The Best Books I Read Last Year

By Delaney Galvin

If you’re like me, you love to read. Or you did love to read back in 2012 when The Hunger Games and Divergent were all anyone was talking about. And if you’re like me, you fell out of love with reading sometime around high school when it became more of a chore or an assignment. You found it really hard to enjoy books when all you were reading was The Scarlet Letter and The Great Gatsby (sorry if you liked either of these, they were just not my jam). But you never stopped wanting to get back into reading. Now’s your chance.

I decided at the beginning of 2021 that I was going to start reading for fun again (I am literally an English major after all), and I stuck to it. In 2021 I read 14 books. I know it’s not a ton, but you have to start somewhere. Here is a list of my favorites. 

Any title by Sally Rooney

Conversations with Friends; Beautiful World, Where Are You; and Normal People are by far my three favorite books I read last year. Sally Rooney has been getting more attention lately, and it is very well deserved. Once I read one of her books, I had to read the rest. They’re all romantic coming of age stories about young women who are just trying to figure their lives out. I found them relatable and compelling. Rooney’s voice as an author is so unique, and I can’t wait for another book from her. They’re also relatively short, so they’re really quick reads. If you read anything on this list, read one of these (Conversations with Friends is my favorite of the three if you want to start there).

The Dinner by Herman Koch

This book was so gripping; my body was tense the entire time I was reading. The story follows two sets of parents whose children have just committed a heinous crime together. Only the parents know their children did it, and the story plays out over one dinner as the parents discuss how to handle the situation. If you love an unreliable narrator, this book is for you. It had me doubting my instincts the entire time. It definitely makes you wonder what you would do if you were in that situation. 

Dune by Frank Herbert

You definitely already know what this book is about so I won’t get into that. I read Dune just like everybody else, but I actually really enjoyed it; I read it in three weeks (it’s a huge book, ok?) and couldn’t put it down. I found the characters so interesting and loved the Game-of-Thrones-but-in-space vibe.. The villains are so menacing, and the heroes are flawed and nuanced. I would definitely say that you will get more out of the story if you read the book instead of just seeing the movie. My best advice for reading this book is this: accept that you won’t understand everything immediately. It will all be explained eventually, but you have to sit in some confusion and reread sections a few times in order to get everything. I promise if you stick with it you won’t regret it.

People we Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Booktok got to me and I’m not mad about it. This book was a really fun and easy read. Our main character Poppy goes on a trip with her estranged best friend Alex. There’s awkwardness and sexual tension as Poppy narrates the history of their friendship as well as their current vacation, all while figuring out what she wants her life to look like. I can’t say anything bad about this book. I fell in love with the characters and was rooting for their happiness the whole time. Read this if you want to escape reality and romanticize your life.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

I returned to my reading roots with this YA dystopian novel. After reading a lot of contemporary literature I needed a mindless, exciting read, and this is what I landed on. The story takes place in a patriarchal dystopian society where women are thought to have magical powers that they use to seduce and control men. When the women turn 16 they are forced to live in the wilderness together for a whole year in order to dispel their magic before reentering society and becoming wives. It’s The Hunger Games meets The Handmaid’s Tale, complete with rebellious main character and hot forbidden love. I think I read this book in, like, three days; I seriously couldn’t put it down. This is a great place to start if you’re just getting back into reading. It really keeps your attention and reminded me of simpler days when I could just be content with reading books about societal oppression, love triangles, and gruesome deaths.

Those are my recs! I really hope you decide to try some of these out. Reading has helped me a lot this past year in terms of managing stress and taking time for self care. Even just a few chapters before bed has done wonders for my mental health. Also, sometimes it’s just fun to romanticize my life by reading a book and sipping a coffee outside PCJ. If you’re like me, you’ve missed reading too, and you can’t wait to read one of the books on this list (seriously, do it).