Lou-Ann's Joy of Reading in 2021

Welcome to a new year of reading!

This January 2021 will be twelve years that I’ve been on LT – although, admittedly, it was off/on for the past few years. Since last summer I’ve been consistent in tracking my reading and plan to continue.

What do I love about LibraryThing? Finding out about titles that I would probably not have encountered, and some that I would not have considered reading. I got off to a very slow start in 2020 as the early pandemic/quarantine caused a shutdown in my ability to focus on anything I tried to read. And then….as we were home….nowhere to go, nothing to do….my reading took off. I also listened to more audiobooks as well which made a difference in my reading count. I’m proud to say I finished 56 books in 2020 which is the most I’ve read since joining LT in 2009.

It was a different year of reading. Some of the books I enjoyed most last year were for pure entertainment, some helped me escape (boy did we ever need “escape” in 2020), and others because they were gripping and unputdownable (hey there American Dirt, I’m looking at ya!). In a year with dark, depressing news at every turn, I found that I couldn’t handle the tough subject matter and novels with distressing themes.

My top 6 were:

The Dutch House – Ann Patchett – Best audiobook; narrated by Tom Hanks
American Dirt – Jeanine Cummins – read pre-quarantine; truly made my heart race
Indians on Vacation – Thomas King – witty but thought-provoking
The Exiles – Christina Baker Kline – wonderful Australian historical fiction
The Thursday Murder Club – Richard Osman – 1st in a series
Anxious People – Fredrik Backman – escape

I'm also trying to read more non-fiction. Some of the titles that I've enjoyed in recent years include:
          

2021


Countries/Regions Visited in 2021:

Canada - Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia
USA- New Hampshire, New York, Maryland, California, Maine, Oregon, Montana, New Jersey, Michigan, Kansas, Massachusetts, Washington DC,
UK- Scotland, England
Australia
New Caledonia *new
France
Denmark
Ghana *new
Greenland *new
Antarctica
Ireland
India
Italy
Italy (Sicily)
Outer Space (lol)
Colombia *new
Sudan
South Sudan
Belize *new
Zimbabwe *new
Algeria *new
Botswana
Madagascar *new

Here’s my map of countries I've visited (in a bookish way) since I started keeping track in 2009. I will continue to read my way around the globe adding new destinations every year. Some of the new places I loved visiting in 2020 were: Yemen, Czech Republic, Malawi, Rwanda, Mongolia and Iceland.


Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

Books Completed in 2021 - Full List

There are a few series that I'm working my way through - The Chief Inspector Gamache/Three Pines series by Louise Penny, the Special Agent Pendergast series by Preston & Child, and the comforting 44 Scotland Street Series by Alexander McCall Smith.

1. Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman
2. Don't Stand So Close To Me by Eric Walters
3. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
4. The Importance of Being Seven by Alexander McCall Smith
5. So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
6. Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty
7. One by One by Ruth Ware
8. Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce
9. Bertie Plays The Blues by Alexander McCall Smith
10. The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
11. Sunshine on Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith
12. Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson
13. His Only Wife by Peace Edzo Medie
14. A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson
15. Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
16. Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard by Kiran Desai
17. Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler
18. From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home by Tembi Locke
19. Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick
20. The Music Of Bees by Eileen Garvin
21. Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers by Alexander McCall Smith
22. Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
23. The Revolving Door of Life by Alexander McCall Smith
24. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
25. From the Ashes: My Story of Being Metis, Homeless, and Finding My Way by Jesse Thistle
26. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
27. The Bertie Project by Alexander McCall Smith
28. Sufferance by Thomas King
29. The Guncle by Steven Rowley
30. We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker
31. A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (re-read)
32. Infinite Country by Patricia Engel
33. A Time of Love and Tartan by Alexander McCall Smith
34. The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
35. Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny
36. The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell'Antonia
37. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray
38. Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin
39. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
40. Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller
41. Goodbye, Paris by Anstey Harris
42. The Layover by Lacie Waldon
43. The Peppermint Tea Chronicles by Alexander McCall Smith
44. Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
45. This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga
46. Falling by T. J. Newman
47. Pianos and Flowers: Brief Encounters of the Romantic Kind by Alexander McCall Smith
48. The Startup Wife by Tahmima Anam
49. The Stranger by Albert Camus
50. A Promise of Ankles by Alexander McCall Smith
51. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
52. 1,000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently by Marc Chernoff
53. Summerwater by Sarah Moss
54. The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha
55. Trains and Lovers by Alexander McCall Smith
56. The Relatives by Camilla Gibb
57. Great Bike Rescue by Hazel Hutchins
58. The Jigsaw Puzzle King by Gina McMurchy-Barber
59. The Losers Club by Andrew Clements
60. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
61. Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith
62. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith
63. Red Island House by Andrea Lee
64. Things That Make White People Uncomfortable (Adapted for Young Adults) Michael Bennett
65. State of Terror by Hilary Clinton & Louise Penny

Books Completed in January:
      

1. Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman
2. Don't Stand So Close To Me by Eric Walters
3. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
4. The Importance of Being Seven by Alexander McCall Smith
5. So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

>5 L-Anne: Sounds like 2020 was a good year for you (all things considered) - at least for reading. I hope 2021 is even better.

>7 jwrudn: Yes, thank you so much jwrudn! I got off to a very slow start, but it ended up being a wonderful year of reading. Happy reading to you this year!

I like the title of your thread! it seems we enjoy some of the same books, so I am 'starring' you. Happy reading.

>10 lamplight: Thanks! I'm trying to channel some positive thoughts for this new year! Lol. I will look for your reading thread so I can get some ideas for good reads this year.

