Tag: book reviews

The Best Books I Read in 2021

MichelleLeave a comment

It’s one of my favorite times of year – when I get to round up all my favorite reads from the past year! Reading is one of my favorite pastimes, and I consider it a large personal goal of mine to convince everyone I know to read more. I have a lot to cover, so let’s get into it!

Summary

My total for this year was 76 books – while I didn’t cross the 100 book mark this year, I just barely surpassed my 75-book goal. I love rounding up my favorite reads at the end of each year – I try to really reserve my 5-star ratings for books that deserve it. This is my third year-end summary: see my favorite reads from 2020 here and 2019 here!

Some thoughts on what I like to read:

  • My favorite genres are fantasy, YA, mystery/thriller, and sci-fi, and I also like a good romance every so often.
  • I love a book with beautiful imagery, lots of action, and strong/interesting relationships between characters. (I love to cheer for a friendship or romance.)
  • Unlikable protagonists don’t bother me, but I hate unrealistic ones. I want characters who make decisions that are consistent with their personalities.
  • I love a good plot twist (or betrayal), especially when I totally don’t see it coming but feel like I should have.

Some thoughts on how I like to read:

  • Almost every single book I read, I checked out through my local library (using the Libby app) for free. Occasionally, I read ARCs through Netgalley. I usually only buy books that I’ve already read and loved.
  • I read primarily using my Kindle paperwhite, but also through the Kindle app on my phone. It’s nice to have a device that’s only for reading, since I get easily sidetracked on my phone.

A few quick takeaways from my 5-star reads:

  • Apparently, fantasy and sci-fi are my favorite favorites because all my 5-star reads fall into those genres. (If that isn’t your speed, I have a few other genres featured in my honorable mentions! You can also check out all of my other book-related blog posts here.)
  • I ended up with 16 5-star ratings out of 76 books read. That means just over 20% of the books I read this year were 5-star reads!
  • That being said, 10/16 of my 5-star reads were second/third/fourth books in a series, so I think that finishing up series was a big reason that average is higher than normal. (For reference, last year I had 13 5-star reads out of 110 books – so just over 10%). 3 were first books in a series, and 3 were stand-alones.
  • I liked new releases this year! 9/16 were 2020 or 2021 releases.
Read More »

The Best Books I Read in 2020

MichelleLeave a comment

A few years ago, I started out on a personal mission to read more. I grew up loving to read (although I never held a candle to my sister, which is probably why it took me a long time to realize that I am, in fact, a bookworm). After several years of high school, college, and post-grad life during which I read very little for fun, I set a goal and armed myself with several library books through the Libby app. Momentum has only picked up since then, and this year was my best reading year probably ever!

Sidenote: if you’ve never used your library card to check out e-books and audiobooks, you’re missing out! Download the Libby app (or OverDrive, or Hoopla), and get reading.

Each year, I look forward to rounding up my favorite reads. I’m pretty stingy with my 5-star reviews, so every book I recommend here is one that I loved reading. In terms of reading, 2020 was a much different year than 2019 (read that post here). However, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many books I completed this year! Despite not having a work commute to listen to audiobooks or a maternity leave to get lots of extra reading done, I read even more than I did in 2019 – and even crossed the 100 books mark! I have a lot to cover, so here we go!

Read More »

November Reads and Reviews (All the Books I Read this Month)

MichelleLeave a comment

This is a series here on the blog where I round up and review all the books I’ve read in the past month. I love reading and sharing book recommendations, so this is always one of my favorite posts to write! I’ve included links to all available books through Bookshop.org, a great way to support independent bookstores.

To give you a sense of my reading background: I audiobooks, and love dark fairytale retellings, very science-y sci-fi, and YA with a good love story. Some of my favorite authors are Naomi Novik, Sabaa Tahir, Erin Morgenstern, Madeline Miller, and Blake Crouch. I read almost exclusively e-books and audiobooks checked out through my local library. (Support your local libraries, friends! It’s the best way to read free books.)

Note: this post may contain affiliate links (i.e., if you click my link and make a purchase, I’ll make a small commission at no additional cost to you). Read my full disclosure policy here.

Read More »