The 10 Best Books of 2021

2021 was my first full year of tracking the books I read and finished, and how many. I finished 44 new-to-me books in 2021, and I thought narrowing the list down to 10 favorites would be easy. I was wrong! I read a lot of amazing stories in 2021!

Please note that Part 1 of this post merely lists the book titles, but Part 2 dives into a quick review of what I liked about each book. Part 2 of this blog contains spoilers! I separated the first and second parts of this post so you’ll only get to the spoilers if you really scroll. You’ve been warned!

Part 1: Criteria and Overview

Any new-to-me book that I read and finished in 2021 was in the running for this list. Books that I reread in 2021 were not in the running. A majority of my favorite books of 2021 were fantasy, but this list crosses genres and also features non-fiction, memoir, and science fiction. Although some of the books on this list were published recently, many are a few years old.

Below is the list of the Chip 10 Best Books of 2021, in alphabetical order by last name:

1. Solutions and other Problems by Allie Brosh
2. Gardens of The Moon by Steven Erikson
3. The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood
4. Sins of Empire by Brian McClellan
5. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
6. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
7. Madame Fourcade’s Secret War by Lynne Olson
8. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
9. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
10. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Part 2 has spoilers! Adding some photos of Rora as spoiler alerts!

Spoilers ahead!

Part 2: Rationale for Why These Books Were My Faves

Below I’ll describe what I like in particular about each book! This part has spoilers!

1. Solutions and other Problems by Allie Brosh

The ups and downs of this book made me cry multiple times from joy and sadness. I immediately bought a copy for my sister. The sense of quirk and whimsy and appreciation for the strange ways of the world in this book would be enough to make it a favorite book, but then the author additionally included touching essays on grief and loss. Thank you, Allie Brosh.

2. Gardens of The Moon by Steven Erikson

Erikson’s Gardens of the Moon had been recommended to me for years. I was told that I’d enjoy how Book 1 in the Malazan Empire series throws you in the deep end with barely any backstory or exposition.

I love this book! The character arcs! The details! The worldbuilding! The trust that the author puts in the reader, to simply pick up the rope that represents the story and hold on. Holding on is an exciting experience. The author pulls the reader through one of the darkest, most vivid, and intense magic systems created in modern fantasy, all while focusing on a plot that won’t let up.

The witty parts made me laugh out loud. The creepy parts made my skin crawl. The thrilling parts took my breath away. And I could feel my brain working hard through all of it. Some books are easy to read, like slipping into a warm bath. This book was more like a workout for my mind, and I loved the challenge of tracking multiple woven plot lines across points of view. I cannot wait to read the other books in this series, the first one was a game-changer.

3. The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

Larkwood’s fantasy debut is stunning. My heart was racing from the first chapter, the worldbuilding hooked me right away, and the prose was magical. I always like to read with a highlighter, and there were multiple sentences in this book that were. so. perfect. (I mean, “The secret of greatness is to know when you should risk the wrath of god,” I’m speechless. Chef’s kiss).

Another element I treasured about this book was the relationships. Not only the romantic relationships, but the working relationships, the friendships, the enemyships. Each relationship was unique and complicated and captured the oddness of the human (and orc) decision making process in a way that I don’t often see portrayed in fantasy stories.

The trust the characters put in each other was devious. The ways in which Csorwe might trust a character to betray her in one circumstance while saving her in another was satisfyingly, maddeningly, realistic. I cannot wait for Larkwood’s next book!

4. Sins of Empire by Brian McClellan

McClellan’s swashbuckling fantasy was everything that I needed. I have never so thoroughly appreciated multiple points of view in a fantasy. This book does a top-notch job of introducing sturdy, believable, flawed, and motivated characters who enticingly cross paths, disturbingly run parallel to one another, and sometimes maddeningly go in opposite directions.

McClellan’s writing is addictive! I found this book to be an incredible page turner and a refreshingly fast start compared to many other fantasy epics with similar levels of complicated worldbuilding. I was less than 50 pages in when I realized that I wouldn’t be able to put the book down until it was finished.

The worldbuilding and magic system are brilliant, and one of my favorite pieces was the characterization. The characters in this story are wonderfully differentiated. Each point of view possesses a unique and recognizable speaking style, follows unique and individual trains of thought, and has a unique and hilarious sense of humor. Despite the multiple points of view, the individuality of each character really stood out, a difficult feat to accomplish with multi-POV stories. I didn’t need beginning-of-chapter hints to immediately recognize if the point of view was Mad Ben Styke, General Vlora Flint, or Michel.

