My Favorite Reads of 2021

Hey, everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. Today I am talking about my favorite books that I read in 2021. Last year, I read a total of 53 books, which was nowhere near my goal, but I’m still okay with the amount I read. For this post, I have my top ten favorite reads. And to make it harder on myself, I ranked them; we’ll be going in reverse order, starting with number ten!

#10: Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales

“I was with them and they were with me and we were with each other. A community within a community within a community. No questions asked. No proof needed. No valid form of identification required. We just belonged because we belonged.”

I read this as part of my Pride TBR during June for Pride Month and I am so glad I did.

Perfect on Paper follows Darcy Philips, the person behind Locker 89, an anonymous relationship advice service. She can give you the best advice for any love life problem you have. Her love life, on the other hand, is a bit of a disaster. Then Alexander Brougham catches her in the act of collecting the letters and he makes a deal with her: be his personal dating coach and he’ll keep her secret.

The best part of this book was the banter. Darcy and Brougham are very sarcastic and make plenty of witty remarks throughout the story. There was also great representation; Darcy is bisexual and as the book progresses, she learns to comes to terms with it, which I loved.

#9: When All the Girls Are Sleeping by Emily Arsenault

“No wonder poltergeists hang around teenage girls. We lie, lie, lie about everything, all the time, out of the absolute necessity of being nice.”

This was one of the most compelling mysteries I’ve read this year. (But that’s not saying much because I only read three mystery novels.) The ghost stories and dark academia vibes made for a creepy and unsettling atmosphere.

When All the Girls Are Sleeping is set at Windham-Farnswood Academy, a prestigious and historic prep school that hides dark secrets within its walls. For Haley, the one-year death anniversary of her ex-best friend, Taylor, is approaching. After finding a disturbing video of Taylor, it looks like she was actually murdered. Unsettled, Haley is determined to find out what occurred that night and to prevent anything like it from happening again.

This story kept me constantly on my toes. It was a lot of fun to dive into researching with Haley and coming up with different theories as to what happened to Taylor. There were a lot of names to keep track of and I would often forget how so-and-so was relevant to the ghosts. The big reveal of what actually happened was really surprising and not at all expected.

#8: Clues to the Universe by Christina Li

“…here’s the thing about the universe: sometimes it doesn’t tell you all its secrets at once. Sometimes you have to travel to the deepest of jungles or to the edges of space to figure things out. And sometimes you don’t figure things out, but get one step closer.”

This was one of the few Middle Grade novels I read this year and I’m happy to say that it was a great choice.

Following Ro and Benji and the unexpected but heartwarming friendship they form, Clues to the Universe is a story that explores grief, bullying, and learning to accept imperfections. Bonding over similar struggles, Ro and Benji agree to help each other in their separate projects, trying to find the answers to some of the biggest questions.

The friendship formed between Ro and Benji was wonderful to read and I love the way they bonded. The way that Christina Li explored grief was in such a raw and real way; the small moments and reminders made this story so much more emotional.

#7: Strange the Dreamer Duology by Laini Taylor

“It was impossible, of course. But when did that ever stop any dreamer from dreaming?”

One of my friends in middle school absolutely loved this book, I have no idea how many times she read it. So, of course, I had to try it out. It was so worth it.

Lazlo is a junior librarian and he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep since he was five. But that’s a far fledged fantasy; he can’t cross half the world in search of it. But then the Godslayer and his band of warriors shows up and Lazlo gets the opportunity to chase his dream.

The writing was descriptive and lyrical, but not overly so. I loved the unique plot line, with the Unseen City, which had amazing worldbuilding. And the most important part, the characters. Lazlo and Sarai were great protagonists and the dual perspective was done so well. They were each their own person with distinct personalities and their romance with each other was really sweet, albeit a little rushed. (Strange the Dreamer full review)

#6: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

“If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: in love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.”

I was blown away by this book. I learned so much from this story and was taken on an emotional roller coaster.

Set in 1940s France, The Nightingale follows Vianne and Isabelle Rossingol, two sisters in very different phases of life. The story of WW2 are often told from the men’s perspective; but what about the women who get left behind? Told with vivid writing and well-crafted characters, this book tells of the women’s war during the Holocaust.

