
Becoming by Michelle Obama
My Top Ten 4.5 Paw Reads
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers
Murder in the East End (Kat Holloway Mysteries #4) by Jennifer Ashley
The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel
Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors (Rajes #1) by Sonali Dev
The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley
A Peculiar Combination (Electra McDonnell #1) by Ashley Weaver
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
Down a Dark River (Inspector Corravan #1) by Karen Odden
What were some of your favorite books read this year?
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Great list! I see several books that I wanna read too. Maybe 2022 is the year I'll get around to them.
ReplyDeleteStephanie - I say that every year too as I read these lists. LOL So many great sound books and so little time to read them all. I hope you have a great 2022 in books!
DeleteHi Wendy! Great list, some of these are on my wish list! I didn't read too much in 2021 but The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah was my favorite read of the year. Happy Healthy New Year!
ReplyDeleteNaida - I would like to read The Four Winds someday. I've heard great things about it! I hope you have a happy and healthy New Year as well!
DeleteWonderful list, Wendy😁 There are a few on here I'm eager to read, especially Becoming and The Lost Apothecary.
ReplyDeleteTammy - Becoming was so good. I hope you do get a chance to read it. And The Lost Apothecary too!
DeleteI see another Becky Chambers book on your list, a few bloggers seems to have one on their list too. I haven't read one of her books but I hope to read one some day.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day.
Lissa - I really need to read more of her work. I hope you like Becky Chambers books if you give them a try!
DeleteI have been meaning to read Becoming for a while now - I own it in paperback AND audio, so I REALLY mean to read it 😂
ReplyDeleteI also loved Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors. I want to read the other books soon!
Berls - I hear the audio of Becoming is awesome. I read the hardcover version which I got for Christmas the year it came out. Talk about putting it off. LOL I hope you enjoy it when you get to it! I want to read Dev's other books too. Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors was so good!
DeleteI've seen Pride and Prejudice and Other Flavors on a few other lists and I've not heard of it before. Time to check it out. Thanks. My 2021 Favorites
ReplyDeleteAnne - I really enjoyed Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors and hope you do too if you decide to pick it up. There's definite similarities to Austen's book, but it is also so different from it.
DeleteA great selection of books. I am looking forward to 2022 reading.
ReplyDeleteLisa - Thank you! Hopefully 2022 will be a great year in books for all of us.
DeleteI have the Invisible Husband on my TBR shelf so I am pleased to see you ranked it so highly. And, Shout, Poet X, and island of the Sea Women are among my favorites as well.
ReplyDeleteHelen - It was so good! I hope you will enjoy The Invisible Husband of Frick Island when you read it. Yay for Shout, Poet X and Island of the Sea Women! I have so much love for all three of those books.
DeleteI listened to Becoming. It was so good! It made my list the year I read it, too. Happy 2022.
ReplyDeleteDeanna - I heard the audio was awesome. I read a hardcover version--and loved it, so I can only imagine how much more great the audio would be. I hope you have a great New Year too!
DeleteI love Becky Chambers, there's nothing she's written that I haven't wholeheartedly loved! I might read The Lighthouse Witches next year, it's the anniversary of the lens they use in lighthouses so I have a plan of reading a bunch of related books.
ReplyDeleteEllie - This is my first and so far only book by Becky Chambers, but it definitely will not be my last. I am eager to read more of her work. I hope you are able to get to The Lighthouse Witches next year!
DeleteWoohoo, someone who bent the rules with me! I haven't read most of these, but I'd Rather Be Reading made my list the year I read it too -- I could not believe how relatable all her quotes & anecdotes were. And I'm glad to see that The Lost Apothecary lived up the hype for you; that's one of the few Goodreads Choice nominees that intrigued me.
ReplyDeleteRS - Oh, yes! I related so much with Anne Bogel in I'd Rather Be Reading. I did really enjoy The Lost Apothecary. I know not everyone did though.
DeleteI love your list! I haven't heard of most of these books, but I'll definitely be sure to check a few of them out; several of the titles sound very intriguing. I do need to get to The Lost Apothecary soon.
