The Top 15 of 2021

This week we take a look at my favourite books read in 2021

In 2021 I read 81 books, so getting it down to a list of 15 is pretty good if I do say so myself. What you will notice about these books is that most of them are by women. Most of them are about women. A lot of them are about strong woman who have to overcome some pretty shitty stuff.

Let’s crack into it!

Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz (NZ author!) I have written about this one before and it is my absolute favourite book of 2021, and is Bublitz’ debut novel. This book has The Lovely Bones vibes and coincidentally the Lovely Bones was the inspiration for this book. Everyone I’ve recommended this to has loved it. I highly recommend you read this if you haven’t already. I am very much looking forward to reading her next book. Fingers crossed it isn’t too far away.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwab. This book falls into the “fantasy fiction” genre, which is usually not my type of genre. As a recovering lawyer, my mind needs a book that exists within the parameters of what could reasonably happen. Addie LaRue is the exception to the rule. I LOVED this book. It is about a young French woman who makes a deal with the devil to become immortal – the catch is that she is instantly forgotten by everyone she meets. The book goes between present day New York and flashbacks of all of the past settings Addie LaRue has found herself in. It begins in the 1700s and dips in and out of some significant moments in history. I don’t want to give too much away but I hope that is enough to entice you. Keep in mind that the start of this book is a bit random, and it took me a little while to settle into it – I think because of the fantasy type elements with the devil. I persevered and it didn’t take long to hook me in. So stick with this one if you find that happening. I promise you.. it gets good!

Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez. This is non-fiction – for those data nerds among us. This book delves into the biases within research that have impacted on women. Things like crash test dummies being men until 2022 – meaning that women are more likely to die in a car accident. It is such mind blowing stuff. I recommend anyone that loves data, loves non fiction, or who works in town planning, reads this book!  

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare. This is a debut novel of Nigerian writer Abi Dare. It tells the story of a teenager called Adunni who is sold into slavery. Understandably, she struggles with many aspects of her life – limited education, poverty and her inability to speak up for herself. The style of this book is really beautiful and poetic as Adunni has access to books, and starts learning more complex words. The story is so painful at times, and the writing is simply beautiful.

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah. I have written about this before here.

Girl Woman Other by Bernardine Evaristo. The co-winner of the Booker Prize in 2019. This tells the intergenerational stories of twelve Black British women, which often overlap. This book has won loads of awards, but isn’t one of those really hard to read literary fiction books. This also made it into the Whitcoulls top 100 in New Zealand which I think is a really good nod to readability.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley. This was one of Reese’s book club books, and is a more fast paced, lighter read. This is a whodunnit type thriller which makes for easy reading. A good one for fans of mystery and suspense.

Auē by Becky Manawatu. I have written about this one before. Check that out here.

Know My Name by Chanel Miller. This is non-fiction, a memoir. It is the story about the woman who was sexually assaulted by that guy (won’t name him) who was some big wig champion college swimmer in the US (this was all over the media at the time). This is Chanel’s side of the story. Bloody hard hitting. This book will make you fuming mad at the issues within our system for survivors of sexual abuse. It is very beautifully written, and will stick with you for years to come. If you can deal with the hurting in your heart, and the anger, this is well worth a read.

Atomic Habits by James Clear. This is a self-improvement book which has received a lot of attention. If you like the self improvement genre, this is a good one. It is a really simple concept, and the book is small and easy to read. I read this when I was training for a half marathon and it really helped me to shift my mind set and focus on small easy wins.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. This is a debut novel following the life of Victoria Jones who spends her childhood in numerous foster homes. Victoria becomes a florist and uses the flowers to communicate – each flower stands for something different. This is another book that goes from the past to the present, and back again to develop the character. This is such a well written book – it is beautifully done. I feel like I have done a terrible job of explaining it!

Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow. This is non fiction and is about Harvey Weinstein. It is also about the journalists (Farrow) who were investigating the case and trying to get it into the media. This is another book that will make you mad about “the system” and is an infuriating insight into power dynamics within the media (and beyond). This book is really well written. If you enjoy non-fiction – this one is good! You won’t be able to put it down.

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney (people who liked Normal People may not like this one, but I did!). I have really enjoyed all of Sally Rooney’s books, although this one doesn’t seem to be widely well liked. If you haven’t read Normal People, do that and then move on to this one.

Betty by Tiffany McDaniel. This book is so great! I don’t see this recommended by others very often but maybe I just missed the hype around this. I read it because it was on my book club list – I hadn’t heard of it. It has won multiple awards. This book fictionalises the story of the author’s mother. It is based on interviews with her mother, her grandmother and other family members but it is fiction. It is set in the 1960s in a fictional town in the Appalachian Mountains in Ohio. The story begins with Betty’s parents meeting and tells the story of Betty’s life. Betty is a working class girl (her mother is white, her father is Cherokee), living in a conservative white town. This book does discuss sexual violence and the impact that has had on Betty and her family. This story is so well written albeit very heart breaking. The author first wrote this book when she was 18 years old – pretty mind blowing once you find that part out.

Where’d you Go Bernadette by Maria Semple. It makes me smile to think about this book. It has since been turned into a film, which I have not seen (of course). This is a comedy novel – it is about an agoraphobic architect and mother called Bernadette, who goes missing prior to a family trip to Antarctica. The book is told from the perspective of her daughter Bee, and is told in a series of documents – emails, memos, transcripts etc as Bee tries to piece together her mother’s past, who her mother really is, and where she might be. This book is so funny, clever, with beautiful and quirky characters. Add this one to your list, because life is too short to read bad books!