I had SO much fun with my 100 Book Challenge last year, that I decided I was going to track them again. I am not giving myself a goal this year, because I think I was able to read so many last year because of Covid, and how many hours I spent pumping. I am going to add a new section though for upcoming releases, in case you want to order the book and read it with me! Then I’ll just move those titles up with my thoughts once I read them!
Books to Read in 2021
September
Scar Tissue
by Anthony Kiedis
I bought this book months ago on a whim and it’s been sitting in my Kindle library forever. I was in Monterey and had finished the two books I planned for the trip already and so I decided to start this one. I was hooked from page one. I am not all too familiar with his music – but was soooooo drawn into his story. I highly recommend reading this – one of the best books I have read in a really long time.
We Were Never Here
by Andrea Bartz
I LOVED her last book so I had high expectations for this one, especially because it was one of Reese’s picks!
Slow Fire Burning
Paula Hawkins
This book is just like the title – a very slow build. Her writing is incredible and it wasn’t your typical thriller but I still really liked it! If you loved Girl on the Train, definitely check it out!
The Night She Disappeared
by Lisa Jewell
I am such a big fan of her work and this one did not disappoint. I was so tempted to read the last chapter after reading 100 pages because I HAD to know what happened. The story is AMAZING.
It Happened One Summer
by Tessa Bailey
I knew this would be the perfect book to read after I finished The Night She Disappeared. I always hear the girls on The Morning Toast talk about it so had to read it for myself. It’s like the perfect combo of erotica meets rom-com.
Off-Campus Series
by Elle Kennedy
Apples Never Fall
by Liane Moriarty
August
Not a Happy Family
by Shari Lapena
I had such high hopes for this book, because I LOVE her, but I just couldn’t connect. I normally get through thrillers like this in the same day, or even one sitting, but this took me a few days.
Miracle Morning Millionaires
by Hal Elrod
This book was recommended to me months ago by a very successful friend. He has stuck with everything in this book for over a year, so I knew I needed to try it. And so far so good! I took a ton of interesting tidbits from this!
If The Shoe Fits
by Julie Murphy
This book was SO cute. I am not a Bachelor fan by any means, so I wasn’t expecting to love this book, but I fell in love with the main character! She is a plus-size fashion designer who joins the show on a whim. I finished it in one night!
Super Human
by Dave Asprey
I regret not getting this book in hardcover because I found myself wanting to take notes on every single chapter. I took so many useful tidbits from this book and paired with Miracle Morning Millionaires, I have really gotten into a good routine. I learned so much about sleep, blue light, etc – highly recommend it.
Complications
by Danielle Steel
It has been years since I have read a book by Danielle Steel – I really don’t know why, but I’m glad to be back. I spent many of my teens and twenties reading everything she wrote. This one was a good one to come back to.
Guilt Trip
by Sandie Jones
This book was very wild & juicy but it was just what I needed at the time!
Perfect Ruin
by Shanora Williams
Real Food for Gestational Diabetes
by Lily Nicols
I purchased this book right when I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes- it really helped to ease my mind and has been the best resource ever. She is so knowledgeable, and I also scoured the podcast store for any interviews with her!
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
by Steven R. Covey
I can’t believe I just now listened to this book! I feel like it’s such a classic. I chose Audible so I could listen throughout the day as I did other tasks but it was super interesting & helpful!
We Were Never Here
by Andrea Bartz
July
The Paper Palace
by Miranda Cowley Heller
This was Reese Witherspoon’s book club pick this month and I was intrigued. It was very well written, but super dark. I wouldn’t say it was an easy beach read – but if you appreciate the craft, then it was good! It was almost Virginia Woolf-esque.
The Therapist
by B.A. Paris
Love love loved this book. I read it so fast!
Such a Quiet Place
by Megan Miranda
Not the best thriller this year, but not the worst either. It was a little anti-climactic for me, but entertaining nonetheless
The Stranger in the Mirror
by Liv Constantine
Finally a book I finished in one day! It has definitely been a while since that happened for me. I was SO excited for this book since I loved her last two so much! The twist was a little predictable but I still loved it!
June
The Mindfulness Solution
by Ronald D. Siegel
This book was a recommendation from my therapist and her instructions were to read it slowly and so that’s what I did. I found it super helpful and gave a ton of great resources and exercises that I’ve been working on. If you’re someone who suffers from anxiety, definitely check this out.
The Good Sister
by Sally Hepworth
Perhaps not the best book to read while you’re pregnant but I stuck with it because everyone has been raving about it. I found it a tad predictable but loved the characters. 6/10 for me.
Golden Girl
by Elin Hilderbrand
This might be my favorite Elin book of ALL. TIME. And that’s saying something. It was just SO good. I ended up reading the majority of it on a lazy Sunday, and I was so sad when it ended. Elin knows how to do a good summer book and this one will not let you down, I promise.
Malibu Rising
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Hands down one of the best books I’ve read in 2021. I didn’t want it to end and I’m praying it becomes a movie. It was incredible!
The Breakup Book Club
by Wendy Wax
I could not get into this book AT ALL. I had a hard time keeping all of the characters & their stories straight. I pretty much skimmed the last 30% just so I could be done.
May
Anchored Hearts
by Priscilla Oliveres
This was the second book in the Keys to Love series – you can find the first book here. It was cute – not amazing, but not terrible either.
