How can a year be filled with so much sorrow and yet so much joy? I am grateful that this year has come to an end, but it did have some wonderful moments. As many of you know my Dad passed in January. I will be making a separate post about all my feelings on that because my emotions just seem endless. But then, my sweet nephew, Tucker was born. My son, Titus has thrived in Taekwondo and in school, and my youngest son, Hunter keeps me on my toes day in and day out--seriously he is determined to be the next Freddie Mercury. My nephew Levi is always showing us how smart he is and he loves books so much! My sister comes to visit whenever she can, despite the pandemic. And my mom holds us all together. So needless to say, this year has been full of ups and downs. But I am so glad I have my family to help me get through it all.

I am still working with InD'tale Magazine and have also recently begun substitute teaching again. Then I took a part-time job at my apartment complex to help us save to build our house. So I have been making sure that I stay busy. And there are my books. Books have been a saving grace. I read in every spare moment. When I am working, cleaning, or working out I am listening to an audiobook.

This year I have read a total of 230 books. (At least I hope so by midnight as I am finishing my last books of the year.) I never had the ability to choose a favorite book so I am going to whittle my 2021 favorites into as many categories as possible to make it less difficult.

Let's Start with Audiobooks!!

1) Favorite Non-fiction:
-Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
2) Favorite Memoir:
-Know My Name by Chanel Miller
3) Favorite Fantasy Series:
-The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden
4) Favorite Romance:
-The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman
5) Favorite Horror:
-The Girl in Red by Christina Henry
6) Favorite Mystery/Thriller:
-The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
7) Favorite Historical Fiction:
-The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
8) Favorite Book by a Black Female Author:
-The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
9) Favorite Book by an LGBTQ author:
-All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
10) Favorite Science-Fiction:
-Kindred by Octavia Butler
11) Favorite Nature Book:
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

And Now For the Rest:

1) Favorite Nonfiction:
Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi
2) Favorite Memoir:
-Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
3) Favorite Fantasy:
-The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
4) Favorite Romance:
-Daughter of the Sea by Elisabeth J. Hobbes
5) Favorite Horror:
-Horseman by Christina Henry
6) Favorite Mystery/Thriller:
-The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
7) Favorite Historical Fiction:
-The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
8) Favorite Book by A Black Female Author:
-Beloved by Toni Morrison
9) Favorite Book by an LGBTQ Author:
-Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin
10) Favorite Nature Book:
-The Nature of Oaks by Douglas W. Tallamy

And to conclude, we cannot forget about Tolkien Tuesday. Throughout this year we have traveled through The Return of The King, The Silmarillion, The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, The Fall of Gondolin, The Unfinished Tales, and The Book of Lost Tales Volume One. ---But it isn't over yet! Tolkien Tuesday will continue on in 2022!

I wish you all a safe and happy New Year. I still have not figured out how to tag my fellow bloggers, but just so you know, you all mean so much to me, more than words can say!

 This free site is ad-supported. Learn more
​