I’ll be honest, I’m relieved that 2021 is drawing to a close. For as much as we all talked about how horrible 2020 was, 2021 was a tough year too. Starting in January, I worked as a contact tracer for a few months while business was slow. My grandma died in late February and my mom in early April; afterwards I blogged about taking bereavement time as a freelancer.

When May rolled around, I celebrated two years running my own business and signed my biggest and most exciting client to date 🥳 Over the summer, I spent three months as Interim Executive Director of a nonprofit organization. In the fall, I reflected on my learnings from three years in therapy. I also walked away from a leadership position and dove into a new volunteer opportunity.

I recently recapped some of my most popular blog posts this year, so if you missed any along the way, you can find them here. In addition to writing this blog, I also dug in deep creatively and had nine of my short stories published in various literary magazines, which I’m so proud of! 2021 has been a whirlwind to say the least.

Through all of that chaos, emotion, and busyness, reading has been a source of comfort, distraction, and inspiration. I’m grateful for the books and authors who brought me joy and reflection in 2021.

Last year, I read 86 books and included 25 of them in my 2020 in Books blog post. This year, I’ve read 120 books to date; I’m sharing 35 of my favorites here. Interestingly, I read fewer novels this year--only 50. As a short story and memoir writer myself, I’ve been reaching for those more, and read nine short story collections, seven memoirs, and four graphic memoirs. As a trustee of the Monroe County Library System, I’ve been visiting all 32 libraries in the county, and along the way have grown interested in graphic novels and manga. I’ve read 11 manga and seven graphic novels this fall. I’ve also read 10 nonfiction books, eight poetry collections, and two children’s books.

Let’s get into it! Here’s my 2021 in books.