The Best Books of 2021

 At least, the best in my opinion, lol. I don't know about you, but I had a pretty fantastic reading year in 2021. I ended up reading 105 books, and my average rating was 4.4 of 5, so I'm very happy with those results. And shockingly, the choosing of the ten best wasn't too difficult? It was really just the ten that made me the happiest, that stuck with me the longest, the ones I already want to read again.

Let's just jump right on into the list, shall we?

10) Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis

Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair rage, ruin and decay. But look for Christ, and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.

Lewis is my favorite author, not just from writing my favorite series (that's Narnia if you don't know), and I've had several of his non-fiction works sitting on my shelves for a few years. I really wanted to get through some of them in 2021, and I absolutely loved starting here! It's not perfect, but it was a great way to see re-examine the bare bones of what we believe. 

9) Promise Me Aloha - Taylor Bennett

"Face it, Brander Delacroix. You're stuck with me."

"For life?"

"For life."

I've adored Taylor Bennett's "Tradewinds" series for years now, and seeing it come to a close was super bittersweet! I laughed, I cried, I had a wonderful time, and I'm definitely going to be reading the series again someday!

8) We The Wild Things - Brian McBride

Perhaps in relegating things to atoms and molecules, we lose sight of the heart of the thing itself. Maybe things are just wonderful, and that's all they ever have to be.

A story of friendship, grief, forgiveness, and healing, this book broke me in the best way. I will say that the tears I shed were happy ones at seeing where the characters ended up, which is always good.

7) More Than Words Can Say - Karen Witemeyer

Choosing a husband was much like choosing a good baguette.

When a book has a first line like that, you know you're in for a good time, lol! While I really enjoyed "More Than Meets the Eye", it was the second Patchwork Family book that really stole my heart this year. It's no secret that I'm a sucker for a marriage of convenience trope, but add to it humor, heart, and baked goods, and it's a winner in my book.

6) The Lost Girl of Astor Street - Stephanie Morrill 

"To love anyone is to risk."

I was very much in a murder mystery mood this year (I have Agatha Christie to thank for that), and since this one had been on my physical TBR for a long time, I decided to give it a go. The vibes are immaculate, the characters are excellent, and I really enjoyed the mystery! I'd absolutely watch a movie adaptation of it, and yes I am still wondering where one might get a Detective Mariano Cassano in real life... asking for a friend. ;)

5) Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie

"It often seems to me that's all detective work is, wiping out your false starts and beginning again."

Speaking of Agatha Christie... I ended up reading 16 of her novels this year (which is like... a crazy number, I did not realize it was that many, haha!) While there were others that I enjoyed more overall, the mystery of this one was so well written that it has to claim my number 5 spot. I also listened to the audiobook narrated by Kenneth Branagh, who, as always, did an incredible job.

4) The Dragon Keep Chronicles - C.M. Banschbach

"That's the glorious thing about hope. There's always plenty to spare."

This duology was just... everything. It's a story of redemption, brotherhood, loyalty, and adventure, and I loved every second of it. The second book picks up right where the first leaves off, making them super binge-worthy, and so, so good.

3) The Law of Finders Keepers - Sheila Turnage

Dale studied my face. "Take your time, Mo," he said. 

"Sometimes you got to wait for your heart to catch its breath before you know which way to go."

Dale reads me like footprints across snow.

Mo, Dale, and Harm mean the absolute world to me, and I don't expect that will change any time soon. I'm definitely looking forward to reading this series again and again, and probably finding something new to love every time. If you're a middle-grade fan at all, I can't recommend these enough!

2) A Midnight Dance - Joanna Davidson Politano

"All I had to do was be still, cease striving, and know.

Know, as I knew breathing and gravity and Mama's love."

An absolutely enchanting, deeply moving, haunting story of how God has His plan for us in place before we can see it, I fell madly in love with this book. Honestly, I still haven't stopped thinking about it. If you love dance, mysteries, and melancholy stories that move your spirit, this is definitely one I recommend.

1) Dearest Josephine - Caroline George

"Poets use countless words to describe the pain,

but I only need three: I miss you."

The quote is relatable because tbh, I miss this book, haha! I don't know why or how or what it was that Caroline George put into this book to make it so addicting, but once I started I could not stop until I knew how it ended. A lot of the themes and messages rang true for me, the writing style is everything, the characters were so good. Is it for everyone? No. But it was perfect for me, and for that, it takes my top spot this year.

And there's the list! Have you read any of these? What were your top reads of 2021? Let me know! 

~ Abby