While I read more books that I liked in 2021 than in 2020, I read fewer books that I loved. Which is a shame, but that’s how things go sometimes. Listen, I did not start out the year thinking that an SJM book would be my top book of the year AND my only five-star (non-reread) read of the year, but 2021 was a lot, okay? Anyway, let me know what you thought about these books — and please share your top books of the year posts so I can read better books next year!
5. House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland – incredibly inventive, well-written YA horror
4. Devolution by Max Brooks – gritty bigfoot survival story; yes, bigfoot
3. Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler – YA romance inspired by Demi Lovato’s song that discusses compulsory heterosexuality? yes
2. No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood – this just hit very, very hard
1. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – idk i can’t read suddenly… anyway, don’t come at me this was SO GOOD and I needed the distraction
Sarah Ames-Foley 
My novel of the year was ‘A Desolation Called Peace’ by Arkady Martine.
Given your tastes, I will also recommend Nnedi Okorafor’s ‘Noor’ and P. Djeli Clarke’s ‘A Master of Djinn’.
Happy new year, Sarah. I look forward to your 2022’s reviews.
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Thank you for the recommendations! 🙂
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ugh the cover of House of Hollow is so good, I might have to read it even though I don’t really do YA haha. Happy New Year! Hope 2022 has more five star reads in store for you.
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Honestly I haven’t been reading a ton of YA either and still really liked it! I look forward to seeing your thoughts if you give it a shot 🙂 Happy New Year to you, too!
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