2021 Book Challenge

Everything I Read in 2021

In case you’re new — every year since 2018 I’ve been challenging myself to read 52 books per year. I used to be a huge bookworm as a kid so much so that I was often re-reading books because I’d run out and I was a regular at Waldenbooks’ buy 4, get the 5th free sales.

With the rise of social media through my teen years as well as choosing to major in English in college, my leisurely reading was starting to hit rock bottom. As in… I was lucky if I made it through two books in a year!

Anyway, I thought I’d do something drastic in 2018 and challenge myself to read more. I mix it up with Audible, reading on my Kindle, and a few physical copies of books when possible.

In the beginning it was almost all audiobook, but last year and this year I’ve been much more attached to my Kindle, especially as I have the Libby app now so borrowing books is a breeze! I read a lot of random things, though I’ve noticed I definitely am attracted to doomed romances and WWII books and have to make myself stop lol.

Anyway, here’s what I read so far! **Please note sometimes, I have spoilers in the thoughts section**

PAST BOOK CHALLENGES

2021 Book Challenge

A Certain Age by Beatriz Williams | 2021 Book Challenge

52. A Certain Age

Theresa Marshall is a respectable upper-crust woman of NYC society in the 1920s with a much older, largely absent husband and a much younger lover, Captain Octavian Rofrano. What happens when her brother’s new fiancee, the young Sophie Forestcue, comes into the picture and her Boy falls for someone his own age?

THOUGHTS

My last book of the year! I do have to say, I hope Williams writes more about older characters in future novels. I feel so old reading about the 17-24 year olds most of the books are about, and I’m only 29 lol. I know Theresa isn’t the most likeable, but I liked her! Don’t read The Wicked Widow or Cocoa Beach if you don’t want this book spoiled!

Gente Normal by Sally Rooney | 2021 Book Challenge

51. Gente Normal

Spanish translation of Normal People.

  • Author: Sally Rooney (Translated by Inga Pellisa Díaz)
  • How I Read: Libby / Kindle
  • Category: Fiction
  • Location: Dublin & Sligo, Ireland
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

Normal People, but Spanish! I did want to challenge myself to reading a Spanish book this year, and this wound up being them one last minute!

Ask Again Yes by Mary Beth Keane | 2021 Book Challenge

50. Ask Again, Yes

What happens when two cops who move next door to each other and have two kids who fall for each other even as one cop’s wife has undiagnosed mental health issues.

THOUGHTS

I feel like this book is sold as a love story and spends its time on all the other characters. Can’t say I’d recommend it, and it’s just kind of depressing to read. The love story bits are really, really glossed over, so you don’t even buy it after they stop being kids!

The Beauty of Humanity Movement by Camilla Gibb | 2021 Book Challenge

49. The Beauty of Humanity Movement

A story about Old Many Hung, his famous pho, and the cast of characters that surround him.

THOUGHTS

I’m also hesitant to read books by authors who have limited experience in the country they’re writing about, but I really loved Gibb’s take on Vietnam! At least to me, it feels like she did her research, and I lovvvveeddd her descriptions of pho.

Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams | 2021 Book Challenge

48. Our Woman in Moscow

Ruth hasn’t spoken to her twin sister, Iris, since 1940 when she left her in Italy with Sasha Digby and long before the couple disappeared from London in 1948. Now it’s 1952 and Ruth has received a postcard from her long lost sister asking her to come to Moscow to help with her fourth pregnancy.

  • Author: Beatriz Williams
  • How I Read: Libby / Kindle
  • Category: Historical Fiction
  • Location: Rome, NYC, Moscow
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

It’s funny because this feels like both a Beatriz Williams novel but also something quite new for her. Maybe it’s because she’s never really set anything in Russia or Russia-adjacent before. I loved it! Right mix of intrigue and love story.

The Mermaid from Jeju by Sumi Hahn | 2021 Book Challenge

47. The Mermaid from Jeju

The story of a young haenyeo in Jeju as her life changes during April 3 Incident of 1948.

THOUGHTS

If you liked The Island of Sea Women, you’ll like this tale. It’s definitely a heartbreaking one.

The Other Black Girl Zakiya Dalila Harris | 2021 Book Challenge

46. The Other Black Girl

Nella Rogers is initially excited that another black girl is joining the stuffy Wagner Books. But then things start getting weird and a note appears telling her to LEAVE WAGNER NOW, and she starts to wonder who exactly this Hazel is.

  • Author: Zakiya Dalila Harris
  • How I Read: Libby / Kindle
  • Category: Literary Fiction
  • Location: NYC
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

This one will have you reading quickly to figure out what the heck is going on!

Mambo in Chinatown by Jean Kwok | 2021 Book Challenge

45. Mambo in Chinatown

Charlie Wong has traded in dishwashing for dancing as she struggles to balance a life in Chinatown and this shiny new world of ballroom dancing.

