5 Best Books of 2021 So Far

affiliate links // My best books type posts are often some of my favourites to write because I love looking back over the books I’ve read. Usually the end of the year “best of” are better because I have more books to choose from and have usually read many more amazing books in 12 months however I do like to mark the middle of the year with a “best of” as well!

I always go to my Goodreads yearly reading challenge to help me with these posts, to remind me of what I’ve read and what I’ve rated them. And if I’m TOTALLY honest, this year, I’m a little disappointed. Yes, there have been some great books. But only one or two that’s really stood out to me so far.

I’ve also done a few re-reads this year as well of books that have likely featured in these round up posts in the past, so I’m reluctant to include them again. Obviously if I’ve re-read a book, it’s going to be one of my favourites.

In case you’ve missed any of my more recent bookish posts, you can check them out here:

• A Recent Book Haul: My Dark Vanessa, Dear Edward, Becoming & More!
• 10 Books I’ve Read More Than Once
• 5 Authors On My Auto-Buy List

So I actually only managed to whittle it down to 5. I’ve read over 15 books this year so far but I was being very picky and only wanted to include the ones that I really felt like deserved a place. Thus I have the 5 I’m going to share with you below!

But for now, let’s take a look at some of my favourite books I’ve read this year so far:

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Goodreads | Amazon UK

Where the Crawdads Sing has definitely been a standout of the year so far. It took me so long to get around to reading this book because of all the hype around it and if I’m honest, at first, I didn’t think I was going to get on with it!

But somehow, the more I read, the more I was drawn in to the story and I was just consumed by it before long. A literary work of art about loss, love and the beauty of nature. The descriptions of the marsh, the animals and Kya’s surroundings were other worldly.

For the whole time I was reading this book, I was right there in the marsh with her.

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson-Walker

Goodreads | Amazon UK

The Dreamers is the second book of Karen Thompson-Walker. Thompson-Walker is the author of my favourite book of ALL TIME: The Age of Miracles. I have read that damn book around 6 times. It never gets old or boring to me. I just adore it. So naturally, The Dreamers already had a LOT to live up to.

And whilst I can safely say that whilst this didn’t capture me quite as much as The Age of Miracles did, I’m not surprised to have this on my best books list. Thompson-Walker’s writing is just beautiful. Her way of storytelling, of making you think and wonder and question. It’s stunning.

This book was also VERY apt for the time we’re living in right now. Would highly recommend.

My Dark Vanessa

Goodreads | Amazon UK

Okay so I feel a little bit… icky… having this book on my favourite books of the first half of 2021 post. Which I don’t think would be an uncommon feeling for anyone who’s read the book and understands the topic in question. But this book was fantastic.

For the topic in question, it was an incredibly uncomfortable read. It made you rethink things in your own life – as a woman (or a girl) – that may have happened that you didn’t question at the time. Like this is getting heavy but this was a heavy book. Serious trigger warning for this one but if you can stomach the topic in question then I’d highly recommend this.

Copy Cat by Alex Lake

Goodreads | Amazon UK

Thrillers. I’ve read a LOT of them. At one point, they were literally all I read. So I rarely dive into a straight up Thriller novel anymore just because I feel like a lot of tropes have been done to death. I find it difficult to come across a Thriller that, well thrills me.

But Copycat was really good. I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t an explosive Thriller but it definitely kept me on my toes and kept me guessing and also had me incredibly frustrated and confused throughout the whole thing.

I really liked the modern Facebook element to this story too!

The Other People by C.J Tudor

Goodreads | Amazon UK

Here I am talking about how I struggle to find a good Thriller these days and I come at you with two in a row. Trust me. But C.J Tudor I feel is a different level of Thriller. I was absolutely blown away by her debut, The Chalk Man (which is being made into a series that I’m SO EXCITED ABOUT!) so it was almost guaranteed that anything else she wrote would be good.

I read two of her others in a row and The Other People definitely stood out to me. It’s proper eerie. Proper creepy. Totally weird and confusing. Everything that C.J Tudor’s work usually is. If you’re familiar with her stories, you’re not getting anything new with this but that’s no necessarily a bad thing.

She does it and she does it WELL.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of these books you’ve read! Please let me know in the comments and let’s chat books!