I read so many books in 2021! While some failed to wow me, most ranged from pretty good to amazing. It was honestly a great year for books, in my opinion.
As I look back at what I read last year, I want to highlight a few of my favorites. Anything that I read in 2021 was fair game, so you may find a book or two that was published in a previous year. After all, most books don’t have an expiration date.
These aren’t presented in any specific order. I really don’t like to rank books into top-10 style lists, because different books do different things for me. I’d probably spend more time rearranging the order than I’d spend writing the post! That said, one book stood above the rest for me this year, so we’re starting there:
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
I read The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey fairly early in the year and nothing ever topped it. You can read my full review if you want to know all my thoughts on it, but it was so well-written, so well-paced, so messed up, and so impossible to put down. Gailey never disappoints, but they knocked it out of the park with this one.
A Spindle Splintered by Alix Harrow
I never posted a review of A Spindle Splintered by Alix Harrow, because I read it during a time when life was busy and I got behind on blogging. So I’m taking the opportunity now to tell you all that I loved it. It’s a short novella, which I devoured in a single sitting, but it does a lot with its limited word count. It made me once again want to go to school for comparative folklore. I’m actually probably going to buy a physical copy of this someday, as there are classic Arthur Rackham illustrations incorporated throughout the story, and that didn’t really translate well to my eReader.
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Speaking of books I didn’t review, Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao was a trip. Although it was marketed as The Handmaid’s Tale meets Pacific Rim, I also feel like it has some good Hunger Games vibes. Also it’s a sci-fi retelling of the life of China’s only female emperor, Wu Zetian. It fit into my unofficial 2021 theme of “angry women getting shit done” perfectly, and also featured the best resolution of a love triangle. It’s weird, it’s violent, and it’s a helluva read.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
I had to double-check that I read Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust in 2021, because of course, time has no meaning. But I did read it last year, and it was amazing, and queer, and monstrous. Honestly I probably should have titled this blog post “All the great books I read about badass scary women in 2021.” Here’s my full review if you need a reminder of everything I loved about this book.
The Sapphic Saffron Trifecta by Clark, Suri, and Parker-Chan
I’m just going to put these three together, for reasons I’ll get into momentarily: The Unbroken by C.L. Clark, The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri, and She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan all feature morally grey lesbians and political upheaval and gorgeous saffron-toned covers. Not only were all three books really enjoyable, but what I loved was that these three authors had books that had a lot of similarities in theme (but very different settings and plots) and they ran with it. They cross-promoted each other’s work, did blog interviews and such together, and just generally warmed my shriveled grey heart with how they supported each other. Rather than seeing other authors as their competition, they realized that if someone wants to read one book with badass queer ladies kicking butt and taking name, they’d probably want to read three or more such books in a single year. Remember: a rising tide raises all ships.
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark was one of my most anticipated books of 2021, and it lived up to my dreams. I love Clark’s steampunk Cairo setting, and it was so incredible to finally have a full-length novel set there. It helps that the setting is populated with cool, interesting, multi-faceted characters. I really hope to see more in this world. Full review here.
Four Lost Cities by Annalee Newitz
Let’s wrap this post up with a few great non-fiction reads. One of my favorites was Four Lost Cities by Annalee Newitz. I love a book where I get to learn something and am entertained as I do. I maintain that this should be a must-read for anyone who engages in world building for writing or gaming, as it will give you some real food for thought on how to design your cities, both those that are still inhabited and any ruined or “lost” cities your characters may encounter. Read my full review if you want more info.
Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses
This was another book that I read early in 2021, and it really set the stage for my year. Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses changed how I think about reading and writing, and made me more aware of my own internal biases about storytelling. Not only is this a good read for any writers or teachers of writing, but it can also be beneficial for readers who want to read more diversely and have a better understanding of narrative styles and story structures different from our own. You can read my full review for more on why I feel this book is important.
Never Say You Can’t Survive by Charlie Jane Anders
I read Never Say You Can’t Survive by Charlie Jane Anders as I was preparing to embark on NaNoWriMo last year. It was the perfect thing to get me in the mood to write a novel, because it speaks about how writing is important, but not everything we write has to be IMPORTANT. That is to say, when you’re living in unprecedented times, your work doesn’t have to be about the unprecedented times. It can be an escape. Writing a romance or a fantasy adventure story is still important, because you are providing escape for yourself and your potential reader, and you’re not letting the world grind you down. Anyway, this book is full of writing advice and encouragement for writers in general but specifically for genre writers. It’s a fun and inspiring read and I’m happy to have it on my shelf.
FTC disclaimer: This post contains lots of affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I will earn a small commission which let’s face it, I will turn around and spend on more books. If you’d rather not use my links, I highly recommend checking your favorite local bookstore or the library for these books.