It’s FINALLY here! Days late, but still here. My ANNUAL BOOK REVIEW!

In 2021, I read 48 books!

I loved going back through all of these books because I am at a HUGE standstill with my reading. I started a book at the end of December . . . well, I read two chapters, put the book down, and haven’t picked anything up since. This is SOOO unlike me! Yikes, y’all! I love to read, but the holidays were just too much fun, and I haven’t been too inspired in 2022 to grab a book and start reading. My goal is to crack open a book this weekend, so hopefully the late start to my 2022 reading will have been just a small pause.

SO . . . while Lunchbox Babies started as a blog for the infertility and loss community, my monthly book reviews have become a favorite for both you and me! YEAH, love these posts!

This is the fourth “Best of” post I have done. If you want to look back at other years, these were my favorites!

Top Three Books of 2018:
Cancel the Wedding by Carolyn T. Dingman
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan

Top Three Books of 2019:
The Banker’s Wife by Cristina Alger
Swear On This Life by Renee Carlino
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Top Three Books of 2020:
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

In 2021, I read books all over the board. Some made me cry, some made me laugh, and some made me read them from behind a pillow because I was so embarrassed for the author.

I also fell into the practice of getting a book and not reading the back cover/inside jacket. So, the vast majority of books I read were surprises to me along the way. This worked out decently for some, not great with others. I will DEFINITELY be doing my research this year as there weren’t a ton that truly stood out to me in 2021.

As a reminder, here is what I read in 2021. . .

January
Mistletoe & Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler
Ghosted by Rosie Walsh
Ten Rules For Faking It by Sophie Sullivan

February
Verity by Colleen Hoover
Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Forever Wild by K.A. Tucker
I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

March
I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella
Much Ado About You by Samantha Young
Make It Sweet by Kristen Callihan
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

April
Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez
Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino
He Started It by Samantha Downing

May
The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover
Shipped by Angie Hockman
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

June
Malibu Burning by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center

July
The Stranger in the Mirror by Liv Constantine
Float Plan by Trish Doller
People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry

August
I Found You by Lisa Jewell
The One by John Marrs
Love Next Door by Helena Hunting

September
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
Not A Happy Family by Shari Lepena
The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

October
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
Confess by Colleen Hoover
Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting
Outmatched by Kristen Callihan and Samantha Young

November
Enjoy The View by Sarah Morgenthaler
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

December
Jingle Wars by R. Holmes & Veronica Eden
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

And, now . . . I AM SO EXCITED . . . here is my list of THE BEST BOOKS of 2021! I have three favorites, plus three honorable mentions! Here we go . . .

Honorable Mentions

The books in this section were exceptional! I REALLY loved them, and highly, HIGHLY recommend these for all of you!

Malibu Burning by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I am such a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid. Her newest release, Malibu Burning, follows the Riva family around Malibu as four children raise themselves while their father lives out his rock star fantasies and their mother copes with her heartbreak with booze. I was such a fan of this book . . . it spans decades, dives deep into the Hollywood music culture, and is so believable that I had to google if the Riva family was real when I finished this book. This is chick-lit, plus a ton of depth. This book is all about finding yourself in the midst of chaos and drama. Such a great read! I loved it!

The Stranger in the Mirror by Liv Constantine

Oh wow, y’all! I read some great thrillers in 2021, but The Stranger in the Mirror is my FAVORITE! I’ve lost track of my book as I have loaned it out so many times at this point. This book follows a woman in Philadelphia that is trying to recreate a life for herself after getting amnesia two years ago from a traumatic event. While she is surrounded by new friends, a fiancé, and the amazing couple that rescued her, she is still haunted about her lack of memory, who she is, and where she is from. Meanwhile, a doctor in Boston is searching for the love of his life and mother of his young child. Two years ago, she disappeared without a trace, and he has been searching for her ever since. Sounds so easy, but it is SOOOO twisted up and crazy! This is a GREAT one! Also, if anyone out there knows how to make a book into a movie, let’s start working on this one ASAP!

Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino

Oh, my heart. Renee Carlino always writes chick lit books that give me all the feels. Before We Were Strangers does not disappoint! Fifteen years ago, Matt and Grace met as neighbors in their freshman dorm at NYU. Both from troubled pasts and with little money, they became dear friends and ended up falling in love during their last year of school. Real life happens, promises broken, and conversations misunderstood. And, then now, after fifteen years, they see each other briefly on a subway platform as Grace’s train is pulling away and Matt is staring from a closed door. Fifteen years of missing what might have been. Fifteen years of assumptions that may or may not be true. Fifteen years of not truly moving on. I have CHILLS remembering this book. Y’all. I just LOVED this book. Precious in all the ways.

The Top Books of 2021!!!

There is a theme about my three favorite books of 2021. I CANNOT STOP THINKING ABOUT THEM! I read so much, so when a book gets stuck up in the brain, it means that it is special. These three books are special. Please read them so I can talk to y’all about them! ASAP!

3rd Runner Up:
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

Oh, this book. This book is heavy. It is raw and beautiful, ugly and tragic. I loved it. I’m mad at it. I’m confused by it. I cried at parts in it. Just all of the feelings. I even ended up messaging with the author – who was SO gracious to break down the ending with me – just so that I could truly feel better in wrapping my brain around this beautiful book. The Paper Palace follows Elle, a fifty-year-old woman, on her summer vacation with her family at her happy place, their family camp on the Cape. This book jumps around with telling the story in present tense, the story when Elle was a child, and then the story when her mother was a child. This story is about finding yourself in the weeds of love, loss, abuse, pain, and hope. Y’all! UGH . . . all the feelings. I know that I will think about this story for a long time.

2nd Runner Up:
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Have you ever had a book that made you think about all of the random decisions that you have made in your life? If not, read this book! ASAP! The Midnight Library follows a thirty-five-year-old woman that is in a current state of depression. She feels like life is not worth living, and so she decides to overdose on medication to put her out of her misery. Somewhere between life and death, she ends up in The Midnight Library. This magical place is filled with books of the different lives that she could have led had she just have made a different decision here or there. The concept of this book is truly based upon how one decision can impact your life in even the smallest of ways. While we all have the “what if” thoughts in our head, this author does an amazing job showing that her biggest decisions may have impacted her other lives in the biggest way, but those small decisions are sometimes the most meaningful. “You have to live to learn!” Truly a beautiful story of realizing the regrets we have in life don’t necessarily define our existence. I am obsessed with this book. Super cool concept that gets you into the story, but also makes you think on your own life’s choices. SO GOOD!

WINNER:
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab

This book is AMAZING! AMAZING, y’all! I also discovered that it is being made into a movie, so I need all of you to go grab this book and read it ASAP!

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue follows Addie, a twenty-three-year-old woman living in the 1700s. She is unhappy with her life and the plans that have been made for her, and she prays continuously for the Gods to rescue her. One night, through her prayers, she mistakenly makes a wish with the devil to get her out of this life that she is being forced to live. Not known to be fair, the devil thrusts Addie into a life where she never dies, and no one ever remembers her. Thus, she lives an invisible life. After three hundred years on Earth, Addie has lived a life of solitude as she has witnessed countless inventions, wars, rulers, and illnesses. And, then one day, Addie runs into someone that remembers her. I can’t stop thinking about this book. I have truly thought over and over what I would do if I were Addie Larue. What an amazing existence to have witnessed so many key pieces in history, but I cannot imagine the strength it must have taken her to not go mad from her loneliness. Ugh! Such an interesting concept!

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Whew! That was a BIG post for the first one back in 2022! I LOVE reading, and I am so happy that so many of you do as well. Let me know your thoughts on the books above, and I would LOVE to hear your recommendations! XO