Five-Star Reads of 2021

Now that 2021 is officially over, it seems like a good time to shout about all my new loves I discovered in the past year. Because what’s a year without losing your heart, having it shatter into a million pieces, and decimating your enemies? Not necessarily in that order. Figuratively, of course. *cough*

I read a lot of books last year. Way more than I thought I would be able to. So I’m not going to even pretend that this list is going to be only ten books long. Yes, I know this is technically top ten Tuesday, but that’s sort of like . . . a guideline, right? RIGHT?! Of course.

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is technically most anticipated books releasing in the first half of 2022, but I sort of did that post already when I did my Winter 2021 Possibility Pile. So this week, instead, I’m going to REBEL! (Surprise, surprise. I’m up to my old tricks again.) I missed the best books I read in 2021 TTT, so I thought this would be a good time to tackle it!

I definitely had way more five-star reads than what are on this list, but I did pare it down some. And I know what you’re thinking, and I have to ask that you stop judging me. Yes, this is pared down, okay? It’s not my fault I’m a bit extra. But the more books, the better, I always say! So let’s get to these gems!

Middle Grade Reads

Pighearted

Jeremiah’s heart skips a beat before his first soccer game, but it’s not nerves. It’s the first sign of a heart attack. He knows he needs to go to the hospital, but he’s determined to score a goal. Charging after the ball, he refuses to stop…even if his heart does.

J6 is a pig and the only one of his five brothers who survived the research lab. Though he’s never left his cell, he thinks of himself as a therapy pig, a scholar, and a bodyguard. But when the lab sends him to live with Jeremiah’s family, there’s one new title he’s desperate to have: brother.

At first, Jeremiah thinks his parents took in J6 to cheer him up. But before long, he begins to suspect there’s more to his new curly-tailed companion than meets the eye. When the truth is revealed, Jeremiah and J6 must protect each other at all costs—even if their lives depend on it.

I don’t read a ton of contemporary books, especially not feel-good middle grade contemporary. So color me surprised when I picked this up and absolutely loved it! The blurb was so charming that I just had to give it a chance, and I’m glad I did, despite my initial assumptions. J6 is an utterly adorable pig with a personality much bigger than he is . . . and a heart that’s even bigger! Figuratively. I loved reading from his point of view. Jeremiah is an equally relatable character, who feels like an outsider and a burden as his chronic illness constantly restricts what he can do. He also has a penchant for getting in trouble, so there’s that. I’d definitely recommend this one for fans of Charlotte’s Web!

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The Girl Who Drank the Moon

Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind and gentle. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster named Glerk and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, Fyrian. Xan rescues the abandoned children and deliver them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey.

One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this enmagicked girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. To keep young Luna safe from her own unwieldy power, Xan locks her magic deep inside her. When Luna approaches her thirteenth birthday, her magic begins to emerge on schedule–but Xan is far away. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Soon, it is up to Luna to protect those who have protected her–even if it means the end of the loving, safe world she’s always known.

This book was required reading for my Children’s Lit course this semester, which I was very excited for. I actually purchased the ebook when it came out and just never got around to reading it. Seemed like the perfect time to do so. You know, especially since my grade counted on it. I wasn’t prepared to love it nearly as much as I did. The writing is magical and charming, like a fairy tale sweeping the reader into a world filled with magic and danger. Fyrian is a real cutie, and I absolutely want one. Even Glerk has his charms. I fell in love with not only this world but this cast, and this book has just stuck with me since I read it!

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Home of the Brave

Kek comes from Africa. In America he sees snow for the first time, and feels its sting. He’s never walked on ice, and he falls. He wonders if the people in this new place will be like the winter – cold and unkind.

In Africa, Kek lived with his mother, father, and brother. But only he and his mother have survived, and now she’s missing. Kek is on his own. Slowly, he makes friends: a girl who is in foster care; an old woman who owns a rundown farm, and a cow whose name means “family” in Kek’s native language. As Kek awaits word of his mother’s fate, he weathers the tough Minnesota winter by finding warmth in his new friendships, strength in his memories, and belief in his new country.