Despite the large size of this book, there wasn’t a time where I felt uninterested; so many different things happened in this book. The journeys that Vianne and Isabelle took were very different and they experience the war in their own way. I love how they were able to mend their relationship. (Full Review)

#5: The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum

“Love is not about holding people where you want them. It is about doing what’s best for them because you need them to be okay.”

First of all, the cover and the mixed media throughout the book is so pretty. Even in black and white.

Ryann dreams of traveling across the stars, but in her current predicament, that’s not possible. So instead, she settles for skipping school to hang out with her delinquent friends. But then Alexandria comes in. At first, they’re outright hostile towards each other. But then Ryann learns her secret: Alexandria’s mother is an astronaut who volunteered for a one-way trip to the edge of the solar system.

I’ve said this before, but I wasn’t loving this book when I first started reading it. I didn’t connect with the characters a lot or understand the motivations behind their less than pleasant actions. But then the last 20% of the book happened and my opinions changed on everything. That ending was very heartbreaking. I loved the mixed media and different format it took, but it was still very sad nonetheless. (Full Review)

#4: I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

“I gave up practically the whole world for you,” I tell him, walking through the front door of my own love story. “The sun, stars, ocean, trees, everything, I gave it all up for you.”

This was one of the first books I read that made my eyes not completely dry when I finished it. I don’t cry when reading books, like never, but something got to me with this one.

I’ll Give You the Sun follows Noah and Jude, twin siblings who, when they were younger, were inseparable. But now, years later, they’re barely speaking. Something happened that changed them. The earlier years are Noah’s to tell, the later years Jude’s. And if they can find their way back to each other, they’ll have the chance to remake what was lost.

The characters were everything in this book. They had flaws and imperfections, which just made you want to root for them even more. The writing was beautiful. Noah and Jude’s internal thoughts were displayed so well, drawing captions and their grandmother’s sayings, respectively. (Full Review)

#3: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

“She. . . hoped. And hope was dangerous. Hope was the most vicious evil of them all, the thing that had managed to thrive in Pandora’s box, among misery, and disease, and sadness–and what could endure alongside others with such teeth if it didn’t have ghastly claws of its own?”

This book blew past all of my expectations and I desperately need to read the sequel now. This book was one that made me fall in love with the enemies-to-lovers trope.

This Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai is gripping and intense. Juliette and Roma are each the heir to their respective gangs, as well as each others first love and betrayal. When a dark, dangerous monster arises, Juliette and Roma must put aside their differences and figure out what’s happening.

Shanghai came to life in this story; the writing was beautiful and the worldbuilding only helped to create the mysterious and dangerous atmosphere. The execution of the enemies-to-lovers made me fall in love with the trope, it was done so well. (Full Review)

#2: We Are Not Free by Traci Chee

“Outside the camp, the barbed wire, the guard towers, the city, the country that hates us. We are not free. But we are not alone.”

Found family supremacy, that’s all I have to say. This book is a powerful and totally heartbreaking story.

We follow a close-knit group of young Nisei, second-generation Japanese-American. Through the eyes of 14 different POVs, We Are Not Free shows the lives of these children in the incarceration camps. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese were viewed as dangerous; as a result, they were forced into the camps.

Fourteen perspectives is a lot, but Traci Chee balanced them so well. Each character had a distinct voice with a personality of their own. I learned a lot from reading this. I didn’t know much about the camps before; this taught me a lot.

#1: Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee

“There are moments to be strong, but thee are also moments to be weak. And in those moments of rest, we find strength anew and challenge ourselves to grow bigger than we ever thought possible.”

You all know that I love Stacey Lee’s books. I think this has taken the spot of my favorite by her.

Valora Luck dreams of leaving England and sailing across the ocean to New York to be a circus performer. Luckily, she has a ticket for the most luxurious ship in the world. But she’s turned away at the gangway; Chinese aren’t allowed in America. She has to get on that ship, though, and once she does, she needs to keep her head low. But then the unthinkable happens and all Valora has to focus on is surviving.

I loved this book from the start, and it only became better as I kept reading. Valora was a great protagonist, with wit and courage. The story of her and the five other Chinese passengers was very emotional and don’t get me started with that ending!

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Have you read any of these books? What are some of your favorite reads from 2021?