In Episode 99, Susie Boutry (@NovelVisits) and I share our favorite books from 2021, overall and by genre, along with a ton of bookish superlatives. We also talk about whether our reading has recovered from COVID and I reflect on the past year of the podcast.

This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). I also included Bookshop.org affiliate links.

Announcements

• Upcoming “Ask Me Anything” podcast, airing December 8, to celebrate the 100th episode of Sarah’s Bookshelves Live!
• Sarah’s 2021 Holiday Gift Guide
• 2022 Rock Your Reading Tracker is coming soon! You’ll be able to purchase it for $14.99 on my website OR Superstars Patrons will get it for FREE!

Highlights

• My 2021 Podcast Overview — including top episodes based on download stats and polled favorites. 
• Overview of our reading this year including key stats (including the ongoing impact of COVID-19).
• Our favorite books of 2021: overall and by genre.
• 2021 Bookish Superlative Awards.

Our Favorite Books of 2021 (Overall and by Genre) [17:09]

Susie

• Landslide by Susan Conley | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [17:33]
• Voices from the Pandemic by Eli Saslow | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [19:27]
• Animal by Lisa Taddeo | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [22:01]
• The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [23:37]
• The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [25:32]
• Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [28:00]
• What Comes After by Joanne Tompkins | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [29:19]
• Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [30:55]
• Voices from the Pandemic by Eli Saslow | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [33:43]
• Nowhere Girl by Cheryl Diamond | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [35:12]
• Femlandia by Christina Dalcher | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [38:02]

Sarah

• When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [18:52]
• What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey & Bruce D. Perry | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [20:14]
• Make it Nice by Dorinda Medley | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [22:55]
• The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [24:53]
• Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [26:27]
• Seven Days in June by Tia Williams | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [28:49]
• The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [30:01]
• The Unwilling by John Hart | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [32:02]
• Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [34:00]
• Dear William by David Magee | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [35:51]
• Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [37:02]

2021 Bookish Superlative Awards [38:55]

Susie

• We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride & Jo Piazza | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [39:15]
• Falling by T. J. Newman | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [40:16]
• Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [42:50]
• The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [45:25]
• Friends Like These by Kimberly McCreight | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [46:48]
• Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [49:33]
• The People We Keep by Allison Larkin | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [52:55]
• Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [54:51]
• Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [56:38]
• The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [59:47]
• These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:00:32]
• Things We Lost to the Water by Eric Nguyen | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:02:36]
• God Spare the Girls by Kelsey McKinney | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:04:00]
• How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:08:46]

Sarah

• Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [39:58]
• Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [40:01]
• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [42:05]
• All Together Now by Matthew Norman | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [43:58]
• The Push by Ashley Audrain | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [45:58]
• Imposter Syndrome by Kathy Wang | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [47:47]
• We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [51:39]
• Last Call by Elon Green | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [53:32]
• The Turnout by Megan Abbott | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [57:49]
• Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [58:34]
• The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements & Onjuli Datta | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:01:43]
• Voices from the Pandemic by Eli Saslow | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:03:19]
• The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:04:35]
• The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:09:32]

Other Books Mentioned

• The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller | Buy from Amazon [11:15]
• Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley | Buy from Amazon [11:59]
• Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid | Buy from Amazon [25:02]
• Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead | Buy from Amazon [31:41]
• Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead | Buy from Amazon [31:43]
• Iron House by John Hart | Buy from Amazon [33:13] & [01:08:30]
• Vox by Christina Dalcher | Buy from Amazon [38:13]
• Last Couple Standing by Matthew Norman | Buy from Amazon [44:57]
• Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney | Buy from Amazon [59:28]
• Normal People by Sally Rooney | Buy from Amazon [59:30]
• Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller | Buy from Amazon [01:01:01]
• Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston | Buy from Amazon [01:02:13]
• Fallen Mountains by Kimi Cunningham Grant | Buy from Amazon [01:06:17]
• Too Good to Be True by Carola Lovering | Buy from Amazon [01:06:34]
• Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering | Buy from Amazon [01:06:42]
• Can’t Look Away by Carola Lovering (June 2022) | Buy from Amazon[01:06:46]
• The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz | Buy from Amazon [01:08:04]
• You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz | Buy from Amazon [01:08:11]

About Susie

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Susie has loved reading for as long as she can remember. Some of her fondest childhood memories involve long afternoons at the library and then reading late into the night. More than ten years ago, she began journaling about the books she read and turned that passion into writing about books. Her first forays were as a guest reviewer on a friend’s blog, but she soon realized she wanted to be reviewing and talking about books on a blog of her own. From there, Novel Visits was born. That was in 2016 and, though the learning curve was steep, she loves being a part of the book community. Novel Visits focuses on new novel reviews (print and audio), previews of upcoming releases, and musings on all things bookish.

Next Episode

In two weeks (December 8), Catherine (@gilmoreguide) and I will be celebrating the 100th episode of Sarah’s Bookshelves Live with the “Ask Me Anything” episode.