THOUGHTS

I love Jean Kwok and am only sad she doesn’t have more novels for me to tear through. The major theme in her novels is balancing life an identity between two cultures (usually NYC and Chinese), and this rings true for Charlie. It’s a very sweet Cinderella-like story and has a very cute update on our main character from Girl in Translation.

Normal People by Sally Rooney | 2021 Book Challenge

44. Normal People

An Irish love story between two people who, in their own ways, are trying to be normal.

THOUGHTS

I don’t know how but this story took SUCH a hold on me! I immediately watch the TV show after I finished, and I feel like I was caught in the grip of Marianne and Connell’s lives for a while. Felt like a hangover when I finally moved on. I’m clearly not the only one, so if you know, you know.

She Memes Well by Quinta Brunson | 2021 Book Challenge

43. She Memes Well

A book of essays from a child of both the Internet and Philadelphia.

THOUGHTS

Always loved Quinta in the Buzzfeed skits, and it’s awesome seeing all she’s gone on to accomplish! Love “Abott Elementary,” and when I was looking up her interviews for it, I saw she also wrote a book of essays! This book is fun and the perfect read for fellow children of the Internet as well as anyone who grew up in or near Philly.

The Wicked Widow by Beatriz Williams | 2021 Book Challenge

42. The Wicked Widow

The third installment of Beatriz William’s Wicked series. In 1925, Gin Kelly has settled down and married Oliver Anson Marshall, a former Prohibition agent, while in 1998 Ella Dommerich is dealing with her pregnancy, her cheating ex-husband, and her new, perfect boyfriend, Hector.

  • Author: Beatriz Williams
  • How I Read: Libby / Kindle
  • Category: Historical Fiction
  • Location: NYC
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

I actually think I want to re-read all three books in a row this year so I get the story at once, but I might also just wait until the next installment comes so it’s fresher in my memory. It took me a bit to get into the first book, but I have to say I’m totally sucked into the world of Gin and Anson and even Ella and Hector now!

The Power by Naomi Alderman | 2021 Book Challenge

41. The Power

What would happen if women could suddenly overpower men with a zap of their hands?

  • Author: Naomi Alderman
  • How I Read: Audible
  • Category: Speculative Fiction
  • Location: Around the World
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

I bought this book on Audible years ago because my friend loved it, but put off reading it for a long time after she died because it reminded me of her. I finally managed to listen to it, and boy is it an absolutely wild ride. Some of the scenes feel particularly graphic, and then you remember similar things have definitely happened in history with the genders reversed, and it makes you justtt a bit more nauseous.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey | 2021 Book Challenge

40. The Snow Child

Set in 1920s Alaska, this is a retelling of the Russian folktale “Snegurochka.”

  • Author: Eowyn Ivey
  • How I Read: Audible
  • Category: 1920s Historical Fiction
  • Location: Alaska, USA
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

A really interesting tale! Ivey does a really good job bringing Alaska alive, and I thought the tale was intriguing. I do think there was a bit of a pacing issue as the book picks up too much and kind of skips a few years in a paragraph which felt jarring. Almost feel like the book should’ve been split in two!

The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser | 2021 Book Challenge

39. The Bookshop of Second Chances

A charming love story between recently separated Thea and curmudgeonly secondhand bookshop owner Edward in a small Scottish village.

THOUGHTS

This is such a charming little book. Nothing really crazy happens, but it’s a lovely read from start to finish. There’s even a cute cat! Wondering how I can make this my own life.

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker | 2021 Book Challenge

38. The Silence of the Girls

The Trojan War as told from Briseis.

THOUGHTS

I don’t want to say I hated this but upon reflection, I really didn’t like it. Another one where I wanted to so badly because Briseis is one of the most interesting and untapped characters from the whole Trojan War! However, I feel like even Brad Pitt’s Troy did a better job giving her character. Like if you’re going to base your whole book about the silence of women in war and how Briseis is the best example of that – why would you switch POVs midway through the book to Achilles and Patroclus?

Also the modern dialogue is atrocious. Whoever decided on that made a bad call.

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu | 2021 Book Challenge

37. Interior Chinatown

Told in screenplay form, this is a look into Chinatown and the lack of roles for Asian actors.

THOUGHTS

Took me a second to get into with how it’s set-up, but wound up really enjoying it. It’s a really creative way to look at just how bad it’s been for Asian actors in Hollywood.

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang | 2021 Book Challenge

36. The Heart Principle

A follow up to The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test, this one follows Quan and Anna. Anna is suffering from imposter syndrome after a video of her playing violin goes viral when her boyfriend decides he wants an open relationship. Her initial plan of having one night stand after another stops when Quan, who seems completely unacceptable on paper, turns out to be a bit of a Prince Charming.

THOUGHTS

I’ve been waiting for this book! What I love about Hoang’s books is that they take a bit of a romantic comedy format but makes it steamier and more heartfelt without feeling sappy. You can also see with each novel how much more comfortable she is writing about autism and just how personal Anna is to her.

