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Our Favorite Reads of 2021

I believe this is new for our “Best Of” week, but I challenged each of our reviewers to pick their favorite book they read in 2021, whether they reviewed it or not. The book didn’t have to release in 2021, though. Some of them weren’t too happy they had to pick just one, though this place would be absolutely lawless if I didn’t make rules!

Here are our favorites of the year! We’d also love to hear about your best read of 2021!

 

  • The Heiress Gets a Duke

    The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George

    Author: Harper St. George
    Released: January 26, 2021 by Berkley
    Genre: ,
    Series: The Gilded Age Heiresses #1

    Even a fortune forged in railroads and steel can’t buy entrance into the upper echelons of Victorian high society—for that you need a marriage of convenience.

    American heiress August Crenshaw has aspirations. But unlike her peers, it isn’t some stuffy British Lord she wants wrapped around her finger—it’s Crenshaw Iron Works, the family business. When it’s clear that August’s outrageously progressive ways render her unsuitible for a respectable match, her parents offer up her younger sister to the highest entitled bidder instead. This simply will not do. August refuses to leave her sister to the mercy of a loveless marriage.

    Evan Sterling, the Duke of Rothschild, has no intention of walking away from the marriage. He’s recently inherited the title only to find his coffers empty, and with countless lives depending on him, he can’t walk away from the fortune a Crenshaw heiress would bring him. But after meeting her fiery sister, he realizes Violet isn’t the heiress he wants. He wants August, and he always gets what he wants.

    But August won’t go peacefully to her fate. She decides to show Rothschild that she’s no typical London wallflower. Little does she realize that every stunt she pulls to make him call off the wedding only makes him like her even more.

    Amanda: This book revitalized my love for a genre that I had honestly felt I would never be excited to read again. I also think the series, as a whole, has been wonderful.

    Read Amanda’s review!

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  • Praying with Jane Eyre

    Praying with Jane Eyre by Vanessa Zoltan

    Author: Vanessa Zoltan
    Released: July 6, 2021 by TarcherPerigree
    Genre:

    A deeply felt celebration of a classic novel–and a reflection on the ways our favorite books can shape and heal us.

    Our favorite books keep us company, give us hope, and help us find meaning in a chaotic world. In this fresh and relatable work, atheist chaplain Vanessa Zoltan blends memoir and personal growth as she grapples with the notions of family legacy and identity through the lens of her favorite novel, Jane Eyre. Informed by the reading practices of medieval monks and rabbinic scholars from her training at the Harvard Divinity School and filtered through the pages of Jane Eyre as well as Little WomenHarry Potter, and The Great Gatsby, Zoltan explores what it means to have a birthright that you want to both honor and leave behind. Brimming with a lifelong love of classic literature and the tenderness of self-reflection, the book also reveals simple techniques for reading any work as a sacred text–from Virginia Woolf to Anne of Green Gables to baseball scorecards.

    Whether you’re an avowed Eyrehead or simply a curious reader looking for a richer connection with the written word, this deeply felt and inspiring book will light the way to a more intimate appreciation for whatever books you love to read.

    Carrie: This nonfiction book gave me new ways to think about reading and spirituality in general and deepened my relationship to my favorite book. Every page was a “WOW” moment.

     

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  • Paladin’s Strength

    Paladin’s Strength by T. Kingfisher

    Author: T. Kingfisher
    Released: February 28, 2021
    Genre: ,
    Series: The Saint of Steel #2

    He’s a paladin of a dead god, tracking a supernatural killer across a continent. She’s a nun from a secretive order, on the trail of the raiders who burned her convent and kidnapped her sisters.

    When their paths cross at the point of a sword, Istvhan and Clara will be pitched headlong into each other’s quests, facing off against enemies both living and dead. But Clara has a secret that could jeopardize the growing trust between them, a secret that will lead them to the gladiatorial pits of a corrupt city, and beyond…

    Catherine: Hard to choose just one book for this year, but Paladin’s Strength just made me happy in so many different ways. I loved its humour and its groundedness, I loved the fact that Clara and Istvhan are grownups navigating grownup problems, and the romance was both sweet and swoonworthy. I also loved the non-romance elements – the deeply satisfying fantasy plot, and the mutual coming to terms with what it means to have great and dangerous gifts in a world where the gods very much do exist, but don’t necessarily speak to you.

    Read Catherine’s review!

