My Favorite Books of 2021
I read a total of 46 books this year and it was HARD to pick a top 5 so I had to add 5 honorable mentions. I could have added more but decided to stick with the best of the best!
Honorable mentions are in alphabetical order.
Float Plan by Trish Doller— Loved it! Anna is surviving life post the suicide of her boyfriend. It’s been 10 months since she lost him and she is having trouble moving forward. She and Ben had planned a trip sailing around the world…had all the dates and stops planned out. So when the date that they were supposed to depart arrives, she decides to take the trip alone. After the first leg is more difficult than expected, Anna decides to hire someone to help her complete the trip. In walks Keen. Keen has suffered tragedy of his own and is in a sense married to the sea. We see the relationship develop and it is very sweet. I loved the people they meet at different stops on the trip and how welcoming and happy everyone seemed. This book is a quick read that you are sure to enjoy!
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood—-My goodness, I love this book! Olive Smith is a 3rd year PH.D. candidate working in a lab. She is dedicated and passionate about making advances in early cancer detection. (Shoutout to women in science!) Olive knows that her roommate, Anh, has a crush on her ex but refuses to act on it out of respect for Olive. So…what does Olive do??? She kisses the nearest warm body to convince Anh that she has moved on. And who is that warm body??? None other than the highly successful and highly intimidating Dr. Adam Carlsen! Adam agrees to “fake date” Olive for the next 6ish weeks. He’s got his own motives so Olive doesn’t have to feel too bad about putting him out. You can guess where this is going and these two are just adorable so you will certainly enjoy the ride! I may or may not have a fictional character crush on Adam. ;)
*There are some deeper things touched upon (sexual harassment and death of a parent) so it is not 100% light and fluffy. AND, I always like to give a heads up about intimate scenes, so keep that in mind.
More than Words by Jill Santopolis—- I was excited about this one because I really enjoyed The Light We Lost, also by Santopolis. And guess what? I loved it! Nina is an only child raised by her father who is a very successful businessman in NYC. When her father passes away, she is expected to follow in his footsteps and take over the family’s successful hotel chain. She loves her current job writing political speeches but knows her father would want her to carry on the family’s legacy and uphold his reputation. Nina is set to do just that when she uncovers a secret (or two) that could ultimately change the course of her life. Nina experiences love, loss, friendship and betrayal as she discovers who she is and what she wants for herself and her life. Such a good book!
Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson—- This book was a trip! Lillian and Madison strike up an unlikely friendship at their elite boarding school. Lillian has to leave unexpectedly after a scandal at school and so the two are torn apart and their lives go separate ways….Lillian takes her expected path consisting of wealth, marriage and a successful career. Madison takes her expected, though disappointing, dead end path. The two keep up minimally with a yearly phone call until one year when Madison calls in a favor of Lillian. Lillian has nothing to lose, so she decides to go see what Madison has to offer. In walk Madison’s step children that burst into flames when they are agitated. Wait…what? Ha! Yes! This book made me laugh out loud with how ridiculous and absurd the situation was but there was also a much deeper theme of love, trust and acceptance. Such an unexpected great book! I listened to this one on Audible and thought the narrator did an awesome job.
Yes & I Love You by Roni Loren. Hollyn is a freelance writer navigating her way through life in New Orleans. She is the unseen face behind the ever popular and influential Miz Poppy who reviews New Orleans night life. Things are going fine until her boss decides she needs to start appearing on screen and if she doesn’t comply, she will lose her job. The problem is, Hollyn struggles with anxiety and is not ready/willing to reveal (to her boss or to the world) that she also has Tourette Syndrome. Luckily, she has recently met confident, charming and handsome Jasper who teaches improv classes in her office building. She hopes that with a few lessons from Jasper, she might relax enough to let herself be seen on camera. Well…the first lesson goes unexpectedly well. Maybe too well. But it’s complicated (obviously). ;) This is an easy breezy read that you won’t be able to put down!
AND….drum roll please…MY TOP FIVE of 2021!!!