Bestselling author Katherine Applegate presents a beautifully wrought novel about an immigrant’s journey from hardship to hope.

This was another book I read for my Children’s Lit class, since we had to read a novel in verse. I had actually never heard of this one before! I’ve been a big fan of Katherine Applegate since I was a teenager, so I was kind of surprised that this one floated under my radar. How, I’m not entirely sure. I absolutely loved it, though. The story was absolutely awash with emotions, despite being in verse. There were so many lines I highlighted because they were so poignant that I just had to re-read them, and they still stuck with me. This is one of those books where I don’t think it would’ve worked as well in prose, but the verse really brought the best out of the story and the characters. It was such a moving read!

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Halfway to Harmony

Walter Tipple is looking for adventure. He keeps having a dream that his big brother, Tank, appears before him and says, “Let’s you and me go see my world, little man.” But Tank went to the army and never came home, and Walter doesn’t know how to see the world without him.

Then he meets Posey, the brash new girl from next door, and an eccentric man named Banjo, who’s off on a bodacious adventure of his own. What follows is a summer of taking chances, becoming braver, and making friends–and maybe Walter can learn who he wants to be without the brother he always wanted to be like.

I know what you’re thinking. I just said that I don’t really do contemporary feel-good reads, right?! Yet there are two on this list back to back. Honestly, I’m just as surprised as you are. I had actually never read any Barbara O’Connor books before, and everyone said I should. So when this popped up, I figured, heck, why not see what everyone’s raving about? Y’all, this book was just right to the feels. I laughed and cried and ended up with a strange, warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest. It was probably nothing, but I then read a bloody, stab fest after this, just in case. Halfway to Harmony is such a lovely story about love and loss and found family and the way that even simple, everyday things can be magical and important if you make them.

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Attack of the Killer Kimodos

Having rescued her town from zombifying mutant mushrooms, eleven-year-old Magnolia Stone is ready for her next adventure! Maggie and her best friend, Nate, head to Yellowstone National Park to visit Maggie’s park ranger dad. But when the kids bump into a rogue Komodo dragon, a dangerous predator that shouldn’t even be in the park, and a major earthquake separates them from Maggie’s dad, Maggie and Nate must set off alone to find him. On the way, they battle more earthquakes, landslides, wolves, and other unusual creatures. While Maggie comes up with scientific solutions to their troubles, Nate focuses on conspiracy theories and getting stellar footage for his YouTube channel. But only by combining their skills, will they have any hope of saving each other or the park.

I snuck this book in last minute at the end of the year, and I haven’t even had a chance to write a review for it yet, that’s how last minute it was. I enjoyed the first book The Mutant Mushroom Takeover, so I went in expecting to have a similar experience. You know what, though? I liked this book even more. I’m not sure why, but I suspect it was a combination of things.

First, it takes place in Yellowstone, which is somewhere I not only want to visit but a place I’m endlessly fascinated about. Not just because it could totally wipe out this continent if it woke up in a bad mood . . . but also that, too. Second, it’s still wonderfully STEM-y and sciency, but in a way that’s out in nature this time, which I enjoy so much more. I mean, the first book was to an extent, but this book had a sort of wilderness feel that I could really get into. Then there’s the creatures. I won’t say more about that other than you should read it and find out, but they were incredibly fun and surprising. I loved this squad of characters right off the bat in the first book, especially Nate, and it was nice to get the chance to go on another adventure with them.

Young Adult Reads

The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne

Scarlett McCain is an outlaw, a bank robber and a sharp shooter–a girl of formidable skills. Fueled by a tragic injustice in her past, she travels the broken kingdoms of England alone, carrying out daring heists in the surviving towns and fending off monstrous beasts in the wilds outside their fortified walls. Her life is dangerous, free, and simple–until she finds a wrecked bus on a lonely road. Albert Browne, the sole survivor of the accident, is a seemingly innocent and harmless youth. Against her better judgement, Scarlett agrees to escort him to safety.