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  • Book of Love

    Book of Love by Erin Satie

    Author: Erin Satie
    Released: April 20, 2021 by Little Phrase
    Genre: ,
    Series: Sweetness and Light #2

    She’s trying to make ends meet. He’s out for a bit of fun.

    Cordelia is busy, focused, worried about the future of her fledgling bookbinding business. When a handsome man stops her on the street to pester her with questions, she gives him the consideration he deserves: none.

    That handsome man happens to be the Duke of Stroud, and he finds Cordelia’s hostility hilarious. He gives chase, if only for the pleasure of provoking her again.

    He thinks life is a game. She doesn’t play around.

    Within days of meeting Cordelia, Stroud sets a marching band on a matchmaking mama, defaces a local monument, and ropes Cordelia into a round of his favorite game.

    In that same time, Cordelia stitches together the complete works of Mary Wollstonecraft, enthusiastically devotes herself to a petition demanding expanded legal rights for married women, and beats Stroud at his own game.

    She defies all expectations. So does he.

    Most people dismiss Stroud as a fool—himself included. When Cordelia sees past his lighthearted facade, he’s terrified and also… in love?

    Stroud barges into Cordelia’s life, offering her all the material and sensual temptations she’s learned to do without. She usually has willpower to spare, but turning him down takes all of it, and then some. He’s oddly irresistible.

    Or maybe they’re perfect for one another.

    Claudia: I thoroughly enjoyed the romance and the bits about book-biding and women’s rights history added to a delightful historical romance.

    Read Catherine’s review!

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  • The Love Hypothesis

    The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

    Author: Ali Hazelwood
    Released: September 14, 2021 by Berkley
    Genre: , ,

    When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman’s carefully calculated theories on love into chaos.

    As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships–but her best friend does, and that’s what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.

    That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor–and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive’s career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding…six-pack abs.

    Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

    Elyse: This book is a tropey fake dating romance with a heroine working in STEM, and I grinned the entire time I was reading it.

    Read Lara’s review!

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  • A Psalm for the Wild Built

    A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers

    Author: Becky Chambers
    Released: July 13, 2021 by Tor.com
    Genre: ,
    Series: Monk & Robot #1

    Hugo Award-winner Becky Chambers’s delightful new series gives us hope for the future.

    It’s been centuries since the robots of Earth gained self-awareness and laid down their tools.

    Centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again.

    Centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend.

    One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of “what do people need?” is answered.

    But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how.

    They’re going to need to ask it a lot.

    Becky Chambers’ new series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?

    Sarah: Thinking about that book brings back the feeling of awe and stillness and gratitude I had when reading it. It’s so peaceful and kind. I almost miss it (which is fixable because I can re read).

    Read Sarah’s review!

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  • Accidentally Engaged

    Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron

    Author: Farah Heron
    Released: March 2, 2021 by Forever
    Genre: ,

    Reena Manji doesn’t love her career, her single status, and most of all, her family inserting themselves into every detail of her life. But when caring for her precious sourdough starters, Reena can drown it all out. At least until her father moves his newest employee across the hall–with hopes that Reena will marry him.

    But Nadim’s not like the other Muslim bachelors-du-jour that her parents have dug up. If the Captain America body and the British accent weren’t enough, the man appears to love eating her bread creations as much as she loves making them. She sure as hell would never marry a man who works for her father, but friendship with a neighbor is okay, right? And when Reena’s career takes a nosedive, Nadim happily agrees to fake an engagement so they can enter a couples video cooking contest to win the artisan bread course of her dreams.

    As cooking at home together brings them closer, things turn physical, but Reena isn’t worried. She knows Nadim is keeping secrets, but it’s fine— secrets are always on the menu where her family is concerned. And her heart is protected… she’s not marrying the man. But even secrets kept for self preservation have a way of getting out, especially when meddling parents and gossiping families are involved.

    Shana: Accidentally Engaged does two things incredibly well. There’s so much fabulous food, falling in love over food, and sharp criticism of food culture. And it captures a complex mix of love, messiness, and change in a family, with a pitch perfect depiction of the appeal and frustration of matchmaking parents. The book’s parents are maddening, and also, they know their daughter better than anyone else could. The HEA for everyone is extremely satisfying. I loved watching these characters find their home in one another. I think about them all the time, and I miss the way reading about their food diaspora made me feel more at home too.

    Read Kiki’s review!

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  • Laziness Does Not Exist

    Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price

    Author: Devon Price
    Released: January 5, 2021 by Atria Books
    Genre:

    From social psychologist Dr. Devon Price, a fascinating and thorough examination of what they call the “laziness lie”—which falsely tells us we are not working or learning hard enough—filled with practical and accessible advice for overcoming society’s pressure to “do more.”

    Extra-curricular activities. Honors classes. 60-hour work weeks. Side hustles.

    Like many Americans, Dr. Devon Price believed that productivity was the best way to measure his self-worth. Price was an overachiever from the start, graduating from both college and graduate school early, but that success came at a cost. After Price was diagnosed with a severe case of anemia and heart complications from overexertion, they were forced to examine the darker side of all this productivity.

    Laziness Does Not Exist explores the psychological underpinnings of the “laziness lie,” including its origins from the Puritans and how it has continued to proliferate as digital work tools have blurred the boundaries between work and life. Using in-depth research, Price explains that people today do far more work than nearly any other humans in history yet most of us often still feel we are not doing enough.

    Dr. Price offers science-based reassurances that productivity does not determine a person’s worth and suggests that the solution to problems of overwork and stress lie in resisting the pressure to do more and instead learn to embrace doing enough. Featuring interviews with researchers, consultants, and experiences from real people drowning in too much work, Laziness Does Not Exist encourages us to let go of guilt and become more attuned to our own limitations and needs and resist the pressure to meet outdated societal expectations.

    Sneezy: The book verbalized so clearly things I needed to hear, especially during this year. Thank you Dr. Price

    Read Sarah’s review!

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  • The Hellion’s Waltz

    The Hellion’s Waltz by Olivia Waite

    Author: Olivia Waite
    Released: June 15, 2021 by Avon
    Genre: , ,
    Series: Feminine Pursuits #3

    It’s not a crime to steal a heart…

    Sophie Roseingrave hates nothing more than a swindler. After her family lost their piano shop to a con man in London, they’re trying to start fresh in a new town. Her father is convinced Carrisford is an upright and honest place, but Sophie is not so sure. She has grave suspicions about silk-weaver Madeline Crewe, whose stunning beauty doesn’t hide the fact that she’s up to something.

    All Maddie Crewe needs is one big score, one grand heist to properly fund the weavers’ union forever. She has found her mark in Mr. Giles, a greedy draper, and the entire association of weavers and tailors and clothing merchants has agreed to help her. The very last thing she needs is a small but determined piano-teacher and composer sticking her nose in other people’s business. If Sophie won’t be put off, the only thing to do is to seduce her to the cause.

    Will Sophie’s scruples force her to confess the plot before Maddie gets her money? Or will Maddie lose her nerve along with her heart?

    Susan: I like f/f historicals, I like stories about cons, but honestly what pushed Hellion’s Waltz to the top of my list was that it was *kind*. The characters are trying to make life better for their communities, not just themselves; the fact that they’re doing it through crime honestly just makes it better.

    Read Carrie’s review!

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  • The Menopause Manifesto

    The Menopause Manifesto by Jen Gunter

    Author: Jen Gunter
    Released: May 25, 2021 by Citadel Press
    Genre:

    The internationally renowned, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Vagina Bible , Dr. Jen Gunter has been called the world’s most famous–and outspoken–gynecologist (The Guardian), the internet’s OB/GYN, and one of the fiercest advocates for women’s health. Now, in The Menopause Manifesto, Dr. Jen Gunter brings you empowerment through knowledge by countering stubborn myths and misunderstandings about menopause with hard facts, real science, fascinating historical perspective, and expert advice.

    The only thing predictable about menopause is its unpredictability. Factor in widespread misinformation, a lack of research, and the culture of shame around women’s bodies, and it’s no wonder women are unsure what to expect during the menopause transition and beyond.

    Menopause is not a disease–it’s a planned change, like puberty. And just like puberty, we should be educated on what’s to come years in advance, rather than the current practice of leaving people on their own with bothersome symptoms and too much conflicting information. Knowing what is happening, why, and what to do about it is both empowering and reassuring.

    Frank and funny, Dr. Jen debunks misogynistic attitudes and challenges the
    over-mystification of menopause to reveal everything you really need to know about:

     Perimenopause
     Hot flashes
     Sleep disruption
     Sex and libido
     Depression and mood changes
     Skin and hair issues
     Outdated therapies
     Breast health
     Weight and muscle mass
     Health maintenance screening
     And much more!

