Books I Read in 2021

Hello there! 

In my previous post regarding my results from my 2021 goals I proudly said I completed my reading challenge for the year. The goal was to read 9 books. Not only did I read 9 books, 5 of them were from a whole series and I also reread a book. So, it actually took me up to 10 reads in total!

Reading is a huge passion of mine and books are one of my greatest loves. Unfortunately, I'm a slow reader and can go off reading from time to time. However, setting up my yearly reading challenges really helps me get back into the swing of reading and I always enjoy the challenge. What I also really love is that, at the end of it, I get to talk about all the books I read on here. 

Without further ado, here are my reviews of the books I read last year in order. 

P.S these are spoiler free reviews so if you haven't read these books yet do not fear. No secretes spilled here (see what I did there).

1) Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 

I had read Circe by Madeline Miller the year before and thought it was incredible. I was excited to read this because everyone who had read it said it was a must read. 

For context, Song of Achilles is told through the voice of Patroclus who was a character in The Illiad (by Homer) and was known for being the friend and confidant of Achilles during the Trojan War. This book not only tells a different perspective of the war it also talks about the childhood of Achilles and Patroclus and the growth of their beautiful love story. 

I knew a bit about the story of The Illiad but mostly just about the giant horse, so I was coming into this without extensive previous knowledge. Now, since I've learned the story of The Illiad through Liv Albert's podcast ('Let's Talk About Myths, Baby') I can now greatly appreciate how clever Miller was at creating this sort of origin story. It's beautifully written and the love story was so gripping and emotional. 

While I do still prefer Circe that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy this as well. My heart ached, I laughed and I got angry. It's a very emotional book and I can't wait to read more from her. 

2) The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

I saw this book recommended on BookTok a year ago and decided to ask for it for Christmas in 2020. I hadn't read anything of Hendrix's before but I am fascinated by vampires. I even wrote my dissertation on the vampire genre for university. Therefore, I revel in any chance to try out a vampire book. 

The book tells the story of Patricia Campbell, a mum from the 1980's, who finds out a vampire has moved in across the street from her and her family. She then enlists her book club to try and help take down this man who has not only infiltrated their lives but manipulated their husbands. It's a dark novel but with some truly funny moments in it. It also commentates heavily on racism by highlighting how the investigations into the deaths of the black children in the area aren't taken as seriously as those of the white children. Something that unfortunately is very true even to this day in the real world. 

The story was a whole different take on the vampire genre I'd never read before. The characters were so vivid and there were times I felt truly chilled to my bones. I enjoyed it so much I've gotten 2 more of his books that I plan to read this year. 

3) Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief by Rick Riordan

I've wanted to read these for years but never got round to it. However, as I was having my Greek mythology kick it felt like the right time to try them. I instantly saw why so many people were disappointed in the films because there's so much in these books the films just don't do justice. 

This first story in the series tells the story of Percy Jackson who has just discovered he is a demigod: the son of a human and a Greek god. Instead of having time to adjust to this new revelation he is thrust into danger as Zeus, the king of the God's, believes he is the thief of his prized lightning bolt. Now Percy, along with his new friends from Camp Half-Blood (where demigods train to become heroes) must find the lightning bolt in an attempt to stop the gods from going to war with each other. 

Not only is it an easy read it's so fun. The story is so vivid with detail is a great way to introduce this brand new world. As much as I had originally enjoyed the first film it truly wasn't a scratch on the series. Riordan is a genius at making this modern take on centuries old lore. 

4) The Binding by Bridget Collins 

Now, I did start reading this when I was still on my Percy Jackson high so, at first, I just wanted to read this to get to the next Percy Jackson book. However, as I continued to read I began to enjoy the book more and more. 

The story takes place in a world where books aren't just random stories scribbled down but are actually memories taken from people's minds. The practice is called 'binding' and has become frowned upon by many people. The main character, Emmett, finds himself becoming the apprentice of a binder and begins to unlock more than he realised. He finds his story entangled with Lucian who too has things to hide. 

It's a wonderful book but I did find some parts of it dragged. Saying that, the pay off was worth it. I'd really like to try and read more of Collins' work in future as the descriptions are glorious and the way she tells a story if really captivating. I spent so much time guessing what was going to happen next which kept me intrigued. 

5) Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan 

All I can say is: what the hell did the movie do to this book? This book has so much potential and fun moments the film really let it down! 

