My 2021 Reads Ranked

I had big plans for rating and ranking every book that I read in 2021, however I fell behind in recording the books I did read, and overall fell quite a bit short of my yearly reading goal. Suffice it to say, 2021 was not one of my best reading years. Not only did I not meet my goal of 36 books read, but I also was mildly unimpressed with most of the books that I did read. While trying to list out the books that I read and rank them from least favorite to favorite, I struggled to pinpoint the one that really wowed me. But, ultimately, I was able to rank them, so here goes. As l did last year, I have added some insight as to what I liked most about my top ten books of 2021.

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(10) Although the story itself was kind of dark for me, Gideon the Ninth made it to my top ten because it is simply a well-crafted book and the author is very talented. 
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(9) Graphic novel memoirs are becoming my favorite things to read. Maus and Persepolis were my gateway and The Best We Could Do follows in their footsteps. It was eye-opening and educational all at the same time. A must-read for Americans who could use an accessible, and more personal history lesson about the Vietnam War and its victims. 

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(8) After watching the movie Harriet, I was reminded of a book I read many years ago as a kid. I looked that book up and decided to reread Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad as an adult. It is a timeless book that brings one of our nation's greatest heroes to light.

(7) Sabriel brought me out of my summer reading slump. It was a quick read, and the perfect fast-paced fantasy novel that I needed. I love the magical system introduced in this first book of the series.

(6) Convenience Store Woman was an absolute treat to read. It was heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Explaining why I love it might give some things away, so I'll leave it at that. 

(5) What a fun, action-packed graphic novel Nimona is. I am so happy I discovered it in book form because I don't know if I could have waited for the web comics to be released. I could see myself giving this a reread every year.

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(4) Elatsoe is an exciting and positive young adult fantasy novel. It's not very often that you get to read a book about an indigenous, asexual  teenager who can see ghosts and raise spirit animals back from the dead.

(3) While Jean M. Auel unnecessarily breaks the fourth wall in her book The Clan of the Cave Bear, the rich descriptions of our paleolithic past were captivating and pulled this book to the top three of my list. While not a perfect book, it sucked me in and didn't let me go until the last page.

(2) George (now published as Melissa) was our city's community read, and it was wonderful to see a book about trans youth be promoted and discussed with children and adults alike. This is the type of book that I am so happy to see available to kids of today.

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​(1) This is a heavy, but important read in understanding intergenerational trauma. This is especially critical for settlers to understand what our predecessors did and what we, as descendants, can do to help. First comes the willingness to hear testimony and believe that intergenerational trauma is real. A Mind Spread Out on the Ground is a collection of raw, personal essays about Elliott's life and her battle with depression, poverty, and racism. This is not an easy read, but it is an important one for anyone who thinks that the past does not continue to shape the present and future of Indigenous peoples in North America.

So, there you have it. My 2021 reads, ranked. As I reflected back on each of them and thought about what I liked and didn't like, I do have to give a cover shout out to The Gilded Ones. The cover is absolutely stunning and in real life the gold foil just makes it shine. Although the story itself was not as amazing as I'd hoped, I will still read the second one. The cover to the sequel is just as breathtaking. 

I was disappointed in myself for not reaching my reading goal, so I am pushing myself harder in 2022. Also, as I was a little underwhelmed with the books I read in 2021, I am allowing myself to focus more on books that truly excite me. I have turned to fantasy and science fiction in the first few months of 2022, and it has been thrilling to say the least. I am hoping that this coming year will be my best year yet of reading as an adult.