My Top 5 Reads from 2021 {Book Lists}

This post is a little late, considering we’re in March already, but better late than never, right?

I read 71 books last year, completely overachieving my original goal of 30 books. I’m still not sure how I managed this, considering I did get enough sleep (on some nights) and did live my daily life normally.

One of the biggest aspects I believe was not hitting any reading slumps last year, something I’ve really struggled with in previous years and reading books that managed to keep my attention along the way.

I chose my top five books from 2021 very early on in the year but never got around to putting them in a round up post.

I’m quite open to reading all kinds of genres. Some would say it’s unfair to choose a top five selection because there’s no one pool of genres to choose from, but it doesn’t really matter when it comes to choosing your best reads for the year. A good plot doesn’t need the boundaries of a genre.

My top five books from 2021

Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

Genre: Psychological, Thrillers

Plot

Former ballerina, Dominika Egovora, is forced to become a ‘Sparrow’, a trained seductress. Now an intelligence officer in present-day Russia, ruled by President Vladimir Putin, she is assigned to operate against a young CIA officer, Nathanial Nash, who handles the Agency’s most important Russian mole.

Dominika and Nate soon clash in a duel of tradecraft, strong wills and forbidden passion that not only threatens their lives, but the lives of others. As allegiances are made and broken, their game reaches a deadly crossroad.

One of them begins a dangerous double existence in an operation balancing on life and death.

Rating: 5 stars

You can read my book review here.

A Touch of Death by Rebecca Crunden

Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Thrillers

Plot

Many years into the future, the remainder of humanity reside inside the walls of the Kingdom of Cutta.

The rich live in Anais, the capital city, hidden away from the disease and poverty that the rest of Kingdom suffers from.

Riches can only take you so far because breaking any laws can lead to execution. Only by the will of the King that Nate Antros, son of the King’s favourite, is spared after openly disagreeing with the laws.

When he’s finally released from prison, he disappears.

Catherine Taenia was born into a life of comfort and riches, and is in love with Thom, Nate’s younger brother. Nate’s actions reflect not only on his life, but on Catherine and Thom too. Catherine has never forgiven him.

When Nate returns after being missing for two years and makes a terrible decision, there’s only one thing to do: run to the Outlands where they won’t be found by the King’s guards.

They soon discover that it’s not safer in those lands, filled with rabies and mutants.

Rating: 5 stars

You can read my book review here.

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Plot

When huge earthquakes leave disaster zones all over the world, they unleashed an ancient evil, an evil that might have been responsible for the downfall of previous civilisations.

People start turning on each other in the worst of ways: torture, murder.

Mason, Michael, Clementine and Aries find themselves in different locations, fighting with everything within them to survive the chaos.

Each seeing and hearing things that should never existed.

As their paths lead them to cross each others, each needs to fight to see another day, cling on to the hope they still carry and hopefully find a place of safety in a world that will stop at nothing to wipe you out.

Rating: 5 stars

You can read my book review here.

The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi

Genre: Dystopian, Psychological, Science Fiction, Thrillers

Plot

In a dystopian future, America is controlled by violence. Terror. Grief. No one is an exception.

Young refugees, Mahlia and Mouse have escaped from the war-crippled Drowned Cities into the jungle. When they find a bioengineered war beast, Tool, wounded, they realise they are in danger when they discover that he is being hunted by a band of soldiers.

One is taken prisoner by deadly soldier boys while the other is faced with a difficult decision: risk it all to save a friend or flee to save themselves.

Rating: 5 stars

You can read my book review here.

Favourite book of 2021: The Rosary Girls by Richard Montanari

Genre: Crime, Psychological, Thrillers

Plot

Jessica Balzano is teamed up with Kevin Byrne, a veteran cop with a history and a mental state on the edge. His life is upside down and he’s not afraid about breaking every rule in the book and taking risks. Being teamed up with a rookie partner is all that he needs, especially with his past catching up with him.

The Balzano name is held high amongst law enforcement as everyone knows her father, a famous Philadelphia cop, but Jessica is determined to make her own mark.

It’s Jessica’s first day in Homicide, and her first case already has her gripped: stop a killer who is targeting devout young women, bolting their hands together in prayer and leaving them in the city for all to find.

The killer’s plan is methodical and as the rosary is counted, with Easter approaching, both Jessica and Kevin know they need to end the killings before the last count.

Rating: 5 stars

You can read my book review here.

What were some of your favourite reads from 2021?