FIVE—- Sally Thorne does it again with Second First Impressions and I think this is my favorite of her books. If you are a fan of the “friends to lovers” trope, this book is for you! This book is ADORABLE!!! Ruthie lives and works at a retirement community where she feels content with her simple life. She is comfortable with things scheduled and predictable at Providence and can see herself running the place when the boss retires. The problem—Ruthie is in her mid-twenties and relates more with the octogenarians that she helps manage than anyone that is even close to her own age. One day she is out getting gas for one of her favorite residents when she happens upon Teddy who has lost his wallet and is unable to pay for his gas. She spots him the money for gas and assumes that’s the last she will see of him. Buuuuut… obviously that is not that last she will see of him. The building of their relationship is adorable and both characters are far more complex than it would seem at first glance. Aside from Ruthie and Teddy you will love the Parloni Sisters, the turtles and Melanie. Loved every part of this book! Read it!
FOUR—- Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It’s set in the 1970s in Baltimore where 14 year old Mary Jane lives with her strait-laced mother and father. Mary Jane’s life is rigid—she goes to church, sings in the choir, goes to the club, shadows her mother while she cooks and basically does whatever her parents demand of her. This summer, Mary Jane lands a babysitting gig for 5 year old Izzy Cone whose parents are otherwise occupied. Mary Jane is shocked when she meets this family and sees how they live (messy house, take-out every night, clutter and chaos, not to mention clothes that her mother would not consider proper). Her eyes are opened to a whole other way of living and that’s BEFORE a famous couple moves in with the Cones for the summer. Jimmy is being treated for addiction by Mr. Cone and his wife, Sheba, is the former star of a variety show. I loved Mary Jane and Izzy’s relationship. I found Izzy’s obsession with “the witch” in her house and Mary Jane’s obsessive thoughts relatable for anyone who has been a 5 or 14 year old girl. I also loved how Mary Jane starts to come into her own and realizes she can form her own opinions that may not parallel those of her parents. This is a great book! Highly recommend it!
THREE- The Guncle written and read on Audible by Steven Rowley. Patrick’s world is turned upside down when he is asked to become the caretaker of his niece and nephew for the summer. Is there a way he can kindly decline? Kids do not fit into his posh lifestyle in Palm Springs. I couldn’t love GUP (gay uncle Patrick) more! It’s such a treat to watch him transition from an adult the kids rarely see/know to the father figure that they come to trust, admire and even love. This book is so fun and will make you laugh out loud but it is also heartbreaking as we see the children unintentionally break down their uncle’s walls and see him begin to work through his pain and heartbreak at the same time he is getting the truly wonderful gift of seeing life through the eyes of a child. This book is a gem.
I love this quote- “Guncle Rule sweet sixteen: I want you to really live. To live is the rarest of things. Most people simply exist.”
TWO—- The People We Keep by Allison Larkin- I knew with certainty when I closed this book that it would be in my top 5 favorite books of 2021 and I did not change my mind. This one stuck with me. April is a neglected teen that is living in a stationary motor home and fending for herself. She has a passion for music and playing her guitar that is not being met at her high school which she is carelessly failing out of. After an argument with her dad (who cares more about his current girlfriend than he does about April) she packs up and hits the road to find/make a better life for herself. We follow April as she skips from town to town. Just when we think she has found a new home where she is happy and fits in, she packs up and leaves always fearing that she will hurt the people she cares about and needs to leave before she does. Her journey is heartbreaking and hopeful. You’ll be disappointed in her and also so proud of her. She is as strong as she is weak and just 100% human. I just loved this book. The characters were all so real and charming. I was rooting for each of their success and happiness. Definitely read this book!
Side note- This book was read by Julia Whelan on Audible. I have never listened to a book narrated by her that I haven’t really enjoyed, so I feel like she chooses her projects wisely. =)
ONE—- Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover. Oh my goodness gracious, I read this book several months ago and still think back on it. The highs are high and the lows un unimaginably low. Hoover definitely broke my heart and then somehow pieced it back together in the best way possible with the story of Tate and Miles. We meet Tate who is moving in with her brother to save money before she buys her own place. She meets and develops a friends-with-benefits relationship with one of her brother's friends. They keep it secret and both know that there are no strings attached, but then guess what...she falls for him. But Miles’s wounds are deep and he has told himself never to love again. Following Miles as he works out the contradiction between his head and and heart as well as Tate as she tries to be realistic about her expectations is just an incredible reading experience. I loved this book so much. I think I need to go read it again!
That’s a wrap! I can’t wait to see what 2022 has to offer in the way of books. Let me know your thoughts on these or other books below!
See all of the books I read in 2021 here and those I read in 2020 here!
