2021 in Books
In 2016, I set a goal to read 100 books. I have no clue if I reached that goal because I didn’t keep a list of the books I read. In 2017, I started keeping an annual reading list, accompanied by short reviews, on my website. Thankfully, I’ve kept up that habit— and I have read more than 100 books each year.
People often ask me how I read so many books. First, I am quite lucky that I was born a fast reader— and have worked hard to become even more so (a paraphrase of a Dread Pirate Roberts quote from The Princess Bride). Secondly, I am very intentional with my reading— I love it, so I devote my time to it. Whether you’re an avid reader or looking to read your first book in years, I hope you find something that interests you on this list.
Before we get to the full list, here’s my top 10 list from 2021, roughly but not officially sorted into order:
Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
From Schoolhouse to White House: A Black Woman’s Experience by Alice Allison Dunnigan
Girlhood by Melissa Febos
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline
I needed a beach read, and this filled that role— but it wasn't a favorite.
finished January 5, 2021
Spying on the South by Tony Horwitz
I began this book with suspicion— as a Kentuckian, I rarely trust a northerner to write about my state and the South. But I found it well-reported and thoughtfully written, and I enjoyed it.
finished January 5, 2021
Soul Full of Coal Dust by Chris Hamby
As the great-granddaughter of a man who had black lung and never received any compensation for it, this book was infuriating to read. I was once on the phone with my Papa and he said, “I need to hang up because I can’t catch my breath,” but despite filling out the paperwork, he never received benefits. This book was very well-reported but I had a few issues with the organization.
finished January 10, 2021
Lost Mountain by Erik Reece
I’ve had this book for a while because Erik Reece was twice my professor in college, once for a Kentucky literature class that I absolutely loved. I finally read this because it continued the theme from Soul Full of Coal Dust, and it was another great read.
finished January 13, 2021
What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer
I came across this poet on Instagram and fell in love with her poetry and the floral cover of this book. It was a lovely, quick read of poems.
finished January 13, 2021
Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez
This is a frustrating read for someone raised in the evangelical church— but a really good and necessary read. This book gives a recent history of the white American church, giving context for the patriarchal, over-masculine culture that is prevalent among evangelicals.
finished January 16, 2021
Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn
I respected this book’s style but didn’t love it. I did really enjoy reading a novel of Hawaiian culture.
finished January 27, 2021
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
This book was a delight. This Kentucky author’s novels are so good and so fun.
finished January 31, 2021
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
I love presidential books. This was interesting to read because I was too young to pay much attention for most of his presidency.
finished February 1, 2021
Broad Influence: How Women Are Changing the Way America Works by Jay Newton-Small
This was a good book lent to me by one of my highly successful women friends; she borrowed it from one of her highly successful women friends.
finished February 3, 2021
The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr
I’ve read this once before and read again for my MFA class this semester. It’s a good book on writing.
finished February 8, 2021
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Rereading one of my favorite series before the last book comes out.
finished February 9, 2021
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
finished February 11, 2021
Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs
finished February 15, 2021
A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs
finished February 19, 2021
Good Apple: Tales of a Southern Evangelical in New York by Elizabeth Passarella
This was a funny, relatable collection of essays about religion and geography and family.
finished February 20, 2021
His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life by Jonathan Alter
This was a really good biography about a president and man I didn’t know a lot about.
finished February 22, 2021
Cherry by Mary Karr
I had to read this for my grad school class. I wish I had liked it more.
finished February 22, 2021
The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs
I couldn’t sleep on February 22 and finished every book I was in the midst of reading.
finished February 22, 2021
The Desolations of Devil’s Acre by Ransom Riggs
I wasn’t 100% satisfied with this book, but it was a good conclusion to the series.
finished February 24, 2021
Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
Another reread because the next book in the series comes out soon.
