My top five books of 2021
I am an avid reader, and since the start of the pandemic, I have read upwards of a dozen books. Here are some of my favorites…
#1: Verity by Colleen Hoover
My top-rated book of 2021 is hands-down Verity by Colleen Hoover. This novel took twists and turned that you could never imagine, all the way to the last page. The book left me with one burning question… team manuscript or team letter?
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.
Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.
Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.
Description from author Colleen Hoover’s personal website.
#2: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
Number two on the list is another Colleen Hoover novel, Ugly Love. This book follows the whirlwind romance between Tate and Miles, and I found myself constantly fighting for their love to persevere. Can they make it?
When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn’t think it’s love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.
Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.
They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.
Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.
Description from author Colleen Hoover’s personal website.
#3: The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
My #3 absolutely deserves five stars. The Last Thing He Told Me was a phenomenal thriller that I absolutely devoured in one day. Throughout the entire book, from San Francisco to Austin, I continued to ask myself: What is the truth?
Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.
As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.
Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated.
With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a riveting mystery, certain to shock you with its final, heartbreaking turn.
Description from Simon & Schuster.
#4: Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
Number four is an unexpected candidate. Something in the Water is a captivating thriller, exploring the lives of married couple Erin and Mark, and the life-changing events that followed their Bora Bora honeymoon. By the end of the book, I was left thinking: what the hell is going on?
If you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you?
Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark is a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water…
Could the life of your dreams be the stuff of nightmares?
Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events…
Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave?
Wonder no longer. Catherine Steadman’s enthralling voice shines throughout this spellbinding debut novel. With piercing insight and fascinating twists, Something in the Water challenges the reader to confront the hopes we desperately cling to, the ideals we’re tempted to abandon, and the perfect lies we tell ourselves.
Description from Barnes & Noble.
#5: One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Coming in at #5 is One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus. This novel explores the lives of five high school students, four of which become suspects in the fifth student’s death. While reading this thriller, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, and I was thrown for a loop by the ending! But the question is, who killed Simon?
Pay close attention and you might solve this:
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention:
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule,
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess,
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing,
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher,
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s
notorious gossip app.Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom alive. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. He died on a Monday. But that Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates. Now, all four of them are suspects in his murder. Are they guilty? Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?
They all have a motive. They all have something to hide. They all have a history with Simon. And one of them is definitely lying.
Description from author Karen M. McManus’ personal website.
