Hi all!
Somehow we’re up to this post, the post where I talk about the best books I read this year!
This is the post I dread the most each year, because I never know which books to choose from! I’ve read so many great books this year, but I choose only 20 to have on my top favourite books of the year list!
So here we go ~~

20-17

20. The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
- A Chinese-inspired fantasy novella about the rise of an empress and her loyal handmaiden
- Beautifully written and so evocative!
- Will be rereading at some point
- Read in one sitting
19. Drop Bear by Evelyn Arlauen
- An incredible collection of poetry by an Australian Indigenous woman (from the Bundjalung nation)
- Mix of poetry and essays
- Discusses Australia’s colonial history, along with the country and climate change
- Recommend to everyone!
18. A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
- A historical and magical m/m romance
- If you’re looking for a romance between a himbo and an awkward loner who created his own library system, this is the book for you!
- Awesome worldbuilding
- So excited for the next book in the series!
17. Fence: Disarmed by Sarah Rees Brennan
- The second book in one of my favourite YA series!
- Based on the Fence comics by C.S. Pacat
- Nick is a cinnamon roll, I’d die for him!
- Please keep writing these books, Brennan 🙏🏼
16-13

16. Homegoing by Yada Gyasi
- A fantastic book about two sisters and their descendants across centuries
- So powerful and so beautifully written
- From the Gold Coast of Africa in the 17th century, to modern America
- Highly recommend!
15. Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo
- A novella about an everyday Korean woman and the sexism she, and every woman, experiences in her life
- A powerful, feminist text that has gotten incredibly popular in Korea
- Short but conveys so much!
- Looking to read more from this author
14. The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer
- A queer thriller set in space
- Obsessed with this book! To this day, the plot twist blew my mind
- Two young men are travelling to Jupiter’s moon to save one of their sisters, who was trying to discover if the moon is a viable planet for humans to live on
- Again: THE PLOT TWIST
13. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
- An epic, Chinese-inspired fantasy about a young girl who steals her brother’s identity and rises to greatness
- So incredibly written, I felt like I was in the novel myself
- Apparently it’s going to be a duopoly, and I need the second book ASAP
- Ouyang, you’re a bitch but I love you
12-9

12. The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris
- A hilarious and incredible look into Norse mythology from Loki’s perspective
- Loki is such a bitch and such an amazing villain, I love him
- The audiobook was fantastic, highly recommend!
- Definitely read this book if you like Loki!
11. Bonds of Brass by Emily Skrutskie
- An epic space opera with a m/m romance at it’s heart
- Definitely can see the Finn/Poe inspiration in this book and I’m here for it
- The second book is out and it’s a crime I haven’t read it yet!
- Friends to lovers to enemies 👀
10. Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian
- A novella about an older man who meets his old, estranged best friend who he was in love with years ago
- Obsessed with this book! And the second novel in the series, but I only chose one for this list
- A short read but packs a punch
9. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley
- Such a strange, wonderful novel that I can’t stop thinking about
- Magical realism set in 18th century England
- A government worker meets a fascinating Japanese watchmaker and gets caught up in a conspiracy
- I adore Pulley and she’s become a favourite author of mine
8-5

8. The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by K.J. Charles
- Such a fun, beautiful m/m romance where a fortune hunter gets called out by a protective uncle and the two come to an agreement
- KJ Charles never disappoints!
- Going to be rereading this book again and again
7. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Can’t believe it took me until 2021 to read this book!
- Going to be reading the second novel in 2022
- So much better than I thought it would be
- Easy to read and accessible
6. Emma by Jane Austen
- I tried reading this book in high school and hated it, but read it this year and ADORED IT
- Jane Austen said she didn’t think anyone but herself would like Emma but I love her and I’d die for her
- Knightly and Emma 😭
- A masterpiece
5. Role Model by Rachel Reid
- Fifth book in the Game Changers series and one of the best!
- Troy Barrett is a cinnamon roll with a resting bitch face, and I love him
- But his love interest, Harris is a sweetheart who deserves the world!
- I love Rachel Reid so much
,
4-2

4. Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
- Enemies to lovers god tier!
- Two rival hockey players have been secretly sleeping together for years and slowly begin to fall in love
- Fun! Just pure, beautiful fun
- Can’t wait for the final novel to wrap up Shane and Ilya’s story in 2022!
3. Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell
- The book that got me into scifi books!
- A prince is forced into an arranged marriage with a newly widowed diplomat in order to protect the treaty between their two countries
- I am SO obsessed with this book! Read it twice
- The second book in the series (with different main characters) comes out in 2022!
2. Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat
- My favourite author finally released a new book!
- Exceeded my expectations
- A young man is drawn into a world of dying magic, where he discovers he has a part to play in a game that was started centuries earlier
- The book has everything I love in novels: worldbuilding, light vs. dark magic, deep fantasy, queer relationships … everything!
1

1. The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley
- I cried too many times to count
- A man steps off a train station in French-occupied London with no memory of how he got there. His only clue is a postcard signed by someone called ‘M’. Soon, he has the opportunity to go on an adventure to find this mysterious M, and hopefully his memories
- I can’t say anything more without spoiling it, and this is not a book you want to know much about before reading it
- I so highly recommend this, it’s beautiful and perfect

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK READ IN 2021? LET ME KNOW!

dark rise and the kingdoms both look so amazing!! i read a bunch of really amazing books this year, and it’s hard to pick just one. a few i really loved were the kingdom of back by marie lu, perfect on paper by sophie gonzales, and hani and ishu’s guide to fake dating by adiba jaigirdar!! this is a great list; it looks like you had a great reading year!
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Hope 2022 is an even better reading year !
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I really want to read Dark Rise, but I’m scared it has a cliffhanger ending!! 😅
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It does ! but it makes me even more excited for book 2 !
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