Books I read in 2021

Happy 2022!!!

2021 is gone. That is so bizarre to think about. Though there were ups and downs (as I suspect there will be in this new year, too), reading was the perfect thing to help me keep my sanity. Escaping into other worlds helps you appreciate your own, you know? It also helped me write over 50k words, so I can't get enough of stories. I'm here to list ALL of the books I read in 2021! Please tell me how many of these you have read.

It's basically the same, but if you were curious, HERE is my Goodreads account. Also, my sister and I just started a bookstagram HERE, if you were interested. 

There will be a link (blue) if I have reviewed it. (Hint, apparently I only did that once for new to me books and twice for rereads, but I hope more will be coming in 2022!). 

New to me books:

The Book Thief - by Markus Zusak

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Interrupted Tale - by Maryrose Wood

The Great Gatsby - by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Year of the Rat - by Grace Lin

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Unmapped Sea - by Maryrose Wood

Finding Love at Compassion Ranch - by Gayle M. Irwin

I, Coriander - by Sally Gardener

The Giver - by Lois Lowry

All My Sons - by Arthur Miller

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze - by Shannon Messenger

Wild Bird - by Wendelin Van Draanen

The Kite Runner - by Khaled Hosseini

Shadow and Bone - by Leigh Bardugo

The Truth About Twinkie Pie -  by Kat Yet

Siege and Storm - by Leigh Bardugo

My Name is Asher Lev - by Chaim Potok

Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess - by Nancy Springer

Louisiana's Way Home - by Kate DiCamillo

The Count of Monte Cristo - by Alexandre Dumas

Total: 19

Rereads:

The Lunar Chronicles: Cinder - by Marissa Meyer

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning - by Lemony Snicket

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Reptile Room - by Lemony Snicket

The Lunar Chronicles: Scarlet - by Marissa Meyer

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Wide Window - by Lemony Snicket

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Miserable Mill - by Lemony Snicket

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy - by Lemony Snicket

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Ersatz Elevator - by Lemony Snicket

The Lunar Chronicles: Cress - by Marissa Meyer

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Vile Village - by Lemony Snicket

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Hostile Hospital - by Lemony Snicket

Total: 11

Grand total: 30.

My 10 Favorite New-To-Me Reads of 2021:

1. Wild Bird - by Wendelin Van Draanen

2. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Unmapped Sea - by Maryrose Wood (95% ridiculous and I love it to pieces.)

3. All My Sons - by Arthur Miller (perfect for 2021, if you catch my drift)

4. The Truth About Twinkie Pie - by Kat Yeh

5. Louisiana's Way Home - by Kate DiCamillo

6. My Name is Asher Lev - by Chaim Potok

7. The Giver - by Lois Lowry

8. Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze - by Shannon Messenger (I don't know why I love these books so much, but I do.)

9. The Great Gatsby - by F. Scott Fitzgerald (against all odds, this was excellent for what it was going for)

10. The Count of Monte Cristo - by Alexandre Dumas (only putting this here because I have no idea how to feel about it, but I think I liked the ending...)

You may have noticed that this only lists 19 new to me books while in past years it has been 40+. This year did not have as much reading, which is weird as it felt like I read A LOT (The Count of Monte Cristo in all its 1200+ pages will do that to you). In other years I would be freaking out and thinking that I wasn't doing enough, but this was just right for my life this year. In the past stories were my life and I wanted to be living them constantly, but this year I had my own story to write, which was a fantastic experience. I'm thankful for them to always be there when I need them, but I don't NEED them to survive.

Usually here at Movies Meet Their Match I post the books I read in the year on January 1st and the movies I watched on January 2nd. This might have a slight hiccup this year. You see, I keep track of all of this by writing it down in journals, and this year I accidentally left those journals four hours away from where I am right now. Whoops. That will be that way until the middle of January. I was able to get this list out with the help of Goodreads, but I don't have another platform for movies. I think I'll try to get the post up tomorrow all the same just with guessing everything based on other lists and records I keep, I just might be missing one or two. In that case, I will update this when I get my journal.

Thank you for reading! What were some of YOUR favorite books you read in 2021? What do you think of my favorite books? Do you want to see me review any of these? What books should I read in 2022?

Happy new year, friends! I wish you all the best!

Chloe the MovieCritic

The 12 Days of Christmas Book Tag

Hello, everyone!

It’s been another long time since I’ve had a post, but here I am today on the 21st day of the 21st year of the 21st century. I’m way too excited about that.