I mean everyone falls in love with Quan between the first two books, so we were all waiting to see who would be the female lead, and I find him and Anna to be so perfectly suited. This is very much Anna’s book, and it’s *chefs kiss* to see her growth!

The Last Story of Mina Lee | 2021 Book Challenge

35. The Last Story of Mina Lee

Alternate between Mina Lee’s first year in LA as an undocumented immigrant and the present after her daughter, Margot, finds her dead in their apartment.

  • Author: Nancy Jooyoun Kim
  • How I Read: Libby / Kindle
  • Category: Fiction (1987 & 2014)
  • Location: Los Angeles, CA
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

One thing I liked about this book is how much of a character Koreatown in LA was. It reminded me of how Elissa always described growing up in LA as a melting pot with Korean, Chinese, Mexican, and more cultures all intermingling. Other than that though, this book is frankly really depressing. Good but depressing. Don’t read if you’re not in the right headspace for it.

The Resistance Women | 2021 Book Challenge

34. The Resistance Women

A novel about the real life figures, Mildred Harnack, Greta Kuckhoff, and the Rote Kapelle, an espionage group that tried to stop the spread of Nazism.

  • Author: Jennifer Chiaverini
  • How I Read: Audible
  • Category: Historical Fiction (WWII)
  • Location: Berlin, Germany
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

For all I read about WWII, there’s always more to learn. I have never heard of the real life figures of Mildred Harnack or Greta Kuckhoff nor did I know anything about Rote Kapelle (Red Orchestra). Part of that is because their espionage against Nazism was tied to the Soviet Union, so, you know, US historians buried it deep within their work on Nazi Germany.

This is another book that just felt like it was trying to cover too much material without truly finding the heart of the characters. I listened to this on Audible and honestly kept getting characters confused. There’s a lot more POV characters than Mildred and Greta and some of them kind of just fade off (like the ambassador’s daughter). I think it would’ve been a lot better if Chiaverini focused on one person to show us what was going on and what Rote Kapelle was trying to do.

Seven Days in June | 2021 Book Challenge

33. Seven Days in June

Fifteen years ago, it only took seven days for Eva Mercy and Shane Hall to meet, fall intensely, and implode. Now they’re both adults with successful, albeit different literary careers and their paths are unexpectedly crossing once again.

THOUGHTS

One of my top reads of the year! Once in a blue moon, I accompany my mom and sister to BJ’s (sort of like Costco) and wander over to their massive book selection while they go pick up who know’s what. This happened to catch my eye and I remember having it in my Goodreads from a while back.

It’s weird to say but this book is cute. There’s a lot of trigger-warning, heavy material especially in the younger years but at the same time you’ll be squealing and metaphorically fist pumping in the present day. You’ve gotta read it, and you’ll know what I mean!

The Only Woman in the Room | 2021 Book Challenge

32. The Only Woman in the Room

A fictional take on the true life of Hedy Lamarr, the famous Hollywood screen star who was also an incredibly intelligent scientist.

  • Author: Marie Benedict
  • How I Read: Libby / Kindle
  • Category: Historical Fiction (1930s-40s)
  • Location: Vienna, Austria & Los Angeles, CA
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

I so wanted to love this book, but it wasn’t my favorite. Hedy Lamarr has one of those stories that feels almost surreal. Like if someone made it up, an editor would tell them they were being too unrealistic. And this book just felt too… dry I guess? I never felt like I got to know Hedy as a main character, and she really never felt human to me. Also once she got to Hollywood, I felt the story seemed even sparser and a bit sped up.

Sweet Bean Paste | 2021 Book Challenge

31. Sweet Bean Paste

A sweet, simple tale of an apathetic doryaki seller in Tokyo and an elderly woman with disfigured hands who wants to work for him for 1/3 his hourly rate while showing how to make truly delicious doryaki.

THOUGHTS

I enjoyed Sweet Bean Paste for the same reasons The Great Passage by Shion Miura is one of my favorite books. Sukegawa has this way of making a complete mundane setting into something charming and special. It’s a pretty short read and just something nice to enjoy. Definitely save to read after a particularly intense book.

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba | 2021 Book Challenge

30. The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba

Learn about the rise of Hearst Communications, the Cuban War of Independence, and the Spanish-American War as seen through the eyes of NYC journalist, Grace Harrington, secret courier in Cuba, Marina Perez, the real life, most beautiful girl in Cuba, Evangelina Cisneros.

  • Author: Chanel Cleeton
  • How I Read: Libby / Kindle
  • Category: Historical Fiction (1890s)
  • Location: Havana, Cuba & NYC, NY
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

This was another point in time that I wasn’t familiar with before reading. Most of what I’ve read of watched about Cuba is more around the 1950s with Batista and Castro, but this goes back even further to the late 1890s when Cuba was just trying to gain independence from Spain. I really enjoyed the three main protagonists and how Cleeton writes each of them.