February 27, 2021
A Measure of Belonging: Twenty-One Writers of Color on the New American South, edited by Cinelle Barnes
This was such a good essay collection. Very insightful about race in the South and about how to write a good essay.
finished March 1, 2021
Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare
I always devour these books. They pull you in and pull you along.
finished March 2, 2021
My Inner Sky by Mari Andrew
This is a lovely book of essays and art. Shout-out to Rickey at Target for digging through about a dozen new release boxes to find this and Chain of Iron for me.
finished March 4, 2021
Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family by Condoleezza Rice
I bought this book for cheap ages ago, expecting to read about her political career and the wars of the 2000s. It was more about her family and education, which I did enjoy reading about.
finished March 10, 2021
Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark by Cecelia Watson
I was more delighted by the book’s existence than I ended up being by the book itself, but it was an interesting read.
finished March 13, 2021
You Don’t Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War by Elizabeth Becker
I enjoyed this book about three women journalists who covered the Vietnam War. I also learned more about the war itself.
finished March 15, 2021
The Marriage Code by Brooke Burroughs
After reading several nonfiction books, I needed a fun novel— and I ended up reading this in one night. It was a fun romance. And my favorite thing happened— I got to the “About the Author” page and realized she’s a Kentuckian!
finished March 17, 2021
Burning Down the House by Charles Baxter
I had to read this collection of essays on writing for class. I enjoyed some of the essays, but for the most part, I don’t like the author very much. Interested to read his fiction next.
finished March 23, 2021
Where the Past Begins: Memory and Imagination by Amy Tan
I love The Joy Luck Club, so I was really excited to read this. I really enjoyed the middle, but the beginning and end were slow and more difficult to connect with.
finished March 24, 2021
Everything Beautiful in its Time: Seasons of Love and Loss by Jenna Bush Hager
I really love reading about the lives of politicians and their families and, recently, I’ve really read a lot about grief. This memoir had both. Jenna Bush Hager lost three grandparents in a year, around the same time I lost two grandparents in eight weeks. I cried while reading, of course.
finished March 25, 2021
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
I read this because it was just made into a Netflix show and I almost always want to read before watching. I liked the book, but then I compared with Ashtyn, who has already watched the show, and apparently they are entirely different.
finished March 28, 2021
The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter
I did not expect to like this novel, which I read for class. But I really did like it. I would reread it in the future.
finished April 2, 2021
Fly Away by Kristin Hannah
This is the sequel to Firefly Lane. I liked it, though probably not as much as the first.
finished April 3, 2021
The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar
This was my beach read today, and I really enjoyed it. I’ve had it on my shelf for years and should have read it long ago.
finished April 5, 2021
Illumination: Poetry to Light Up the Darkness by Tyler Knott Gregson
Another lovely collection of typewritten poems and photographs by the man who inspired my typewriter collection.
finished April 11, 2021
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw
This was a really good collection of short stories. I always love to read fiction written by someone who was raised in church, even when the content is not strictly religious.
finished April 12, 2021
A Black Woman’s Experience- From Schoolhouse to White House by Alice Dunnigan
I was finally, finally able to get a copy of Alice Dunnigan’s full-length autobiography. I took a ton of notes and enjoyed it very much.
finished April 13, 2021
Euphoria by Lily King
I love Lily King, and I loved this novel.
finished April 14, 2021
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
This was probably my favorite book of 2020. I loved it so much that I was honestly scared to read it again because I didn’t want to be disappointed. Reading Euphoria made me ready to read it again, and it really held up.finished April 17, 2021
The Art of Daring by Carl Phillips
I had to read this for my class. It’s about the craft of writing, but I did not connect with it very well.
finished April 20, 2021
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
I read this novel to help Cayden with her English project. Celeste Ng is really good.
finished April 21, 2021
Pale Colors in a Tall Field by Carl Phillips
This is his book of poems, and I didn’t connect with this very well either.
finished April 27, 2021
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
I reread this book because it’s similar in style and format to the book I want to write. It’s a great nonfiction read.
