As 2021 (finally) draws to a close, we are inundated with lists rounding up the best of the best of this year, and I’m joining in. This year I wanted to read more Greek mythology retellings or stories set in the ancient world and I’m very pleased with those I managed to get these under my belt. However, I also found myself reading a lot of romcoms this year because my brain needed something funny and comforting during these unprecedented times (sorry, couldn’t help myself.)
This year I’ve read more books than ever, so deciding on five that I loved the most was no easy feat but here they are, and I’d love to know what you think if you’ve also read them. N.B These are five books I read this year, not all of them were released in 2021 1. Circe, Madeline Miller I obviously have to start with a Greek myth retelling! Circe is a character that pops up in quite a few myths but, from what I’ve learnt so far, she doesn’t play a central role in her own story. Miller changes that and puts her at the forefront of a story that intertwines with so many famous characters from myths such as Odysseus, Hermes, Medea and more. This is a definite must-read for any myth lovers out there! 2. Men Who Hate Women, Laura Bates It took me a while to read this book as it’s scarily insightful and not an easy read but it’s definitely worth preserving. Men Who Hate Women is a non-fiction book that documents Bates’ research into the world of incels, pick-up artists and other so-called communities that make up the ‘manosphere.’ Given the horrendous headlines we’ve witnessed this year in regards to violence against women, I honestly think that everyone aged twelve or over should read this. Incel culture is increasingly seeping into the mainstream and Bates opened my eyes as to how and why. 3. The Road Trip, Beth O’Leary I loved O’Leary’s debut novel, The Flatshare, so I was really excited about The Road Trip and, thankfully, it did not disappoint. The story focuses on two exes who find themselves squished into a Mini Cooper on a long drive to the wedding of a mutual friend. The story switches between the present and past to show how they fell in love, what led to their break-up and how they ended up squeezed together with three other people in a very tiny car. I loved the characters in the book; O’Leary has such a knack for writing both funny and heart-breaking characters that makes this book so much more than a fluffy romance. 4. Lore, Alexandra Bracken I had heard so many good things about Lore that I was almost scared to read it in case it didn’t live up to the hype! Of course, a book about Greek myths, a tenacious central female character and lots of action was always going to be in my wheelhouse. The premise of Lore is that every seven years the Greek gods lose their immortality for a week and if they are killed during this time, their killer takes on their powers. The book has some really dark moments but it’s brilliantly written characters and action sequences meant I struggled to put it down. It’s such an original concept and, again, if you love Greek myths is a must-read. 5. The Wolf Den, Elodie Harper The Wolf Den is set in the brothel of Pompeii during the Roman Empire and follows Amara, one of its newest workers, as she navigates her new life as a prostitute in a new country. She’s a slave who dreams of being freed and, which means that she has to make some difficult and, at times, dangerous decisions throughout the story. Despite the historical setting, it’s so easy to make connections with today’s society, which is why it was so easy to devour. Harper makes this ancient world so accessible that it’s easy to forget that this story is set thousands of years ago. The book is the first in a trilogy, so it’ll be interesting to see if the next one makes my 2022 list!
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