Now that I finally have time to write, its a little lame of me to just put out answers to a tag instead of a review of some kind. But, this is what I’m in the mood for as it is so fun and Christmasy (wow, is that actually a word? My computer is not correcting me on that for once…). I hope that I’ll be more refreshed for movie and book reviews in the new year. You read that correctly, this is probably my last blog post for this year, 2021. I hope to have a nice stash of thoughts ready for you all in January! In the meanwhile, please tell me some highlights from your year and I will get around to answering comments.

Two years ago, Hamlette created a 12 Days of Christmas Movie Tag that I had a ton of fun filling out HERE, and last year she put a twist on it with books instead. I was not officially tagged, but I had fun with my stolen goods anyway. I hope you enjoy my answers!

The 12 Days of Christmas Book Tag:

Rules: 

#1 Use a different book for each prompt 

#2 Add photos and/or explanations of how your choices fit the prompts 

#3 Tag a few friends to play along 

(Hamlette calls these guidelines, so I might bend them a little...)

1. A Partridge in a Pear Tree -- book that involves agriculture 

Farmer Boy - by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Most of the Little House books involve farming of one kind or another, but this one stuck out to me for a few reasons, one of them the title. I distinctly remember a scene where it froze before people thought it was going to, so in the early morning the people on the farm were running around and trying to water the potatoes (or was it corn? Maybe I don't remember it so distinctly) to save them.

2. Turtledoves -- book about a long-lasting relationship 

David Copperfield - by Charles Dickens has a whole tidal wave of relationships. Some are short, but many span great lengths of the book. Whether it is a girl waiting for the love of her life, or a father doing everything to find his adopted daughter. I was not a huge fan when I read it, but now that it has sunk in a little, I think I should give it another go.

3. French Hens -- book that takes place in France 

Is it cheating to use two from the same author? Oh, well, I’m going with A Tale of Two Cities - by Charles Dickens. One of those cities is in England, and the other is in France… It’s about revolutions and sacrifice and revenge and one of my favorite books that Dickens wrote.

4. Calling Birds -- book where people talk on the phone 

Take your pick of any Nancy Drew book by Caroline Keene. Pretty much every book has a moment where Nancy gets a call telling her to drop the case. Sinister, eh? She never listens and the people behind the mystery end up where they deserve. And Nancy herself uses the phone a lot to call Bess, George, Hannah, Ned, and Mr. Drew.

5. Golden Rings -- book with multiple romances 

*grumbles* WHY is it so hard for me to always come up with answers to the romance question? I read enough books that have them. I’d been doing well on my own, but now I might have to resort to looking through Goodreads to remind me what I’ve read…

Ah, Winter - by Marissa Meyer is the last book in The Lunar Chronicles and has quite a few romances being wrapped up. It gets a little steamy for me two or three times, but in general I support the characters. I know I can think of five possibilities, but they don’t all get together.

6. Geese A-laying -- book with a birth or that features babies 

Mary Poppins - by P. L. Travers. Most are familiar with one of the movie versions, so a few years ago I decided to listen to an audiobook of the original. Michael and Jane are not the only Banks children, as they have two younger siblings, twins John and Barbara, who are infants. The whole book was a little strange, but everything involving those two babies broke my heart. 

7. Swans A-swimming -- book where someone goes swimming 

I hate that the only one I can think of is in the book The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - by Ann Brashares. The reason I don't like it is because the two swimming scenes are rather awkward.

8. Maids A-milking -- book with cows 

This one has stumped me above all others and is the last one I’m answering (I don’t know why I always feel the need to tell you guys that. I guess I’m just ensuring that I am honest?) Isn’t there something about Mr. Harrison’s cow in Anne of Avonlea - by L. M. Montgomery? I don’t remember the specific circumstances. Maybe I should be rereading that one instead of the third book. I know that in Patrick McManus’s any of collections of short stories there is bound to be one that mentions the evil cows that hate fishermen. I don’t get it, but then again, I’m not a fisherman.

9. Ladies Dancing -- book with a dance scene 

In Cloaked - by Rachel Kovaciny (the very creator of this tag, Hamlette herself!) (read my review HERE), characters enjoy dancing and have chances to do so. They happily reference this back to Pride & Prejudice - by Jane Austen, which says “To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love.” I was able to get two in one!