Also if you’re wondering Marina Perez would be a great-great aunt (so sister of their great grandfather to Elisa (Next Year in Havana) and Beatriz (When We Left Cuba). In her book club kit for this book there’s a family tree.

The Headmaster's Wager | 2021 Book Challenge

29. The Headmaster’s Wager

Percival Chen is a Hoa Chinese who cares about making money, his only son, Dai Jai, and maintaining both of their Chinese-ness. When this ethnocentrism encourages Dai Jai to stage a walkout over learning Vietnamese, it kicks off an unfortunate chain of events as within a war that will only end with the Fall of Saigon in 1975.

  • Author: Vincent Lam
  • How I Read: Libby / Kindle
  • Category: Historical Fiction (1960s)
  • Location: Cho Lon & Sai Gon, Vietnam
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

I never thought I’d like a book where I had so much disdain for the main character! Percival is truly the worst kind of main character. He’s selfish, fails upwards, and is an absolute idiot. Like imagine you move to a country wanting to be rich but feel yourself above the people who are actually from that country. And that’s just the start! Not only that, imagine being so blindly ethnocentric that you don’t realize what psychotic “revolution” is going on from abroad!

However, I love the story Vincent Lam told as well as the many descriptions of Cho Lon and Saigon of the 1960s and 70s. I’m obsessed with the way everything unfolded and how it ended. Like the whole reason Percival was extra hard on Dai Jai was because he was seeing a Vietnamese girl who Percival couldn’t even deign to meet or recognize. All that led to the series of events that had Dai Jai starving in China.

Then the same half-French/half-Vietnamese woman he falls for while gambling (when he shouldn’t be gambling) is his son’s old lover? And the baby you thought you’d gotten her pregnant with is actually his? And just when this poor son who’s basically suffered from the minute he caused a commotion over learning Vietnamese in a misguided attempt to impress Percival dies while in Saigon because it’s chaos… AHHHH.

The Blue Rose | 2021 Book Challenge

28. The Blue Rose

A doomed romance between Viviane, the aristocratic daughter of an a countryside château, and David, the Welshman commissioned to re-do the garden and then what happens when the French Revolution rears its ugly head.

  • Author: Kate Forsyth
  • How I Read: Audible
  • Category: Historical Fiction
  • Location: France
  • Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

I thought this was such an interesting take on a few different things – the introduction of Chinese roses to Europe, the French Revolution, and the Chinese Legend of the Blue Rose. I knew nothing about any of them before reading, so I really did not know where this would take me, though I had an idea that the ending would never be too sad as Kate Forsyth doesn’t do tragic endings.

The big thing it made me realize was how brutal the French Revolution was. Like I knew it was bad with chopping off the king and queens’ heads, but it was so much more bloodthirsty. The one figure I truly feel the worst for has to be Louis XVII who wound up dying at the age of ten basically from torture :(.

Red, White, & Royal Blue | 2021 Book Challenge

27. Surprise Me

When the First Son and the Prince of England have a public kerfuffle, their families decide to force them to be best friends to save diplomatic relations. One problem? They start to fall for each other.

  • Author: Casey McQuiston
  • How I Read: Libby / Kindle
  • Category: Fiction
  • Location: Washington DC, London
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

I friggin’ loved this book. It exists in a world where a woman is president and 2020 is just a normal election year. Alex, the First Son, is like textbook chaotic good and a whole mood from the first chapter. Prince Henry is too sweet for words and they provide a nice balance to each other. I just want to live in this world and be friends with all the characters involved in this love story.

The Mountain Sings by Nguyen Phan Que Mai | Book Challenge 2021

26. The Mountains Sing

The Mountains Sing is a dual narrative book about the Trần family, specifically Trần Diệu Lan and her granddaughter, Hương. As they survive the end of the war and into a post-war, communist Việt Nam, Diệu Lan tells Hương of her life story from her youth in Nghệ An through the Land Reform that forced to flee.

  • Author: Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
  • How I Read: Paperback
  • Category: Historical Fiction (Vietnam War)
  • Location: Hanoi and Northern Vietnam
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

Ahhh I loved this book! It really gives you a look into what was going on in Việt Nam during the 20th century from a more human perspective and how these huge political movements affected individuals. I still think the Việt Nam War is criminally under-taught in high school history.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 | 2021 Book Challenge

25. Kim Ji Young, Born 1982

A book that helped spark a feminist revolution in Korea! Kim Ji Young is an every (Korean) woman story about a housewife who suddenly starts exhibiting strange behavior like impersonating others.

  • Author: Cho Nam Joo
  • How I Read: Libby / Kindle
  • Category: Modern Fiction
  • Location: Seoul, Korea
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

This book is criminally short! My friend, Kayley, recommended it for our book club, and I probably read it in a few hours. It’s written a way that feels like someone’s report on someone else, which I think you’re either going to like or dislike.

