2021 Book Recommendations

This year I had 17 amazing books that I wanted to share with you, but I was able to edit it down to a dozen (a painful process!)  I tried to select my most-recommended and universally enjoyed picks!
Here we go:
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
This is the book you'll grab when you want to learn something in 2022.  Fascinating inside look at poverty from a variety of aspects.  It'll get you thinking.
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
Kidd explores what life might look like from the lens of Ana, the wife of Jesus.  I was skeptical, but it's handled so carefully and beautifully - I loved it from start to finish.
4321 by Paul Auster
I held off reading this because it's a million pages long, but I'm so glad I finally cracked it - this is four versions of one man's story and it's pure gold.  I love books that delve into those butterfly effect what-if's.
Should We Stay or Should We Go by Lionel Shriver
Along the what-if theme, what if a married couple goes through with a promise they made in their fifties to kill themselves when they hit 80?  What if only one of them goes through with it?  What if - many other scenarios, each played out in the chapters within this book.  It's entertaining and thought-provoking, but I admit it gets a little wonky here and there.  Fun wonky, but wonky.
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
I also read South of Broad this year, both excellent reading to accompany my first visit to my new favorite city, Charleston.  Both heavy and humorous - belly laughs and tears on the same page of both of these sweeping family/friends dramas.  Highly recommend!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Forgive the stupidly named book, this is probably my favorite of the three TJR books I read this year (also After I Do and Malibu Rising).  Everything she writes is surprisingly 100%, I suggest you grab one.  This one was tons of fun.
Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Ja0uad
I've been recommending the crap out of this book.  I'm not getting many takers as of yet, because people don't want to read about other people's cancer journeys (I get it) but if you're brave enough to go there, go there with Suleika.  Trust me.  Spoiler:  she lives, and then she takes a fun road trip!
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict
This one, however, is my *most* recommended for 2021.  I read it, and loved it, and then did some research and ARE YOU KIDDING ME THIS WAS A REAL PERSON.  So we have much to discuss.
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
A woman pilot book, okay, but hear me out:  it's not endlessly about what it means to be a woman pilot, it's lots of adventure and amazing characters and romance and flying and wartime and friendships and there's a reason it won a million awards this year.
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
This is the WW2 spy book you're going to read and love and shove into the hands of everyone you know, I swear.  My book club read it and thank goodness, because otherwise I would've been bratty about another <woman><insert career here> book.  Good thing my booklovin' friends have my back.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
I can't tell you what this is about because then you'll decide it sounds weird and lame and won't read it.  Just start reading it and you can thank me later.
Several People are Typing by Calvin Kasulke
I had to stop reading this near my family because I couldn't stop laughing.  It's been a while since I loved a book so much that I actually had to savor it and read it a little at a time because I never wanted it to end.  Hilarious/fun/stupid/irreverent - plus I love workplace books!!!

​What did YOU love this year?