    Filled with practical, reassuring information, this essential guide will revolutionize how women experience menopause–including how their lives can be even better for it!

    Tara: If you had told me at the beginning of the year that I’d be choosing a nonfiction book, I’d have thought you were joking. But here we are, because I feel like I owe a ton to The Menopause Manifesto. It gave me the words I needed so I could have the right conversation about hormone therapy with my doctor. Reading so much evidence-based information also felt like a balm after seeing so many predatory marketing ads on Instagram, aimed at perimenopausal and menopausal folks.

    Read Tara’s review!

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Comments are Closed

  1. MirandaB says:

    The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison: It takes a lot to make me accept Sherlock Holmes as a winged being, but Addison’s writing pulls it off.

  2. DiscoDollyDeb says:

    I know you’re only looking for one book, but in a “sorry-not-sorry” move, I have to share my top ten favorite books—published and read in 2021:

    SAINT by Sierra Simone: Brilliant and profound m/m story about complicated people (a monk and his former lover) sincerely questing for spiritual peace but also in deep need of human connection through love and intimacy, asking themselves if such things are possible within the hierarchical system of the Catholic Church. My favorite book of 2021.

    FLOAT PLAN by Trish Doller: Two people—one mourning the suicide of her fiancé, the other mourning the amputation of part of his leg—work together to sail a small boat across the Caribbean. An elegantly-written, technically-detailed, emotionally-bracing story of living with grief and loss. Excellent on all levels.

    THE TYRANT ALPHA’S REJECTED MATE by Cate C. Wells: Wolf-shifter romance with masterly world building featuring a scrappy, self-sufficient, physically-disabled heroine and a pack-alpha hero who does not want to accept that she is his fated mate. Wells excels at describing pack politics and stoking the sexual tension to incredible levels.

    ROLE MODEL by Rachel Reid: Grumpy/sunshine pairing between a deeply-closeted NHL player and the out-and-proud social media manager for the player’s new team. While tracking one player’s journey to self-acceptance and coming out, Reid addresses the serious issues of homophobia in sports and why sexual assault allegations against male athletes are frequently ignored—all in a way that never overwhelms the wonderful love story.

    WRATH by Ella James: Beautifully-written, utterly-heartbreaking, but ultimately triumphant story about how institutionalized homophobia destroys the mental, physical, emotional, and sexual health of young gay people. As two college-age step-brothers gradually fall in love, they have to confront the trauma one of them has experienced as a result of abusive “conversion therapy.” Hard-to-read in places, but a worthwhile and necessary book.

    FORBIDDEN by Karla Sorensen: The slowest (and sexiest) of slow-burns between a widowed MMA fighter and the prickly younger woman who manages the gym he owns. Suffused with melancholy and loss, this is a slow-burn where the reasons behind the gradual pace of the couple’s relationship proceed organically from the characters’ personalities and circumstances and not just because of the demands of the plot. Amazing levels of sexual tension—frequently when no sexual activity of any sort actually takes place.

    JUST NOT THAT INTO BILLIONAIRES by Annika Martin: Poignant story of a dancer and a tech billionaire who married on a drunken Vegas whim and meet up a decade later to divorce. A lovely story of second-chances, re-evaluating the past, thinking about the choices we make now versus the choices we made back then, and making amends for what we cannot change.

    HER DEAL WITH THE GREEK DEVIL and THE SICILIAN’S FORGOTTEN WIFE, both by Caitlin Crews: Crews continues to expand the boundaries of the Harlequin Presents template in these two incredibly well-written and rather dark books which both feature wealthy men who plan to use innocent women as instruments of revenge. HER DEAL WITH THE GREEK DEVIL has an almost irredeemable hero and a plot that could be found in a dark/mafia romance as the hero manipulates the heroine’s financial situation until she has no choice but to become his mistress to save herself and her mother from bankruptcy. Meanwhile, THE SICILIAN’S FORGOTTEN WIFE neatly upends the revenge-marriage and amnesia tropes and incorporates moments of unexpected humor in the process as the hero (suffering from amnesia after a fall) becomes a different person without the drive for revenge poisoning his mind.

    SWEETHEART by Sarah Mayberry: Not only a smoothly-written romance about a woman falling for her sister’s ex, but also a sensitive exploration of the toll mental illness takes on the sufferer and their family. There’s a strain of melancholy running throughout the book—about chances missed and choices made when a loved one is ill and requires the lion’s share of the family’s attention and resources. Mayberry has written a nuanced book about a difficult subject—alongside a nice romance between two decent people.