What’s crazy is I can 100% see how Korean women felt heard when they read this! As someone who taught as young as 1st grade and as old as retirement age, I was able to see a wide range of how Korean society can really grind down people, especially women.

If you think America has a ways to go to shattering the glass ceiling, trust me, Korea is ever further behind. Imagine working hard through college to get a job, deal with sexism and pay disparity, and then you get married and are expected to quit, become a housewife, and eventually care for at least your husband’s in-laws. To the point that they most likely will move in with you in your small apartment.

Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams | 2021 Book Challenge

24. Her Last Flight

Dual timelines between 1947 with Janey Everett who’s writing a biography of aviation pilot Sam Mallory and the 1920s which is the biography itself.

  • Author: Beatriz Williams
  • How I Read: Libby / Kindle
  • Category: Historical Fiction
  • Location: California / Hawaii
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

I don’t know what it is but the beginning of aviation just doesn’t intrigue me. The 1920s/30s in general never grabbed my attention like fiction around WWI and WWII. I started this book on my plane home from the US as well, and I don’t think I gave it quite the fair shot because I was still very much in the world of Jaipur and Lakshmi and not that interested in diving into the world of Hawaii and California and 1920s aviation. I think I got about 30% and then forgot about the book for a good 2 months before picking it up again!

However, once I did, I pretty much zipped through it as I do with all of William’s books! It actually might be one of my favorites of hers. The twists and turns as you get into these characters and their motivations are so good!

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes | 2021 Book Challenge

23. The Giver of Stars

British Alice Wright jumps at the chance to work with the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky after she finds life with her new husband in small town Kentucky isn’t quite the escape she expected.

THOUGHTS

I picked this book up on a whim when I was at BJ’s with my mom and sister around when I first got back. It’s a good book and a cool story about a period of time there’s really not much out there about. I don’t know why but it took me forever to make my way through it.

It’s not an uninteresting book, but I guess none of the characters grabbed me the way other Jojo Moyes characters have? Like I said, I don’t know! The story is great and the setting of Kentucky sounds breathtaking, but I guess I wanted characters who were a little less… obvious? Or maybe I just needed a little more romance lol.

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur | 2021 Book Challenge

22. The Secret Keeper of Jaipur

The sequel to The Henna Artist, this book picks up 8 years later and follows the POV of Malik, Nimmi, his girlfriend, and Lakshmi. This story surrounds the collapse of a balcony at the new cinema in Jaipur.

THOUGHTS

Over all, a good second book that has me excited for the third. I don’t love that we have three different POVs, and I would’ve preferred to just follow Malik back in Jaipur instead of getting scenes in Shimla. Definitely worth a read if you want to be back in the same universe as these characters!

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi | 2021 Book Challenge

21. The Henna Artist

Taking place in the 1960s, Lakshmi has spent her adult life escaping an abusive marriage and reinventing herself as Jaipur’s most prominent henna artists. Her hidden past, is upturned when her husband finds her gives her a sister she never knew existed.

  • Author: Alka Joshi
  • How I Read: Libby / Kindle
  • Category: Historical Fiction
  • Location: Jaipur, India
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

I really loved this story but maybe because Lakshmi is the kind of main lead I love, and Jaipur is somewhere I really want to visit. This was my airplane book, meaning I started it on my way back from Vietnam and finished by the time I landed in the US. Joshi just created a really interesting world around Lakshmi, and I loved the characters she created.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley | 2021 Book Challenge

20. The Guest List

It’s supposed to be the wedding to start a new trend as the bride, founder of a blog-turned-magazine, and her groom, a rising television star, opt to wed on the unique Inis an Amplóra! Except during the wedding night someone dies.

  • Author: Lucy Foley
  • How I Read: Paperback
  • Category: Thriller
  • Location: Inis an Amplóra (fictional), Ireland
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

Oh, I liked this book! It’s kind of a thriller-beach-reach vibe where there’s definitely mystery to keep you turning but it’s not super complex. I mean, you can probably figure some of it out before it’s revealed but it still makes for a fun read!

Vietnam: Rising Dragon by Bill Hayton | 2021 Book Challenge

19. Vietnam: Rising Dragon

Published in 2011, this book is a look into how modern Vietnam came to be after finally ending decades of fighting in 1975.

THOUGHTS

This was at my friend’s apartment, so I read it out of curiosity! I think it does a really good job examining Vietnam from all angles — tourism, economy, financial, etc. This is the kind of book that would be better for a college class where you could take the time to read each chapter, read supplemental materials, and discuss it with each other, but it works as a simple read too. It’s fun to read after living in Vietnam for a year because it puts into words the impressions you’ve had but haven’t been able to articulate!

I would be curious to see how things have changed if a follow up was written in 2021 as ten years is a long time in Vietnam!

