Hola amigos!

It is time for my 2021 in books round up. Get yourself a cup of tea and get comfy! I might be here a while, ha!

**2021 READING STATS**

NUMBER OF BOOKS YOU READ: 163 (I think!)
NUMBER OF RE-READS: 0
GENRE YOU READ THE MOST FROM: FANTASY

1. BEST BOOK YOU READ IN 2021?

Lol, I stand by the answer I give often and refuse to choose just one…

2. BOOK YOU WERE EXCITED ABOUT & THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO LOVE MORE BUT DIDN’T?

Hmmmm… that’s hard! I don’t think I read any total flops. The Goosebumps graphic novels didn’t blow my mind, but my class absolutely love them!

3. MOST SURPRISING (IN A GOOD WAY OR BAD WAY) BOOK YOU READ? 

Pass, haha.

Maybe The Book of Stolen Dreams by David Farr because I knew very little about it when I read it and it BLEW MY SOCKS OFF.

4. BOOK YOU “PUSHED” THE MOST PEOPLE TO READ (AND THEY DID)?

Graphic novels. Specifically the Mr Wolf’s Class series and the Amulet series.

5. BEST SERIES YOU STARTED IN 2019? BEST SEQUEL OF 2019? BEST SERIES ENDER OF 2019?

Best series I started? Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi. What a blooming brilliant graphic novel series that is!
Best sequel? Orphans of the Tide: Shipwreck Island by Struan Murray. This series is just EXCEPTIONAL.
Best ender? Frostheart: Rise of the World Eaters by Jamie Littler – I am so not ready to say goodbye to this world! OR Vulture by Bex Hogan!

6. FAVORITE NEW AUTHOR YOU DISCOVERED IN 2021?

I like to read a lot of different authors (I definitely have my faves!) so this one is always hard… but I’m gonna say Kazu Kibuishi. His graphic novel series (Amulet) is absolutely one of my favourites.

7. BEST BOOK FROM A GENRE YOU DON’T TYPICALLY READ/WAS OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE?

Looking at the books I read in 2021, I don’t think I read anything that was out of my comfort zone massively!

8. MOST ACTION-PACKED/THRILLING/UNPUTDOWNABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR?

Lol, how am I meant to choose?! Those words are all different to me! However… if you’re looking for something that encapsulates all of those? The Amulet series (this is the 3rd time I’ve talked about them now ha) is WELL BRILLIANT.

9. BOOK YOU READ IN 2021 THAT YOU WOULD BE MOST LIKELY TO RE-READ NEXT YEAR?

Now here we go again… everyone say it with me. I’m not much of a rereader. However, I am likely to read Happy Here (an anthology) in the classroom because it’s just GLORIOUS.

10. FAVORITE COVER OF A BOOK YOU READ IN 2021?

LOL. Shut up what even is this question?!

11. MOST MEMORABLE CHARACTER OF 2021?

All of the kids from Don’t Breathe a Word by Jordyn Taylor. That book is EXCEPTIONAL and not enough people are talking about it.

12. MOST BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN BOOK READ IN 2021?

The Book of Stolen Dreams by David Farr. That book is so incredibly wonderful.

13. MOST THOUGHT-PROVOKING/ LIFE-CHANGING BOOK OF 2021?

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds. I read that way way back in 2021 and I still think about it to this day.

14. BOOK YOU CAN’T BELIEVE YOU WAITED UNTIL 2021 TO FINALLY READ? 

Any of the graphic novels I finally got round to reading, ha.

15. FAVORITE PASSAGE/QUOTE FROM A BOOK YOU READ IN 2019?

GOD KNOWS. Like genuinely. I need to be better at remembering quotes ha.

16. SHORTEST & LONGEST BOOK YOU READ IN 2019?

Shortest – Ninja-rella by Joey Comeau (40 pages)
Longest – Frostheart: Rise of the World Eater by Jamie Littler (502 pages)

17. BOOK THAT SHOCKED YOU THE MOST?

I’m gonna go with graphic novels in general. Properly and utterly fallen for them.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (YOU WILL GO DOWN WITH THIS SHIP!)?

Bronn and Marianne 4eva.

19. FAVORITE NON-ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP OF THE YEAR?

Honestly any time there’s a good friendship.

20. FAVORITE BOOK YOU READ IN 2021 FROM AN AUTHOR YOU’VE READ PREVIOUSLY?

LOTS OF THEM OK? I LOVE BOOKS.

21. BEST BOOK YOU READ IN 2021 THAT YOU READ BASED SOLELY ON A RECOMMENDATION FROM SOMEBODY ELSE/PEER PRESSURE/BOOKSTAGRAM, ETC.:

Most graphic novels I’ve read come courtesy of my friend Richard haha.

22. NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH FROM A BOOK YOU READ IN 2019?

I can’t say he’s my newest crush… but Bronn.

23. BEST 2019 DEBUT YOU READ?

Honestly, looking at my list I couldn’t tell you which were debuts haha.

24. BEST WORLDBUILDING/MOST VIVID SETTING YOU READ THIS YEAR?

Oh gosh. I read a tonne of fantasy, so this is always hard. However, the settings in Escape Room by Christopher Edge did proper blow me away.

25. BOOK THAT PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE/WAS THE MOST FUN TO READ?

The Investigators series by John Patrick Green brought smiles to my face every time I read them!

26. BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY OR NEARLY CRY IN 2021?

Hello. Have you met me? Do you know who I am?

27. HIDDEN GEM OF THE YEAR?

Estranged by Ethan M Aldridge. It’s a graphic novel that I really enjoyed. Just a duology and I thought it was great!

28. BOOK THAT CRUSHED YOUR SOUL?

All of them?

29. MOST UNIQUE BOOK YOU READ IN 2019?

Hmmmm…. I do not know!

30. BOOK THAT MADE YOU THE MOST MAD (DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN YOU DIDN’T LIKE IT)?

Roxy by Neal and Jared Shusterman. It’s about drugs and there were just bits that made me despair (in that very good bookish way – it’s an incredible book!!)

1. NEW FAVORITE BOOK BLOG/BOOKSTAGRAM/YOUTUBE CHANNEL YOU DISCOVERED IN 2019?

I don’t watch a lot of booktube to be honest, so I will tell everyone who is still reading to go and subscribe to my boy George Lester.

2. FAVORITE POST YOU WROTE IN 2019?

OH MY GOSH. I can not choose. I have quite a few!

3. FAVORITE BOOKISH RELATED PHOTO YOU TOOK IN 2019?

I don’t take great photos haha! So I’m not sure!

4. BEST BOOKISH EVENT THAT YOU PARTICIPATED IN (AUTHOR SIGNINGS, FESTIVALS, VIRTUAL EVENTS, ETC.)?

The COVID stopped me going to events, but I did get to be part of some amazing virtual launches which made me very happy!

5. BEST MOMENT OF BOOKISH/BLOGGING LIFE IN 2018?

Hmmm… getting invites to virtual launches felt quite special!

6. MOST CHALLENGING THING ABOUT BLOGGING OR YOUR READING LIFE THIS YEAR?

Those times where my MH just doesn’t wanna play and therefore I don’t read/blog like I would love to be doing!

7. MOST POPULAR POST THIS YEAR ON YOUR BLOG (WHETHER IT BE BY COMMENTS OR VIEWS)?

I do not know! I would imagine it’s a teaching one though haha.

8. POST YOU WISHED GOT A LITTLE MORE LOVE?

Meh. I’m indifferent to this question. I don’t write things for people to like? I write things I want to write!

9. BEST BOOKISH DISCOVERY (BOOK RELATED SITES, BOOK STORES, ETC.)?

*shrug* I don’t know my pals. I do not know.

10.  DID YOU COMPLETE ANY READING CHALLENGES OR GOALS THAT YOU HAD SET FOR YOURSELF AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR?

I always set myself a Goodreads target and of course I smashed it!

1. ONE BOOK YOU DIDN’T GET TO IN 2021 BUT WILL BE YOUR NUMBER 1 PRIORITY IN 2022?

Lol. So many.

2. BOOK YOU ARE MOST ANTICIPATING FOR 2022 (NON-DEBUT)?

OH GOD. STRANGEWORLDS 3 STRANGEWORLDS 3 STRANGEWORLDS 3.

3. 2020 DEBUT YOU ARE MOST ANTICIPATING?

Ooooh quite a few!

4. SERIES ENDING/A SEQUEL YOU ARE MOST ANTICIPATING IN 2020?

STRANGEWORLDS 3.

5. ONE THING YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH OR DO IN YOUR READING/BLOGGING LIFE IN 2020?

Just keep enjoying it. That’s all I ever want. As soon as I’m not enjoying it, that’s when I’ll stop blogging.

6. A 2022 RELEASE YOU’VE ALREADY READ & RECOMMEND TO EVERYONE (IF APPLICABLE):

Sophie Anderson’s The Thief Who Sang Storms. I finished it the other day and it BROKE me. Sophie is an incredible story weaver and you guys are in for an absolute treat!

TA DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. You made it! Congratulations if you made it this far, ha!

S x