I used to be such an avid reader. But since working full time and then downloading all-consuming TikTok, it was safe to say I put reading on the back burner. But 2021 was the year I wanted to try to get back in the game and hit a reading goal.

Now for some people (especially those on “Book Tok”), 10 books is a good month’s worth of reading. For me, it was my yearly goal. I’m a slower, more casual reader so wanted to give myself a more realistic number to work towards. And I am happy to report that I met it!!  

This year really reignited my love for reading as a way to wind down and seek out story telling (instead of just relying on my streaming services). So here are my short, no-spoiler reviews for the great (and not so great) books that I read in 2021.  

Book cover of Ghosts by Dolly Alderton

Ghosts by Dolly Alderton

Nina Dean, in her early thirties, is desperately trying to hold onto her relationships that are feeling more like ghosts wisping through her life, from her father slowly vanishing into dementia, to her boyfriend who suddenly disappears without a trace. I really enjoyed the writing in this book and found there were so many quotable moments. However, I found the story slow and hard to push through at times. This book felt more like a stream of consciousness and wasn’t as riveting as I hoped.

3/5
Book cover of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Alina Starkov unleashes a dormant power within herself that can unite and save the once-great nation of Ravka. I got onto this book because of the Netflix series and got through it quickly. It follows a classic YA fantasy format which meant the plot could be predicable at times. The romance also wasn’t present as much as I was hoping, but I appreciate that they fixed this in the live action remake and made the male protagonist a lot more likeable. This was still an enjoyable read, I just don’t think I’ll be rushing to read the trilogy. 

3.5/5
Book cover of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

A crew of six unlikely comrades undertake an impossible heist that will make them richer than their wildest dreams – but are the risks worth the reward? This is a well-known book with rave reviews and now I know why – it was a fantastic read! It was a heist movie in a book and despite it being YA, I never knew what to expect and was constantly surprised – the characters were always two steps ahead of me. There was enough romance to keep me intrigued but the plot was good enough that it held its own. I was hooked and rushed to read the second instalment.

5/5
Book cover of Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Our favourite crew of crows return in this nail-biting finale, and boy, is it epic. This book had it all, romance, adventure, action, drama and so many twists and turns. I was entertained the whole way through reading this book and thought Bardugo did a fantastic job with character development – everything that happened felt natural and justified. I actually shed tears at the end of the book and that’s when I know the writing has been successful, because it’s made me truly care for these fictitious characters. I wish I could read it again for the first time.

5/5
Book cover of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

In 1714, young Addie LaRue makes a brash bargain in the hopes to escape her small life and live forever. But with this comes a curse – to be forgotten by everyone she meets…until a day three hundred years later when a man in a bookstore remembers her name. Interesting right? Well, after reading 5 star reviews, I found out I had a very unpopular opinion about this book – it was so boring! Extremely melodramatic writing and whilst I loved the concept and sympathised with Addie at times, I felt nothing for the other characters and didn’t buy into the romance. There is also a conversation surrounding this book regarding the lack of people of colour – watch this video for a bit on that discussion – very interesting points. 

3/5
Book cover of The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Olive and Ethan don’t get along. But as the rom-com gods allow, they somehow find themselves with an all-expenses paid honeymoon trip to Hawaii. How long can they pretend to be husband and wife before lines start to blur? This was a super cute romance that provided a much-needed escape whilst in lockdown. I loved the story when they were in Hawaii, but wasn’t as hooked in the third act when they returned home. I found the final conflict a bit anti-climactic, but overall enjoyed it as a light and carefree read.

4/5
Act Your Age, Eve Brown By Talia Hibbert ​

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

Hot mess Eve Brown, desperate to prove her parents wrong and finally become an “adult”, finds herself as the head chef at Jacob Wayne’s B&B. Their personalities clash, but they soon find out that they can’t get enough of each other. This was a fun romance filled with spicy moments, but I found it quite corny at the end, which took away some of my enjoyment. I found myself rolling my eyes throughout, especially in some of the sex scenes and how Eve would sometimes describe Jacob. Whilst it was enjoyable, I was keen to move on to my next read.

3/5
Book cover of People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry

People We Meet On Vacation (AKA: You and me on Vacation) by Emily Henry

Poppy and Alex and been inseparable friends for a decade, until two years ago, when they messed it up and ruined everything. Can they patch up their friendship, and potentially move it into something more? Similarly to “Act Your Age, Eve Brown”, I found this book a bit of a drag to read by the end. The third act conflict felt pointless, and I couldn’t relate to the characters at all. For friends of 12 years, as well as being adults, their communication skills were shocking. I agreed with all the comments made on the Shameless Book Club Podcast episodeI will say though, this book had a very well written sex scene, and is one of the few things I remember from the book.

3/5
Book cover of Beach Read by Emily Henry

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Can you still be a romance writer if you no longer believe in love? To escape her writing slump, January Andrews engages in a summer-long challenge with gritty thriller-novelist Augustus Everette to see who can write the better book. I really enjoyed the romance in this one, although my interest did wane by the end (seems to be a recurring theme for me). This book sat at 87% read on my kindle for a whole week which tells you that the end wasn’t as captivating. Despite this, I really enjoyed the characters and felt they were more real and authentic than Henry’s other book “People We Meet On Vacation”.

4/5
Book cover of Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

Josh and Hazel agree to set each other up on blind dates until they both find “the one”, but as attempt after attempt fails, could their ideal person be the one that’s been there the entire time? I’m just going to say it – I did not like this book. If I had to read about how “quirky” and “not-like-other-girls” Hazel was one more time, I was going to gouge my eyes out. I found the writing to be extremely fat phobic in parts – with lines such as “She had curves in all the right places” (like wtf), and I ended up highlighting all the lines I didn’t like, instead of the other way around. And the ending…felt super rushed and lame. Apologies for the hash review on this one – it just wasn’t the fun and flirty book I was hoping to read and was an anti-climactic end to my 2021.

1.5/5

Have you read any of these books, and if so, what were your ratings? I’m keen to get stuck into my 2022 reads, hopefully there’s more 5 stars in my horizon 

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