I’m so excited to share all the best, worst, and somewhere in between books I’ve had the pleasure of reading this 2021
Where did the beginning of the year go?
This will be the first year I get to participate in this tag! I first came across this @ Paperbacks and Planners a while back and it just looked like so much fun.. but, alas, it kept slipping my mind. (I have no idea who credit for the tag’s creation so, if you do, please let me know!)
Well, since time has been chugging right along and life waits for no book.. Here we go!
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Best book you’ve read so far in 2021:
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher
There were a lot of incredible books this year and, I’m so grateful for all the new adventures I’ve been on, the fantastic new authors I’ve had the pleasure of coming across.. and out of them all, these two are only the tip of the iceberg, but they are at the top.
I highly recommend both of these books to anyone and everyone.
Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2021:
A Dog’s Courage by W. Bruce Cameron
This is far from my usual choice but, somehow, still ended up being one of my new all-time favorite reads. Bella is wonderful, lovable, and so very brave. Not to mention.. this book is way more intense than expected.
A must-read for animal lovers and pet “owners” everywhere.
New release you haven’t read yet, but want to:
It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts
Most anticipated release for the second half of the year:
All These Bodies by Kendare Blake
“Sixteen bloodless bodies. Two teenagers. One impossible explanation. In this edge-of-your-seat mystery from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake, the truth is as hard to believe as it is to find.“
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
“NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A princess in exile, a shapeshifting dragon, six enchanted cranes, and an unspeakable curse… Drawing from fairy tales and East Asian folklore, this original fantasy from the author of Spin the Dawn is perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone.“
How to Kill Your Best Friend by Lexie Elliot
“If you suspected your best friend, the person you were closest to in the whole world, was a murderer, what would you do? Would you confront her? Would you help keep her secret? Or would you begin to feel afraid? Most importantly, why don’t you feel safe now that she’s dead? From the author of The French Girl comes a novel full of secrets, suspense, and deadly twists.“
Biggest disappointment:
The Project by Courtney Summers
Reset Life: A Paranormal Fantasy Romance by Bohdan Khomyn
Just No. My apology to the authors but.. No.
I had such high expectations for ‘The Project’ that it was even more disappointing that I had to DNF it, and Reset Life was so all over the place, it still frustrates me.
I truly hope you’ve had/will have a better experience reading these than I did!
Biggest surprise:
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
I really enjoyed the creepy atmosphere Jewell has created here. Like a weight, the unsettling circumstances the characters fa e, and the
Favourite new author (debut or new to you):
My hats off to these brilliant authors! I’m happy to say I am absolutely looking forward to reading more from them.. now-and in the future.
Newest fictional crush:
Surprisingly, none. I would think this far into the year, I would have acquired one but, so far.. Nada.
Newest favourite character:
Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
Olivia “Ollie”, the main character here, is such a smart and tough kid. Out of all the books I’ve read this year, I think she showed the most amount of personal and emotional growth. I will definitely be reading more from this author!
Book that made you cry:
Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer
The funny thing is.. It wasn’t even the main character’s story that seemed so unbearably sad, but the story of The Four Winds, that may have made me a little misty-eyed.
Book that made you happy:
Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire
I loved being introduced to the wonderfully diverse cast of intriguing characters in this book. The entirely unique voice of Seanan McGuire never fails to impress and captivate.
The most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received):
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
This one still sits, judging me from across the room, as I fail to choose it again and again.
I’ll get to you eventually! Wait for me!
What books do you need to read by the end of the year:
To Review:
In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead
“Told in racing dual timelines, with a dark campus setting and a darker look at friendship, love, obsession, and ambition, In My Dreams I Hold A Knife is an addictive, propulsive read you won’t be able to put down.“
The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur
“Suspenseful and richly atmospheric, June Hur’s The Forest of Stolen Girls is a haunting historical mystery sure to keep readers guessing until the last page.“
Cedar Dolls by Clarke Wainikka
“Gwen Rabey only has to survive being home on Circle Bell island for seven days. Seven days with her father on his deathbed, a mother picking apart her life choices, her impulsive brother, Theo, and conservative sister, Ruth.“
Queen of All by Anya Leigh Josephs
“Jena lives on her family’s struggling farm and in her beautiful friend Sisi’s shadow. She’s not interested in Sisi’s plans to uncover the Kingdom’s darkest secrets: the suppression of magic, and the crown prince’s systemic murder of those who practice it.”
Winter Harvester by Nik DeKasha
“Verna Harvester has disappeared, and everyone is suffering because of her absence even though practically no one—aside from her three sisters—knows who she is.“
Nia – The Origin by Rachel Bourne
“A past erased, soulmates separated, emerging psychic abilities. Solving the mystery of Nia’s origin will be a dangerous adventure.“
Favourite book to movie adaptation you’ve seen this year:
Enola Holmes by Nancy Springer
Now a Netflix original movie starring Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, and Helena Bonham Carter!
Meet Enola Holmes, a teenaged girl turned detective and the younger sister to Sherlock Holmes.
I may have gone a bit too crazy with this one. I was a bit eager to show off some of my favorite reads this year and went a little overboard. Oh, well! I hope you enjoyed it!
Have you done this tag? I would love to check yours out!
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I just finished A Dog’s Courage and loved it. I have not read a lot of the other books on here, but a couple interest me. Nice answers, Sheri.
I could go on all day about how much I ended up loving ‘A Dog’s Courage,’ I’m so glad you enjoyed it, too! I hope you enjoy the others, as well, I know I’m really looking forward to rest of this year’s adventure in books!
Thank you so much for stopping and commenting, Carla!
I never have time to do tags but I love checking out when other’s do. Lots of good choices on this one Sheri! Of course I also will add that for me I’d need a “all year long” freakout, who only freaks out mid year???🤣😇😋
I’ve been doing more tags than normal these last few weeks because, honestly, I feel like I can get those done more quickly and it’s been pretty chaotic offline lately. But I do love how creative tags get and it’s such a great way to see what everyone’s reading!
And with how many books we collect, read, and review throughout the year, can you imagine how long an entire year freak out would be?
Honestly I swear I’m the opposite, I take forever sitting and thinking what book should I use for this so I put off ever putting those posts together.😂🤣
I always have a few tags and lists I’ll fill in here and there until they’re useable.. an organized sort of chaos.😅😂
I get it though, some of them can take a ridiculous amount of time, and you don’t want blogging to start feeling like a chore.
Haha I just have my organized chaos of book lists so that makes those post easier these days with notes to fall back on.
Everyone seems to have a different (albeit similar) method to their madness. Whatever works, right?
This is quite an impressive list of books!
Thank you! Books keep us dreamers dreaming.
I really wanted to like the Twisted Ones because I like how it starts out, but after a while the humor started to annoy me. I’d like to try another of T. Kingfisher’s books though.
I actually really enjoyed the humor.. that and she made pretty intelligent decisions for a horror novel and that surprised me. I’m hoping to read more of her work, too!
Let me know what you think if you do, please, and stay safe. 😊