This is a mistake. They are soon pursued by men with dogs and guns and explosives. Scarlett is used to running from the law, but these trackers are the most skilled she’s ever encountered–and they don’t seem to be after her. Just who is this Albert Browne Scarlett must uncover his shocking secrets if either of them are going to survive.

My first Jonathan Stroud! I’m a little ashamed to say that, especially since Annemieke @ A Dance With Books has been singing his praises forever and utterly convinced me that I need to read him (you know . . . eventually). But here we are! And I have! Actually, it’s thanks to Annemieke’s love for him that I jumped on this series when it popped up, because for some reason a new series feels less daunting than reading an entire completed series. Needless to say, I absolutely loved this book. It was hilarious and packed with action and mystery. Surprises on every page. Scarlett and Albert are both spectacular characters in their separate ways. This world is also one that I would maybe want to vacation to for a very brief stay. At the very least, I’m particularly intrigued by it.

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Vespertine

The dead of Loraille do not rest.

Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past.

When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard. Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping it. With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself.

As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets, and dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil begins to surface, she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first.

After reading Sorcery of Thorns, I was obviously going to read this book, because that blurb gave me very similar vibes. While I really enjoyed it, there were small problems I had with Sorcery of Thorns. That was not the case here. Rogerson immediately hooked my attention and held it throughout the entire book. Fast-paced, full of action, a compelling mystery. Plus, not gonna lie, I’m definitely a fan of this ancient spirit Artemisia awakes. He’s all snarky and full of himself. Certainly my sort of malevolent spirit. I have no idea what’s in store for the rest of the books in this series, but I absolutely cannot wait to find out!

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Blood Sworn

Three cultures clash in all out war–against each other and against the gods–in the second book of this fantasy duology that’s sure to capture fans of The Hunger Games and An Ember in the Ashes.

The Races are over. War has begun.

Ashlord and Longhand armies battle for control of the Empire as Dividian rebels do their best to survive the crossfire. This is no longer a game. It’s life or death.

Adrian, Pippa, and Imelda each came out of the Races with questions about their role in the ongoing feud. The deeper they dig, the clearer it is that the hatred between their peoples has an origin point: the gods.

Their secrets are long-buried, but one disgruntled deity is ready to unveil the truth. Every whisper leads back to the underworld. What are the gods hiding there? As the sands of the Empire shift, these heroes will do everything they can to aim their people at the true enemy. But is it already too late?

Technically, I read Ashlord and Blood Sworn this year, so the whole duology, and they were both five-star reads. I will say, though, that I enjoyed Blood Sworn just a little bit better. Due to the nature of both books, they almost have slightly different tones, so I think there’s something to appeal to everyone. The first book has more of a Race the Sands meets Hidalgo sort of a feel with magic and fire horses, so what’s not to love about that? But Blood Sworn . . . phew. The second book of this duology takes everything to a new level with war, strategy, secrets, dark gods, and just so much fantasy goodness. Plus, the characters get a chance to really grow in themselves in the final book, which is something I absolutely love.

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Adult Reads

Anxious People

A poignant, charming novel about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined

Looking at real estate isn’t usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can’t fix up their own marriage. There’s a wealthy banker who has been too busy making money to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can’t seem to agree on anything, from where they want to live to how they met in the first place. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment’s only bathroom, and you’ve got the worst group of hostages in the world.

Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises, these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in a motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next.

Humorous, compassionate, and wise, Anxious People is an ingeniously constructed story about the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope—the things that save us, even in the most anxious of times.

Fredrik Backman. Need I say more? I will always and forever read and love all his work. Admittedly, I was a little concerned when I started this book. The beginning was slow and a little difficult to get into. But I decided to trust Backman and let him do his thing. Boy was I glad that I did! I cannot even begin to express how much I absolutely loved this book. It’s everything I’ve come to love in Backman’s work: characters that are relatable and leap right off the page; dark, sarcastic humor; a roller coaster of emotion; everyday situations that are somehow fantastical and special; bizarre comedy that makes perfect sense somehow; unexpected twists and plot; and lines that will just steal your breath when you least expect it.