I read books 2 and 3 in the Gods of Blood and Powder trilogy immediately after finishing Sins of Empire, and now I’m reading McClellan’s original Powder Mage trilogy set in the same world. Because of this book, I am firmly committed to reading everything written by McClellan.

5. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Morgenstern’s haunting library adventure gave me an entirely new appreciation for bees, cats, wine, small items tied to string hanging from ceilings, fairy lights, and books. Which is saying something, because I already liked all of those things immensely. This adventure reminded me of a master concert, guided by a genius conductor who composed the music while living in a cloud at the top of a mountain.

Like any beautiful concerto that repeats a refrain, subtle new melodies are added that underscore the main chorus while the entire book crescendos to a dazzling finish. Don’t ask me how, but somehow, with the same words that you and I speak, she finds the key to crafting a written word cross section of poetry, music, theatre, dance, and visual art. In addition to the impeccable and moving language, the characters fall into place against one another like a puzzle that forms a doorway. With a bee on it.

6. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Noah’s writing in Born a Crime is a fantastic page turner. It goes without saying that the written comedic timing is *chef’s kiss,* but the hero’s journey that unfolds is what makes this story such a compelling read. Noah balanced the tension perfectly. Whenever I wasn’t crying with laughter, I was reading as fast as I could to find out what would happen next.

Noah’s descriptions of his relationship with his mom, his friendships, and his dad blew me away. It was crazy impressive that this story is Noah’s writing about his own life. I read a lot of memoirs and biographies, and this is the only one that I’ve read where my first thought after finishing was, “Where’s the sequel?” I can’t wait to read more of Noah’s books.

7. Madame Fourcade’s Secret War by Lynne Olson

Olson’s historical narration in Madame Fourcade’s Secret War is compelling, enjoyable, and wonderfully eye-opening. Not only was some of the information on Madame Fourcade’s intelligence gathering capabilities useful research for a story I’m working on, but I also found the story a thrilling page turner and the heroine’s daring deeds are an inspiration.

The chilling strategic decisions Madame Fourcade had to make, the number of times she put her life on her line and was saved by pure chance, and the juxtaposition of the huge amount of trust she had to put in those around her while not trusting anyone with more than they needed to know was beautifully captured. Madame Fourcade’s Secret War is a treat from start to finish.

8. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

Roanhorse’s Black Sun is dazzling. The protagonists are compelling and mysterious. The point of view is masterfully balanced to slowly unveil secrets to the main character backstories. The relationships and connections between characters develop with precision, crisp lines, and a stunning result.

Of course if I had to choose a favorite, Xiala was my favorite point of view, and I admired how the clean prose matches her daring and defiant character. In addition to the world-class characterization, the original world building and fascinating magic system make me extremely excited for the next book in the series.

9. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time had me on the edge of my seat. Two of my favorite elements of this story were the suspense and the worldbuilding. The mixture of scientific details for the spiders and the clear chaos of the remnants of humanity was just the right amount of too-realistic-for-comfort.

The evolution of the spiders was fascinating to read about, and that worldbuilding alone made the story stand out. Combined with the thriller plot and nail-biting antics of the human crew, this story was a page-turner. Throughout the book, I was constantly imagining what might come next. Usually I’m pretty good at following plot lines to a likely endpoint, but I couldn’t figure out where Tchaikovsky was leading me, which upped the suspense even more.

The ending was exquisite. I never considered the possibility of the ending unfolding the way it did, but every part of the ending made sense when compared to the initial actions of the main characters and the background provided to the reader throughout the book. I was impressed by the fluidity with which Tchaikovsky pulled off an ending I never saw coming and turned it into an ending that in hindsight made perfect sense.

10. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Thomas’s Cemetery Boys was so much fun to read! This book was one of my favorites for the year because of the intriguing characters, the amazing sense of humor, and the inclusion of one of my favorite fantasy focus areas, family relationships.

I loved how Yadriel’s family played a major part in the story. I’m always interested in fantasy stories that involve living parents and how those relationships are portrayed, and Thomas captured how family tension and expectations can be a restrictive bond and a comforting embrace. The mystery’s resolution struck the perfect balance of surprise and “well of course that was the answer.” I’m excited to read more of Thomas’s stories!