My 39 Five Star Favorite Reads of 2021
Out of the (nearly) 200 books I read in 2021, these are the ones that were my favorites. I really don’t give out five star ratings frivolously, so these are books that I truly loved (but for all different reasons). Some changed my mind, some changed my heart, some made me swoon and squeal, some hit me in the feels, some have stuck with me or taught me something important, some were incredibly written, some were fresh and new and blew me away, but all were truly amazing reads for me.
If you’re looking for books I recommend reading, look no further!
Here are all the books I gave 5-star ratings to this year:
What was a favorite read for you this year?
so, you’ve heard about this enneagram thing, and you’re curious to dive in, but you don’t know where to start? you’re in the right place! i’ve rounded up great book recs for the beginner or deeper dive suggestions if you want to learn more. let’s dive in!
if you’re wondering “what are the best bookstores in virginia?” look no further — i’ve got you covered!
get ready for 2026 with the 8th annual edition of a rad reading challenge! nine prompts and one year to stretch yourself in your reading.
get ready for 2025 with the 7th annual edition of a rad reading challenge! nine prompts and one year to stretch yourself in your reading.
i firmly believe books are the very best gifts, even if nobody ever gets them for me because they think i have too many! not true!!! anyway. i’ve turned to gifting books to my people in hopes that it inspires them to return the favor… and also because as previously stated, i believe books are the best gifts.
in this guide, you’ll find 72 total recommendations, with 12 each in the following categories:
🍂cozy/comforting
🧙🏼♀️witches/hexes
🔥sweet/spicy
🩸murder/mystery
🧑🏻🏫academic settings
🧌creature features
looking for your next read in the river city? look no further — here are 5 of my most favorite and most frequented bookstores in the richmond, va area!
i am so excited about this year’s guide — it’s a really fun blend of book recs for all kinds of readers, and i implemented so many of your suggestions which makes it even better! plus, these recs aren’t just from me…
april was the month i read the steamiest book of my life (still not over it, i loved it) and returned to enneagram books and read 4 five star reads… a solid month, overall!
ahhh, the sweet, sweet feeling of coming out of a reading slump! I AM BACK IN ACTION and crushing 15 books (with SIX of them racking up five stars) felt SO GOOD. march was great! yay books!
february felt like a reading SLUMP even though, sure, i read 11 books (6 of them were novellas!). i didn’t have FUN reading this month…
if you’ve never read wendell berry or are newer to his body of work, here’s a guide on which book to start with (as well as a complete list of all of this works across genres)