  3. DiscoDollyDeb says:

    And just in case I have dominated the comments enough, here is my other 2021 Top Ten—this time for books I read this year but which were published in a prior year:

    PROTECTING YOU & FIGHTING FOR US by Claire Kingsley (duet published in 2020): Childhood friends become college-age lovers, joyously planning a marriage and a bright future together. Then the hero protects the heroine from a violent assault—and the unintended consequences of that action lead to the hero’s incarceration and the heroine’s long wait to be with the man she loves. But when the hero is eventually released after almost a decade behind bars, the couple find that the waiting may have been the easiest part. A melancholy story—but one suffused with hope—of coming to terms with the past and adjusting expectations for the future.

    OF SUNLIGHT AND STARDUST by Riley Hart & Christina Lee (published in 2018): Deeply-moving story with a dual-timeline (now and 1948) about two same-sex couples and their connection to a Michigan farmhouse and its partially-destroyed barn. Beautifully-written but utterly gutting in parts. It will break your heart.

    THE IMPOSSIBLE BOY & THE LOST BOY by Anna Martin (published in 2017 & 2020, respectively): Gentle, low-key story about love, relationships, friendships, success, second-chances, mental health issues, addiction, relapses, and recovery as we witness five years in the on-then-off-then-on-again relationship between a pan-sexual musician and a gender-fluid fashion journalist. Full of the messiness of life (including anorexia and drug addiction) and the joy of finding a special connection with another person.

    OUT OF NOWHERE by Roan Parrish (published in 2016): Depressed, anxious, miserable, panic-attack-prone, homophobic, and deeply-closeted hero (cw/tw: homophobia, violence, suicide ideation, mental health struggles) gradually reclaims his humanity when he meets a gay man who runs a program for LGBTQ teenagers and is persuaded to present a workshop on car maintenance. A brilliantly-written book about the toll of being closeted—and the freeing power of being true to yourself.

    FAKED by Karla Sorensen (published in 2020): The heroine agrees to impersonate her identical twin sister and attend a social event with her twin’s best friend—a man the heroine has loved from afar for years. But, on the night of the event, instead of the heroine’s crush, his older half-brother—a bad-boy snowboarder and family black-sheep—arrives, and he immediately realizes the heroine is not who she claims to be. An excellent story about seeing—and being seen by—the person you love.

    WHEN ALL THE WORLD SLEEPS by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock (published in 2014): Romantic-suspense with tense storyline (cw/tw: homophobia and homophobic violence) about the developing relationship between a local cop and one of the small town’s only openly-gay men—a man who suffers from a severe sleep disorder. Despite the ominous sense of ever-present anti-gay violence simmering just below the surface, WHEN ALL THE WORLD SLEEPS shows that love, care, and concern will flourish in even the stoniest soil.

    SHALLOW by Cora Kenborn (published in 2017): Uber-angsty “revenge romance” between a woman whose selfishness and thoughtlessness has caused more than one tragedy and the man who took the fall for her years ago and has been plotting revenge ever since. Unusual in that the consequences of the heroine’s behavior are neither excused nor whitewashed, and both hero & heroine occasionally function in morally-gray areas. A brilliant story about love, forgiveness, redemption, second (and third) chances, and coming to terms with your choices and things you can’t undo (only slightly marred by the unnecessary inclusion of the “psycho ex-girlfriend” character).

    INTO THE FIRE by Mia West (eleven interconnected novellas and short stories, published between 2014 and 2017): Epic, immersive m/m romance set in various parts of Europe just after the fall of the Rome (late 5th-century C.E.). The story charts the decades-long relationship between a former soldier in the Roman army and his childhood friend, the town blacksmith, as they travel together across Germania and Gaul, eventually settling along the coast of Brittany and becoming part of a small community living in a crumbling Roman fort. A brilliant depiction of Europe just on the verge of the Dark Ages.

    LOOKING FOR TROUBLE by Misha Horne (published in 2018): Engaging and well-crafted slow-burn m/m historical romance (set in Nevada in the 1880s) with spanking and daddy-kink elements. Historically-accurate emotional and cultural landscape, with neither man having any frame of reference for the feelings he has for the other. Horne beautifully unfolds the heroes’ journey to awareness, acceptance, and love.

