2021 book list.

Being behind seems to be my norm these days. Or maybe there’s some underlying embarrassment around some of last year’s selections. I dove deep into escapism for the better part of the year and by escapism, I mean those dang beach reads. Predictable and full of redundant tropes, I still find them fun and easy to get through when everything else seems to be falling apart. That’s life under pandemic conditions I suppose. So in giving myself some grace, here’s a look at what I read with links to a few favorites:

1. Here’s to Us by Elin Hilderbrand

2. The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand

3. Creativity by John Cleese

4. Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand 

5. Betting on You by Laurie Ruettimann

6. I’m Not Holding Your Coat by Nancy Barile 

7. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

8. The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand

9. The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand 

10. Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand 

11. Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand 

12. Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand

13. Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner 

14. The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand 

15. Exercised by Daniel Lieberman

16. The Island by Elin Hilderbrand 

17. Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand 

18. The Tailgate by Elin Hilderbrand 

19. Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hubert

20. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

21. Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

22. Troubles in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand 

23. Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand 

24. Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand 

25. Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand

26. Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand

27. Blood Sisters by Jane Corry

28. The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor

29. Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews

30. Think Again by Adam Grant 

31. Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

32. Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad

33. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

34. Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand 

35. Soul City by Thomas Healy

36. High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews

37. Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews

38. The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews

39. Spring Fever by Mary Kay Andrews

40. Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews

41. Save the Date by Mary Kay Andrews 

42. In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

43. Heartburn by Nora Ephron

44. A Promised Land by Barack Obama 

45. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

46. The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews 

47. Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

48. While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory

49. The Dinner List by Rebecca Searle 

50. Smart Women by Judy Blume 

51. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie 

52. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VS Schwab

53. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman 

54. Born Round by Frank Bruni 

55. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Kline

56. Furious Hours by Casey Cep 

57. Dear Girls by Ali Wong

I’m in the middle of my second and third books of 2022 respectively so often the races as they say. Here’s hoping for a year that requires less fantasizing in favor of a more enjoyable reality.

Image by @jasonhk1920.