The Best Books I Read in 2021

A lot happened in 2021. Some of it was good. Most of it was not. For me, one of the best things that came out of this whirlwind of a year was that I rediscovered my love of reading. Until high school, I loved reading. I was the kid who’d go through three, sometimes four books a week and was always on the lookout for a new story to sink my teeth into. I’m convinced that the abundance of books I read in my youth fostered both my creativity and love of writing.

When I began to write seriously, however, I lost all interest in reading. This confused those around me—myself included—and in retrospect, I believe my sudden aversion towards reading stemmed from insecurity I had about my own writing and the unhealthy comparisons I’d make when I read books, especially those in my written genre. Regardless of what the underlying reason was, I didn’t read a single book outside of The Changing Ways Series and school-assigned texts for over five years.

Then, one day this past spring, I found myself bored out of my mind at work (I worked in the computer lab at my local library). On my way back from the bathroom, I impulsively grabbed a book off a display shelf—I believe it was The Vegetarian, although I’m not 100% certain—and, for the first time in too long, immersed myself in a work of literature. This must have awoken a dormant hunger inside me, because it wasn’t long before I read another book, and then another, and then another, and before I knew it, I was soaring through two to three books a week and had an ever-growing stack of TBRs on my desk. This is still the case as of today. It’s as if I’m now making up for all the time I lost!

I don’t know how many books I read in 2021. I wasn’t keeping track, though I’m committed to trying on Goodreads this year. But what I do know is that I read a lot, and most of them were quite good. A select few were even spectacular. I’ve put together the following list of the seven best books I read (in no particular order) so if you love reading, like I do, or are trying to get back into it, like I was, perhaps you’ll be inspired to give one of these titles a go.

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne

This coming-of-age drama tells the story of a gay man, born out of wedlock to a teenager, growing up in 20th-century Ireland. I went into it with zero expectations, but it wasn’t long until I was completely immersed in the story. The Heart’s Invisible Furies is heartwarming, heartbreaking, and, at times, laugh-out-loud hilarious and has stayed on my mind long after I turned the final page. If you’re in search of a touching human story about navigating adversity and embracing difference, then this one is for you!

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Beartown is my most recent read on this list and also one of my favorites. Set in a small Swedish town where hockey is everything and told from multiple perspectives, Beartown raises important questions about pressure, expectations, loyalty, and the cost of winning. You don’t have to like hockey—I don’t—to enjoy it because character development is where this book truly shines. The sequel Us Against You is equally outstanding, and the translated version of the final book in the trilogy is being released sometime in 2022 so, in anticipation of that, I’ll definitely be rereading the series in the not-too-distant future!

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

I read The Color Purple way back in March as a required text for a college course. It’s not an easy story by any means, but it’s an important one, and the themes explored, from race to gender to sexuality to family ties, are as relevant now as they were when the novel was published in 1982. If you have yet to check out this critically acclaimed book, I’d strongly encourage you to!

Animal Liberation by Peter Singer

The first non-fiction title on this list, Animal Liberation was groundbreaking when it came out in 1975 for exposing the abhorrent ways humankind uses and abuses animals, from factory farming to experimentation. It’s a raw and real look at speciesism (discrimination against those who don’t belong to a certain species) and at the very least will get readers to think differently about their treatment of animals. I was already vegan when I read Animal Liberation; however, had I not been, this would’ve been the book that persuaded me to make that crucial change and take a stand against all animal abuse and exploitation.

The Green Mile by Stephen King

I’ve read a lot of books by Stephen King this past year—and enjoyed all of them—but The Green Mile remains my favorite thus far for its compelling plot, masterful character development, and important themes. Set in the 1940s, The Green Mile tells the story of a death row prison guard’s encounter with an inmate unlike any other; a man who possesses fantastical healing powers and an extraordinary capacity for empathy that lead the guard to question whether he’s guilty of the grisly crime he was convicted of. It’s a gripping read that, if you’re anything like me, you’ll find hard to put down!

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

This was one of my earlier reads of the year and, wow, was it a rollercoaster ride! The plot (without spoiling the twist) is so out there that it shouldn’t work, and yet it does. The story largely centers around a dysfunctional family and the daughter’s rollercoaster quest to figure out what really happened to her missing sister. The writing was easy, engaging, and entertaining, and there were some excellent underlying animal rights messages that cinched my love for We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.

The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard

Did you know that there are over 300,000 items in the average American household? Or how about that our current demand for material possessions is so high that we’re running our supply—in this case, planet Earth—into the ground? Inspired by a short film by the same name, this second nonfiction title, and the last title to make my list of top reads, is a wake-up call to consumerist culture and how it’s quite literally destroying the world. It wasn’t a pleasant read by any means, but it was an important one, and that’s why I’m including it on this list.

So, there you have it. My top books of 2021. What was your favorite book you read this past year? I, for one, can’t wait to see what great reads are in store for 2022!