Happy 31st, readers! Can you believe that it’s the last day of 2021 and my last post for the year? Also, this is my last Let’s Talk Bookish post of 2021! This feels unbelievable!
Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books and Dani @ Literary Lion where we discuss certain topics based on prompts allocated for each Friday of the week. You basically share your opinions and get into the conversation by visiting each other’s posts. You can find the December schedule here.
Today’s Let’s Talk Bookish topic is Reflecting On Your 2021 Reading/Blogging Year, which was suggested by Rukky @ Eternity Books.
I am so excited that Let’s Talk Bookish lined up perfectly with the end of the year, giving me a good opportunity to look back at the past year I had with my reading and blogging! I was pretty confused as to how I could turn this Let’s Talk Bookish into a year-end wrap-up, so I would like to thank the brilliant Jamie @ Perpetual Page Turner for her End of the Year Survey and to the wonderful Sammie @ The Bookwyrm’s Den for giving me the inspiration to modify the questions in the style I have done below!
Make sure you check out my mid-year reading update below:
My 2021 reading year was pretty great! I aimed at finishing 40 books and ended up logging 81 books for this year! How insane is that? I am certain that my book blog is mostly responsible for this among other factors, like time and my new tablet for reading.
- Books Read: 81
- Re-reads: 3
- Pages Read: 23,676
- Average Book Length: 292 pages
- Average Rating: 4.1
Note: Click on the book covers to check out my reviews!
Best Read of 2021
This was the hardest and most painful decision I had to make but ultimately I went with the book that kept flitting around in my head for most of the year. The Crown of Gilded Bones was my most anticipated read of the year and it ended up being one of the best reads too! How crazy is that?
Biggest Flop of the Year
I generally love Christina Lauren’s work and after reading Beautiful Player, I had high expectations for this book. But Beautiful Secret fell short in such a disappointing way. I couldn’t connect with the characters, the romance was way too clinical and the story just fell flat.
Most Surprising
When I first came across The Boy With Fire by Aparna Verma it was on NetGalley and I picked it for the South Asian rep. I ended up loving this adult fantasy with its badass female characters, cinnamon roll assassin and the much-talked-about DILF that reminds everyone of Amitabh Bachchan!
Book Most Often Recommended
From Blood and Ash, a re-read this year, was a strong contender for this category, but The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood just has to win! In addition to being a debut romance, it also has women in STEM rep and you might spot some Reylo references in the characters too!
Best Series Starter
Despite how hard I try not to make this blog a Jennifer L. Armentrout fan account, I always end up coming back to how much I love her work! I was a late starter to the Wait For You series, but oh boy, this series starter really established that I need to read this whole series! Not only did Cam earn a book boyfriend spot but this book had one of the best college romances I have read so far!
Best Sequel
And it’s another Jennifer L. Armentrout read! But in all honesty, I read maybe three sequels this year and Be With Me was the only one that really satisfied me. I loved the cameos that book one characters made and once again, college romance done right!
Favourite New Author Discovered This Year
Once I read The Kiss Quotient, I just knew that I am going to read literally everything Helen Hoang writes. I love the #ownvoices neurodivergent rep and the steamy romance! Now all I need to do is read the next two books in this series!
Best Book From An Unexpected Genre
If someone had told me that I would fall in love with a dystopian standalone that had strong friendships and absolutely no romance, I would have laughed in their face. But guess what? I loved Firebreak to bits and I keep shoving this book at people every time I am asked for recommendations. And I am telling you right now, you need to read this book ASAP!
Most Unputdownable Book
Since I read It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey in almost 24 hours, I feel like it fits this category perfectly! I loved the steamy romance, the small town setting and the miscommunication trope done right!
Favourite Cover
Jade Fire Gold has such a gorgeous cover (both US and UK)! I love the colours and the details that went into this cover. Pick up this book if you are a fan of Chinese mythology and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance.