One of my coworkers had a similar experience and ended up giving up on the book because of the beginning. I insisted that she read it, since she’s a fellow Backman fan, and she did. Brought it back in two days later and I thought she’d given up on it again, but she said, no, she pushed through the beginning like I said and then she just couldn’t put it down and had to finish it, and she loved it! So pro tip: if the beginning of this book doesn’t catch you, keep going. I promise, it’ll be worth it. (Also, I listened to this on audiobook, which I highly recommend, because the narrator was fantastic and really brought these characters to life to me.)

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Project Hail Mary

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that’s been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it’s up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

So many people have told me to read Andy Weir, so I finally did . . . and phew! This book was a wild ride. There are a lot of sciency and mathy bits, which normally turn me off, but Weir does a wonderful job of sounding like a scientist while not leaving us non-scientists behind. He strikes a perfect balance where I wasn’t put off by the geeky nerdy stuff and I ended up really getting into it! Also, there’s Rocky. But really, you just need to read the book to understand the awesomeness that is that character. I’ve been told the audiobook of this is really good, though I haven’t had a chance to listen to it yet.

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Swordheart

Halla is a housekeeper who has suddenly inherited her great-uncle’s estate… and, unfortunately, his relatives. Sarkis is an immortal swordsman trapped in a prison of enchanted steel. When Halla draws the sword that imprisons him, Sarkis finds himself attempting to defend his new wielder against everything from bandits and roving inquisitors to her own in-laws… and the sword itself may prove to be the greatest threat of all…

In 2021, I became convinced that I need to read everything T. Kingfisher has ever written and ever will write. I’m not even sure how to describe this book except everything I ever needed or wanted. It was dark and funny and darkly funny. The protagonists were older but still capable of romance and adventure. Imagine that! Also, this sort of has a talking sword. Kind of. Which is what initial sold me on the book. It’s complicated, but all good things are. I actually read this and then listened to the audiobook a couple months later, because I’d enjoyed it so much. I loved the narrator and highly recommend the audiobook!

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Eye of the Sh*t Storm

Teagan Frost might be getting better at moving sh*t with her mind – but her job working as a telekinetic government operative only ever seems to get harder. That’s not even talking about her car-crash of a love life . . .

And things are about to get even tougher. No sooner has Teagan chased off one psychotic kid hell-bent on trashing the whole West Coast, but now she has to contend with another supernatural being who can harness devastating electrical power. And if Teagan can’t stop him, the whole of Los Angeles will be facing the sh*tstorm of the century…

This was obviously going to be here. What can I say? Book three of the Frost Files, which need to never end, please and thank you. Teagan is a freaking treasure. What I loved so much about this book is that it had more of a people element than the other book did. People are complicated. Sometimes a little homicidal, too. Especially after natural disasters. A lot happened in this book, both in the city of Los Angeles itself but also with the characters. These books are always filled with action (and maybe just a teeeeensy bit of swearing, haha), but this one was so fast-paced that I was on the edge of my seat the whole time dying to know what would happen next.

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The House of Always

What if you were imprisoned for all eternity?

In the aftermath of the Ritual of Night, everything has changed.

The Eight Immortals have catastrophically failed to stop Kihrin’s enemies, who are moving forward with their plans to free Vol Karoth, the King of Demons. Kihrin has his own ideas about how to fight back, but even if he’s willing to sacrifice everything for victory, the cost may prove too high for his allies.

Now they face a choice: can they save the world while saving Kihrin, too? Or will they be forced to watch as he becomes the very evil they have all sworn to destroy.

Another one that was obviously always going to be here. A Chorus of Dragons is easily one of my favorite high fantasy series, but this book took it to a whole new level. I thought I loved the first three books, but no. Nuh-uh. I ate this book up, despite it being an absolute chonker, and then considered re-reading it a month later. There wasn’t time for me to do so, and I instead talked a friend into reading the series so I can live vicariously through them. Everything about this book was utterly freaking perfect. We got to delve deeper into the history and the lore and, the thing I’d been waiting for, we got lots of little intimate details about the characters and more of their stories. Since I’m hopelessly in love with this whole crew, I devoured this book like the giddy little fangirl I am.

