Top Five Books of 2021

List of the Month
December 2021 (see all)
Description
The year is coming to an end, and our December List of the Month is dedicated to your Top Five Books of 2021. Please note that books don't need to have been published in 2021, just read this year. You can see the LT Staffer picks at the LT Blog: https://blog.librarything.com/2021/12/top-five-books-of-2021/ And participate in the conversation on Talk: https://www.librarything.com/topic/337286
1
9,433 members
402 reviews
4.2
26 Members
bookwoman84, anglemark, raidergirl3, jonathankws, LDVoorberg, bookmess, kaida46, ChrisMG, souloftherose, RGilbraith, Andrew.Beck, OphelieDepoortere, KWSVERNON, nonil, Mairsiedoats, timetunnel, pbeagan, drbobingv, Boand, JulieStielstra, JTolson1970, nankan, AlexThurman, futtee, Craftybilda, merbes00
Explanations
kaida46: I've never read anything like this, great fantasy, creative, unusual,descriptive, and an enjoyable ride.
Boand: The most original book I’ve read this year! A truly spellbinding, intriguing and tricksy narrative that never fails to draw you in to the magic of the narrator’s journey. The finale is totally unexpected, shocking and completely blindsided me. This is a book that I will definitely be reading again and that is something I very rarely do. I look forward to being engrossed once again in this glorious fantasy.
3
7,484 members
305 reviews
3.8
4
6,698 members
240 reviews
4.1
5
3,734 members
156 reviews
4.2
6
18,431 members
581 reviews
½ 4.3
7
11,005 members
480 reviews
½ 4.3
9
5,912 members
213 reviews
4.2
10
7,178 members
321 reviews
½ 4.3
11
20,630 members
530 reviews
4
5 Members
knerd.knitter, ecb06c, bookmess, KWSVERNON, Maryjane75
Explanations
knerd.knitter: This year I discovered a love for the books of Haruki Murakami; I have yet to read one of his books that I don’t like, but this has been my favorite so far!
13
1,140 members
30 reviews
4.1
14
3,742 members
105 reviews
4.1
15
2,286 members
111 reviews
3.8
16
1,880 members
74 reviews
4
17
1,817 members
108 reviews
4.1
18
650 members
39 reviews
4.1
19
82,774 members
1,302 reviews
3.8
4 Members
hipdeep, Rchlwtsn, AAAO, Red-Hawk
Explanations
hipdeep: In the audio book version released by Planet Money - which is not as good as if professional actors had done it, but was a darn nice way to celebrate Public Domain Day nonetheless.
20
3,919 members
139 reviews
3.8
21
1,281 members
97 reviews
4
22
2,072 members
88 reviews
½ 4.3
23
4,409 members
203 reviews
4.1
24
8,415 members
489 reviews
4.1
25
5,298 members
170 reviews
½ 4.3
26
2,214 members
111 reviews
4.2
27
2,484 members
45 reviews
4.2
28
1,749 members
109 reviews
4.2
29
4,343 members
183 reviews
3.9
30
1,154 members
58 reviews
½ 3.7
31
2,072 members
104 reviews
4.2
32
8,977 members
277 reviews
4.1
33
3,598 members
115 reviews
½ 4.3
34
12,010 members
398 reviews
4.1
35
2 Members
Storeetllr, kara.shamy
Explanations
Storeetllr: More than *just* astrophysics.
36
4,233 members
117 reviews
3.9
2 Members
ahef1963, aspirit
37
2,014 members
102 reviews
3.9
38
12,683 members
558 reviews
½ 4.3
2 Members
Storeetllr, Cora-R
39
1,681 members
20 reviews
4.2
2 Members
CarltonC, MichaelHodges
Explanations
CarltonC: History brilliantly recorded in the making, with the immediacy and urgency of journalism, which you don’t encounter in academic history books.
40
1,203 members
36 reviews
½ 3.5
2 Members
avanders, noveltea
41
1,144 members
41 reviews
½ 3.7
2 Members
Aquila, ablachly
42
759 members
31 reviews
4.1
43
741 members
21 reviews
4.1
44
14,636 members
871 reviews
4.1
45
809 members
40 reviews
3.8
2 Members
tardis, lkmiller
46
27,337 members
480 reviews
½ 4.4
2 Members
dhm, chwiggy
Explanations
dhm: Once read, couldn’t not be on the list.