Most Memorable Character
Noni Blake was such an inspiring character! I loved her journey to discovering herself and her epic European adventures! Pick up It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake if you want to read plus-size female MCs, Viking book boyfriends, and some inspiring self-love!
Most Beautifully Written
I have missed the urban fantasy retelling style of Percy Jackson books, but this middle-grade fantasy inspired by Hmong myths was absolutely stunning! The beautiful world-building in Pahua and the Soul Stealer really intrigued me and now I just want to see more stories like this out in the world.
Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing
If you have read Tara Westover’s Educated, then you know how shocking, inspiring and enlightening this story is. Tara’s story really shows the importance of education and standing up for yourself.
Books I Can’t Believe I Waited Until 2021 To Finally Read
Beautiful Player was my first Christina Lauren book and I absolutely loved it! This was a great romance and I loved the older brother’s bestfriend and women in STEM trope!
Shortest & Longest Books Read In 2021
I read Sealed Off by Eileen Chang for a literature course and it was great! A Shadow in the Ember was such a great prequel to the From Blood and Ash series and I loved how the author expanded her intricate fantastical world with this book!
Book That Shocked Me The Most
The Crown of Gilded Bones left its fandom in an existential crisis with its shocking cliffhanger! I was near tears when I finished this book and I am still dying till the next book comes out in March 2022!
Favourite Non-Romantic Relationship of the Year
The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall was one of the most entertaining rom-coms that I read this year! In the midst of all the wedding shenanigans, pranks and British aristocracy, the friendship that develops between Sophie and Cordelia was so heartwarming.
Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting
City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn contained a great mix of heist drama, found family trope and some great interplanetary politics! I loved the worlds in this book from its murderous AIs, to the dangerous planet of Requiem and all the alien beings wandering the universe!
Book That Made Me Cry
I never anticipated how much I would love Carry On by Rainbow Rowell! This book didn’t just make me laugh though. It made me laugh and cry both happy and sad tears. While it reminds me of Harry Potter with the magical school setting, the Dark One and the chose one trope, this book was still unique and wonderful!
Hidden Gem of the Year
I picked up Mercurial by Naomi Hughes with hardly any expectations but I ended up blown away by how much I loved this standalone fantasy with its cinnamon roll love interest, morally ambiguous female MCs, and the intricate politics!
Most Unique Book
The best thing about Jadie in the Five Dimensions was its middle-grade approach to multidimensional universes and travel. An ambitious take on a sci-fi middle-grade standalone, this is one book that really impressed me with its unique premise.
Favourite Post
This post was a lot of work and got me really thinking rather than just scouring lists for new releases, so I absolutely loved the process! I always tell myself I should do more posts like these but get intimidated by the researching.
Favourite Bookish Photo
This photo might seem like nothing special compared to the rest of my feed but it was first photo I took with my brand new phone! I finally purchased a new phone after using the same model for almost seven years and I was so impressed by the camera quality, so here’s my favourite!
Best Moment of Bookish/Blogging Life
Every time an author, publicity agent or publisher contacts me for a review is a great moment in my blogging life! There is something indescribably great about knowing that someone got to know about me from a third party.
I was also recently absolutely thrilled to see my pageviews soaring in the past few weeks, possibly because of the new releases installment that I started this month.
The best moment in my reading life was when I was gifted a tablet for my 24th birthday! I was stunned, the tablet was fabulous and I read on it all the time now!
Most Challenging Thing About Blogging/Reading Life This Year
Definitely the time management. I always find myself falling behind on my schedules at least once or twice a month. I always attempt to plan ahead and get on top of things, but life always has a way of sneaking up on me.
Most Popular Post
Post You Wished Got a Little More Love
I’ll keep this pretty simple: I love this book, so I think more people should read my review! That’s it. That’s the full story. Haha!
Book I Didn’t Get To Read in 2021 But Will Be My Number 1 Priority In 2022
I brought She Who Became The Sun with me all the way to Australia because it was one read that I kept getting recommended over and over again. I have also been loving Asian fantasy this year, so might as well continue the trend to the next year!
