My top ten books of 2021

You haven’t heard a peep from me here since July, but I could not let 2021 end without my annual top books post. I haven’t been writing here, but I have been reading! In fact, 2021 was my most prolific year of reading since I started keeping track almost a decade ago. This is my tenth annual review – to see the past nine, check out my book index page.

I started with a goal of 55 books, and upped it to 70 by mid-year. By year’s end, I read 57 books and listened to 29, for a grand total of 86 books. And since I love geeking out on reading stats, I present my year in books, courtesy of Goodreads.

As always, I rate every book from one to five stars, and my average consistently hovers around three stars. I am a tough rater, so a rating of three stars is a good book that I would recommend. I’m picky about giving four stars, and downright stingy giving out five stars. In 2021, my ratings fell like this:

0 FIVE-STAR BOOKS
23 FOUR-STAR BOOKS
49 THREE-STAR BOOKS
13 TWO-STAR BOOKS
1 ONE-STAR BOOKS

Choosing just ten of the 23 four-star books is tough, especially because I tend to rethink my ratings when I write an annual review. But I ended up keeping my initial ratings, and choose these four-star reads as my top ten of 2021, in no particular order. I linked to full reviews of those I wrote about in one of my two lonely book posts earlier this year.

The Saints of Swallow Hill by Donna Everhart

An historical fiction piece set in the Depression-era South. Although the plot is fairly predictable, it was a pleasure to follow these interesting characters along their journeys. The turpentine camps in the forests of Georgia and NC were a completely unknown to me before this novel, and they serve as a fascinating backdrop. An easy, engrossing read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel. Expected publication Jan 25 2022.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel

A fictionalized account of one of the thousands of Jews who fled their homes and hid in the forests of Eastern Europe during World War II. Despite the subject matter, this tenderly written and compelling novel is both heartbreaking and hopeful.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Another WWII piece of historical fiction that couldn’t be more different than Forest of Vanishing Stars. In 1940, three British young women break military codes at Bletchley Park. One is betrayed and sent to an asylum, and they must crack the Rose Code to expose the traitor. A hefty novel that’s worth the time.

Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen (audio)

The most uplifting novel on my list, this book reminds me of the feelings I get when I read Fredrik Backman. Grieving widower Harry Crane moves to the woods to lose himself, but he is found by Oriana, a girl who is also mourning a tremendous loss. Quirky, small town characters and Oriana’s belief in magic make for an absolutely lovely tale. Thank you to my friend Bari for recommending this gem of a novel!

The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson (audio)

I chose this 2012 Pulitzer Prize winning novel for my book club pick, and while it’s a heavy read (or listen, in my case), it’s a good one. Set in North Korea, the book follows orphan Park Jun Do as he rises in the ranks to become a professional kidnaper, a sailor, and rival to Kim Jong Il. It’s a fascinating peek into this communist society. This is a complex and layered novel; it’s not for the casual reader!

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

An intense, thrilling novel set in a time and place where women are property, and girls on the cusp of womanhood hold dangerous magic. As a group, all girls are banished for their sixteen year, in order to expel the “magic” and come home purified and ready for marriage.

The Stationery Shop by Marian Kamali

Roya and Bahman fall in love in Tehran, in 1953. We know from the beginning that they are separated for sixty years, with Roya moving to America, but the story of how she got there was such a good one. I couldn’t stop listening!

The Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson

Tough to read, but tough to put down, this novel tells the story of enslaved Pheby Brown, after she is sold and sent to an infamous jail where enslaved humans are broken and sold. She becomes the “wife” of the jail’s owner, and does what she must to survive until she may gain her freedom.

Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore (audio)

A bit quirky, kinda deep, surprisingly funny, and hard to explain. Follow Milo through some of his almost 10,000 lives, each a mini-story in itself. Like Harry’s Trees, it’s a book that will make your world a little better while you’re reading.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The closest book to a beach read on my list, this one is an easy read with the perfect blend of drama and intrigue. Follow the four Riva siblings over the course of one day in 1983, when secrets are revealed and their mansion will end up in flames.

*****

2021 Honorable Mentions

Here are some other four-star books I haven’t reviewed yet this year, if you’re looking for more suggestions.

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

A fast-paced thriller that kept me guessing even when I thought I figured it out. Read this to get out of a reading rut!

A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost

Jost narrates the audiobook of his entertaining memoir – perfect for that long car ride.

The Fountains of Silence by Rita Sepetys

More historical fiction – this time in 1957 Madrid, when Franco’s rule kept tourists in the dark about what it was really like to live under authoritarian rule.