As 2022 starts, it’s time to reflect on all the books I read in 2021. I’d consider 2021 another good year for reading. And judging by recent headlines it wasn’t just me that continued reading throughout the year, as book sales are up once again! Keep reading to see which books I read and which I enjoyed the most during 2021.
How Many Books Did I Read in 2021?
Whilst in 2020 I managed to read 71 books, at the beginning of 2021 I realised that was a very unique year. I was in my final semester at university studying English Literature and Philosophy (heavy reading subject), and COVID hit. These in combination led to LOTS of books, especially during the lockdown years. In January 2021 I knew I wouldn’t be able to replicate this level of reading whilst working, doing things with friends etc, so I set a lower goal of 40. I’m happy to say that in 2021 I beat my reading goal and managed to devour 45 books in total.
How Do I Read So Much?
45 books are still, in my opinion, quite a lot. There are many ways I’ve discovered over the past few years of how to read more, but the easiest one is audiobooks. I take full advantage of the online audiobooks my local library gives me access to and I suggest you do the same!
45 Books I Read in 2021
Without further ado, here are the 45 books I read in 2021. I like to read a mixture of fiction, non-fiction, YA, classics, mysteries, romance and so much more! The following books are in the chronological order of which I read them in.
- Holding Up the Universe – Jennifer Niven
- Love and Other Thought Experiments – Sophie Ward
- So Long and Thanks for All the Fish – Douglas Adam
- Bridgerton: The Duke and I – Julia Quinn
- Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** – Mark Manson
- Mostly Harmless – Douglas Adams
- Influence – Sara McCorquodale
- Circe – Madeline Miller
- Two Can Keep a Secret – Karen M McManus
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? – Philip K Dick
- Tweet Cute – Emma Lord
- If I Was Your Girl – Meredith Russo
- Brit(ish) – Afua Hirsch
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Shaffer
- Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – Gail Honeyman
- Wakenhyrst – Michelle Paver
- Big Little Lies – Liane Moriarty
- Dark Reunion – LJ Smith
- You Love Me – Caroline Kepnes
- It Should Have Been Me – Susan Wilkins
- Working Hard Hardly Working – Grace Beverley
- Malibu Rising – Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus – John Gray
- A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess
- Then She Was Gone – Lisa Jewel
- The Sun is Also a Star – Nicola Yoon
- A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – Holly Jackson
- An Unwanted Guest – Shari Lapena
- The New Girl – Ingrid Alexandra
- Blood Orange – Harriet Tyce
- To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
- Beautiful World, Where are You – Sally Rooney
- Dracula – Bram Stoker
- The Therapist – BA Paris
- The Thursday Murder Club – Richard Osman
- Noughts and Crosses – Malorie Blackman
- Reputation – Lex Croucher
- The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis
- The Magician’s Nephew – CS Lewis
- The Horse and His Boy – CS Lewis
- Prince Caspian – CS Lewis
- The Cut – Chris Brookmyre
- Codename Villanelle – Luke Jennings
- Watching You – Lisa Jewel
My Top 5 Reads of 2021
All books are special, but not all books are created equal. Whilst I enjoyed reading and learning from every single one of the above books I read in 2021, there were some that stuck out in my mind more than others.
Circe
Circe by Madeline Miller was the first really WOW book I read of 2021. I’d been longing to read this Instagram famous novel for a while when a kind friend gifted it to me for my birthday. I don’t normally read mythology books but I absolutely adored the story of Circe. Miller really brought her characters to life and I was hooked from the moment I started this wonderful novel!
The Thursday Murder Club
Another novel that has been so hyped across social media and the book world, and after reading I can see why. I loved the premise of this novel – a group of people who live in a retirement home take on solving cold cases! A book like this is right up my street and I loved the way the story came together – it was a really unique take on the mystery genre. I’m yet to read the sequel but it’s definitely on my list for this year!
Malibu Rising
Ever since I picked up The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo as a read in 2020 I’ve adored Taylor Jenkins Reid’s works. I had Malibu Rising on pre-order and couldn’t wait to get started reading the moment it arrived! This was probably one of my quickest reads of the year and I especially adored the mention of LMU in the novel as this is where I spent my semester studying abroad!
If you’re interested in studying abroad, please read my Reasons to Study Abroad post, as well as How to Choose Where to Study Abroad.
You Love Me
Since Netflix released the first season of You I’ve been hooked on the franchise. After the first season, I read the first two books, which I found so engaging due to the unique perspective we get as the reader. This is another book I had on pre-order during 2021 and I wasn’t disappointed! The third novel really splits off from the TV show which was nice to be able to watch them as two separate entities not knowing what’s to come.
Reputation
Reputation is the debut novel of Lex Croucher. I’ve followed Lex on YouTube for years and have always enjoyed their content. So again, this was a pre-order during 2021 that I was just as excited to get my hands on when it arrived. Lex did not disappoint with their first novel. Reputation is set in the Regency era and is perfect for anyone looking for a character-driven read.
What Are My Reading Plans for 2022?
For 2022 I have set myself the same target of reading 40 books. So far, as of January, I’m making good progress – turning to my trusty audiobooks to help me on my way. I’m planning on setting myself 22 books to read in 2022, so make sure you keep an eye out for when that goes live!
About Katie May
I am a digital marketer who likes to blog about beauty, travel, books, and university in my spare time. Explore my site to find articles on how to make friends at university, the differences between UK and US universities, and things to do in LA.
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