Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Reads of 2021

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is Best Books I Read In 2021. This list is always a challenge to make every year since I read a mixture of old and new books as well as rereads. But since I already mentioned my favorite backlist reads for the year, I’m going to just mention favorite 2021 releases for this list.

Dearest Josephine by Caroline George: This book makes the list because of how much it surprised me. I don’t usually like epistolary novels, but Caroline George made it work and the story was fascinating!

Flamefall by Rosaria Munda: I thought nothing could be better than Fireborne, but this book just takes it further and makes it better. I don’t know if I’ll survive book three.

Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery by Ally Carter: I have yet to read an Ally Carter book that I didn’t like, but I love the middle grade mystery. Fun and exciting and dangerous and mysterious! Some questions are answered, but some were not so I really hope more books are coming in this series.

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee: Stacey Lee never disappoints. I appreciate how fun this book is before the chaos begins. The sibling relationships and circus angle are so great, but Valora’s personality is the best part of this book.

I Speak Boy by Jessica Brody: I love a good Austen retelling, but this middle grade contemporary was so much better than I expected. It follows the plot of Emma so well!

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo: I can’t make this list without including the queen of YA fantasy. Man, Rule of Wolves was brutal and brilliant and so much insanity happened. But gosh darn it, I love Nikolai and Zoya so much. And that ending!

Small Favors by Erin A. Craig: I don’t normally read spooky books, but I’ll make an exception for this one because it’s so atmospheric and compelling. I can’t stop recommending this book!

Wings of Shadow by Nicki Pau Preto: I feel like 2021 was the year of excellent sequels/series endings because this book was a monster but it was fan-freaking-tastic. I’m still reeling months later from everything that happened.

Suns Will Rise by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell: Seriously, this is the year of excellent series endings because this was also an amazing conclusion to a retelling of Les Mis in space. So much happens in this book. So much. But it’s good. I love how things pan out. I love how it ends. I love how it keeps up the spirit of the original classic and also makes it its own story. So good.

The School Between Winter and Fairyland by Heather Fawcett: Heather Fawcett has pretty much sealed the deal on how great she is at writing middle grade fantasy. This book has so many things I adored and more.

What are you favorite 2021 releases? Don’t forget to join the link-up!

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