finished April 29, 2021
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
This was the UK Alumni Book Club’s spring book. It’s a cool concept for a novel, but I eventually got tired of the main character’s frequent epiphanies.
finished April 30, 2021
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
I read this novel in one sitting on a Friday night. I have loved Greek mythology-inspired book since I was a kid; Madeline Miller writes Greek mythology for grown-ups.
finished April 30, 2021
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
A good book about writing craft. Her advice is to take anything that is overwhelming step by step, word by word, bird by bird (that last one is from a family anecdote about her brother who left his assignment about birds till the last minute).
finished May 4, 2021
Dear Ann by Bobbie Ann Mason
I enjoyed this novel about the 1960s in California.
finished May 11, 2021
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
I don’t mind a sad book, but the first 300 pages were kind of fruitlessly depressing (which is fitting, I guess, since this is set in the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl). I really enjoyed the last 100 pages, though. That’s where it quit feeling like a retelling of The Grapes of Wrath.
finished May 12, 2021
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
I still have mixed feelings on this novel. I really liked parts of it, and I enjoyed the gothic elements of a spooky house and the setting in mid-20th-century Mexico. The payoff at the end was good; I just didn’t love all of the getting there.
finished May 16, 2021
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
This was a really good book about caste in the United States, compared to the Nazi regime and the Indian hierarchy system. I recommend this especially to anyone who ever questions how inextricably linked our country and racism really are.
finished May 16, 2021
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Ann Patchett is so good at telling the story of a family, out of order but always perfectly in the right order. This book has plot, but plot doesn’t matter because her writing just pulls you along.
finished May 18, 2021
Vote for US by Joshua A. Douglas
This is a book about making voting more accessible, written by a UK law professor. It’s well written and not overly pedantic. All American citizens should read this and consider how to make our democracy better.
finished May 20, 2021
An Ordinary Age by Rainesford Stauffer
Two books in a row written by Kentuckians! I really admire Rainesford as a writer, and this book is a must-read for all young adults (and people who need to understand young adults better).
finished May 21, 2021
Clay’s Quilt by Silas House
I finally read this Appalachian trilogy, all three of which are wonderful. They detail several generations of the same family, which is often the premise of my favorite novels.
finished May 25, 2021
A Parchment of Leaves by Silas House
I actually had read this one before, but it had been many years.
finished May 29, 2021
The Coal Tattoo by Silas House
I think this was probably my favorite of the trilogy. I liked each one more and more, in the order I read them.
finished May 31, 2021
How Far You Have Come by Morgan Harper Nichols
I love Morgan Harper Nichols’ art (shared on Instagram @morganharpernichols), and this book is a collection of her drawings/paintings, poems, and essays.
finished June 1, 2021
An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi
I read this in one sitting. Tahereh Mafi is one of the most beautiful writers of our time. She conveys emotions in her writing better than anyone.
finished June 1, 2021
The Parted Earth by Anjali Enjeti
I also read this in essentially one sitting, and I stayed up way too late. It was a really poignant novel about several generations of a family and the India-Pakistan Partition, which I don’t know much about. I highly recommend it.
finished June 2, 2021
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
I read this book really quickly, because it was so gripping and because it made me so anxious. It has jokes and a love story and murder and more.
finished June 3, 2021
Someone’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
It took me a while to get into this memoir, but the last third was really good.
finished June 7, 2021
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
I started reading this novel and couldn’t stop until I finished it. It’s a great romance. I cried a lot.
finished June 7, 2021
Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad
This was a beautiful memoir. It was so gripping (it’s about her cancer diagnosis in her early 20s), and the writing was wonderful.
finished June 9, 2021
Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg
I started this as a pool read, then it started raining and I finished it all at home. I love magic and historical fiction.
finished June 12, 2021
Spellmaker by Charlie N. Holmberg
I was thrilled to find the sequel on Kindle Unlimited, so I didn’t have to wait to finish the story. These were perfect Saturday reads.
