Amy's Favorite Books of 2021

Here are the best books I read in 2021. (These are not books that were necessarily released in 2021.) As of today, I’ve read 83 books (including 52 audiobooks) this year. I started but did not finish another 5 books. 

Don't miss my favorite audiobook narration of the year at the bottom!

To read my full review of any books listed below, click on the title.

 

MY FAVORITE BOOK OF 2021

Anxious People (5 stars!) by Fredrik Backman, contemporary fiction: This is the story surrounding a failed bank robbery in Sweden—the bank robber’s desperation that led up to it, the people who were impacted when the bank robber created a hostage situation, and the police investigating the crimes. Even though it touches on suicide and is a thought-provoking story, it is filled with humor! This story does not take itself seriously and that was one of its best features. Backman crafted the story brilliantly, beginning with the police investigation after the crimes. It developed through flashbacks of the events from all of the people involved. The characters were charming and the story-weaving was masterful. I enjoyed every minute.

THE OTHERS IN MY TOP 10

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, historical fiction/fantasy/science fiction/contemporary fiction: This novel is really four separate stories: one is in a future world on a spaceship as it heads for a new planet (sci-fi), one is during the Ottoman Empire’s battle for Greece (historical fiction), one involves a violent crime taking place in a library in current day Idaho (contemporary fiction), and one is a fantasy story from Greco-Roman times called Cloud Cuckoo Land. All three realistic tales are linked by the fantasy story. This novel was fascinating. It ranged from light and fanciful to deathly serious. The silly ancient fantasy story adds humor to the tale. The characters were very well drawn and I grew concerned and hopeful for all of them.  There are common themes throughout the various tales and the way Doerr managed to weave these very different stories together into one novel was stunning. The moral of the novel was heartwarming.

Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting by Lisa Genova, nonfiction: The summary from the publisher is perfect: “A fascinating exploration of the intricacies of how we remember, why we forget, and what we can do to protect our memories, from the Harvard-trained neuroscientist and bestselling author of Still Alice.” Genova aims to set the reader’s mind at ease regarding memory gaps. One of her central explanations is that you usually have a failure in paying attention to make a memory rather than a failure in recalling a memory. As someone who never reads “self help” books and rarely enjoys nonfiction, I still wanted to read this because I really trusted Genova after enjoying a couple of her novels. She knows how to write a book that holds the reader’s interest. I absolutely loved it! Not only did she teach me a lot about the human brain and the mechanics of memory, but she proposed ways to improve my memory! This was one of the most helpful and informative texts I’ve read in a very long time.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab, fantasy/historical fiction/contemporary fiction: In order to avoid an unwanted marriage in the year 1714, Addie LaRue makes a deal with the Darkness which leaves her unable to be remembered by anyone once she is out of their sight. Stubbornly, Addie will not let the Darkness take her soul and it is now 300 years later.  Addie struggles every day to influence the world around her and make the best of her strange life.  I loved this charming, creative, and well-written story. While Addie isn’t a time traveler, the fact that she lived so long gives the novel the feel of a time travel novel. The narrative jumps around the timeline in order to keep everything interesting. The characters were diverse and likable. The art and music references were wonderful. The story illustrates how connecting with other people is an important aspect of life. And it shows that there can be light, even after the darkest times. I really enjoyed the ride with these characters!

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain, fantasy/historical fiction: Carly finds out that her unborn daughter has a serious heart defect that is inoperable in 1970. When the opportunity presents itself, she makes a crazy decision to make a leap of faith and travel into the future for a chance to save her daughter. There is so much more to this novel than this brief summary but I can’t say more without ruining it for you! The plot is actually much more complex than I anticipated and I loved it! It pulled me in from the first page. I truly cared about the people in this book and was happily swept into their lives. I was surprised more than once by turns in the plot. It also pulled my heartstrings a couple of times.

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain, historical fiction/contemporary fiction: It’s 2018 and Morgan has spent the past year in jail for a crime she didn’t commit. She is released in a miraculous parole deal that requires her to restore a historical mural in Edenton, NC. While she doesn’t feel qualified for the task, she’ll attempt anything in order to gain her freedom. The story is told from two viewpoints/timeframes—Morgan’s and Anna’s. Anna is the original artist of the mural which was painted in 1940. As an art appreciator, I was immediately pulled in by the art storyline. I quickly fell in love with the characters. Despite their different stories and backgrounds, both Anna and Morgan had been sent to Edenton to work on the same mural. Both were running from a disturbing past and knew no one in town before arriving. Both had to come to terms with their own self-doubts and learn to forgive themselves. Both came to love the mural and the people of Edenton who helped them in their efforts. I loved the way the book was structured. The storytelling was terrific and the momentum was never lost.

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore, fantasy: Oona has an issue. Starting at the stroke of midnight on her 19^th birthday, and every new year thereafter, she leaps into a random year of her life instead of living her life chronologically. I loved the concept and the execution of this novel! Despite the far-fetched premise of the story, Montimore does a great job of making it seem plausible. I loved experiencing Oona’s strange and difficult life with her. There were some creative aspects and surprises. It was a great ride and the story became very touching near the end.

One Two Three by Laurie Frankel, young adult fiction: Three sisters—triplets—have different physical and mental abilities. They live in a very small town whose residents have been poisoned by a chemical plant. The main characters and their situations sucked me in immediately. You might think this would be a depressing story. But the way it is written, it is actually quite hopeful. I loved the crafting of the tale between the three sisters’ points of view and the themes of acceptance, appreciation, diversity, survival, adaptability, accommodation, and accountability. The people populating the story were a pleasure to get to know. I had heard about a similar real-life situation and this novel’s immersion into the residents’ reality was enlightening. The humor which the author peppered throughout the tense situations was refreshing. I truly appreciate Frankel’s writing style and her topic choices.

The Chronicles of Saylok series by Amy Harmon, fantasy/young adult: The names of the novels are: The First Girl Child and The Second Blind Son. Set in a land created by and devoted to the Norse gods, a new mother curses the population with no female babies born until her son can become old enough to save the people. While based on Norse mythology and clan politics, Harmon made these stories her own. The novels take place during the same time period and share some characters/situations, but each focuses on a different set of main characters. The stories are full of danger, uncertainty, warring clans, prophecies, and friendship. If you enjoy royal fantasy and good vs. evil, you’ll enjoy them.

Shades of Magic trilogy by V. E. Schwab, fantasy/young adult: The names of the novels in order are:  A Darker Shade of Magic, A Gathering of Shadows, and A Conjuring of Light. Kell is a rare sort of magician—able to transfer between the different parallel Londons. His usual life is disrupted when he is tricked into bringing a mysterious and powerful object from Red London into the nonmagical Gray London and he crosses paths with the thief, Lila. Kell and Lila were terrifically human despite magical abilities. Throughout the series, they would find themselves in terrible trouble, save themselves, and then find even worse trouble. The overarching story was compelling, the fantasy world was creative, magical, and dangerous, and the action was non-stop.

 

BEST AUDIOBOOK NARRATION

Joe Morton narrating The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, historical fiction/fantasy: Morton was totally excellent with this novel. He has a large voice repertoire, does terrific accents, and his acting was perfect. Not only that but he actually SINGS when there are song lyrics, unlike most audiobook narrators. And he has a lovely voice! This made him stand out among some stiff competition this year.

If you're hungry for more, here are my favorites of 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Also, don't miss Lynnie's favorites of 2021. We both have Anxious People and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue on our lists. 

--Amy