Happy 2022! In the year of 2021, I read 100 books, surpassing my goal of 50 books by double. I read short story collections, graphic novels, memoir, poetry, fiction, picture books, non-fiction, and audiobooks. Of everything I read last year, I now present to you some of my favorite books I read in 2021!

FICTION

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

• Literary fiction
• Published 1956
• 159 pages

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

• Science fiction
• Published 2019
• 153 pages

Read more of my thoughts on this book here!

Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi

• Literary fiction
• Published 2020
• 320 pages

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

• Literary fiction
• Published 2020
• 248 pages

Read more of my thoughts on this book here!

Ghost Forest by Pik-Shuen Fung

• Literary fiction
• Published 2021
• 272 pages

Read more of my thoughts on this book here!

Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia

• Literary fiction / generational saga
• Published 2021
• 207 pages

Read more of my thoughts on this book here!

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

• Literary fiction / generational saga
• Published 2016
• 305 pages

Read more of my thoughts on this book here!

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

• Literary fiction / generational saga
• Published 2020
• 342 pages

GRAPHIC NOVELS

Pilu of the Woods by Mai K. Nguyen

• Fantasy
• Published 2019
• 160 pages

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

• Coming-of-age
• Published 2020
• 256 pages

CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOKS

Rise!: From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou, written by Bethany Hegedus, illustrated by Tonya Engel

• Biography
• Published 2019
• 48 pages

Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston, written by Alicia D. Williams, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara

• Biography
• Published 2021
• 48 pages

MEMOIR

Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi

• Published 2021
• 240 pages

Read more of my thoughts on this book here!

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

• Published 2019
• 251 pages

Know my Name by Chanel Miller

• Published 2019
• 368 pages

Gentrifier by Anne Elizabeth Moore

• Published 2021
• 272 pages

Barely Functional Adult: It’ll All Make Sense Eventually by Meichi Ng

• Published 2020
• 416 pages

Read more of my thoughts on this book here!

Kimiko Does Cancer by Kimiko Tobimatsu, illustrated by Keet Geniza

• Published 2020
• 96 pages

Read more of my thoughts on this book here!

NON-FICTION

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Gender, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen

• Published 2020
• 210 pages

Read more of my thoughts on this book here!

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-first Century edited by Alice Wong

• Published 2020
• 309 pages

Read more of my thoughts on this book here!

Also check out Slanted Spines recapping their 2021 reading on YouTube!

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For more book lists from Slanted Spines, browse here!

For last year’s favorites, check out this post.