The Newcomer
by Mary Kay Andrews
I LOVED this book! It was different from anything she has ever written. It had a bit of a thriller/mystery aspect to it, which I loved! It also had all the aspects of a beach read that I love- definitely reccommend.
Family Reunion
by Nancy Thayer
This book is so classically Nancy Thayer and I loved it. It was such a feel-good story and the perfect kind of book that you’d want to read on vacation or laying out by the pool.
The Last Thing He Told Me
by Laura Dave
I did not expect to love this book as much as I did – but I was hooked. I stayed up late to finish it because I literally could not put it down.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Why was I sleeping on this book? OMG, it was fantastic. This has to be made into a movie, because it was just that good. I was so sad for it to end, and really only read it because I was waiting for my new releases to get delivered – one of my best decisions as of late.
The Summer of Lost and Found
by Mary Alice Monroe
This one was just okay, I normally love everything she writes, so it made me a little sad. It was very Covid-heavy, and that’s just not something I think anyone is ready to relive at the moment. It wasn’t a bad book, just a little too much quarantine than I was ready for.
People We Meet on Vacation
by Emily Henry
I absolutely loved this book. It might be by top book of 2021 so far. I thought it was just so cute, and I was really needing a good love story. I really hope they make this into a movie, or a series because I really loved the characters and the writing! 10/10!
That Summer
by Jennifer Weiner
This book was a breeze to get through, and I really enjoyed it! I caught onto the plot twist pretty early but it was still a good read! As a collector of friends, I love stories of unexpected female friendships and this book is exactly that.
Local Woman Missing
by Mary Kubica
This was a much-needed thriller in the middle of all these beach reads. I absolutely could not put this book down. I started it on a rainy day when the baby decided to take a long nap, and I finished it in one sitting. I couldn’t believe it. The story was so engrossing, and I normally hate books that flash from past to present, but she did it SO well.
A Special Place for Women
by Laura Hankin
I thought this book was going to be like Soho House meets Olivia Benson – but it turned out o be a little more Practical Magic, which I will never hate on. Definitely different, but I loved it.
April
The Good Sister
by Sally Hepworth
Conversations with Friends
by Sally Rooney
March
The Coddling of the American Mind
by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
This was a tough, but necessary read. It came highly recommended and it took me longer than usual to get through it because it was SO much to digest. I wish I got it on Audible because I probably would have finished it quicker, but I love being able to go back. It taught me so much about myself, the world, and the way I want to raise my children. This is a must-read in my opinion.
12 Rules for Life
by Jordan Peterson
Milk Fed
by Melissa Broder
Every Last Fear
by Alex Finlay
I’m the worst and read the last chapter after like 100 pages in. I know that’s how I can tell a book is good, but I kind of wish I didn’t. I was reading this while waiting at my OB appointment, and I just had to know – a very good thriller!
Pretty Girls
by Karin Slaughter
Don’t read this if you are easily disturbed. I repeat: don’t read this if you are easily disturbed. I read this when it first came out and completely blacked it out of my mind because it was so graphic. But so many people recommended it when I asked for some good thrillers to read – so I started reading it only to remember that I have read it before. But once I started, I couldn’t stop. So I read the most graphic book of all time not once, but twice.
February
The Searcher
by Tana French
This is a slow-build thriller, which I usually don’t love but this is so well written, I didn’t want it to end.
One Day You’ll Thank Me
by Cameran Eubanks Wimberly
Cameran is one of my favorite reality tv stars, and my love goes way farther back than Southern Charm. I am one of those unicorns who has seen every single season of The Real World, and she and Brad were my JAM on Real World San Diego. Her book approaches motherhood in such an honest and vulnerable way, I found it to be so relatable.
How to Fail at Flirting
by Denise Williams
This was the January pick for The Readheads Book Club – I got it on Audible which I usually never do for fiction books, but it was kind of a nice pace.
January
Books I Read:
Virus Hunters
by Bobby Akart
Call me a glutton for punishment for reading this in our 10th month of a global pandemic, but It felt timely and relevant. To make matters worse, a big portion of this book is set in Nevada – so the entire thing hit very close to home. But it was super interesting to read about how the beginnings of a pandemic transpire – despite it being fiction. This is a series, and I’ll definitely be continuing on. 7/10.
The Last Sister
by Kendra Elliott
For whatever reason, I could not get into this book. To be fair, it could be because of the state of the world and how distracted I am with everything that’s going on – but it wasn’t enough to pull me in given the circumstances. 5/10.
The Wife Upstairs
by Rachel Hawkins
Wow – I don’t normally love books based on classics (in this case, Jane Eyre) – but I could not put this down. I still don’t think I even know what exactly happened, or what I’m supposed to believe. I don’t want to say too much more without giving anything away, but read this ASAP. 9/10.
One of the Good Ones
by Maika Moulite
This book was incredibly emotional and timely. Although it is fiction, I didn’t feel like it was. If you’re looking for a fiction book based on current events, definitely check this out.
Girl With No Job: The Crazy Beautiful Life of an Instagram Thirst Monster
by Claudia Oshry
I stayed up until midnight waiting for this to be delivered to my Kindle, and then finished it up in Audible on the tread the next morning. And as Claudia would say, it was “everything of the sort.” Loved getting an inside glimpse into my favorite podcaster’s past, cancellation and working her way back up during her epic comeback.
The Death of Expertise
by Tom Nichols
Emily’s therapist recommended this book and I’m only one chapter in but it is FASCINATING.