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee | 2021 Book Challenge

18. The Idea of You

This is what happens when a 39-year-old divorcee, Solène, starts a love affair with a 20-year-old British boy band heart throb, Hayes Campbell. One problem – if word got out, it would destroy her 13-year-old daughter who’s August Moon’s biggest fan.

THOUGHTS

Well, the first thing you should know is this book is steamy. Like way steamier than I was expecting. I definitely should’ve gotten the Kindle version and not listened to it.

The second thing you should know is that this book takes itself just a touch too seriously given the subject matter. Like Solène has a French mother and speaks French, and she’s a rich art gallery owner so she can afford to jet set and wear designer and be a bit culturally snobby. And Hayes is British and written to be wise beyond his years and worldly and deep and yadadada. The author tries to discuss ageism for women, boy band/celebrity pressures, and other things but it’s just a lot for a fantasy-esque book where they spend half of it in various stages of naked.

I do like the author’s writing, so I’ll definitely be reading more of her. Maybe it’s because I’m 28 and every 20-year-old man I see seems so young that I can’t imagine adding another 11 years and finding them attractive!

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman | 2021 Book Challenge

17. Anxious People

Two cops are trying to get to the bottom of a hostage situation that happened during the open house of an apartment. The only problem is – all of the witnesses are being uncooperative and they can’t find the robber!

THOUGHTS

I read this for my book club and loved it. I mean I love all of Fredrik Backman’s books — he does such a good job of creating these character studies in the most mundane-seeming people while adding a bit of quirk no matter the story. With Anxious People, he takes a look at everyone involved in this hostage situation — their back stories, their motivations, their interactions with each other… It makes you love even the most grumpy of them.

This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens | 2021 Book Challenge

16. This Time Next Year

Born on New Year’s day, Minnie Cooper was raised believing her birthday to be unlucky ever since someone named Quinn Hamilton was born just minutes before her and took her name. Now she’s turning 30, she’s finally meeting this infamous Quinn — after spending the night locked in a bathroom!

THOUGHTS

Lol I should put this book under Fantasy considering it takes place in 2020 and we all know there was no accidentally running into your soulmate constantly in various locations all over London in 2020.

That aside, this book is cute. It’s very predictable, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. If you want something sweet and easy to read to warm your bitter heart, this is the perfect book!

The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams | 2021 Book Challenge

15. The Golden Hour

The book weaves between Lulu Randolph’s story in 1941 in Nassau and 1943 in London and Elfriede’s story at a sanatorium in the Swiss Alps in 1900.

  • Author: Beatriz Williams
  • How I Read: Kindle/Library
  • Category: Historical Fiction
  • Location: Nassau, Bahamas & the Swiss Alps
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

Ah, the plot of this book is really, really good but I do think it’s too much for one book. Like just following ONE of these stories would’ve filled a whole book well. I did love realizing it’s not only tied to other books of Williams but very much in the thick of things! I still think you could’ve done away with the Windsor stuff in Nassau and figured out another way to have Lulu’s British husband go missing during World War II.

Cocoa Beach by Beatriz Williams | 2021 Book Challenge

14. Cocoa Beach

The book goes back and forth between 1917 and 1922. In 1922, newly widowed Virginia Fitzwilliam arrives in Cocoa Beach to look over her estranged husband’s affairs while in 1917, we see just how Virginia fell in love with Captain Simon Fitzwilliam and why they separated.

  • Author: Beatriz Williams
  • How I Read: Kindle/Library
  • Category: Historical Fiction
  • Location: Cocoa Beach & France
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

Okay, so I should have definitely read this one before The Wicked Redhead because it’s obviously a giant spoiler to this whole book in the first chapter. Also should’ve read A Certain Age before this one, as this is its sequel. Oops! I enjoyed this book and getting to know Cocoa Beach. You have the burgeoning love story admist World War I in the past mixed with a present day mystery around Simon’s death in a fire in 1922 and what could have led to it.

The Wicked Redhead by Beatriz Williams | 2021 Book Challenge

13. The Wicked Redhead

Our sequel to The Wicked City! The Wicked Redhead picks up right where we left off with Gin and Anson fleeing to Cocoa Beach, Florida to recover. Meanwhile in the present, Ella Dommerich begins to try to figure out who the redheaded woman in her antique photo was exactly.

  • Author: Beatriz Williams
  • How I Read: Kindle/Library
  • Category: Historical Fiction
  • Location: Cocoa Beach, NYC
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

Okay, okay I see you Beatriz Williams. This book brings Ella and Gin’s plots closer together, though there’s still a sequel coming out later this year, so not all questions are answered. I loved re-visiting Stefan and Annabelle in their old age and seeing all these familiar surnames start coming together in 1998. Very intrigued to see how The Wicked Widow ties up the trilogy as well as how it incorporates other books in Williams’ universe.

