My Favorite Reads of 2021

It's likely that 2021 was a better year for your TBR pile than 2020 and if like me, you started reading more via audiobook, it's likely that you met and/or exceeded your reading goal.

While I set a pretty high goal this year (136 books), 100 of them were picture books which really helped me to understand the category better though I'm still not as well-versed as I'd like to be. But that's a post for another time.

Of the 36 novel-length books I read this year, a few were major standouts!

Alyssa Cole's How To Catch a Queen was actually a great way to start the year. Alyssa Cole is an auto-buy for me so I knew I was going to like the book but I went into it with a bit of trepidation since I didn't like Sanyu in previous books. I knew there was more to him and Shanti than met the eye but I also liked that this book is about how an arranged marriage doesn't have to be a loveless one. How two people can grow to love one another and learn what love can mean for themselves and their family.

Emily Skrutskie's Bonds of Brass and its follow-up Oaths of Legacy were the Poe/Finn story I needed. I'm a sucker for a great space opera romance and if you make it queer, EVEN BETTER! This series has it all, dogfights in space, shenanigans galore, a hidden prince, a galactic war, and two young men fighting their feelings for each other. Loved these books!

Lamar Giles' Not So Pure and Simple reminded me so much of my church youth group years. I love that this YA has messy relationships, a fantastic cast of characters, and a great conversation topic about sex, religion, and cultural expectations. I was expecting to tackle just toxic masculinity and instead, I found a book that has honest, open conversations about sex. 

N.K. Jemisin's The City We Became. I highly recommend the audio by the way but really this impeccable book is a feast no matter the format. In a love letter to the greatest city in the world, yes I’m biased, but I don’t care, Jemisin takes us on a ride through the City We Became as we watch this great City go through a rebirth. With a truly diverse cast of characters and a showdown like nothing you’ve seen before, this book has it all!!

Kwame Mbalia's Tristan Strong series is definitely one of my favorites and to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Tristan Strong Destroys The World is an understatement! I love Tristan Strong! A boy of stories that’s a hero of the tales of legend! When we weave the stories of our ancestors into the tapestry of life, we create heroes. We create Tristan Strongs in all of us.

TJ Klune's books should come with a warning: "May cause spontaneous tears of laughter AND sorrow. Read with a box of tissues handy." The House in the Cerulean Sea was an utter delight! This book is joyful, heart-rending, and beautiful in its prose and message. One of my favorite reads of 2021 so far!

Okay, I'm calling it early but I can definitely and unequivocally call Vanessa Riley's Island Queen my FAVORITE of the year! Getting to learn about Dorothy Kirwan Thomas' life through the beautifully evocative writing by Dr. Riley made this a valuable lesson in life, love, persistence, and legacy. Listening to this tale in audio made it that much better and immersive especially since it's narrated by the incomparable Adjoa Andoh. Do NOT sleep on this book.

Holy shit was this a beautiful book! Then again, it's a Malinda Lo book, so of course, it's going to be fantastic! Last Night at the Telegraph Club is such a visual read that even in audio, the story comes to life and you'll find it difficult to get much done as you immerse yourself in 1950s San Francisco's Chinatown.

Wow! This book wrecked me in the best way and I had to sit with my feelings for a bit before really providing a review but suffice it to say that I will be recommending this book to many for years to come. The complexity of the story coupled with the twists that Schrefer puts us through is made bearable by the knowledge that this is a romance. Just remember that when you pick up The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer. You'll work for that HEA but it's there, I promise.

All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman is truly an immersive read and if, like me, you're an empathic reader, be mindful that you'll need to put the book down at times to catch your breath as your heart thunders in your chest. If you're a fan of Hunger Games, like rooting for the villains, and love the depth of character in a Leigh Bardugo young adult novel, you're going to LOVE this title! I think it's one of the best character-driven stories I've read in a long time.

Adriana Herrera is another auto-buy author for me. She never disappoints in giving me all the Latiné love stories my heart desires. One Week to Claim It All gave me all my telenovela feels and drama without the over-the-top soap opera “on-camera” looks. A great, quick, steamy read you’re not going to want to put down.

Ok, so this is clearly a trope I needed desperately this year: space opera queer romance, and while it may SEEM like it's similar to Krustskie and Schrefer, Everina Maxwell's Winter's Orbit is one that will appeal to the fanfic reader most. It's light on the hard science and heavy on the pining, angst, and sexy romance.

This book had me cracking up! It's such a feel-good book that once you put it down, you'll immediately want to call up your SO or BFF and tell them all about how much you love, love, and quirky heroes in lab coats. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood in audiobook is fantastic! Just be ready to spontaneously guffaw (or outright howl with laughter) at many of Olive's antics.

What an incredible read to close out the year! The rich history that She Who Became the Sun is steeped in coupled with Parker-Chan's gorgeous prose makes for an unforgettable read. I'm going to be thinking about this story and all of the little nuggets of profound emotion they invoked for years to come.