My Favorite Books of 2021

I’m sharing some of my favorite books from the past year in today’s blog post.

I read a fair number of books this year – just over 40. I read all kinds of genres, from historical fiction to classics to non-fiction. The vast majority of the books that I read this year were from the library. I borrowed so many books this year! I thought I’d divide up my favorite books this year be genre. That way it’s easy for you to check out just the ones you’re interested in.

Historical fiction

• The Room on Rue Amelie by Kristin Harmel: This was a book that made me feel all the things. It’s set in Europe in WWII like a lot of Kristin Harmel’s books. If you’re interested at all about that time period I highly suggest reading The Room on Rue Amelie (affiliate link).
• The Nightingale by Kristin Harmel: I had to add a second book by Kristin Harmel because it was just so good. It’s another heartbreaking book that takes you into what life was like in Europe during the second World War.
• The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate: This is the second book by Lisa Wingate that I’ve read so far, and I liked it just as much as Before We Were Yours (affiliate link). It’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that so many families and friends were torn apart. In many cases they were never able to re-connect with their loved ones. Again The Book of Lost Friends (affiliate link) is set in a time and place (slavery in the southern US) that is tough to read about. I can’t even imagine not knowing where the other members of my family were, or if they were even alive.

Non-Fiction

• Open Book by Jessica Simpson: I went into reading Open Book (affiliate link) with low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. It felt like the content of the book came from a very honest place. Jessica discussed a lot of things including: body image and the pressure she was under to look a certain way, abuse, divorce, and drinking too much. Jessica Simpson was huge when I was in high school (I graduated high school in 2001). I even remember watching her reality show in University. It was really interesting to see that time period from her point of view.
• The Wizard of Lies by Diana B Henriques: While I definitely knew about Bernie Madoff before I read this book, getting into the details and learning how many people he stole from and how much he stole was eye opening. The Wizard of Lies (affiliate link) covers Bernie Madoff’s life and how he was able to con so many people and steal billions of dollars. It’s still not known exactly how much he stole.

Fiction

• Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks: I really enjoyed reading this mystery. It follows the main character after she takes her and her friend’s kids to a school festival and one of her friend’s kids disappears. I would be beside myself with worry if I was in a similar situation. I wasn’t able to figure out the ending of Her One Mistake (affiliate link) before I finished the book, so it was pretty nice to be taken along for the ride.

• Sheltering Rain by Jojo Moyes: Jojo has become a favorite author of mine. I’ve really liked all of the books by her that I’ve read so far, and Sheltering Rain (affiliate link) was no different. My other favorite books by her include The Giver of Stars (affiliate link) and The Last Letter From Your Lover (affiliate link).
• The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon: The last book on my list is The Drowning Kind (affiliate link). I’ve become a big fan of Jennifer’s books. They have the perfect mix of fiction and creepy paranormal storylines. I’m not a big fan of fantasy, so these books don’t get too over the top. It’s just enough creepiness to make me want to read the next chapter.

I share a lot of what I read on Instagram, so be sure to follow me there if you’re interested in more book recommendations! You can also find similar posts from 2020 and 2018.

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