Best Books of 2021

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

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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!