finished June 12, 2021
Wings of Fury by Emily R. King
Another poolside read. I’m really enjoying all the grown-up Percy Jackson-esque books (retellings of Greek myths) I’ve been reading recently.
finished June 15, 2021
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
This is a sweeping novel about several generations in Korea and Japan. I had heard really good things about this novel, and it was excellent, though I wouldn’t call it a new favorite. Its use of the omniscient point of view was almost disconcerting— I don’t know how I feel about getting into every single character’s mind at alternate times.
finished June 17, 2021
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
I heard wildly different reviews about this book before reading it. I did like it, though I wasn’t blown away. It’s worth reading, though it is long.
finished June 21, 2021
The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod
This was a great novel, particularly for music lovers. I really appreciate a fun, thick, standalone novel like this one.
finished June 23, 2021
All the Living by C.E. Morgan
I love a novel set in Kentucky with a strong sense of place.
finished June 28, 2021
In the Heights: Finding Home by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Quiara Alegría Hudes, and Jeremy McCarter
I love to read about a creative process, and I really like this movie.
finished June 28, 2021
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
I can’t believe this book had never been assigned to me to read. It’s a really lovely collection of vignettes about a young Hispanic girl contemplating her home in Chicago. I wish I had a class with which to discuss this now.
finished June 30, 2021
Roses Are Red by James Patterson
This paperback belonged to my grandfather; I took a few of his books from his house after he died. Today was his birthday, so I read some thrillers in his honor.
finished July 1, 2021
Violets Are Blue by James Patterson
Thankfully I had the sequel.
finished July 1, 2021
Americanon: An Unexpected U.S. History in Thirteen Bestselling Books by Jess McHugh
This was a slow read for me, which maybe says that it didn’t fully grip me, though I did enjoy it and learn from it. It’s a great book for someone who is interested in the overlap of books, or pop culture in general, and American history.
finished July 3, 2021
Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing by Lauren Hough
These are really good essays, but I wouldn’t say I particularly enjoyed this book.
finished July 10, 2021
School by Jen Currin
This was our Book of the Residency for the Bluegrass Writers Studio summer residency. I’m not a poetry expert, but this book is so well-crafted— and I really enjoyed hearing Jen Currin discuss her work during our events.
finished July 13, 2021
Every Bone a Prayer by Ashley Blooms
Ashley Blooms also read and spoke at our summer residency. This is an interesting novel set in Kentucky (which I always love!), with fantastical and gothic elements.
finished July 14, 2021
The Appeal by John Grisham
I’m always up for a good legal thriller.
finished July 15, 2021
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
Reading this novel made me wonder if fantasy is the number one genre I read. I really do enjoy it.
finished July 17, 2021
Breakfast Served Anytime by Sarah Combs
I finally read this book by Sarah Combs, with whom I took two fiction writing classes at the Carnegie Center. She’s a great writing teacher, so I wasn’t surprised that I really enjoyed her book. Anyone who went to a long summer camp in high school will get nostalgic while reading.
finished July 20, 2021
Girlhood by Melissa Febos
I’d been hearing good things about this essay collection for a long time. When I saw that Melissa Febos was speaking at my residency, I finally bought it. The book is really good— I want to read it again just to study Febos’ essay-writing style, which is amazing.
finished July 20, 2021
Who’s That Earl by Susanna Craig
Yet another speaker at my MFA residency. This was a fun historical romance.
finished July 23, 2021
This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith
This was a good read. I enjoyed the resolution.
finished July 24, 2021
Pop Goes the Weasel by James Patterson
I’m incapable of taking more than one day to read a Patterson thriller. I read until the mystery is solved.
finished July 26, 2021
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
I really enjoyed this collection of essays. As John Green gives one to five stars to different things on Earth, related to humanity, it really makes you think about the things and people and experiences that you give five stars.
finished July 28, 2021
One Thing Leads to a Lover by Susanna Craig
Another fun romance read!
