That’s way, way lower compared to what I did in the last two years - 2019 and 2020. I don’t know what happened but I just didn’t read that many books in 2021. 

Still I have some reading highlights for 2021 are as follows:

• Reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini was such a pleasure last year. It was everything! 

• First time reading WM. Paul Young book and I’m grateful I did. It gave me a different reading experience as it tackles faith. I am used to reading non-fiction books about God and it was the first time I read something fiction. 

• Finally, I read November 9 which has been sitting on my bookshelf since 2016.

As for my best read in 2021 I am picking The Kite Runner. Runner up will be The Shack. 

With that said and done, I’m ready to share a recap of all the books I read in 2021.

Let’s begin.

Related read: How I Find Time to Read a Book in My Busy Schedule

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

This is my first read for 2021 and I actually enjoyed this book. I love Celeste Ng as an author so much because she is able to build characters you will love for the rest of the pages. 

The book was definitely a slow read for me but you will get to a point when you can’t put it down. You just want to know what happens to each of the characters in the book. 

All the Money in the World by John Pearson

I got All the Money in the World during my first Big Bad Wolf Books experience in 2019. I’ve been meaning to read it for years but only had a chance this year. 

All the Money in the world is an autobiography of J. Paul Getty and the Getty family. If you want to get inside how the super rich live then this book is for you. 

This book provides a combination of a novel and history book in one. It even has a family tree you can reference every time a new character is being introduced. 

The Widow of Wall Street by Randy Susan Meyers

The Widow of Wall Street was such an interesting read for 2021. The story is based on Bernie Madoff, an American fraudster who organized the largest Ponzi scheme in history. 

The book shares the perspective of Phoebe (the wife) and how she dealt when the truth about her husband’s crimes unraveled. 

This is actually a good read if you want to know how the stock market works or investing in general. This gives subtle clues on hedge funds as well. 

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Out of all the John Green books I read in the past - The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns, this got to be my least favorite. 

For some reason the storyline of the book was just shallow for me. It was too “high school” for my liking. The plot twist was also predictable for me. I had high expectations because it received a good rating on Goodreads but got a bit disappointed in the end. 

Let me know if we feel the same towards Looking for Alaska.

The Shack by WM. Paul Young

I picked up this book because I got intrigued with the movie trailer. I saw it in a secondhand book store for around Php 150 and I knew I needed to buy it. 

The Shack tells the story of Mackenzie Phillips who lost his daughter Missy one day during a camping trip. Missy then was discovered to be abducted and murdered by a serial killer. After some time Mack received a letter from “Papa” asking for a meeting at the shack. From here Mack will have various experiences that will help him accept what happened to Missy.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

ALL PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK!

Just one of the best books I’ve read so far and definitely up for my Current Top 10 books! 

The Kite Runner gave me all the emotions. I was into the book from the first 25 pages. It was such a page turner! 

I read this book at a time when the US Troops pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban took over. I wanted to have a vantage point on what is and has been happening to Afghanistan and this book is just the perfect read for it. 

Reading the Kite Runner made me more grateful for life. It also made me have a heart to pray for other nations. I ache to what is happening in Afghanistan pre war (which is the setting of the book), post war, and now more than ever.

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

This was the last book I read in 2021 and to be honest I was really looking forward to reading this book. It’s not always you get a book titled after your birthday. 

First few pages into the book I was ready to put it down. Para siyang pocketbook for some reason. Everything is happening so fast, no character build up. 

I was happy when the 4th November was introduced but it quickly turned out to be just a quick plot twist na hindi na napaganda ng author. 

Finished reading it just because nanghihinayang ako for the time spent plus so it can be an addition to my 2021 reads. 

Overall

It’s a regret that I didn’t reach my 2021 reading goal. Still I’m grateful for the reading experience I had last year. My goal is to have a better reading time this year.

That’s it for my books to read in 2021.