Jessica’s Top 10 of 2021
Well guys, it is December 31st and WE MADE IT! We have just hours until 2021 is over!!! Let’s hope 2022 will be much better than the last two years… Today we are ending the year with Jessica’s Top 10 of 2021. And four of my top 10 were Diverseathon reads (though more of my top 10 would match those prompts)! Needless to say that Diverseathon was successful for me! Looking at this list, it is definitely a mix of genres that I read in 2021!
**I even had a book make an honorable mention as it deserves a place all by itself!
10. A Breath Too Late by Rocky Callen
This one was a read for Diverseathon and a birthday gift from my friend Yami. This is another novel that greatly affected me and it is one that everyone should read when they are losing hope. My review is here.
9. That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger
This is one that I did a double review with Kim. Taking place three years after a school shooting, what actually happened? This powerful YA novel is written via letters from the survivors. My review is here.
8. Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
Whoa, whoa whoa! This is my favorite by Sager and solidified him as a ‘must read’ author for me! This novel went in a direction that I would have never guessed! You can’t say too much without giving things away, but it does leave you thinking! My review is here.
7. Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
This one was another read for Diverseathon and I never would have thought that it would affect me like it did. I love the characters and need more of Aven’s story! My review is here.
6. The Hiding Girl by Dorian Box
Box is a ‘new to me’ author this year with his Emily Calby series. The third novel was just released this month, so I need to read it! This one was unintentionally a Diverseathon read as it fit the monthly prompt when I was reading it. This one won’t be for everyone with it’s violent content, but you grow to love these characters in so many ways! This one means a lot to me! My review is here.
5. The Chain by Adrian McKinty
This is another novel that will leave you thinking! If you are a parent then it is every parent’s worst nightmare. If you enjoy thrillers at all pick this one up and read it NOW!!! My review is here.
4. In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
Full so so much emotion and it ends up going in a direction you don’t think it will. It will make you want to pick up your phone and give a certain someone a call. Tears may ensue with reading this novel! My review is here.
3. Ground Zero by Alan Gratz
With this year being the 20th anniversary of 9/11, this was a book I had to read. It still evoked those emotions from that day and through the character of Brandon the reader actually experiences that day from before the towers were hit to the falling of the towers. This is one that everyone must read. My review is here.
2. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
For a while I thought this one was going to be my top read, but it got beat out because my number one actually made me cry, but Addie came very close to doing that. Just read this one, it is one you will not forget! It made both Kim and I’s top 10 list for this year and we actually did a double review. Our double review is here.
And my Top Read for 2021 is…………
100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons
100 Days is a novel I had been meaning to pick up and it fit a prompt for Diverseathon, so I knew 2021 would be the year I read it. I had no idea how much I would grow to love it and Tessa and Weston, and it made me cry!! Then in November, Emmons surprised us with the sequel!!! This is a sweet YA romance that had me face so many emotions! And I love the cover!! My review is here.
***This year I have to give an honorable mention to a middle grades novel that is a banned book. I actually found out about it during banned books week and had to read it for myself. That novel is George now being published as Melissa by Alex Gino. This is a novel of differences, acceptance, and coming together. This is a novel that shows how being different can make one person feel among other ‘normal’ people. My review is here.
Have you read any of these books? If so what did you think? Have you added any of these to your TBR? Let us know!