I love to read, and I am a member of several book clubs.
For 2021, I have chosen just three favorites. I review every book I read and if you want to follow my reviews throughout the year, be sure to click “follow” on my Goodreads profile and you will be notified of each review shortly after I post one.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was released in 2020 by Matt Haig. It was my first read by this author, and I enjoyed his style of expression from the first pages. The Guardian described his writing as ‘delightfully weird’. I didn’t think it was weird but certainly delightful, and it was well read on Audible.
The story gives the reader a glimpse of the concept of a library that becomes available to us on the brink of death where we can view books that contain other stories of our lives that might have happened if we had made different decisions. Each day is filled with choices that might lead us into an infinite number of directions. What if we change a regret and follow that life? Would it be a good and happy life?
The main character was immersed in self-discovery by viewing and briefly living other realities. I found the book creative and thought provoking. It also inspired me to make the most of my life now. So, if you are looking for a light read with a hopeful message in the end, this book might be for you.
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The book begins asking the question, “If your mother was missing, would you tell the police? Even if the most obvious suspect was your father?”
The four adult Delaney children must figure out what to do when their mum is nowhere to be found. Their father seems guilty of something. Could the disappearance be linked to a strange visitor to the family home six months prior? Lots of secrets to unravel. Relationships of each sibling and the parents are revealed. This book is part mystery and part comedy that kept me guessing and changing my thought of what happened all the way through. I really liked listening to the reader on Audible. I was very entertained by this book, and I am a fan of this author.
Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Dear Edward was published in 2020 by Ann Napolitano. This book alternates between the hours before the crash and life afterwards for the sole survivor, Edward Adler. The reader sees how the twelve-year-old boy navigates his life through his teens following the crash, losing his beloved brother and both of his parents. In the chapters about the time before the tragedy, we get a glimpse of the lives of some of the passengers aboard the plane.
The story was inspired by an actual plane crash that occurred in 2010 in which there was only one survivor, a nine-year-old Dutch boy. The author also studied the Air France Flight 447 crash and an article in Popular Mechanics that described what really happened aboard that airplane. Hence, there are two stories running simultaneously in the book based on the author’s research and imagination.
I have a mild fear of plane crashes, so this was not an easy read for me. That being said, it was beautifully written and honored both stories. I was captivated by each part and found it difficult to put the book down. The survivor’s resilience was remarkable. How would one find purpose after such a devastating event? Read the book and find out.
View all the books I read and my reviews for 2021
A look back at previous year’s favorites:
Please feel free to comment below and share your favorite books with me!