  4. Emily C says:

    Not published this year, but in reviewing my 2021 reads I’ll have to say my favorite was A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers.

    It was everything I needed this year and set a new standard for comforting reads with just enough excitement to be compelling. Not to mention the incredible world building and character development.

    In some ways I can’t believe it took me so long to get to it, but then I also had the extreme pleasure of discovering a new author for the first time and one with a big enough backlist to keep me interested.

  5. Mzcue says:

    For me the hands down favorite book of my reading year is Worst Guy by Kate Canterbary. Set in a major Boston teaching hospital, the main characters are an irascible trauma surgeon and a petite, trouble dynamo of a plastic surgeon who is fighting the good fight against 20 years of an eating disorder. Magnificent enemies to lovers plot among high ranking physicians. The medical environment is pre-Covid and accurately reflects the politics, pressures and camaraderie as I am familiar with it.

    Canterbary excels in plotting and character development, but the brightest gems are the dialog of the battling surgeons and the comedic snafus they tumble into. Damaged people who have surmounted abusive backgrounds to become superb practitioners. Worst Guy contends for the best Canterbary yet.

    I hope its December 28, 2021 date doesn’t prevent the book getting the recognition it deserves.

  6. Carrie G says:

    If I have to choose one, I choose the book that was the most unexpected and different, and that I gave an unqualified A to in print and audio: Madison Square Murders by C.S. Poe. I have a top 10 list and it’s really difficult to choose between the top 5, but I’ll choose this one because it has such a unique MC and is so well-written.

  7. Darlynne says:

    I’m with SB Sarah on this one: A PSALM FOR THE WILD-BUILT. This was my pick for our November book club and I was pleased to see how even die-hard non-fantasy members loved it. All is well with my soul after reading/listening to it multiple times.

  8. Jill Q. says:

    Arrrgh, I can’t chose! For the 2nd year in the row, I’m finding most books are “I love it and it’s my new favorite” or “This makes me bored and/or angry and I can’t even finish it.”
    I read through all of the Whatcha Readings and it just reminded me of more awesome books I’d forgotten about.
    Even cutting it down to published this year doesn’t help much b/c there was a lot I liked this year. I will (somewhat) arbitrarily chose SECOND FIRST IMPRESSIONS by Sally Thorne b/c it was an author I’d given up as “not for me” and then I ended up loving this book after begrudgingly giving it a chance. I read it about midway through the year and still remember it well, another thing to make it a strong contender. It also takes something I don’t usually like the “bad boy” contemporary hero and made me appealing and understandable to me.
    It could have just have easily been LOVE AT FIRST, PEOPLE ON VACATION, ALL THE FEELS,quite a few Carla Kelly regencies and so on and so on…

  9. Kareni says:

    I’ve read and enjoyed many books this year, but I don’t have a standout favorite. I’ll name instead a book I finished a few days ago that is a strange mix of aliens come to Earth who are running a doughnut store; a famous violin teacher who has promised seven souls to a demon and who is fast approaching the deadline to deliver the seventh; a young trans woman who has run away from an abusive home with her violin; and a variety of other characters including an AI. Strangely, it all works. The book is Ryka Aoki’s Light from Uncommon Stars

  10. Darlynne says:

    @Kareni: Aoki’s book was amazing, funny and heart-breaking. One of those on my I-am-not-the-same-after-reading-this shelf. I agree it definitely worked.

  11. Carole says:

    It would be a toss up between Penny Reid’s Totally Folked and I adored her story Beard in Hiding. From my review: “…I did not know I needed this injection of hope, but I am still savouring it a day later. While Beard in Hiding is based on events we already know about in Green Valley, this goes beyond a redemption story for Diane. I was touched by experiencing Diane and Jason find healing, understanding and love, as well as serious steam heat in this Silver Fox sighworthy romance.

    There was wonderful snortable humour, (of course), and I had to reach for the tissues several times as Diane talked about her love for her kids and her true remorse for how she had treated her daughter Jennifer. OMG the scenes between her and estranged son Isaac also had me tearing up several times. As soon as I finished, I had to immediately re-read Beard in Hiding to continue to savour the funny and romantic scenes.” Honourable mention to L.B. Dunbar’s Love in a Pickle also set in Pennyverse, another silver fox steamy romance with redemption and love for hypercritical gossip Scotia Simmons, one of the most disliked characters in other Green Valley stories. Guess my theme for the year was hopefulness – enjoying stories where even the most hateful, unlikeable, mean characters matured, healed and found romance and true love.

