End of the Year 2021 Reading Survey

I did not have a great reading year in 2021 (I blame the pandemic!), but I still wanted to participate in this fabulous survey hosted by Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner. 

Number Of Books You Read: 25 (and a couple short stories)

Number of Re-Reads: 0?

Genre You Read The Most From: historical (it usually isn't, but for some reason, I kept getting drawn to historical reads this year!)

1. Best Book You Read In 2021?

Mrs. Sherlock Holmes by Brad Ricca -- this is a total departure for me, since this is a non-fiction book, but I really got engrossed in it, and learned a lot about New York society in the early 1900s.

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Paper Chains by Nicola Moriarty and The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley -- the first I was looking forward to as I have enjoyed another Nicola Moriarty book, but unfortunately, I didn't connect all that well with either of the main characters, and found the story required a lot of suspension of disbelief. The second I was disappointed by because although the premise was promising, it was rather repetitive and melodramatic in its execution. 

 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?   

Sweet Damage by Rebecca James -- I seriously wish I had picked this up sooner. Such an easy read that just pulled me right in, with simple, effective writing that doesn't try too hard. 

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

I really didn't do much "book pushing" this year.

5. Best series you started in 2021? Best Sequel of 2021? Best Series Ender of 2021?

Best series started: the Raven, Fisher, and Simpson series by Ambrose Parry

Best sequel: The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon

Best series ender: I don't think I read any series enders this year.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2021?

Hmmm...I kinda feel like I re-discovered Rebecca James, does that count?

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Mrs. Sherlock Holmes 

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

The Art of Dying by Ambrose Parry

9. Book You Read In 2021 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Honestly, I don't see myself re-reading most of my 2020 books... maybe The Mask Falling?

10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2021?

The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh by Molly Greeley 

11. Most memorable character of 2021?

Anne de Bourgh from The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh. I really enjoyed how Molly Greeley pulled back the curtain on the Anne de Bourgh we see in Pride and Prejudice, and explored why she might have seemed like that to the reader and other characters, and who she really could have been as a person. 

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2021?

None of the books I read really stand out for this category... maybe The Heiress again? I did find the writing eloquent. 

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2021

The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke -- not life-changing, but thought-provoking, certainly. 

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2021 to finally read? 

Sweet Damage by Rebecca James -- why did I wait so long?!

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2021?

Then he had come back into my life, and little by little, I had started to notice. That I looked forward to seeing him. That he made me smile without ever smiling himself. That he challenged me. That I always wanted to hear his voice. And that even though he was a mystery, and there were shadows in him I might never disperse, I somehow knew him.

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2021?

Shortest: But Like Maybe Don't? What Not to Do When Dating: An Illustrated Guide by Arianna Margulis (176 pages)

Longest: The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon (528 pages)

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

Hmmm, I don't feel like I read any books this past year that had really shocking twists/reveals to them...

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Weirdly, perhaps Cat and Finn in The Mad Scientist's Daughter?

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

The mother-daughter relationship in Two Wrongs by Mel McGrath

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2021 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Sweet Damage by Rebecca James

21. Best Book You Read In 2021 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

The Art of Dying by Ambrose Parry -- my mom originally ordered this from the library, and then suggested I might like it too (which I did!)

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2021?

I don't have a new one, but I'll go with an old one from a series continued in 2021, which is Warden from the Bone Season series. 

23. Best 2021 debut you read?

 I didn't read any 2021 debuts.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year? 

Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All by Candace Fleming -- I feel like this book did a solid job of transporting me to the time of King Henry the VIII's reign. 

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Broken by Jenny Lawson -- I really enjoyed a lot of the author's self-deprecating humour, and there were numerous chunks of the book that had me laughing out loud (which I very much needed)! I also appreciated the author being open about her experience with anxiety and depression.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2021?

I don't think there was one?

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Sweet Damage by Rebecca James (I never see this book getting any attention!)

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

I don't have one for this category. 

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2021?

Kind of Coping: An Illustrated Look at Life with Anxiety by Maureen "Marzi" Wilson

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt -- this book is about an abusive relationship, so it's no wonder it got me feeling mad on behalf of the young girl caught in this horrendous situation. But I was also very uncomfortable with how the abuser's POV was written, and what kind of message this might be sending.

 

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2021 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2022?

There are so many! One that I have previously started and then put down, but I'd like to give another try, is The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2022 (non-debut)? 

What Monstrous Gods by Rosamund Hodge -- I very much enjoyed Cruel Beauty, and I'd like to see what she does with this retelling of Sleeping Beauty. 

3. 2022 Debut You Are Most Anticipating? 

I've been seeing good things about The Maid by Nita Prose, I'm interested in checking that one out. 

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2022?

