I think this year I got really into keeping a reading planner at all times, and other than my mad scramble in December, I think I did a really great job filling it out! So I wanted to put my reflections here and do my usual yearly ritual of completing a book survey.
I don’t know if she did a 2021 version, but Jamie @ Perpetual Page Turner has done a set of questions for an end of year book survey that I always enjoy filling out at the end of the year. Sure, okay, this year I’ve filled this out in 2022, but no matter! Still not late in my eyes.
I’ve taken away the blogging portion, mostly because I’ve really been horrible at keeping track of the book blogosphere lately. Between work and grad school, and just writing and reading, I needed to pick and choose which battles to fight. Anyway, I still do love talking and discussing books, so here we are!
The TL;DR:
** 2021 READING STATS **
Number of Books Read: 70
Number of Re-Reads: 4
Genre I Read the Most From: Fantasy
BEST IN BOOKS
1. Best Book You Read In 2021?
Stand-Alone:
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Series:
Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom duology by Leigh Bardugo
Mid-Series:
Shades of Magic, Vol. 2: Night of Knives by V.E. Schwab
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
So one of my favorite books some years back was Uprooted by Novik, but I do know she’s hit and miss for me. I’ve yet to read Spinning Silver but I loved the short story she’d written of it prior to it being a novel, but somehow this dark academia story wasn’t really gelling for me. I’d probably still give the sequel a try if only because I actually like the LI, but eh.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
As someone who often eye-rolls star-crossed lovers tropes and anything Romeo and Juliet-inspired, I effing loved this duology to bits. That’s saying something.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Fairly standard. I managed to successfully convert a number of my 7th graders (now 8th graders) into Grishaverse fans. NO REGRETS.
5. Best series you started in 2021? Best Sequel? Best Series Ender of 2021?
Started:
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Sequel:
Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
Ender:
Shades of Magic, Vol. 3: The Rebel Army by V.E. Schwab
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2021?
CHLOE GONG
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
9. Book You Read In 2021 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
Midnight Poppy Land by Lilydusk
I’ve kind of fallen off the bandwagon on this one, but I think that’s because I’m just waiting for season 2 to build up before I binge all of the episodes again.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2021?
Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
The original covers of the duology is already gorgeous, but I also loved what Owlcrate did with their version.
11. Most memorable character of 2021?
KAZ BREKKER
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Or, you know, ALL THE CROW BABIES.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2021?
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Alright, so maybe Crooked Kingdom set me to crying half the time, but let’s give some love to this gem of a book, which was beautifully written IMO.
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2021?
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
I cannot stop thinking about this book. It’s like YA came to play and Leigh Bardugo said “LET’S SUBVERT HALF THE TROPES, ADD OTHERS, AND OH LOOK IT’S HEIST TIME.” Yeah, clearly my 2021 was me brainwashed by Bardugo. Again, no regrets.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2021 to finally read?
Legend by Marie Lu
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2021?
“I would have come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we’d fight our way together–knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.”
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Oh god. I’m tearing up again. Honestly, half of what Bardugo wrote in the damn book were things I’d quote over and over again.
16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2021?
Shortest:
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (38 pages)
Longest:
A Promised Land by Barack Obama (768 pages)
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
I had originally thought this was a stand-alone, but then that ending happened and I was actually shocked that this kept going with a promise of a second book.
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)
KAZ BREKKER and INEJ GHAFA
(Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo)
I JUST–THAT EYE CONTACT THO.
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
JULIETTE CAI and MARSHALL TSEO
(These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong)
There’s something about the friendship between these two that really pulled at my heartstrings, considering how far they’ve gone for the people they love.
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2021 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
21. Best Book You Read In 2021 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Seriously, I’d been seeing this book recommended on a few Goodreads friends’ accounts and then eventually the cover itself intrigued me. So I just had to pick it up. I’m so glad I did!
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2021?
ROMA MONTAGOV
(These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong)
I felt like this was a toss-up, honestly. I don’t think Nikolai Lantsov is new because I’ve always loved him since Siege and Storm. And Tora is absolutely lovely in Midnight Poppy Land. But Roma is just that bad boy you want to hug…so long as he’s not trying to kill you for the White Flowers…
23. Best 2021 debut you read?
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2021?
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
I don’t think I’ve ever been as much of an emotional wreck over a book as I was over this one. I just…I can’t.
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
This book crushed my soul like any other number of Holocaust books would.
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2021?
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
The second person POV that randomly popped up in the book alone made this unique enough for me to point out.
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
I knew going in it would be kind of plotless and more of a fluff read. But holy hell. Nothing literally happened. The most kick I got was when Nesta #cancelled everyone, which I thought was rude but honestly, with all the saccharine nonsense going on, I’d want to take myself out of that narrative as well.
Overall, I think I did well this year, reading-wise! I hit my 70-books goal, which was a whopping 12-book difference from my sad 2020 quarantine life! This is a good thing. This is a very good thing!
Story and Somnomancy 
The House in the Cerulean Sea is on my favorites of the year list as well! 😍 And I’m so proud of you for converting all those middle-schoolers to Grishaverse fans 😂😂😂
Also, yes to everything you said about ACOFAS. 100% yes 🙈 I already got a bit of hate out of my system by ranting about it in my December wrap-up, but seeing you hate on it too was beyond satisfying 😇 That book was so pointless!
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