Ranking All The Books I Read In 2021

Hey guys! Today I will be ranking all the books I read in 2021. I read 36 books this year, which is under my goal of 50 but still pretty impressive. I slowed down in the second half of the year, which is expected since I started working again. Today I will just be ranking the books, but I will be including links to all the book reviews, except the three I finished that I haven’t written yet. Those reviews will be posted in January and I will update this post once the reviews as up. One more thing before I get into the post – I personally rate the series together. So while I read 36 books, this post will have 23 spots. I believe that series should be read and rated together so that’s how this post will work. Let’s get into it!

Books I Did Not Finish

23. I have two books I did not finish. The worst book I read this year is Thirteen Day to Midnight by Patrick Carman. If you like this book I’m happy for you but there was personally nothing about this book that I enjoyed.

22. The second book I did not finish was Angelology by Danielle Trussoni. The writing was quite beautiful but the story was meandering and not going anywhere. This is also the first book in an unfinished series and I didn’t want to get involved with an unfinished series.

Two Star Books

21. My only two-star book is You by Charles Benoit. I almost hate this book more than the two I didn’t finish because I feel like I wasted my time reading the book. I gave it two stars because there was potential but it just wasn’t executed well. I don’t recommend this book to anyone.

Three Star Books

20. I get that Wuthering Heights is a classic but does anyone actually like it? I gave the book three stars because they were some good sections and it was very poetic, but I had to use Sparknotes to understand what was going on.

19. I was very underwhelmed by Emotions Revealed by Paul Ekman. I thought this book would focus on recognizing faces and improving communication when in reality t was more about the psychology of emotions. I also knew a lot of what was in this book already. Not a bad book just not what I wanted.

18. Another underwhelming book is The Wives by Tarryn Fisher. Based on the description I thought this book was going to be very different. The first half of the book was boring and then the second half of the book was confusing. While there were some good parts, there were also some sections I didn’t enjoy. Not the best thriller.

17. I think I would have liked Debutants by Cora Harrison if I was younger. It gives me middle-grade Downton Abbey vibes. I also guessed the mystery super quickly. Perfect for younger readers who are getting into historical fiction.

Three-and-a-half Star Books

16. I had high expectations before reading The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. I had heard good reviews and I was a little underwhelmed. I think the story is great but the writing style meant that I wasn’t very emotionally connected to the characters. If you love World War II then I would recommend checking it out, but otherwise I would pass.

Four Star Books

15. I kind of forget I read The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout this year, which is why I put it so low on the list. It took me a while to remember what was going on and then was thrown all this new information right at the beginning of the novel. I think the second half of the book was way better. Overall I didn’t love the book but I see how it’s important in the overarching series.

14. The next book is The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. This was a fun book to read. The writing flows well, I read this book in five days! Liv was able to make me root for Amber, even though she was the antagonist. I would say this is more of a drama than a thriller, but would still recommend it to all my thriller fans.

13. I’ve read a lot of World War II novels, but I think Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein manages to be a wonderful, unique edition to the genre. The beginning was confusing but it’s meant to be. It was interesting trying to piece out what was happening and I was shocked by the ending. If you’re interested in spies, check out this book.

12. I’ve read a few thrillers/dramas/mysteries this year and funnily enough a YA one was my favourite. Shine by Lauran Myracle was a well-written mystery, it took me quite a while to piece out the criminal. I also think that Myracle did a good job of painting what it’s like to live in rural North Carolina. It’s a bit of a darker book but it was well done.

11. Sarah Dessen novels will always have a soft spot in my heart, and This Lullaby is no exception. While I like the main character Remy, I will say that the love interest Dexter wasn’t my favourite. The couple got together rather quickly and was on-and-off in the book, just something to note. I love that while this book is almost 20 years old I can still relate to the characters. If you like YA contemporary romance you need to check this one out.

10. Moving into the top ten, we have The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This book was super hyped online and I will say it’s pretty good. I think Evelyn, the main character, is quite complex which is interesting to love. I wasn’t a huge fan of the main love interest but I can appreciate their love story. I think the lessons in this novel are quite important and would recommend the book.

9. I’m putting the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas at number nine. I liked some of the books in the series but didn’t enjoy other books in the series. I liked the series and enjoyed reading it but I can’t deny that I liked SJM’s Throne of Glass series so much more.

8. It’s been almost a year since I’ve read the Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo. Even though I’m putting the series at eight, it holds a special place in my heart because of the spin-off duologies. There are some great parts to the book and some more slow parts in the book. I think overall the magical world that Leigh created is just amazing and would recommend it to others.

7. Another series that has a special place in my heart is The Outlands Pentalogy by Rebecca Crunden. Rebecca was kind enough to send me the first book but I purchased the rest of the book myself. I think for a self-published series that this was magnificent. This was a refreshing take on the dystopia genre that I believe deserves more recognition.

Four-and-a-half Stars Books

6. The next book is King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo. I know that the sequel is out but I can’t read it yet because I’m waiting for it to come out in paperback. So my review might change but so far I loved it. There is something so comforting about returning to a cast of characters you already know. I also think Leigh took the world to the next level and loved the book!

Five Star Books

5. Breaking into the top five is Beauty Queens by Libby Bray. I know this book would not be everyone’s cup of tea but I absolutely loved it. This book was super funny and campy, it is a satire so it makes sense. It pokes fun at a lot of late 2000s pop culture which is when I was growing up so it was fun to read. This book is ridiculous but it’s my kind of ridiculous.

4. I am sorry to everyone who can’t stand this series, but I did enjoy Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon. The book requires the suspension of belief a bit. But the romance is just so good! I think this series introduced a lot of people to smutty romances and while I didn’t necessarily fully jump on board I want to read more romances in the future.

3. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab took my heart and shattered it into a million pieces. I do recommend this book because I think it’s beautiful and has so many great lessons in it. But maybe take a day off after you finish it because I wasn’t emotionally stable a couple of days after finishing this book.

2. I, like the majority of people online, absolutely fell in love with the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo. Leigh was able to add a whole new layer to the world she created in Shadow and Bone but managed to create six wonderfully amazing and complex characters. This book series made me laugh and cry and think at the same time. If you haven’t read this series already I highly recommend that you do. The only thing that is keeping it from being number one is that is a companion series and I think it’s necessary to read Shadow and Bone first which makes it a little less accessible.

1. And my number one book this year is The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. This is a hug and a warm cup of tea in book form. There is just something so magical reading about a book of women who love reading books as a woman who loves reading books. Is the book a little predictable? Yes but I still loved it nonetheless. I think all bookworms, especially those who love historical fiction, need to read this novel.

And those are all the books I read this year! If you want to hear more about my rankings, check out the video I will be posting on Sunday where I will be going more in-depth in my top 10 books this year. Let me know in the comments what were your favourite books that you read this year!

xoxo

Lea