finished July 29, 2021
A Splendid Ruin by Megan Chance
A solid historical fiction novel, with mystery and romance.
finished July 30, 2021
The Birds of Opulence by Crystal Wilkinson
I read this again for my Kentucky women book club. It’s just as breathtaking on the second read.
finished August 2, 2021
Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario
The reporting that went into this book is absolutely unreal. It’s a hard book to read, about illegal immigration into the United States from Central America and Mexico.
finished August 2, 2021
Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell
I used to never read multiple books simultaneously, but now I often do. I happened to finish three today— my book club read, my nonfiction read, and my take-to-the-pool fiction read. This novel was gripping and had a mostly satisfying twist at the end.
finished August 2, 2021
The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai
I struggled to get through this book. It’s an interesting premise and plot, but it lagged for me.
finished August 4, 2021
Water Street by Crystal Wilkinson
I’ve read so many good short story collections recently that I might become an official short story collection fan. I love that this book is focused on a place, which connects all the people.
finished August 4, 2021
Along Came a Spider by James Patterson
I guess I’m fully into the Alex Cross series now. I’ve been reading them all out of order.
finished August 6, 2021
The Bluegrass Conspiracy by Sally Denton
I finally read the whole story of the infamous Cocaine Bear.
finished August 10, 2021
Southbound: Essays on Identity, Inheritance, and Social Change by Anjali Enjeti
These essays were really good. It’s so impressive that this author had a novel and an essay collection come out this year.
finished August 14, 2021
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
This memoir is a love letter to the author’s mom, who died from cancer, and the food they loved to share.
finished August 16, 2021
Turning Pointe by Chloe Angyal
This book about the present and future of ballet was really interesting. I love to read about something the author is passionate about, even if it’s not a topic I’m passionate about.
finished August 17, 2021
The Perfect Marriage by Adam Mitzner
This book had a twist I didn’t expect. A good poolside read.
finished August 20, 2021
The Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued Their Bosses and Changed the Workplace by Lynn Povich
This was a really interesting history of the lawsuit by one of the women involved. I’ve always been interested in this because Katharine Graham, one of my heroes, was really on the wrong side of the issue.
finished August 21, 2021
Sharks in the Rivers by Ada Limón
I love Ada Limón’s poetry— and that she’s made Kentucky her home.
finished August 21, 2021
A Bound Woman is a Dangerous Thing by DaMaris B. Hill
This is the kind of book that I need to discuss with a really smart class. It’s a unique book of poetry.
finished August 26, 2021
A Thread So Thin by Marie Bostwick
My grandma lent this book to me, which was a warm blanket, Hallmark movie book. I enjoyed it.
finished August 27, 2021
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? and Other Questions About Dead Bodies by Caitlin Doughty
This was an interesting and, yes, funny read by a funeral home owner.
finished August 28, 2021
Perfect Black by Crystal Wilkinson
I have never read a word by Crystal Wilkinson that wasn’t beautiful. This is an amazing poetry collection.
finished August 31, 2021
Back to the Light by George Ella Lyon
Another beautiful poetry collection by a Kentucky woman.
finished August 31, 2021
Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things that Last by Wright Thompson
I absolutely love the style this book was going for; I don’t think it did it perfectly. But I did really enjoy it.
finished September 4, 2021
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
I took this to the pool then didn’t go to sleep that night until I had finished it. A fun romance novel.
finished September 7, 2021
Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family by Mitchell S. Jackson
This memoir was worth reading but difficult for me to get through.
finished September 10, 2021
The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Meyes
This is a good romance novel— and newly released Netflix movie.
finished September 20, 2021
Thanks a Thousand: A Gratitude Journey by A.J. Jacobs
I read this for class; it was an interesting read.
finished September 20, 2021
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
This was a really fun romance novel and the perfect beach read.
