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Though it’s the new year, I wanted to revisit some of my favorite reads of last year. Some of the titles are new, and some are old, but I assure you that all of them are great! It takes a lot for me to rate a book 5/5 stars, so if you haven’t read these books yet, make sure to add them to your TBR!
This list will be showing my thoughts about the book rather than a summary/blurb. However, I’ll be linking each book to its corresponding Goodreads page in case you want to learn more about it before reading!
Also, here’s a link to my Goodreads if you want to follow what I’m reading! Let’s be friends! 🙂
Starting the list off strong we have:
1. All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr
Wow. This book was absolutely beautiful in every way. It follows the unique story of two individuals during World War II, and how their paths intertwine. It’s a complex story with a great plot build-up and flashback/flashforward scenes throughout the novel. This novel was captivating and I couldn’t put my book down! Definitely one of my new favorites.
2. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid
I literally couldn’t put this book down from the moment I picked it up. The story was captivating from the beginning, and there’s a twist that makes me wish I could reread this book for the first time. Evelyn Hugo’s life is fascinating, and it’s a humorous book but also has some sadder tones. It was an outstanding book that is definitely worth the hype, and I will probably be rereading it soon!
3. Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston
Another super popular book that I think is definitely worth the hype. It has my favorite trope, enemies (at least one of them thinks they’re enemies) to lovers. It also touches on politics and how LGBTQ affects it, but is a very light-hearted, romantic book. I loved it!
4. The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller
This is a beautifully written and equally heartbreaking novel. If you haven’t read this book, please do yourself a favor and read it. It’s hands down one of my favorite books of all time. It’s set in ancient Greek times, and it follows the relationship of two boys who are desperately in love. It follows the story of Achilles but also has backstories and snippets of information never seen before. This book exceeded all of my expectations.
5. Legend, Marie Lu
This novel is part of a trilogy and it was released a while back, but I’m so glad I read it! If you loved the Hunger Games, this would be an amazing read for you. I haven’t really seen it in many “top” dystopian lists but I really think it should be on them. It’s super adventurous, and the romance is top notch! Not very spicy if you know what I mean but nevertheless it’s a great series.
6. It Ends With Us, Colleen Hoover
This is another book that is hyped up on TikTok, but again, I think it’s well deserved. You won’t really understand the meaning of the title until the end of the book, and I think it wraps everything up nicely. The romance in this book is top notch but kind of dark, so prepare yourself as it’s not a very light-hearted book. I defitely shed some tears and I’m not one for crying! It’s a really great book, and Colleen Hoover books are always worth reading.
7. Shatter Me (series), Tahereh Mafi
Are we sensing a theme? I was heavily influenced by TikTok for a lot of 2021, but these books were hyped up for good reason! Shatter Me is one of them. I don’t think the first book was 5 stars for me, but overall the entire series was 5 stars. I think I read all 12 books in 3 weeks. So read them!! It starts off a bit slow, but I promise it’s worth it!
8. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
Unforgettable, heartbreaking, earth-shattering. Even those words don’t seem to sum up how much this book impacted me. I was literally staring at this book for what seemed like forever after I read it because I just couldn’t process what I read. It was absolutely one of the best books I have ever read. I would give this book 6 stars if I could because it was just that impactful.
9. Little Women, Lousia May Alcott
This book is a classic, but I read it for the first time in 2021. And let me just say, it’s absolutely wonderful. It’s so much more than a coming of age “girl’s” novel; it explores themes of life and death, with hints of romance and figuring out what is most important to a girl. If you haven’t read it yet, you definitely should!
If you’re wanting to incorporate more classics into your TBR (to be read) list, then follow my blog, Goodreads, and socials! I’ll be coming out with a comprehensive list of classics you should read at least once, and I read at least one book a week to share with my followers! It’s essentially a community book club, so come join!
Lastly:
10. The Selection, Kiera Cass
Okay, to be fair, I didn’t read this series for the first time this year. The first time I read it was at least 10 years ago, but considering that I think it’s SO good that I reread it at least once every year, I had to include it on this list. It’s a phenomenal series, with amazing romance and drama. The romantic trope is friends to lovers, and I LOVE IT. If I was stranded on an island and could only choose one book series to bring with me, it would have to be this one. Well this or Harry Potter 🙂 So if you haven’t read it, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read it.
Alrighty, that’s my list of my 5 star books from 2021. Hopefully you guys can add some of these to your TBR! Let me know what you think of these books, and if you have any different opinions let me know those too! And if you have any recs for me, don’t be shy and let me know!
Follow me on TikTok and Pinterest @sscorpiodiaries, and Instagram @scorpiodiaries, for more posts like these! I post about books, journaling prompts, lifestyle, and study hacks so if you relate to any of the above, let’s be friends!
Thanks for reading ❤
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