Last year, my 2021 New Year’s resolution was to read 5 books a month, and I’m proud to say I accomplished that goal (my resolution to go vegan did not go as swimmingly… better luck next year). If you need a good book to add to your list, here is my top 10 of all of the books I read last year.
- The Night Swim by Megan Goldin: this was one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time. The book follows a true crime podcast host covering a controversial trial who finds herself drawn deep into a small town’s dark past and a brutal crime that took place there years before.
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett: SO GOOD. If my endorsement isn’t enough, Barack Obama also named this as one of his favorite books of the year. This stunning novel is about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white.
- The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon: I loved this so much. Two radio hosts pretend to be exes for the sake of making a great show, and although it was slightly predictable they’d end up together in the end, it was such a great story that I was invested enough to care. Funny, lighthearted and perfect to enjoy poolside now that warmer weather is here.
- The Huntress by Kate Quinn: The Alice Network by this same author is one of my favorite books, so I went into this one with high hopes and it didn’t disappoint (although I will say The Alice Network is definitely the superior book). In this immersive, heart-wrenching story, Kate Quinn illuminates the consequences of war on individual lives, and the price we pay to seek justice and truth.
- The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave: With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a riveting mystery, certain to shock you with its final, heartbreaking turn.
- Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever. Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind.
- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: Not only is this a contender for my best of 2021 list, it’s definitely in the top five of my favorite books of all time. An audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days of civilization’s collapse-the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity. HBO Max turned this fantastic book into a new series debuting this December – check out the trailer here (but like with everything, the book is always better, so make sure you read the book first!).
- Not All Diamonds and Rose: The Inside Story of The Real Housewives by Dave Quinn: Dave Quinn’s Not All Diamonds and Rose is the definitive oral history of the hit television franchise, from its unlikely start in the gated communities of Orange County to the pop culture behemoth it has become, spanning nine cities, hundreds of cast members, and millions of fans.
- The People We Keep by Allison Larkin: Not only was this my favorite of the month, this is a strong contender as making my favorite of the entire year list. I loved everything about The People We Keep. Allison Larkin has given us a heroine who is raw and real, a young person capable of breaking your heart one moment and lifting it up the next.
- The Husbands by Chandler Baker: I don’t have children and I’m not married and I still loved this book. However, I HIGHLY recommend this to any working mother who’s ever felt the frustration of juggling both worlds and “having it all” (my best friend who’s an attorney, wife and mother of two just borrowed my copy and would attest to this being a must-read). Utterly engrossing and thoroughly timely, The Husbands is both a gripping, well-crafted mystery and an insightful critique of motherhood and marriage in the modern age-working mothers everywhere will feel seen in the best possible way.