My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler | 2021 Book Challenge

12. My Horizontal Life

Comedian Chelsea Handler delves into her early sexcapades.

THOUGHTS

My friend told me Handler’s books were pretty hilarious and this was a good one to start with! LOL It’s definitely a bit more of its time as some of the jokes are very not PC, but it definitely made me laugh out loud quite a few times. Bookmarked her other autobiographies to read later!

Daughters of the Nile by Stephanie Dray | 2021 Book Challenge

11. Daughters of the Nile

In the final book about Cleopatra Selene, Selene has given up her desire for Egypt and instead turns her attentions to her kingdom of Mauretania and her husband, Juba. However, the emperor and Ancient Rome are always calling and Octavian’s power over the couple as well as Juba’s loyalty to him continue to remain a threat.

  • Author: Stephanie Dray
  • How I Read: Kindle
  • Category: Historical Fiction
  • Location: Mauretania (present day Algeria), Volubilis (Morocco), Ancient Rome
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

Okay, this was by far my favorite of three books, and I was sad when it came to an end. Selene and Juba’s relationship is pretty interesting — from a small crush on Selene’s end in the first book to dislike and distrust in the second book to a strained companionship and eventually love in the final book, it’s an absolute roller coaster. I was pretty mad at Juba all of the second book and a good part of this one lol.

I think this book is also the most interesting as it delves into Selene and Juba’s rule in Mauretania and what they created during their reign. In real life, they created a prosperous nation, so it was cool seeing it all come to life in the book. Don’t skip Dray’s historical notes at the end!

The Island of the Sea Women by Lisa See | 2021 Book Challenge

10. The Island of the Sea Women

On the island of Jeju, there’s an age old tradition of female divers, internationally known as hanyeo. This book follows two best friends, Mi Ja and Young Sook as they grow from baby divers to wives and beyond.

THOUGHTS

Ahhh Lisa See is another one who I just know going in that this isn’t going to be a pleasant read. Jeju is one of my favorite places in the world, but I will admit I’m not super familiar with its history or culture (part of why I wanted to stay there for a month last year). I had never heard of the Jeju uprising until this book, and it was a brutal introduction.

Over all, this book just left me really sad for everyone involved. Let me just say this — if there’s someone you had a falling out with and they’re trying to reach out, no matter how much anger and pain there is, if you once loved them, at least reach back a little to hear them out.

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim | 2021 Book Challenge

9. Miracle Creek

Two people are dead after a pressurized oxygen chamber, known as the Miracle Submarine, explodes and someone is to blame. But who?

THOUGHTS

So this book is laid out as a courtroom drama with shifting POVs and flashbacks. You don’t know who’s responsible until the end, of course. While it does have some commentary on immigration to rural Virginia (this time from Seoul), a bigger conversation is related to autism and parents trying “cure” it, which I thought was interesting.

Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray | 2021 Book Challenge

8. Song of the Nile

Continuing on from Lily of the Nile, this book follows Selene as she continues her quest to reclaim her throne in Egypt even if it may cost her own soul.

  • Author: Stephanie Dray
  • How I Read: Kindle
  • Category: Roman Empire Historical Fiction
  • Location: Mauretania (modern day Algeria) + Greece
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

Now that I’ve read all three books, I can safely say this one is absolutely bonkers. Like I wanted to scrub my skin when I finished it. I also sometimes couldn’t quite figure out what was going on, but that’s partially on purpose. I’m still confused — is Helios alive or not?

Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella | 2021 Book Challenge

7. Love Your Life

What happens when you start a fling at a writer’s retreat in Italy and then try to make it work back in the real world.

  • Author: Sophie Kinsella
  • How I Read: Kindle / Libby
  • Category: Modern Fiction
  • Location: Italy & London
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

I mean it’s Sophie Kinsella! It’s a super funny, cute read with a ton of mishaps and misunderstandings and the whackiest scenarios. Like in the real world Dutch is the heir to a… dollhouse company? So random!

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok | 2021 Book Challenge

6. Girl in Translation

Kimberly Chang and her mother learn about the American nightmare when they emigrate from Hong Kong to Brooklyn in the 1980s/90s.

THOUGHTS

Ahhhhh. Is it Jean Kwok’s aim in life to just break her readers’ hearts with every book?! While I thought Searching for Sylvie Lee was a stronger book, this one was still excellent. The way it throws the curtain back on US sweatshops and examines the Chinese-American immigrant experience is well done, even if the main character seems a little superhuman at times. The love story is so bittersweet that it still bothers me now.

Still Me by Jojo Moyes | 2021 Book Challenge

5. Still Me

The third novel about Lou Clark! Picks up right from After You when Lou moves to NYC to be a professional friend to the very wealthy Agnes Gopnik and finally ready to live her life like she promised Will Traynor.