10. Lords A-leaping -- book about athletes 

You guys should see for now how I answer Harry Potter in almost every tag (and my Theology professor probably thinks I’m obsessed with it. I’m not, just all his essay questions work really well with it!). It works, okay? Quiddich is a hard game! I’ll be specific and say Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire because Harry and the Weasleys go to an official match between Ireland and Bulgaria. Plus, you have to be pretty athletic to survive the Triwizard Tournament.

11. Pipers Piping -- book with someone playing a musical instrument 

In Little Women - by Louisa May Alcott, Beth March plays the piano. I know I use this book a lot, but it is so sweet and nostalgic! I know many people who play the piano in real life but I’ve never picked it up besides a few scales. I keep trying to convince my sister to learn “Ophelia” - by The Lumineers because there is a lot of awesome piano in it.

12. Drummers Drumming -- book with characters in the military

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - by Mary Ann Shafer and Annie Barrows. While none of the characters it revolves around are in the military, they hear stories about when Guernsey was occupied by Germany and there were lots of soldiers around then. Some were rather important.

I stole this, so I don't think I can tag anyone, but please let me know if you fill this out so I can look at your answers!

This was the perfect thing for me to do this afternoon. I was feeling a little dull when I started, but now I'm lively again. I'd forgotten how much I love blogging! It is so refreshing. No better way to vent your feelings than pounding them out on a keyboard, right? Thank you to Hamlette for making this!

I hope that you all have a happy, merry, jolly, and all around peaceful Christmas and end of the year. Joy to you all!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Rogues, Royals, and Raiding Roc - by Sarah Rodecker and Helena George: COVER REVEAL!!!

Yo ho ho, ye scallawags!

This is a monumental day as it is the cover reveal for the final book in the Pirate Hunter Chronicles series - by Sarah Rodecker and Helena George! Rogues, Royals, and Raiding Roc! These books have been the most recent that I've featured for cover reveals on my blog and it's so strange to think this is the last one?

Will it live up to how amazing the others have been?

Spoiler alert: it is.

You'll have to tell me your thoughts at the end of this scrolling

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This is me any time pirates are mentioned.

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This was me when I saw the cover. It's my favorite of all of them, and that's saying a lot.

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Will this be the last collaboration that Sarah and Helena do together? I hope not as they are a power team! Check out the interview I did with them from the last book release HERE!

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You should read the other books #1: Ships, Secrets, and Survivors, #2: Sins, Sons, and Siren Songs, & #3: Rumors, Reunions, and Revenge.

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*cannons boom*

Two queens fighting for a throne.

A king returns to his home.

And the master of the seas.

Three years, and Pirate Queen Bonnie Clearwater still sails the seas. She continues to evade the pirate hunters, and her army only grows stronger until it threatens the whole Alliance of Kingdoms. In a desperate move, Captain Adi sails to the east to look for allies before her cousin begins to march across the kingdoms, one by one.

Meanwhile, Ravin must do the impossible—return to his home country of Arrothray and gain the leadership of the del Mankayl assassin clan. After running from his past for years, the time has come to confront the truth behind his family name.

The Red Wind Legends were once fire-side stories, told by sailors, parents, and travellers. But they continue to grow, wild and free, like the seas themselves. As the Alliance makes a final desperate stand against the Pirate Nation, the legacy of the Master of the Seas holds the key to victory.

Release date:

December 14, 2021

Where to get it:

Preorder signed paperbacks

Preorder ebook

Find it on:

Goodreads

Follow the authors:

Helena's blog

Instagram:

@sarahrodecker 

@julian.daventry 

@theorderofthepenpress

That's not all! There are preorder goodies! If you order this before the release date then fill out THIS FORM HERE and you could win:

Physical (US only):

A bookmark

A crown sticker

Two character art cards

Tea

Virtual (open Internationally):

A PDF of Branded, a Pirate Hunter Novella

Access to an exclusive content page with fun downloads

Haven't read these books but desperately want to? Or you already have read them and you just want to enjoy them all over again? Well,  Helena and Sarah are hosting a readathon of the entire series during the month of December (December 5th-January 1st), where each week is focused on a specific book. There will be an exclusive chat group on Instagram where readers can interact with us, the authors, and chat with each other about the books.

Now that this is the end of the series, we have to look at the covers together, of course. What do you think? Of all of these, which is your favorite?

As I said, I don't think you can beat this one, but I really love the first one, too. What are you waiting for? The book is not just it's cover, so read these books and tell me what you think about them yourself! Congrats to Sarah and Helena for having made it through a whole series!