I have so few series I am actively reading at the moment! There are no sequels right now on my "2022 releases" shelf on Goodreads... I might try to read the next in the Raven, Fisher, and Simpson series by Ambrose Parry, though. The latest book came out in 2021, so...does that count?

Short & Sweet: Cruel Beautiful World

Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt

The storyline here was compelling, and the depiction of a relationship turning abusive (both mentally/emotionally and physically) felt very real. I haven't read many books set in the late 60s/early 70s so that helped set this book apart from others of a similar theme. Most of the characters felt fleshed out, with the possible exception of William, whose POV we only get towards the end. I felt kind of conflicted about how his section was done, to be honest. Spoilers, highlight to read: While I understand that it's possible that in William's mind he was acting out of "love" for Lucy, and perhaps the author's intent was to show how William was lying even to himself about his behaviour, it still came across -- or at least could certainly be interpreted -- as a sympathetic portrayal of William, kind of like it was explaining away his actions by the fact that it was done out of "love". Obviously this was from William's point of view, so I suppose that was him justifying it to himself/Charlotte. Still, that portion left me feeling uncertain about what the reader was meant to take away from it.

3.5 stars. 

The Mad Scientist's Daughter: A Rambling Review

The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke

This is a quiet sci-fi story about relationships, consciousness, and growing up, so if you're wanting an action-packed sci-fi read about robots, look elsewhere. If you want something introspective, though, and you don't mind a main character who may disappoint and frustrate you (especially in the first half of the book), you might want to check this one out. The writing style is very readable, and Clarke does a good job of giving an impression of a scene without going overboard with description. I never felt like I really understood Cat, but I didn't find that necessary to keep on reading. The premise of a woman falling in love with an android is compelling, and while neither the scientific plausibility or the philosophical ramifications of an android potentially falling in love right back are explored deeply enough for my liking, the case for Cat and Finn fitting together is made in an easy, unforced sort of way. One just feels like they make sense together, somehow, even though in theory they shouldn't. (Which some of the best romances do!)

I was left with a lingering question about Daniel, however. Spoilers, highlight to read: it was repeatedly implied that Daniel did not resemble Richard at all, and comparisons were made to Finn instead. However, this was not resolved by the end of the book. Are we supposed to believe that he is Finn's son? And if so, how exactly is that supposed to work?

3.5 shooting stars.

  

Short & Sweet: The Silent Companions and Paper Chains

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

This was a weird read, all things considered. By the end it was definitely more violent/gruesome than I had expected (to the point where it seemed rather over-the-top). I don't entirely understand the "reveal" at the end (spoilers, highlight to read: I am assuming that when Sarah cut her finger on one of the companions, the "spirit" of Hetta took her over, and she's the one who murdered everyone else?). I was intrigued by the mystery of what happened in Elsie's past (with her parents), and wish we had gotten more explanation for that as well. I did think that the question of whether or not Elsie is delusional/hallucinating or whether there is something supernatural going on here was handled pretty well towards the end of the story; it did have me flipping back and forth between the two theories! 

I also sometimes found it difficult to take the companions all that seriously in their menace. I mean, we are talking about a bunch of wooden paintings here.

3 shooting stars.

Paper Chains by Nicola Moriarty

This read definitely required some suspension of disbelief -- there are a lot of coincidences and ways things are linked together that err on the side of cheesy. However, I found the flashbacks of Hannah's past very gripping, particularly in how her mental health issues are depicted (spoilers, highlight to read: her postpartum depression felt very real). I could connect with Hannah better than I could with India, although I did sometimes find that Hannah's thoughts, particularly about herself, came across as over-the-top (granted, she was struggling with a lot). I feel like the reader only really gets to know India genuinely right at the end (spoilers: because we find out that she's sort of been trying out a new persona to distance herself from the "sick Lily" version of herself). I did think that India's and Hannah's friendship developed quite quickly and felt sort of forced. The writing style, though, made this a quick read.

3 shooting stars.

Short & Sweet: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill and The Mask Falling

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

This book might've gotten a slightly higher rating if I hadn't been in a reading slump, but the pandemic has been doing weird things to my reading. Anyway, I found the main character Nina highly relatable, and I think that was probably the stand-out aspect of the book to me. I felt like I connected with her quite well, from her love of books to her anxiety to her quirky sense of humour. Plot-wise, this is not the most exciting story, and Nina ends up with a lot of relatives who I had difficulty keeping track of. But I liked that by the end, Nina was opening up more to others and being more proactive in her life.

3 shooting stars.

      

The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon

I found most of this book to be slower-moving than its predecessors; I feel like it was more of a stepping stone to set up the next stage of the story than its own contained plot. It did pick up the pace towards the end, though -- and that cliffhanger! Lots of lingering questions about reveals in the last few pages, for sure. I liked that we got to spend time in a new setting (albeit another Scion one) and met a few new characters.

4 shooting stars.