Most Anticipated 2022 Release (Non-Debut)
Since I discovered my love for adult romances starring women in STEM, specifically Ali Hazelwood’s particular brand of romance, I am dying to read her next full-length book, Love On The Brain! Starring a neuroscientist and a grumpy engineer in NASA, this book is bound to enthrall me!
Most Anticipated 2022 Debut
My excitement about You Truly Assumed is purely based on how much my friends loved reading a review copy of this book. I am lucky to be part of an upcoming blog tour of this book, so I am going to pick up my review copy as soon as I’ve cleared a few other reads that I have scheduled.
Most Anticipated Sequel
This is probably my most anticipated release of anticipated releases of next year! I am breathlessly awaiting the release of the fourth book in the Blood and Ash series, The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
One Thing I Hope To Accomplish or Do in My Reading/Blogging Life in 2022
I am really hoping to figure out a balance between full-time working as a doctor and book blogging in 2022. I am terrified by the prospect of working full-time too, so I hope I don’t get tangled up in that stress and let is affect my blogging.
More specific goals next year would be to read at least 40 books, blog at least three times a week
Did you think I did this Let’s Talk Bookish post right? I sure hope so!
Also, what were your favourite books this year? Do you have any books you can’t wait to read in 2022?
My previous Let’s Talk Bookish posts:
- December 10: Illustrations in Books: Yay or Nay?
- December 3: Dos and Don’ts for New Book Bloggers
- November 26: Taking a Closer Look at My Reading Habits: New Releases Versus Backlist Books
- November 19: What Truly Makes a Blog Hiatus?
- November 12: Reading for My Blog Versus Other Hobbies
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15 thoughts on “My 2021 in Books & Blog Posts // Let’s Talk Bookish”
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Looks like you had a good reading year 🙂
I see The Love Hypothesis popping up everywhere, I’ve added it to my TBR.
And Carry On is SO GOOD. I can’t wait to re-read it!!
Have a great 2022 🙂
Thanks, Esther! I can’t wait for you to read The Love Hypothesis! And I loved Carry On so much that I might re-read it too!
Happy new year, Esther!
it looks like you’ve had an amazing year hasini!! i hope 2022 is just as good for you!
Thanks, Chelsea! <3
You must read she who became the sun (I’m reading it these days, and it’s every bit awesome as everyone says!)
Happy new year, and hope you have a great year ahead!!!
I can’t wait to pick it up!!! Thank you, Jan!
I’ve seen so many good things about Firebreak, I def will need to pick it up now!
OMG yes! Firebreak deserves so much more hype! I will be so excited when you get the chance to read it!!!!
It sounds like you’ve had a great year creatively, Hasini! It was so fun to read about your progress and your future goals. Rooting for you that you find that balance between working full-time and your creative endeavours! ♥
Thank you, Nicole! Can’t wait to see what 2022 brings!
What a fantastic summary of the year! And KUDOS to you for getting so much reading done. I am really happy I found your blog. I think you share a diverse mix of books and I look forward to reading in 2022 with you! Not sure if you’re looking for new books (you always seem to have plenty on the TBR pile – lol.. But just in case – I found a really fantastic romantic suspense novel – “Dark Truths” by Tess Thompson (https://sisterswritingcrime.blogspot.com/). It’s a part of the Angel Fall series but it can 100% be read on its’ own. This was definitely my favorite find of 2021!
Horror fiction author, Peyton, and county Sheriff, Jonas, meet at a bar and have an instant connection. However, both were going through some devastating personal issues, so the timing was definitely off. Fast forward to the murder of Peyton’s dear friend and fellow author, Cecil, and guess who’s on the case? Not only that, but Jonas also knew Cecil too. Mix in a local psychic (one of my favorite characters) confirming that Cecil was murdered and a whole lot of shocking twists and turns along the way this was an extremely addictive book from start to finish. This is the perfect cozy winter read. If you check it out, I would love to know your thoughts! Thanks again and happy reading