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
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
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
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
I didn't realize you read Wild Bird for the first time this year! Or The Giver! (isn't that one AMAZING???)
ReplyDeleteThe Count of Monte Cristo basically counts as five books, so I think you're doing fine. XD
Yep! Even though I was the one who got you into Wendelin Van Draanen I've read surprisingly few of her books... I hope to try The Running Dream next! The Giver is FANTASTIC! Have you continued the series?
DeleteWhy thank you. XD There are at least five different storylines we follow...then again Les Mis probably counts as that many so you've still read way over 300. XD
I read the Book Thief this year too, and it broke me. It's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI love The Great Gatsby too.
It has such an interesting way to tell a story! I thought I was well prepared, but nope, I was still a sobbing mess.
DeleteIt's so fascinating! I have a movie edition that I am now curious in seeing...
I have read 6 books off your list :-) Every year is different -- some years I read loads and loads, and some years I don't. Nothing wrong with that, either way.
ReplyDeleteMy kids just got into the Keeper of the Lost Cities books this fall. My 10-yr-old chows down these 700-page books like they're no big deal, and I'm so proud of her :-D And of my 12- and 14-yr-olds too, because they also inhale them, but I'm used to them reading massive tomes, but it's kind of a new thing for my youngest :-)
Oh, I know you've read The Great Gatsby and The Count of Monte Cristo, but what are the other 4? I agree, stories should be something that is enjoyed, not forced upon or an obligation. :-)
DeleteI LOVE that feeling of getting into a new series and not being able to put them down. Especially when it is something that gets people really into reading! That is fantastic that your kids love them so much! That makes me so happy. Those books are a ton of fun! Have you read them at all or have you just heard about them from your kids?
EEEEEE GATSBY IS ON HERE *does somersaults because she is happy* Hee. I'm due for a revisitation of that one.
ReplyDeleteASHER LEV! I'm so excited to finish reading that one. My sister bought it for me on our last trip to the bookstore and so far I love it. I'm only a few chapters in though.
Ha. I would LOVE to exchange notes with you on The Count of Monte Cristo, cuz I was the exact opposite: I loved it until I got to the end, and then I was mad cuz I didn't see the point. XD It's been awhile, though.
I've also read The Book Thief, the Lunar Chronicles, and the first few Series of Unfortunate Events books. (Which I mean to get back to at some point. So much fun.)
SO happy to hear you've been writing happily away. Writing is the best. *happy sigh*
I knew you would be pleased by that. ;) I was SO surprised that I liked it so much! I now want to read a lot more of Fitzgerald's writing because it is luscious. Have you read anything else by him? Yes, I don't think you have it memorized quite yet, so after a few more rounds you'll have it down. ;)
DeleteMEGAN! I CAN'T WAIT to hear what you think of Asher Lev! It's somehow intense and relaxing at the same time...marvelous!
Really? Interesting! I've watched the 2002 movie for ages so I'm used to a very different conclusion. Throughout I was so tired of revenge and thought that it was just going to be complete and never have anything to say against it, but I thought it showed a lot for the future with the last few words. That's basically how I live! What did you like about it the whole time through? Tell me all of your thoughts!
All good things! I just need to read Winter to finish my reread of The Lunar Chronicles. I keep finding things in ASoUE as I reread them that I think you would really dig. Stuff really starts happening in books 5 and 8... Ah, it's so mysterious, fascinating, and cool!
Writing is indeed The Best. I've written enough words in my life that I just look at what I write and have fun with it, with barely any cringing! Which reminds me that it's been a few weeks since I touched my WIP...I should get on that before the semester starts up...
Ahh The Book Thief!! Love it so much! Cannot wait to hear your thoughts on it. Did you see the movie? Awe, The Incorrigible Children is a wonderful series! Great characters you can relate too and I mean Penelope is a great governess. The Giver is on my list to read, has been for awhile. ;)
ReplyDeleteYears ago my brother and I read the Series of Unfortunate Events together. We had fun exchanging the books/audiobooks and discussing theories.
So excited that you finished The Count of Monte Cristo!! I really like the ending! I feel like it brings the story together. But yeah I can understand it feeling weighty. Still the Dante is such an intriguing character.
I took a full page of notes so I can't wait to review it! I want to do that once I see the movie, but I haven't had the opportunity to, yet. I really want to because I love all of the characters I've seen Geoffrey Rush play! It's been almost a year since I finished book 5 of The Incorrigible Children series and I really want to read the last one! I just need to get my hands on a copy... The Giver is a fascinating book! I would love to hear your thoughts on it when you read it.
DeleteTheories for A Series of Unfortunate Events are so fun! My sister and I got really obsessed with figuring out the messages in #7 and we never got it, lol. Now when I read it though this time I couldn't believe how easy it seemed.
There are so many intriguing things about The Count of Monte Cristo! When you have a tome that massive it is quite the task to finish it off, and it was interesting how Dumas did it.
So cool that you wrote a bunch this year! And hey, with reading, it's about quality not quantity, anyway. I'd love a review of KotLC; I hear people rave about it but I'm a bit foggy on what it's actually like/about? And I read The Lions of Little Rock this year because of you and IT WAS AMAZING!!! Here's to many good stories in 2022!!
ReplyDelete