finished September 21, 2021
Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Anne Boyd Rioux
I loved this book about how Little Women has been interpreted and has remained important since its publication.
finished September 26, 2021
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
Colson Whitehead is obviously wonderful, but I didn’t get as invested in these characters as in his past characters.
finished October 3, 2021
What Is a Girl Worth? by Rachel Denhollander
This book was so difficult but necessary to read. If you’re not fully aware of how our society fails sexual abuse survivors over and over, you need to read this book.
finished October 5, 2021
Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond
This is a fun fantasy romance— by a Kentucky author, so the apocalypse comes to Lexington!
finished October 11, 2021
Dopesick by Beth Macy
This is a hard but important book to read about the opioid epidemic.
finished October 12, 2021
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Such a fun romance novel!
finished October 13, 2021
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I absolutely loved this novel about four siblings and how they grew up. One of my favorites of the year for sure.
finished October 14, 2021
Answers in the Form of Questions by Claire McNear
I love Jeopardy! and I love learning about television shows, so I loved this.
finished October 17, 2021
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
I love this movie and had never read the book, so I wanted to fill in that gap. Shockingly, I think I prefer the movie (though nostalgia plays a large role in that).
finished October 18, 2021
Shipped by Angie Hockman
Another romance novel I devoured.
finished October 19, 2021
Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
I’ve devoted quite a bit of my time to reading fun romance novels recently.
finished October 22, 2021
Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey
finished October 23, 2021
Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey
finished October 25, 2021
Maid by Stephanie Land
I wanted to like this book more than I did. It’s still an important read, but I didn’t like the way it was structured.
finished October 29, 2021
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Another fun romance!
finished November 1, 2021
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I had heard so many good things about this book, and it exceeded my expectations. Such a good novel.
finished November 2, 2021
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Not my favorite romance novel I’ve read recently, but I did love that it was about two writers.
finished November 9, 2021
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
This is a really fun retelling of Sleeping Beauty.
finished November 13, 2021
Hum If You Don’t Know the Words by Bianca Marais
I enjoyed this novel a lot, and it taught me more about South African history than I’ve ever known.
finished November 18, 2021
Thrown by Kerry Howley
I read this book for my final project of my class this semester. I didn’t like it as much as I hoped to. It makes for a good final project, but it wasn’t that enjoyable of a read for me.
finished November 23, 2021
If You Want to Make God Laugh by Bianca Marais
I really liked this novel. I think it was my favorite of her two novels.
finished November 26, 2021
Out of Love by Hazel Hayes
This was a romance-adjacent novel told backwards. The main character was an Irish writer— right up my alley.
finished November 27, 2021
How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery across America by Clint Smith
I highly recommend this book to everyone. It’s a hard subject to discuss but very, very necessary.
finished December 4, 2021
Carefree Black Girls by Zeba Blay
This was a really interesting essay collection about Black women in pop culture. I love reading about pop culture and its importance.
finished December 7, 2021
Pretty Bitches by Lizzie Skurnick
This was a really interesting collection of essays about the words that people use to describe women.
finished December 14, 2021
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
I loved this romance novel.
finished December 14, 2021
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
It’s been a while since I’ve started a new fantasy series. This one is really good so far.
finished December 18, 2021
The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
The ending of this book has me really excited for the conclusion of the trilogy.
finished December 23, 2021
The Burning God by R.F. Kuang
The ending was a bold choice and I really respect it.
finished December 25, 2021
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne
I saw this play on Broadway a few weeks ago. It had been edited down since the play premiered and the script was published, so I reread the script to see what changed. (Nothing significant was changed.)
finished December 26, 2021
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
A good sequel to The Kiss Quotient, though I liked the first better.
finished December 27, 2021
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
This book is right up my alley: words, women’s suffrage, friendships among women, family, historical setting. I enjoyed it.
finished December 28, 2021
20,000 Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne
A classic I had never read. I was interested, but I would’ve been fine if I had never read it.
finished December 30, 2021