Jennifer’s Year in Books

What did you read this year?

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2021

41,893

pages read

125

books read

Jennifer

This is my journey in books for 2021!

Shortest Book

pages

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Longest Book

757

pages

Average book length in 2021

335

pages

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Most Shelved

4,725,669

people also shelved

Least Shelved

people also shelved

Jennifer’s average rating for 2021

3.8

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Highest Rated on Goodreads

4.60 average

Jennifer’s first review of the year

liked it

Not bad for a Kindle First, but not particularly great either. Started off strong, but then got a little clunky as it went.

JENNIFER’S 2021 BOOKS

really liked it

Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh

it was amazing

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

it was amazing

The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede

really liked it

Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

really liked it

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

really liked it

When Harry Met Minnie by Martha Teichner

The Missing Treasures of Amy Ashton by Eleanor Ray

it was amazing

The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor

really liked it

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

it was amazing

really liked it

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe by Zig Zag Claybourne

Dear Miss Metropolitan by Carolyn Ferrell

it was amazing

Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters

Jennifer’s last review of the year

it was amazing

What great book to end my year on! This was not quite what I expected (I was thinking this would be more of a dark, dystopian, Handmaid's Tale sort of story). Instead, at its heart, it's very personal story about a family surviving domestic abuse (so, yes...trigger warning for that) and finding the strength to change during a pandemic of violence.

The author has lived experience growing up in a home with domestic abuse, and it shows. The descripti What great book to end my year on! This was not quite what I expected (I was thinking this would be more of a dark, dystopian, Handmaid's Tale sort of story). Instead, at its heart, it's very personal story about a family surviving domestic abuse (so, yes...trigger warning for that) and finding the strength to change during a pandemic of violence.

The author has lived experience growing up in a home with domestic abuse, and it shows. The descriptions of the family dynamic at play in The Violence are immaculately and compassionately rendered. It's a family dynamic that warps everyone who lives in it and that creates a very dramatic setting for the emergence of the violence pandemic.

I won't go into too many details, but I loved the stories about Chelsea's "found family" and how it serves as literal training ground for her to find her strength. In general, I thought ALL of the characters were lovely in this book. At first, Patrica seemed a bit cartoonish, but by the time the chapters were alternating between Chelsea, Patricia, and Ella, the book found a nice groove and depth, chugging along at a good pace, with lots of chapter-ending cliffhangers that keep you reading.

Normally I wouldn't be drawn to a book about a pandemic while still living in one, but I liked that The Violence was SO different that the author is able to use our current understanding of pandemic etiquette to apply to whole different (wilder) sets of circumstances. The reader understands how exhausted people in the book are about pandemic#2, are because we're currently exhausted by pandemic #1. We get the references to trauma and being pushed to the brink.

I'm sure there will be a small crowd that bristles at the references in this book to the Covid pandemic, (which the Violence pandemic quickly follows). There are mentions of a President who was impeached who bungled the Covid response, references to Covid misinformation, and parallels to the Covid vaccine rollout. If somehow you think of this time we are currently living in as a lovely one, then sure, you'll likely be offended by this author's take on our current pandemic. Hopefully my five stars will balance out your one star trolling reviews.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jennifer’s first review of the year

Jennifer’s last review of the year