  12. Blackjack says:

    Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation ended up being my favorite book of 2021, much to my surprise. I didn’t particularly like Beach Read but something about Henry’s writing made me want to try again. This one haunted me even long after reading it.

    Close runners up would be Mhairi McFarlane’s Just Last Night, India Holton’s The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrel’s, and Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis.

    Harper St. George’s The Heiress Gets a Duke and Erin Satie’s Book of Love are on my short list to read soon.

  13. Ely says:

    This was the first year I tracked my reading (using a spreadsheet I found on this site, thank you!) and it’s been enlightening. I read more genres than I thought I did, and I have a few favorites that I seem to re-read every few months.

    My new all time favorite book is SWORDHEART by T. Kingfisher. Halla, the heroine, was the first time I truly, deeply empathized with anyone in any form of media. Asking “dumb” questions so as not to appear threatening and to defuse tension is a deeply ingrained habit for me, so I found this book both moving and also oddly uncomfortable.

    My favorite book published in 2021 was YAMPELLOC’S IDOL (Livi Talbot book 5) by Skyla Dawn Cameron. This series really scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had – Lara Croft with far less money and the world has a bit more magic. I also love that this series easily passes the Bechdel test, and has a character with MS who isn’t magically cured.

    Many thanks to this community (writers and commenters!) for continuing to introduce me to new authors, new series and new interests. Scuttling back into lurkerdom now!

  14. Maeve says:

    Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace. This book is like being on a roller coaster: the narrator plays video games to get enough cash for her water ration, sees something she shouldn’t, and gets pulled into the war between two giant companies. Don’t expect romance because she’s aro-ace, and there are several really wonderful friendships (including a platonic battle couple).

    The Scavenger Door by Suzanne Palmer. 3rd in a sci-fi trilogy about a “finder” and trouble magnet, who gets stuck trying to save the planet with help from his friends and family. He has an alien sidekick who is absolutely hilarious, and key characters from the first two books come back in good ways. I read this twice in a row.

    Honorable mention: the two new Paladin books by T. Kingfisher and Courtney Milan’s The Devil Comes Courting.

  15. TinaNoir says:

    Favorite book of the year: THE SONGBOOK OF BENNY LAMENT by Amy Harmon (also my favorite audiobook performance of the year)

    Favorite ending to a good series: The LAST STRAW by Sharon Sala (the final book in her Jigsaw series)

    Favorite book that surprised me in the best way: AFTER DARK WITH THE DUKE by Julie Anne Long (reminded me why I love her writing)

    Favorite character in any book I’ve read all year: Charlie Mackilligan from BREAKING BADGER by Shelly Laurenston (a bit of a cheat since Charlie is my favorite character from the entire Honey Badger Chronicles series but she is super excellent in this one)

    Favorite discovery of the year (not published this year): RILEY THORNE AND THE DEAD GUY NEXT DOOR by Lucy Score (and the author became a favorite new-to-me discovery this year as well)

  16. Lisa F says:

    The Heron, Satie and St. George are all excellent, but none are my romance of the year (My pick is Bliss Bennet’s Not Quite a Marriage).

    The Love Hypothesis tragically didn’t work for me. The Waite, IMO, is the weakest part of the trilogy – still a B+, but not my book of the year (and actually one of my bigger disappointments of 2021 as a review).

  17. cleo says:

    I can’t narrow it down, so here’s my top 10

    Published in 2021
    The Jasmine Throne (Burning Kingdoms, #1) by Tasha Suri (queer fantasy)
    Black Water Sister by Zen Cho (queer UF)
    One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (f/f time-travel contemporary)
    The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by K.J. Charles (m/m historical romance)
    The Hellion’s Waltz (Feminine Pursuits, #3) by Olivia Waite (f/f historical romance)
    Peter Cabot Gets Lost (The Cabots, #2) by Cat Sebastian (m/m historical romance)
    Black Boy Out of Time by Hari Ziyad (memoir)

    Published before 2021
    The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez (queer SF)
    Edge of Nowhere (Nowhere, #1) by Felicia Davin (m/m SFR)
    Better Than People (Garnet Run, #1) by Roan Parrish (m/m contemporary)

  18. Lisa F says:

    * as a reviewer, I meant!

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