ReplyDeleteHere's my TTT: https://ofpensandswords.com/top-ten-contemporary-ya-books-i-read-in-2021/
Of Pens and Swords - Thank you! Looking over my favorites I find it's a very different sort of list than my usual one. It came as a surprise to me when all put together. I hope you enjoy The Lost Apothecary when you read it.
DeleteI added I'd Rather be Reading to my TBR list. Happy New Year! https://cindysbookcorner.blogspot.com/2021/12/top-ten-tuesday-cover-love.html
ReplyDeleteCindy - I hope you enjoy I'd Rather Be Reading if you read it. I think it's a book many of us readers can relate to. :-)
DeleteI really liked THE ISLAND OF THE SEA WOMEN too. It's fascinating! The Kat Halloway series is one I also enjoy.
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
Susan - It really is fascinating. I have a couple of other books about the women that I would like to read as well. The Kat Holloway series is one of my favorites. :-)
DeleteI couldn't narrow my list down to just ten either. There were just too many good books. Quite a few of yours are on my wishlist. I really want to read a Becky Chambers book one of these days. I keep hearing how awesome they are. And A Peculiar Combination sounds right up my alley. Great list! :)
ReplyDeleteAshley - I loved Becky Chambers' book and definitely want to read more by her in the (hopefully) near future. I hope you will give A Peculiar Combination a try--it was a fun read.
DeleteI haven't read any of these! I have heard so many great things about The Charm Offensive lately.
ReplyDeleteCarole - The Charm Offensive was so much fun. I haven't rooted for a couple that hard in a long time.
DeleteI found it impossible to narrow my list down to ten favorites either. The Lost Apothecary is one I really meant to read this year but just didn't get around to it. Glad to see it made your list of favorites since I definitely plan to get to it early in 2022. :)
ReplyDeleteSuzanne - I hope you enjoy The Lost Apothecary if you read it! There were a lot of books that I hoped to get to this year that I didn't. Hopefully I can get to some of them this coming year.
DeleteBecoming was great, and I enjoyed A Long Way. Why haven't I read Poet X yet?!
ReplyDeleteDeb - You must read Poet X!
DeleteNice list. I have Becoming by Michelle Obama on my TBR, my sister read it and loved it!
ReplyDeleteWendy - I hope you enjoy it when you read it too!
DeleteI loved Long Way to a Small Angry Planet...
ReplyDeleteThe Lost Apothecary sounds great too!
Greg - A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet was so good! I am glad I finally read it. I hope you get a chance to read The Lost Apothecary.
DeleteI love Becky Chambers. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet was great.
ReplyDeleteJennifer - I look forward to reading more by Becky Chambers.
DeleteI have The Invisible Husband of Frick Island on my TBR. I hope to get to it in 2022.
ReplyDeletePam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/the-10-best-books-i-read-in-2021/
Pam - I hope you enjoy The Invisible Husband of Frick Island as much as I did!
DeleteGreat to see some of your favorite reads from this year! I have the Lisa See book on my shelf and am hoping to get to it soon. I really enjoyed the Anne Bogel and Jennifer Ashley books too.
ReplyDeleteKatherine - I hope you do get a chance to read Lisa See's book. It's amazing, but definitely an emotional read, so be prepared.
DeleteDown a Dark River Looks good. Great list and thanks for visiting my TTT!
ReplyDeleteRachel - It was good! I hope you get a chance to read it!
DeleteMurder at East End was so good! I really enjoy the Kat Holloway series!
ReplyDeleteEustacia - It's one of my favorite series. :-)
DeleteI loved The Charm Offensive. I can't wait to see what she releases next. I liked The Poet X. I need to read Shout still.
ReplyDeleteLauren @ www.shootingstarsmag.net
Lauren - The Charm Offensive was so good! I hope you get a chance to read Shout!
DeleteI see some here I've read or intend to read. I did love Poet X which was strange for me because I thought I wouldn't, but it was a five for me too.
ReplyDeleteKathryn - The Poet X was so good. Someday I would like to hear the audio version. I am glad you enjoyed it too!
DeleteWhat a great list Wendy. I have read a few and have some on my TBR. I had not heard of I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel, but just found a copy online at my library, so will we reading it as part of my nonfiction challenge.
ReplyDeleteCarla - I hope you like I'd Rather Be Reading. I found it so relatable.
Delete