Monday, January 10, 2022

2021 Books

At the end of every year, I have a strong desire to look back at all of the books I read that year, reread my reviews, choose my favorites and least favorites in fiction and non-fiction, and write a post about it.  Here is my 2021 report.

In 2021 I read and reviewed 68 books.  13 were non-fiction and 55 were fiction.

My favorite non-fiction books:  I had two very favorite:  

1. A History and Memories of Charles Overn and Libby Fox Peterson by my sister, Patricia Mickelsen   I loved this book that taught me so much about my ancestors.  I literally hugged it and cried when I was done reading it.

2. The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee.  Wow!  This was a powerful and memorable book.  It opened the world to me.  I live a sheltered and blessed life.



My favorite fiction book:  

Though I gave several 5 stars and loved them, I think my favorite was 

A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata.  This book made me count my blessings: my peace, my security, my family, my place to belong.



My least favorite non-fiction book:

Zlata's Diary.  It was a diary of a child and difficult to read.

My least favorite fiction book:

 A  Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini:  This book still haunts me.

1.    Here is a list of all of the books I read in 2021 and what I rated each one:

A Personal History: James L. Hinton

2.     Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T Sullivan  4 stars

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan  4 stars

3.     It’s Never Too Late by Kathie Lee Gifford  4 stars

4.     The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis 3 stars

5.     Anne Frank:  The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

6.     A History and Memories of Charles Overn and Libby Fox Peterson by Patricia Mickelsen

 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Samuel L Clemens 3 stars

7.     My Story: Birth through Wedding by Pamela Gabrielsen Stratford

8.       Anxious People by Fredrik Backman 4 stars

9.     Miracle on Palmyra’s Main Street by Smith

10.The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman 3 stars

11.State of Wonder by Ann Patchett 2 star

12.* The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia 5 stars

13.Matthew Cowley, Man of Faith by Henry A. Smith

14.Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes  3 stars

15. The Perilous Road by William O Steele  3 stars

16.  The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery  5 stars

17.* A Brief Guide to the Sound of Music by Paul Simpson

18.  The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee  5 stars

19.  Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland  3 stars

20.  A Curve in the Road by Julianne MacLean  3 stars

21.  Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks 3 stars

22.The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro  3 stars

23.The Great Divorce by C S Lewis 3 stars

24.Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason 3 stars

25.The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes by Ruth Hogan 3 stars

26.*  Salt to the Sea 5 stars

27.Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah 2 stars

28.The Days of Wine and COVID by Elizabeth Berg 3 stars

29.  The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr 3 stars

30.  Then Sings My Soul by Robert J Morgan 3 stars

31.  Bear Town by Fredrik Backman 3 stars

32.Emily of New Moon by LM Montgomery 3 stars

   Zlata’s Diary by Zlata Filipovic 2 stars

34. * Secrets of a Charmed Life  by Susan Meissner 5 stars

35.  Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood  3 stars

36.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini 3 stars

37.*  The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 3 stars

38.The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 3 stars

39. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave 3 stars

40.Animal Farm by George Orwell  3 stars

41.* Paper Wife by Laila Ibrahim 4 stars

42.Shakespeare Saved My Life by Laura Bates 4 stars

43.The Museum of Rain by Dave Eggers 3 stars

44.*  The Colors of All the Cattle by Alexander McCall Smith 4 stars

45.  Commonwealth by Ann Patchett  3 stars

46.Once Upon a Town by Bob Greene  3 stars

47.Lovely War by Julie Berry 3 stars

48.The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen  3 stars

49. The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles  4 stars

50.* Blessings by Anna Quindlen 4 stars

51.* The Storyteller’s Secret by Sejai Badani 4 stars

52.*Kira- Kira by Cynthia Kadohata 5 stars

53.*The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood 5 stars

54.The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock by Jane Riley 4 stars

55.The Sea Glass Sisters by Lisa Wingate 3 stars

56.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 3 stars

57.*  A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata 5 stars

58.The Man I Didn’t Marry by Anna Bell 4 stars

59.*Still Life with Breadcrumbs by Anna Quindlen 4 stars

60.*Lil’s Bus Trip  by Judy Leigh 5 stars

61.  The Thing About Luck by Cynthia Kadohata 4 stars

62.A Mother Never Lies by Sarah Clarke 4 stars

63.The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg 4 stars

64.The Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris 5 stars

65.Outside Beauty by Cynthia Kadohata 4 stars

66.Miller’s Valley by Anna Quindlen 4 stars

67.Checked by Cynthia Kadohata 4 stars

 It was a great year of reading!  I look forward to reading in 2022!

No comments: