Because of my temporary blog hiatus during the end of the school year, I shut down ALL writing, so I have no mini book reviews for April and May. But, that doesn’t mean I can’t share with y’all what I read and how I rated each book.
I had six five-star reads, which I know seems a little excessive on the five-star ratings, but you can fight me on those ratings. I’m fully prepared for fisticuffs.
And one of those five-star ratings is more than likely my favorite fiction read published in 2021.
There are two solid beach reads on this list, too.
Fable (Fable #1) by Adrienne Young—published 2020—357 pages—YA fantasy-ish—three stars.
Later by Stephen King—published 2021—248 pages—horror—three stars.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros—published 1983—110 pages—YA—four stars.
Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive #2) by Brandon Sanderson—published 2014—1,087 pages—high fantasy—five stars.
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant—published 2021—307 pages—nonfiction—five stars.
Broken by Jenny Lawson—published 2021—285 pages—humor/memoir—five stars.
Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo—published 2020—304 pages—nonfiction feminism/race—five stars.
When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain—published 2021—415 pages, mystery—three stars.
The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke by Rainer Maria Rilke—published 1989—356 pages—poetry—four stars.
Edgedancer (The Stormlight Archives #2.5) by Brandon Sanderson—published 2017—272 pages—high fantasy–four stars.
Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q. Suntanto—published 2021—320 pages—romance—two stars.
Tell Me My Name by Amy Reed—published 2021—336 pages—YA retelling—four stars.
Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas—published 2021—384 pages—YA retelling—three stars.
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan—published 1989—288 pages—historical fiction—four stars.
Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery #1) by Mia P. Manasala—published 2021—336 pages—mystery—two stars.
Namesake by Adrienne Young—published 2021—360 pages—fantasy-ish—four stars.
Look Both Way: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds—published 2019—204 pages—middle grade fiction—four stars.
A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost—published 2020—336 pages—memoir/humor—five stars.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry—published 2021—384 pages—romance—four stars.
Teacher Misery: Helicopter Parents, Special Snowflakes & Other Bullshit by Jane Morris—published 2016—245 pages—nonfiction/education—three stars.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir—published 2021—476 pages—science fiction—five stars.
That Summer by Jennifer Weiner—published 2021—432 pages—contemporary fiction—three stars.
While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams—published 2021—384 pages—legal thriller—three stars.
The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley—published 2021—368 pages—romance—three stars.
28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand—published 2020—432 pages—romance—four stars.
The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis—published 2003—243 pages—historical fiction—four stars.
(All cover art taken from Goodreads.)
So the key takeaways? Any of those nonfiction reads that are five-stars are outstanding, but fiction-wise, GO READ PROJECT HAIL MARY RIGHT NOW. I guarantee it’s one of the “it” books this year.
Looking for the best beach read? Check out People We Meet on Vacation.
Mini book reviews will be back next month!
(Also, know how I mentioned fisticuffs earlier? Yeah, well I’m about to duke it out with WordPress right now. I apologize for all the weird formatting going on with this post. Get it together WordPress!)
