All 25 Books I Read in 2021: Reviews, Tier List, and Adjustments
Happy New Year! 2021 was a big year of reading for me. I have a history of reading over 15 books in the past but in 2020 I only read nine books. My goal for 2021 was to read 10 books, and I read 25! When you initially finish a book, you may think that it was great or awful, yet upon reflection, you may want to change your review. That is what I am here to do today! I will be readjusting some of the reviews for these books, giving my thoughts on each book, and doing an overall tier list at the end. I also tried to keep spoilers out of these reviews, enjoy!
1. Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair
Initial Rating: 2/5 Re-rating: 1.5/5
Starting off the year strong with a book that I read in less than 24 hours. One of my friends recommended this one, particularly because it is a Persephone and Hades retelling. I was warned that this book is bad, and it was hilarious to read and finish it because it was so unpleasant. The writing felt like fanfiction, the dynamic between Hades and Persephone was toxic, and there were times when I just looked up and stared at the wall thinking, "Why?".
I finished this book right when our power went out during the Texas Deep Freeze power grid failure in February. How ironic, am I right? This was a book my dad recommended to me because I want to become an engineer to pursue renewable energy and fight climate change. This book was written almost 11 years ago and a lot of the predictions the author makes ended up occurring. There are lots of good advice and points made here that I think is essential for anyone to read.
3. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Initial and final rating: 5/5
This was one of my favorite books of the year. I could not put it down and I ended up finishing the book by reading it with a flashlight during the Deep Freeze. To put it simply, this is a murder mystery at Yale with all sorts of dark magic and secret societies entwined in the story. I cannot and will not stop recommending this book because it was so well written and shocking. I would also say this is one of my favorite Leigh Bardugo books.
4. A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas
Initial rating: 5/5 Re-rating: 3.5/5
This book was incredible in the sense that it was 768 pages long yet the actual plot progression for the world was not much. I initially rated it 5/5 because I enjoyed it and thought the whole book was just not that serious, yet I am re-rating it to 3.5/5 because it was so long and questionable. It was alright and it shouldn't really be on the same level as ACOMAF, because that is definitely a 5/5. My closing remarks are: Nessian is one of my favorite couples but they have to work on communication, Azriel and Gywn are mates, and I didn't mind the pregnancy plotline.
5. American Royals II: Majesty by Katharine McGee
Initial and Final rating: 4/5
This book was so much fun because it was pure drama. The first book ended on a cliffhanger and this book just picked up right where it left off and shot off fireworks of entertaining plotlines that somehow ended up working in the end. I enjoyed this one a lot more than the first and I am interested to see how the third book will turn out.
6. Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Initial and Final rating: 5/5
TikTok inspired a lot of the books I read this year because I got to watch and be a part of a community that enjoys similar books to me. (Before it used to be BookTube) This book was one of the most hyped books at the beginning of 2021 so I decided to check it out. I got an iPad for Christmas 2020 for school, yet I also started reading more on my iPad via my library and it is one of the biggest reasons why I read so many books this year. This book was so funny, cute, and enjoyable that I finished it on a weekend. It is a love story between the US President's son and the Prince of England. I highly recommend it to anymore, readers and non-readers alike.
7. In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
Initial and final rating: 1/5
I found this book in a bookstore in Florida in March. I thought the cover and concept of the book were cute, plus it was less than 300 pages so I thought why not. NO! This was the worst book I read this year. I was so annoyed with the main character, her motives, and then the whole progression of the story. Why on earth would you have the protagonist's best friend die from ovarian cancer and then have her try to develop a relationship with her best friend's partner the whole time. I get genuinely angry when I see or think about this book. I don't care if I include spoilers here, it is not worth reading.
8. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Initial Rating: 3.5/5 Final Rating: 3/5
Another hyped-up book on Book TikTok that was compared to the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. This fantasy series was confusing, mostly due to the main protagonist being confused herself and it being told from the first point of view. It was good, I will say that, but while it was well written, it was poorly edited. That is more of an issue in the second book, but the first book had its moments too. I recommend it if you are a big fantasy reader, but it doesn't really live up to its hype.
9. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Initial and final rating: 3/5
The sequel to From Blood and Ash, and the book was 570 pages. It honestly could have been cut down to 400 or 450. The author does a good job of having exciting beginnings and endings, but the middle part is always so long and boring. This book wasn't exactly awful but the slow pacing caused me to not want to continue to the third book, which is 574 pages.
10. Circe by Madeline Miller
Initial and Final rating: 4/5
Madeline Miller has such an interesting writing style that I was so engulfed in the world when reading this book. I thought the book was so entertaining and interesting, but my only complaint is that there wasn't as much of an emotional aspect/side to the characters. I wished there was a little bit more when it came to some of the characters. Highly recommend though! The description of everything in this book is amazing and I am always a sucker for greek mythology.
11. Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
Initial Rating: 4.5/5 Final Rating: 3/5
One of my most anticipated releases of this year, yet it fell short. I had a high initial rating for this book, but I think that was only because the main couple I was rooting for got together. Upon reflection, this book was not as well written as its predecessor, King of Scars. There were many plot lines tied up loosely or not at all, and the cliffhanger deserves to be illegal. When I think about it now I just think, meh.
12. Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
Initial Rating: 3.5/5 Final Rating: 3/5
I listened to this audiobook when I was on the road driving to my university for my orientation. I thought that this book would give examples where humans do a poor job talking to strangers, and then add points on how to improve, yet it didn't. The audio clips and music allowed for the audiobook to be immersive and interesting, yet there are a lot of heavy topics presented here.
13. People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry
Initial and Final Rating: 5/5
This was the beginning in me reading lots of contemporary romances because I discovered that they help me out when I feel anxious. They normally all follow the same formula and are easy to read, and they are entertaining and fun. I will say some rise above the rest, and Emily Henry's books are those who rise above the rest. This book was so dang cute and had me laughing and wanting to travel. Such a mood lifter and gave me hope for falling in love.
14. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Initial and Final Rating: 5/5
This is one of my other favorite books of the year that I heard via TikTok. This book exceeds its hype and I genuinely enjoyed the writing style, story, and pacing. So much glamor, drama, and grief. It tugs at your heartstrings and I cried on my flight back to the US when I finished this book. I recommend this book to everyone and I want to read more of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books in 2022.
15. Beach Read by Emily Henry
Initial and Final Rating: 5/5
After reading People We Meet on Vacation, I got Emily Henry's other book and I enjoyed this one a bit more. This story was so unique and fun, I loved the romance and development of January as a character. This book made me sob at the end which I definitely was not expecting, but a large part of this book is based on the relationship January has with her dad and it made me reflect on my own with my dad (especially as I was getting ready to leave for college at this time). Highly recommend it, this is one of my favorites of the year. (And I love Gus too <3)
16. The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
Initial Rating: 4/5 Final Rating: 3/5
This book started off on a semi-good note and I was intrigued because it was a love story between 2 engineers (wow, you're telling me there is a chance as an engineer?!). Yet, the way that it progressed I was irked at certain parts. It ended on a weird note and I just don't think it is as immaculate as others describe it to be.
17. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Initial Rating: 4.5/5 Final Rating: 4/5
Ah yes, an enemies-to-lovers story. I thought this was written well and the progression of the couple was cute and funny. Was there a weird emphasis on the girl's height? Yes, which is why this was brought down a bit. This book was made into a movie starring Lucy Hale, and I've heard mixed things about it. I still wanna see it to see how it was adapted, but I honestly think that this book is probably left better in written form.
18. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Initial and Final Rating: 4.5/5
I love the movie Knives Out, and this definitely has the same vibe and aesthetic as it. I really enjoyed this mystery book and all the twists and turns it had. It is about a random teenage girl who inherits a huge inheritance from a Texas billionaire, and she doesn't know why and neither does the billionaire's family. Drama! Love triangles! Mysterious riddles! It's a fun rollercoaster to read.
19. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Initial and Final Rating: 5/5
This book was also really fun. I read several fake-dating books this year and this is one of the best I read this year. This book had me cackling, getting frustrated, smiling, and gushing over the couple. I loved how it was a science romance and the writing was cute and fun. I highly recommend it and I cannot wait to read Ali Hazelwood's future releases in 2022.
20. Educated by Tara Westover
Initial and Final rating: 5/5
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