>11 L-Anne: I agree, your thread title is wonderful! :) Hopefully many positive thoughts (and books!) come your way this year!

>12 arrianarose: Thanks for the positive wishes! I'll be sure to check out your 2021 thread here in the 50 book challenge group for some reading inspiration!

Books Completed in February:
   

6. Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty
7. One by One by Ruth Ware

*February was not a good reading month. Extreme work-related fatigue, coupled with a total lack of focus on everything I tried to read. After finishing the two listed above (which were good), I drifted from one unsatisfactory title to another...

I'm hoping for better things in March, and perhaps Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce was just the perfect book to lift me out of my reading slump. Highly recommended.

Books Completed in March:
       

8. Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce
9. Bertie Plays the Blues by Alexander McCall Smith
10.The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
11.Sunshine on Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith

Best book this month:
Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce

Books Completed in April:
      

12. Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson
13. His Only Wife by Peace Edzo Medie
14. A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson
15. Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
16. Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard by Kiran Desai

Best book this month: Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

Books Completed in May:
         

17. Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler
18. From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home by Tembi Locke
19. Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick
20. The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin
21. Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers by Alexander McCall Smith
22. Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto
23. The Revolving Door of Life by Alexander McCall Smith
24. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Best book this month:
The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin

Books Completed in June:
         

25. From the Ashes: My Story of Being Metis, Homeless, and Finding My Way by Jesse Thistle
26. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
27. The Bertie Project by Alexander McCall Smith
28. Sufferance by Thomas King
29. The Guncle by Steven Rowley
30. We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker
31. A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (re-read)

Best books this month:
From the Ashes: My Story of Being Metis, Homeless, and Finding My Way by Jesse Thistle
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker 5*****

So many fabulous books this month!

Books Completed in July:
           

32. Infinite Country by Patricia Engel
33. A Time of Love and Tartan by Alexander McCall Smith
34. The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
35. Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny
36. The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell'Antonia
37. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray
38. Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin
39. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
40. Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller
41. Goodbye, Paris by Anstey Harris

Best books this month:
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray

Map of US states visited (in books) 2017-2021:

Create Your Own Visited States Map

Map of Canadian provinces visited (in books) 2017-2021:

Create Your Own Visited Provinces and Territories Map

*WOW! I read MORE books last month (July) than I've ever read in a single month. 10/TEN!

I do have July and August off from work, which helps of course, but the huge difference is....audiobooks. I can probably finish an additional four titles in a month, just by listening while gardening, doing boring housework chores etc.

So far this summer, the best relaxing, "brain candy" beach/poolside/backyard titles have been:

Goodbye Paris by Anstey Harris
The People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne

Books Completed in August:
       

42. The Layover by Lacie Waldon
43. The Peppermint Tea Chronicles by Alexander McCall Smith
44. Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
45. This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga
46. Falling by T. J. Newman
47. Pianos and Flowers: Brief Encounters of the Romantic Kind by Alexander McCall Smith
48. The Startup Wife by Tahmima Anam

Books Completed in September:
       

49. The Stranger by Albert Camus
50. A Promise of Ankles by Alexander McCall Smith
51. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
52. 1,000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently by Marc Chernoff
53. Summerwater by Sarah Moss
54. The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha
55. Trains and Lovers by Alexander McCall Smith

I too have increased my reading this year thanks to audio books. Some are better than others but I especially loved The Serpent and the Pearl by Kate Quinn.

>25 lamplight: I agree. There are some narrators who are brilliant! But there are occasions where an audiobook reader's voice/style just doesn't work for me and I've either abandoned the book, or stuck to reading a print copy instead. Lol.

Books Completed in October:
    

56. The Relatives by Camilla Gibb
57. Great Bike Rescue by Hazel Hutchins -106 pgs
58. The Jigsaw Puzzle King by Gina McMurchy-Barber -163 pgs
59. The Losers Club by Andrew Clements -231 pgs

I only managed to finish one (sigh) adult novel this month. All my reading time this month was kid-lit for work (elementary school library) so I'm counting the juvenile fiction titles that are over 100 pages in my reading list on LT.

Books Completed in November:
   

60. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
61. Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith
62. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith

I absolutely adore the Richard Osman series! Can't wait for the next installment.
Since I've caught up on Alexander McCall Smith's 44 Scotland Street series, I'm now continuing the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. This author is providing me cozy comfort for living through this pandemic that seems to have no end. Both series are like a sweet soap opera with characters I've come to know and love.

Books Completed in December:
   

63. Red Island House by Andrea Lee
64. Things That Make White People Uncomfortable (Adapted for Young Adults) Michael Bennett
65. State of Terror by Hillary Clinton & Louise Penny

Red Island House will go down as one of my top books of 2021. The brilliant, descriptive writing transported me to Madagascar, and the characters are still lingering in my mind.
The Michael Bennett book is fantastic! As a Mom of a high school football player, I connected with his ideas and felt he had some very important thoughts to share about football, racism and community. A great book to recommend to young men (and women) in your life.
State of Terror was a clever and fun distraction! I don't usually read political thrillers, but how could I pass up reading my fave Inspector Gamache author. And Hillary too!

2021 Summary

Total books read: 65 (my best year ever!)
Adult Fiction: 50
Adult Non-Fiction: 5
Juvenile/YA Fiction: 9
Short Stories: 1

New countries/regions read: 8
Ghana, New Caledonia, Greenland, Colombia, Belize, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Madagascar

2022 Goals:
Read 60 books
Read 10 books set in countries I haven't "visited" before
Series to complete/continue:
No 1. Ladies' Detective Agency by A. McCall Smith
Three Pines/Gamache by Louise Penny

Updated Countries of the World map including 2021 reads:

Create Your Own Visited Countries Map