2021 Favorites

I had 15 new favorite books in 2021. There were so many new releases I fell in love with and some backlist titles as well. 2021 was not the best year reading-wise, but I got to read these amazing books. This is late, but I still want to recommend these books if you have not picked them up. I will recap my top seven

• The Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Melinda Lo This book has to be one of the best books I have ever read. I devoured this book and could not put it down. The book is LGBT+ historical fiction, which made me pick up the book without even reading the synopsis. The characters were well written and the plot gripping. I cannot wait to read more from Melinda Lo.
• The City Beautiful by Adan Polydoros I saw this book on bookstagram and this sounded like a book I would like. It quickly became one of my favorite books of the year. The setting and atmosphere made for a gripping read. I loved the characters. This is a book I would definitely reread.
• Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell This one was a cover buy, but was engaged from the beginning. I could not put this book down and I finished it in a day. Jainan and Kiem were so well written along with their developing relationship throughout the book. The plot was fast paced and gripping. If you love LGBT+ space operas this book is for you.
• Jade City and Jade War by Fonda Lee These are the first two books of my new favorite fantasy series. I devoured these books and wondered why I did not pick them up sooner. This is a family saga that is long and complicated. The characters and plot were so well written. These books are so good and if you have not read the trilogy I recommend you do.
• Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers I really enjoyed this book and I finished it in one sitting. I was not sure if this would be a book I would enjoy, but I flew through it. The characters were complex and well rounded. I liked the side characters as much as the main characters. The plot and settings were well done. Grace’s struggles post academia were a big reason I liked this book along with the romance aspect.
• Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve A new favorite young adult contemporary novel. This book was so easy to fly through and I read it in one sitting. Dean is a trans boy who wants to be cast as Romeo in his school’s play. This book follows Dean’s journey and it is such an important book.