My best reads of 2021
By the end of 2021, I will have read 102 books, a paltry total compared to many of you. Of that number, I rated one-third of them, 34, as five-star reads. It was a very good year for reading.
Trying to whittle that number down to a manageable group that I can list as my year's best was not easy. I had to establish some guidelines. I decided that I would only include in my list books that were published this year or last. That eliminated six so only helped a little. I decided to choose one book from each month. That made the comparisons a tiny bit easier. Then I bit the bullet and made my choices.
So here it is - my best of the best for this year with links to my reviews should you care to read them. I feel compelled to add that I also had a great many books that I rated at four stars (I didn't actually count them.) and they only missed the cut by a little. As I said, it was a very good year for us readers. We had a lot of quality to choose from.
January - Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar
February - The Survivors by Jane Harper
March - The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen
April - Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
May - We Play Ourselves by Jen Silverman
June - Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce
July - When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain
August - The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw
September - Intimacies by Katie Kitamura
October - Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
November - The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
December - Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
It's hard choosing just twelve favorites, isn't it? My list could have been much longer, too. I love how widely you read! Several of these books are going on my TBR list for next year. :D
ReplyDeleteWe are so fortunate to live in a time when books from right around the world are easily available. I like to take advantage of that.
DeleteWow, nice list!! My best reads for 2021 is publishing soon. Happy reading to you 2022!!
ReplyDeleteAnd same to you, CR.
Deletei admire your eclectic list... i don't know much about books from other countries; i should look into that, tx for the reminder...
ReplyDeleteEclecticism pretty well describes my style of reading. I do like to read from a lot of different sources and genres, rather than sticking to one area. It wasn't always so - several years ago I read mysteries and thrillers almost exclusively until I finally OD'd on them.
DeleteWe have two books in common: Klara and the Sun (read several months ago) and Cloud Cuckoo Land (reading now). I don't read that many books anymore - I seem to be more and more easily distracted by television, magazines, and the Internet. Too many days I wake up wanting to read and the day slips away. Perhaps returning to books should be a New Years resolution.
ReplyDeleteI find books more rewarding than other forms of entertainment. I don't watch much television (about an hour and a half a day) or read magazines. I do spend a lot of time on the internet but I don't let it interfere with my reading time. So, yes, I would highly recommend books to you!
DeleteI like the way you picked a favorite a month. I narrowed my faves down to 15 and the then tried get to 10 but, I may stick with the 15 number when all is said and done.
ReplyDeleteIt is really, really hard to decide which of five-star reads you liked better. I found that doing one for each month at least helped me narrow the choices, making it a little easier.
DeleteGood for you! I am missing my Goodreads goal of 100 by 6 books. I could rush it, but I just am not feeling it. I made it last year, and the libraries were even closed for months, so I don't know what my problem was this year. I like how you listed them by favorite of the month. I haven't read any of those. I think I'll borrow your idea for a Thursday 13, monthly with an annual favorite to make up the 13th! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteReaching my goal is a rare feat for me, but I sometimes feel I didn't do much besides read this year! Of course, there are worse ways to spend one's time.
DeleteI have no doubt that Miriam will be scanning this list to see what she should read next!
ReplyDeleteShe can't go wrong with any of them.
DeleteNice list, Dorothy. I've only read a couple of those, so you've left me with a lot of books to consider for early next year. I agree that 34 five-star books of 102 total is the mark of a very good reading year. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to more great reads in 2022.
DeleteYou had a large percentage of excellent reads...and that makes for an excellent year, I think. I'd love to see your complete list of all of your five-star reads. I like how you chose books published this year and then picked one per month.
ReplyDeleteI will take a close look at those I haven't read. Thank you, Dorothy.
I would have liked to list all 34, but it would have made for a very, very long post.
DeleteSuper list. Happy new year 🎈
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rajani, and a very happy New Year to you.
DeleteA fantastic year for reading, indeed! I don't have all my stats done yet, I am waiting until the 31st to put it all together. Nothing like the last minute, right? But I am in the midst of a couple I think I will finish before then, and I have a feeling at least one may end up as another five-star.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to seeing your list.
DeleteIt was a slog to get done, but I did it! 234 books total, and here are my five star ones:
Deletehttps://allthebookblognamesaretaken.blogspot.com/2021/12/best-of-best-my-five-star-reads-for-2021.html
I love these year-end best reads lists!
ReplyDeleteOh this is a great list ! ... and I like how you put one per month. Many quality reads. I read 4 on your list and particularly liked Klara and the Sun and Intimacies. Excellent year of reading for you. Congrats.
ReplyDeleteIt really was a great year. I had very few clunkers among my reading choices.
DeleteI love the idea of rating each month with the best read! Very good list!
ReplyDeleteThat was my solution rather than listing all 34 five-star reads.
DeleteI remember your review for Apples Never Fall, I can't wait to read that book and hope to throw it in a Buddyread somewhere next year :)
ReplyDeleteI think you will enjoy it, Esther.
Delete