THOUGHTS

Ahhhhhh. I feel like I have such a soft spot for Lou Clark, especially now that I just imagine Emilia Clarke as her when I read the books. I loved Me Before You and found its message of truly living your life really inspiring back when I first read it (now five+ years ago!).

If MBY explored Lou’s absolute stagnation in life and After You dealt with her grief after Will’s death, Still You feels like looking into her finally trying to live life and do what she really wants. I thought it was a cute read, and the ending was sweet. I don’t know that Jojo Moyes intends on more books, but I think this was a good book to end Lou’s story.

Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray | 2021 Book Challenge

4. Lily of the Nile

Cleopatra only had one daughter — Cleopatra Selene. When she commits suicide, ten-year-old Selene, her twin brother Helios, and their little brother Philadelphus find they must survive as hostages of Octavian Caesar in Ancient Rome.

THOUGHTS

If you looked at my reading from last year, you’ll know I already read a similar book, Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran. Lily of the Nile covers the same time period of Selene’s life, though Dray has two more books that cover her adult life that I’m eager to read.

I waited to read these because I didn’t want to have the characters from Moran’s version too fresh in my mind. Both Dray and Moran approach the stories pretty differently, and Dray’s has some slightly fantastical elements that Moran’s doesn’t.

The characters in this book are quite different from Moran’s, though some stay the same. Selene is still the level-headed narrator, Livia and Tiberius still just as miserable, and Octavia a new motherly figure, albeit not as warm in this version. Otherwise, Helios is much more hotheaded and mindful of getting back to Egypt, Julia has much more spunk, Marcellus is barely in it, Juba is more passive and not as Mr. Darcy-esque, and Octavian is a lot creepier.

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood | 2021 Book Challenge

3. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

When eight-year-old Wavy sees 20-something Kellen, one of her druggy father’s thugs, crash his motorcycle one night, everything changes for the two.

  • Author: Bryn Greenwood
  • How I Read: Kindle/Library
  • Category: Modern Fiction
  • Location: 1980s-90s Oklahoma
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

………..

I genuinely don’t even know what to think of this book. Was it one of the best or one of the worst books I’ve read? I still do not know. One the one hand, the writing is incredibly engaging and this world feels very real in all its ugliness. On the other hand, what the actual flying fuck was this relationship? And why is the ONLY real adult with concerns over pedophilia turned into the villain? Why did Greenwood feel the need to write this book? So many questions. All I can say is no matter how “grown-up” Wavy has to become because of her parents, Kellen should have always known better. Blechhhhhh.

I also made Autumn read this one, and we were like live-messaging each other going “WTF?” as we ready.

The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams | 2021 Book Challenge

2. The Wicked City

In the present day of 1998, Ella has just left her cheating husband and moved into a rickety old apartment building in NYC. This same building was once home to a speakeasy where Gin Kelly, a flapper who’s escaped her country roots and creepy stepfather, frequents in the 1920s.

  • Author: Beatriz Williams
  • How I Read: Kindle/Library
  • Category: Historical Fiction
  • Location: NYC and Maryland
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

Not gonna lie, I’ve been loving Beatriz William’s books but this one didn’t capture me quite as much. Maybe because I’ve never been that interested in the 1920s? I dunno. It’s quite chaotic and there’s at least one more sequel, so soooo many loose ends when you finish. Also the two stories of Ella and Gin don’t really seem to overlap until towards the end, and even then it’s a pretty strenuous tie.

Still it IS a Williams book, and I love her storytelling, so I’m obviously going to read the sequel and I’m a bit invested to see where Gin’s story goes! And given that Ella is Pepper’s daughter, it was nice getting glimpses into how Pepper (Along the Infinite Sea) and Viv (The Secret Life of Violet Grant) are doing in their older age.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern | 2021 Book Challenge

1. The Starless Sea

Zachary Ezra Rawlings is drawn to a mysterious world related to the mythical Starless Sea when he inadvertently picks up and unlisted book at his local library.

  • Author: Erin Morgenstein
  • How I Read: Kindle/Library
  • Category: Fantasy
  • Location: NYC and the Starless Sea
  • Support Local // Buy on Amazon

THOUGHTS

I loved this book. It’s so winding and dreamy and fantastical. I actually wish I had read it with a physical copy because once you start putting the pieces together, you want to go back re-read the “excerpts” from the books mentioned in the story. The writing is poetic and as a review I read said, it feels like a love letter to storytelling!

Not everyone will love this recommendation, I told Autumn to read it and she absolutely hated it, and reviews on Goodreads are pretty polarized, so it really depends on your style!

And that’s everything I read in 2021!

want to support?

I’m always grateful when friends and readereach out wanting to support There She Goes Again. Truthfully, I’m just happy my posts are helping people travel! If you’d like to support the blog, here are some companies and brands I’m affiliated with. Simply click the links, and I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you!

TRAVEL

BLOGGING / SOCIAL MEDIA

SHOPPING

BOOKS

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.