Hello bookish friends! Happy (almost) New Year! Can you believe 2021 is almost over? I can’t believe it, but I’m sure glad it is. One of the few good things I can say about this year is that I got some really good reads in…so let’s talk about that! Without further ado…here are my favorite books of 2021 (in the order I read them because ordering them by favorite amongst my favorites would be impossible)…
Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice by Thea Sabin- At the beginning of this year, I entered into a bit of a journey of self-discovery. I was questioning a lot about myself, including the faith I’d grown up with and continued in, even in adulthood. Candidly, I’m not sure where I am on that spiritual journey yet, but this book helped me kickstart that journey, and for that, I am incredibly grateful.
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio - I read this with my in person book club, and reviews were mixed. But what I really liked about this book was first, its focus on different issues facing undocumented persons depending on the region where they live, and two the mix of narrative and nonfiction that Villavicencio deploys. She’s the first to say she isn’t a journalist and that she takes creative liberties, and for me that just added another dimension to the stories she was telling.
Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life by Dr. Emily Nagoski - I was inspired to read this book by Youtuber Hannah Witton who advocates reading this book. One of the issues I became interested in exploring during the last couple years is female sexuality, and this book is a great jumping off point for that. I also appreciate that she acknowledges that her work is based on studies of cisgender women, and therefore recognizes that it is not always inclusive.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - Do I have to say anything more than this is a book by Brit Bennett? I know I’m not alone in thinking she is one of the greatest writers of our generation and I will read anything she writes. This was another book club read, and I think we all agreed that Brit Bennett’s books are absolutely incredible. Can you tell I’m a fan girl?
Consent by Annabel Lyon - This is the only book on this list that I didn’t give a 5 star rating. But it made this list because it’s also a book that so pleasantly surprised me. Based on the description, I really didn’t think I was going to like it at all, and instead, I ended up loving it.
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi - I love academic based fiction. I love strong narrative. Want to know what two things this book combines? You guessed it. This is the first Gyasi book I read, but I cannot wait to add Homecoming to that list.
Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez - I posted a review of this on my blog, so feel free to take a look at that if you want to see all the reasons I loved this book. But wow.
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead - I was a bit nervous to read this because I’ve never heard a bad thing about Colson Whitehead’s writing, and I was worried that I would be disappointed, considering how much I built it up in my mind. That fear was completely unfounded. Colson Whitehead has officially been added to the list of authors I will read at every opportunity.
The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny - PENNY IS BACK AT HER BEST. Great writing? Check. Compelling story? Check. Cozy vibes? Check. Character development and flawed, but deeply human characters? Check. Check. Check. I’m going to be honest and say that I actually haven’t finished the Gamache book that came before this one - I started it, and just couldn’t get into it. And Penny is one of my favorite authors. So I was a bit worried that maybe I was falling out of love with an author’s body of works that I used to adore and seek comfort in. Turns out, I needn’t have worried. The Madness of Crowds reminded me exactly why Penny was, and still is, one of my favorite authors of all time.
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston - This was a re-read for me during a part of this year where I was really struggling. The last time I read it, it immediately became a comfort read, and it lived up to that reputation this time around as well. Who wouldn’t love a queer love story featuring triumphant liberal politics, America’s first female president, and a few intimidating turkeys?
The Book of Mother by Violane Huisman - I received a free e-ARC of this book from the publisher, Scribner. This is another book I reviewed on my blog. But I’ll just reiterate that it helped me fall back in love with reading at a time where I was struggling to find joy and comfort.
Digital Black Feminism by Dr. Catherine Knight Steele - One more book I’ve already reviewed (which I received a free e-ARC of from the publisher, NYU Press, through the NetGalley platform), so go ahead and see my most recent review for my full reasons for loving this book. But I learned so much and left my first read feeling like I had even more to read in subsequent reads.
The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr. - I plan to write a full review of this novel in the future, so I’ll just say this now - wow. This may be the first novel by Jones, but I hope that it won’t be the last. His ability to merge the real and the surreal, his ability to evoke emotion in his readers, and his ability to weave multiple narratives into one cohesive, heartbreaking one, is an artform that not many authors achieve, especially this early in their careers.
And how about those 2022 goals? Well, if it’s not already obvious, I am absolutely terrible at setting TBRs. I like listmaking, so making a TBR is fun. However, I have the attention span of…well, I can’t think of a good analogy here, but I’m going to say my cat Allen whose attention for anything other than snacks or naps is pretty much nonexistent (there’s a reason I say he’s my best friend - we are two peas in a pod). So, actually sticking to a TBR is near impossible. So, I don’t really do specific TBRs for the beginning of a year, because that just feels like setting myself up for failure. Instead, what I try to do is set a theme for my year that might guide my reading a bit when I’m feeling stuck. Some years (like the year I chose to read only women authors) are super successful. Some years (like in 2020 when my goal was to limit the number of books I purchased before I knew the whole world was going to shut down and literary consumerism was going to be one of my sole sources of joy for a while) are not successful at all.
In 2022, I’m hoping to read more ebooks I’ve already downloaded. At this point, I’ve probably collected more ebooks than I can finish in a lifetime, let alone a year. So, my primary goal for 2022 is to remind myself, when I’m looking for my newest read, to turn to my ereaders for guidance (BUT ONLY INSOFAR AS I ALREADY OWN THE BOOKS), instead of immediately turning to the closest bookstore.
So, two questions I have for you:
What were your favorite books of 2021?
And what bookish goals do you have for 2022?
Share below!
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