48
15,485 members
699 reviews
4
49
15,192 members
389 reviews
4.1
2 Members
toups, Brandy1411
50
6,826 members
339 reviews
4.2
51
4,309 members
166 reviews
4.2
52
1,619 members
27 reviews
½ 4.4
53
689 members
36 reviews
3.9
54
840 members
56 reviews
3.9
55
686 members
30 reviews
½ 3.7
2 Members
aethercowboy, AlexThurman
Explanations
aethercowboy: A worth follow up to The Circle, showing the dangers and dystopia of letting the tech giants be our gods.
56
49 members
1 review
5
2 Members
paradoxosalpha, MichaelHodges
Explanations
paradoxosalpha: A magisterial intellectual biography of a precocious and neglected social theorist.
57
27,913 members
513 reviews
4.2
58
8,089 members
410 reviews
½ 4.4
2 Members
skyrad43, rretzler
59
4,624 members
206 reviews
4
2 Members
knerd.knitter, SimoneA
Explanations
knerd.knitter: This book is a beautiful, fantastical journey…
60
48,395 members
1,236 reviews
4.1
61
3,112 members
165 reviews
4.2
2 Members
tardis, Storeetllr
Explanations
Storeetllr: Murderbot. No need to say more.
62
2,689 members
140 reviews
3.9
63
1,352 members
98 reviews
½ 3.7
2 Members
bookwoman84, zhejw
64
9,487 members
393 reviews
3.9
65
7,539 members
297 reviews
4.1
66
681 members
50 reviews
4.1
67
156 members
6 reviews
4.2
2 Members
MichaelHodges, Boand
Explanations
Boand: A brilliantly told thriller in the Bryant & May canon. Fowler has honed his narrative and characters to a truly sublime level in this addictive page turner. Possibly the last in the series, or perhaps not, the secrets revealed about London and the detective duo continue to enthral and surprise.
68
2,372 members
61 reviews
4.1
2 Members
zhejw, mdexter
69
56,862 members
496 reviews
½ 4.5
Member
RobtCM
70
21,561 members
222 reviews
3.9
Member
RBeffa
71
9,992 members
271 reviews
½ 4.4
Member
Milda-TX
72
9,729 members
204 reviews
4
Member
JenMDB
73
9,005 members
157 reviews
4.2
Member
bjappleg8
74
8,092 members
378 reviews
½ 4.3
75
8,055 members
224 reviews
3.8
Member
craso
76
7,338 members
396 reviews
3.9
Member
Minthe
77
6,105 members
194 reviews
½ 4.4
Member
Euryale
78
5,339 members
191 reviews
4.1
Member
dhm
Explanations
dhm: All three parts of the trilogy are amazing — this middle book I enjoyed especially.
79
5,044 members
69 reviews
4
Member
rretzler
80
4,686 members
135 reviews
4
Member
paradoxosalpha
Explanations
paradoxosalpha: A darkly funny novel of cosmic justice writ very small. I hate it when that happens.
81
4,135 members
168 reviews
4
Member
anglemark
82
4,012 members
145 reviews
½ 4.3
83
3,667 members
214 reviews
½ 3.6
Member
Jim.Shine
84
3,607 members
65 reviews
4.2
Member
toups
85
3,083 members
113 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
tina1969
86
3,032 members
73 reviews
½ 4.5
87
2,742 members
133 reviews
4.2
Member
LDVoorberg
Explanations
LDVoorberg: hats off to Neil Smith (translator) for helping capture the hope and humanity amidst darkness and despair in this novel that so beautifully balances the reality of a community
88
2,509 members
164 reviews
4.1
Member
cbl_tn
89
2,472 members
36 reviews
½ 3.6
90
2,097 members
143 reviews
3.9
Member
LyndaInOregon
Explanations
LyndaInOregon: Picoult's readers know by now to expect a twist at the end. But this one was so unexpected it literally left me with my mouth hanging open. On re-reading, however, the clues were there.
91
2,095 members
67 reviews
½ 3.7
92
1,877 members
20 reviews
4.2
Member
hipdeep
93
1,713 members
64 reviews
4.2
Member
Aquila
94
1,642 members
79 reviews
3.9
Member
Tosta
95
1,612 members
70 reviews
½ 3.6
Member
shedgeco
96
1,561 members
67 reviews
4
97
1,493 members
76 reviews
4
98
1,466 members
60 reviews
4.1
99
1,448 members
94 reviews
4
100
1,431 members
81 reviews
4.1