21 Favorites in 2021

Have you have ever walked into a bookstore and seen the fluttering of little notes hanging off the shelves? Each one is usually hand written, with a comment on how much they enjoyed reading the book or others they would recommend that were similar. This post is one of those notes!

I am a voracious reader, and I hope that I am expanding my reading prowess by reading outside favorite genres as well. The first half of the year I was completing my masters in Language and Literacy among other specialties, so several books here were branched-off studies for that. For any non-fiction readers, I have just about as many to recommend, along with some honorable mentions below.

I chose each of these based on the 2021 five-star rating I gave them in on Goodreads. On several, I have my initial thoughts in my Goodreads profile, and the others you will just have to read for yourself to see if they hit your personal favorites list for 2022!

Fiction Favorites

Classics

Two of these I read for the umpteenth time and then a new-old one! I actually read Daddy Long Legs because I heard the soundtrack of the Broadway musical when I was listening to a Hamilton playlist (which as you might notice, the artist of Hamilton also made his way onto my favorites this year!).

• Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice
• J.R.R. Tolkien - El retorno del rey (Return of the King)
• Jean Webster - Daddy Long Legs

Historical Fiction

Still one of my go-to genres! As a kid I always liked following an interesting story and learning things along the way about places and history. This collection is no exception! This favorites list has favorites!

• Kristin Hannah - The Four Winds
• Heather Morris - Cilka’s Journey
• Markus Zusak - La ladrona de libros (The Book Thief)

Mystery

It was fun to re-read a mystery in Spanish! I caught several sections of the book by re-reading that I didn't remember reading the first time. This made Moriarty's work that much more intriguing!

• Liane Moriarty - Pequeñas Mentiras

Sci Fi/Futuristic

Two words: Pleasantly surprised! I was gifted The 5th Wave and chose it at the beginning of the year because I wanted to read something that was more than 400 pages. I was surprised by the storyline and found it way more interesting than I was expecting. This might be the third time I've read Station Eleven; it awakens my artistic muse. :)

• Emily St. John Mandel - Station Eleven
• Rick Yancey - The 5th Wave

Young Adult

Anderson writes so many amazing books for young adults and each comes from a personal place. She opens up real teen topics and discusses them in depth, woven into a character's story. At the end of each of her books, she includes information for any young adult who has experienced something similar or who knows someone in the same situation.

• Laurie Halse Anderson - Speak

Non-Fiction has it's own Section:

The Arts

Yes I love to read about art! Poetry, pictures, music, writing! - it's all here! Also, I mentioned in a previous blog that there was only one book last year that I bought before last June? A Turning Point would be that one! Also, Steal Like an Artist shows up in one of my other blog posts.

• Victor Gagliarti - A Turning Point: Images to Words
• Austin Kleon - Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
• Lin-Manuel Miranda, Quiara Alegría Hudes, and Jeremy McCarter - In the Heights: Finding Home
• Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond - J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator

Education

Education is my life! Even though I am not in the education field right now, I've noticed that I am still drawn to it, whether that be to teach others, write on new topics, or learn things for myself. I encourage everyone to find something new to learn - often! - in whatever genre you choose.

Health

I enjoyed these books on health because they were not full of high falutin words that nobody could follow. They each had great diagrams and personal insights that tied the reader to the theme of the book.

• Heather Dillard - The Magic Cookie Formula for Gluten-free Bakers

• Matthew Walker - Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

Writing

Of course, I am also trying to develop my own art. I like to read about writing and the craft of how to write. The Weekend Novelist will most likely be a book I refer to when starting my next manuscript, which is outlined, but not yet in progress until about March of next year.

• Robert J. Ray and Bret Norris - The Weekend Novelist
• Taylor Tippitt - Words from the Window Seat: The Everyday Magic of Kindness, Courage, and Being Your True Self

Honorable Mention Favorites:

The hardest thing about loving to read is that when I am required to narrow down my list to twenty-one items, some have to go in the "participants" pile, no matter how amazing they are! If you've read most of those above, I highly recommend grabbing one of these treasures!

• Amber Ankowski and Andy Ankowski - Bringing up Bookmonsters: The Joyful Way to Turn Your Child Into a Fearless, Voracious Reader
• Tony Buzan - Mind Map for Kids: An Introduction
• Ernest Cline - Ready Player One
• Laura Dave - The Last Thing He Told Me
• Madelynn Dickerson - The Handy Art History Answer Book
• Malcolm Gladwell - What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures
• Matt Haig - The Midnight Library
• Khaled Hosseini - The Kite Runner
• Peter J. Johnston - Choice Words: How our Language Affects Children’s Learning
• Harry Knoors and Marc Marschark - Teaching Deaf Learners: Psychological and Developmental Foundations
• Sarah McCoy - Marilla of Green Gables
• Gina A. Oliva - Alone in the Mainstream: A Deaf Woman Remembers Public School
• Delia Owens - Where the Crawdads Sing
• Ellen Raskin - The Westing Game
• Amor Towles - The Lincoln Highway
• Bethanie H. Tucker - Tucker Signing Strategies for Reading
• Sarah Wilson - This One Wild and Precious Life: The Path Back to Connection in a Fractured World