Chloe the MovieCritic

The Give Thanks for Books Tag!

Hello, friends!

I'm here to talk quickly about books, because books are the best. I have spent a good chunk of my life reading, and I miss reading with my current busy schedule. I'm going to feel better even thinking about them, though, which is why I'm here! The terrific Olivia tagged me with the Give Thanks for Books Tag! I'm grateful for her, and Hamlette who created this tag! Thanks Olivia!

The Rules

1. Thank the person who tagged you. 

2. Fill out the tag.

3. Share the tag graphic in your post.

4. Tag four friends.

5. Provide a clean copy of the tag for easy copying.

The Questions:

G -- A book you're Grateful to a friend for recommending

You guys are probably tired of me mentioning North & South - by Elisabeth Gaskell, but it's my third favorite book of all time so I'm not going to stop talking about it any time soon. The friend who recommended it knew I love Jane Austen and Charles Dickens so this would be perfect for me. She also recommended Wives & Daughters - by Elisabeth Gaskell which was exactly what I needed at the time.

I -- A book that fires your Imagination

The Girl Who Drank the Moon - by Kelly Barnhill. I want to read a million more stories set in this world! It made me realize that dragons can come in all shapes and sizes, and it only matters about the fire within inside. Just all of this book makes me want to sit down and write into the sunset (see what I did there?).

V -- A book with a Vivid setting

Shadow Spinner - by Susan Fletcher. It is about a girl who provides Scheherazade with stories, and I felt like I was in the 1001 Nights myself. It's been a long time since I read it, but scenes describing the hustle and bustle of the markets still stick with me. It is probably responsible for inspiring my current WIP...

E -- An Encouraging book

Wild Bird - by Wendelin Van Draanen. Whatever you've come through you can still take flight. Wren goes through dark moments and she has to find the light. It encouraged me a lot!

T -- A book that Taught you something

The Magician's Elephant - by Kate DiCamillo. It taught me the importance of asking, "What if? Why not? Could it be?" A mind open to possibilities is open to everything else, like forgiveness and humility.

H -- A Happy book

I pondered this for a long time, as I was trying to come up with a book that was 100% happy from start to finish. Finally I had to tell myself that this question is for a book that MAKES ME happy. 

Howl's Moving Castle - by Diana Wynn Jones. I've already read it at least twice, but I want to read it again because it is so fun! Lots of hijinks and things to keep anyone happy.

A -- An Amusing book

All of the books of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place that I've read so far (which is 1-5, so I'm only missing the last one) have made me laugh so much. I cackle while washing the dishes listening to the audiobook and make my family nervous. Though it is against Miss Penelope Lumley's best efforts, the Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia get into lots of trouble, and it is hilarious.

N -- A New-to-you book or author you discovered this year

The Truth About Twinkie Pie - by Kat Yeh. I loved Leia (GiGi) and this book highlighted her struggles. One time, it wasn't even a sad part but I was just sitting and crying while reading this book because I FELT that much for her!

K -- A fictional character you feel a Kinship with

Louisiana Elefante from Lousiana's Way Home - by Kate DiCamillo. We first see her in Raymie Nightingale and I thought she and I were somewhat similar. When she got her own book to shine in I really saw all of the similarities come into place. A difference is that she is an amazing singer which is an activity I never partake in. 

S -- A book you want to Share with others

The Ickabog - by J. K. Rowling. It was one of my favorite books that I read last year, and it was such a rollicking good time. In addition to that it cut me deeply, so of course, misery loves company. It is so fun, deep, and poignant. I am the only person I know who has read it so I want others to read it, too!

I tag:

Sam @ Bookshire

ThunderbirdQueen @ The Winchester North Star

Emily Grant @ Words Really Matter

Katherine & Grace @ The Maidens of Green Gables

Clean Question List

G -- A book you're Grateful to a friend for recommending

I -- A book that fires your Imagination

V -- A book with a Vivid setting

E -- An Encouraging book

T -- A book that Taught you something

H -- A Happy book

A -- An Amusing book

N -- A New-to-you book or author you discovered this year

K -- A fictional character you feel a Kinship with

S -- A book you want to Share with others

There you go! See, I feel much better now. Sometimes being grateful does that to someone, right?

What's better than talking about books with yourself? Talking about books with others! Have any of you read these? I feel like I always say the same things when answering tags so I was really trying to switch it up (taking a long time...). Was I successful? What are some books you are grateful for?

Oh, and happy November!

Chloe the MovieCritic