In the second book in series, Thalia's tree, which protects Camp Half-Blood, is dying and the only hope of saving it is the Golden Fleece. Percy once again embarks on a quest into the Sea of Monsters to find the mythical fleece in the hope of saving Camp Half-Blood from an impending attack

It's once again so cleverly written with so many interesting twists and plot points. I don't remember this one as much because I think I read it so quickly it's almost a blur. I did really like it though and was a great way to continue the saga. 

6) Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan 

This is by far my favourite book in the Percy Jackson series. So many new characters are introduced and we start to get a vibe of the "big bad" of the series growing bigger. I loved seeing more of the Olympian gods and goddesses. It was so captivating and I wish I could read it for the first time all over again. 

We find Percy this time now trying to save the life of his friend, Annabeth daughter of Athena, and along the way meets even more gods and goddesses. The main one of those being Artemis and her band of huntresses. Percy finds there is even more to this quest than he realises as bigger and more ancient evil gods come into play. 

It's such a wonderful story and I enjoyed every moment of reading it. I get filled with emotion just thinking about it. 

7) Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan 

Disclaimer: this was probably my least favourite in the series. It was still brilliantly written and it was a good read but I think because I enjoyed the last one so much this one didn't quite hit the same. 

In an attempt for Percy to stop an invasion into the camp by his worst enemy, he must travel through the famous Labyrinth in an attempt to foil the plan of his enemies. Along the way they encounter so many ancient monsters and Percy has to start to face the looming storm that is headed for him and everything he cares about. 

I did enjoy this but as it was the second from the end it felt more of a filler. Everything that happened was still important and vital to the story but it just didn't hold as much enjoyment as I got out the other stories. 

8) Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan 

This was such an amazing final book and I was captivated the whole way through. Everything that had been set up since the first book finally came to a head. 

In this final installment, Percy and the other young heroes must fight the army of Kronos that threatens to end the reign of the Olympian gods. Secrets are revealed and prophecies finally come to pass and quests come to an end. 

I adored every second of this series and I think it helped me get my reading bug back. In a year or so I want to read the next series Riordan has done. I can't express how much I loved reading these. They were so cleverly written and it was such a thrill to read them. 

9) The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Taylor Jenkins Reid 

I had seen reviews online about this book so thought I'd give it a go. I tend to lean more towards fantasy or supernatural genres so this book was a little different for me. When I say this book was incredible it's an understatement. 

The book tells the story of famous actress Evelyn Hugo, who is finally ready to tell her life story to Monique Grant. Monique herself does not feel qualified for the role but is talked into taking on the opportunity. Evelyn tells her story of her rise to fame in 1950's Hollywood and the detailed stories of her seven husbands. As Evelyn opens up, Monique is yet to realise how close Evelyn is to her own life and how much this woman will impact the rest of her life going forward.

It's, what I can only describe as, magical and I was hooked from the start. The voices in the story were so clear and the characters were so vivid. I knew the story was fictional but the way it was written made them seem like real famous people. You're in awe of Evelyn as well as being disappointed in her. You admire her but hate her at the same time. It was an incredible read and it's one of the books I'd recommend to everyone. I think it might be one of the best books I have EVER read. 

 

10) Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton 

After I finished the previous book I had completed my reading challenge for the year. I didn't want to start anything too big so as to not eat in to the following year. I decided to reread this book I'd read years ago. I have the sequel but couldn't for the life of me remember what happened in the first. Since I'd finished my challenge so early in November, I decided to reread this one instead. 

This story tells the tale of Ari, a girl desperate to find out more about her biological mother after she grew up in foster care for many years. Ari finds herself in New 2, a futuristic New Orleans left to ruins after another horrific weather disaster. She is suddenly thrust into a supernatural world of vampires, witches and even Greek goddesses. Ari realises there is much more to her family than she ever realised. 

It's a good story and has a lot of interesting characters but I don't love the writing. As it's told from Ari's voice it's in quite a colloquial language which I don't always enjoy. I'm still going to read the series as I am intrigued about what's to come as there is a lot of fun mystery with the story. But, I wouldn't say it's my favourite ever read. 

I hope you all enjoyed reading about the books I read in 2021. I plan on trying to read even more this year! Let me know any books you read in 2021 that you absolutely loved or, even, absolutely hated.