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Knight’s Ransom

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. A brutal war of succession has plunged the court of Kingfountain into a power struggle between a charitable king who took the crown unlawfully and his ambitious rival, Devon Argentine. The balance of power between the two men hinges on the fate of a young boy ensnared in this courtly intrigue. A boy befittingly nicknamed Ransom.

When the Argentine family finally rules, Ransom must make his own way in the world. Opportunities open and shut before him as he journeys along the path to knighthood, blind to a shadowy conspiracy of jealousy and revenge. Securing his place will not be easy, nor will winning the affection of Lady Claire de Murrow, a fiery young heiress from an unpredictably mad kingdom.

Ransom interrupts an abduction plot targeting the Queen of Ceredigion and earns a position in service to her son, the firstborn of the new Argentine dynasty. But conflict and treachery threaten the family, and Ransom must also come to understand and hone his burgeoning powers—abilities that involve more than his mastery with a blade and that make him as much a target as his lord.

I’m really not even sure what to say about this book. It was quite the ride. Ransom is a ridiculously easy character to root for, and I burned with a fiery rage at all the injustices he suffered. Especially since he’s a genuinely good person (which I am not), so it enraged me all the more on his behalf. This was filled with war and secrets and betrayal and all sorts of stabby goodness. I’d heard that Jeff Wheeler’s books were good, and this was my first go with this author, but I will definitely be reading more from him! Including the rest of this series, of course.

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Death Warden

A teenage assassin. An impossible choice. The fate of everything hangs in the balance…

Sixteen-year-old Reen swore she’d never take another life. Divinely selected to assassinate a few in order to save many, she learned to jump from shadow to shadow and claim her victims without question… until she was ordered to kill the boy she loved. But when an ancient plague returns threatening to infect everyone she knows, she is forced to resume her deadly duties.

Battling a disease that turns people into nightmarish monsters, Reen must track down and terminate those responsible before the city falls, and the evil spreads beyond its borders. But the closer she gets to the source, the more she uncovers sinister secrets that will shake the foundations of her world and everything she believes.

Can Reen defend her realm without losing her soul?

Another author I discovered last year that I’d love to read more from. I loved everything about this world. It’s dark and harrowing and filled with magic. There’s also a super compelling mystery that I absolutely had to get to the bottom of! I can’t even really put my finger on any one thing that I loved about this book. Everything, really. Taken together, as an entire novel, it was just exactly what I wanted and needed when I picked it up, and I had such a good time with it.

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The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry

Hard-drinking petty thief Dellaria Wells is down on her luck in the city of Leiscourt—again. Then she sees a want ad for a female bodyguard, and she fast-talks her way into the high-paying job. Along with a team of other women, she’s meant to protect a rich young lady from mysterious assassins.

At first Delly thinks the danger is exaggerated, but a series of attacks shows there’s much to fear. Then she begins to fall for Winn, one of the other bodyguards, and the women team up against a mysterious, magical foe who seems to have allies everywhere.

Figured I’d round off this list with another new-to-me author who I definitely need more work from. While there were definitely slow, draggy moments in this book, I ultimately had an absolute blast with it and definitely need more like it. This book had a squad of females (and one undead hamster named Buttons) who didn’t always (or even often) get along but knew how to get the job done. They all had their different talents (including necromancy, of course) that they brought to the table. If I’m honest, Buttons is really the star of the show here.

Still, Delly is a fun protagonist. If you’re looking for sympathetic characters, miss this book. It’s filled with all sorts of gray characters who sometimes have awful thoughts, but hey, that’s what makes them human. There’s also a pretty sweet F/F romance in this, if that’s your thing (though if, like me, you’re not one for a ton of romance, it’s just a subplot, so there’s that!).

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