{"id":40609,"date":"2022-01-01T22:10:57","date_gmt":"2022-01-02T02:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=40609"},"modified":"2022-01-01T23:02:07","modified_gmt":"2022-01-02T03:02:07","slug":"2021-sonderbooks-stand-outs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=40609","title":{"rendered":"2021 Sonderbooks Stand-outs!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Another year of reading is finished! It’s time to choose my Sonderbooks Stand-outs for 2021!<\/p>\n

First, let me make it clear that I am *not* choosing based on literary merit. These lists are *not* predictions for any awards, and they are not chosen by committee. These lists are all about my personal favorites from the books I read this year. I might not have great reasons for my choices, and I try not to overthink when I choose them. These are books I read in 2021 that made me happy when I read them.<\/p>\n

I don’t have the reviews of all of these books posted, but I will remedy that as soon as I can and add in the link here.<\/p>\n

First, here are my reading stats this year:<\/p>\n

Books reread: 6
\nFiction for adults: 23
\nNonfiction for adults: 24
\nFiction for teens: 26
\nFiction for children: 52
\nNonfiction for children: 108
\nPicture books: 239<\/p>\n

Interesting (to me) is that I read many more adult novels than in previous years<\/a> — and fewer of almost everything else.<\/p>\n

It’s always hard to narrow down my list of favorites, but here’s what I’ve come up with this year, the Sonderbooks Stand-outs of 2021:<\/p>\n

Fiction<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The Jane Austen Society<\/a><\/em>, by Natalie Jenner<\/li>\n
  2. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue<\/a><\/em>, by V. E. Schwab<\/li>\n
  3. A Deadly Education<\/a><\/em>, by Naomi Novik<\/li>\n
  4. Cloud Cuckoo Land<\/a><\/em>, by Anthony Doerr<\/li>\n
  5. The House in the Cerulean Sea<\/a><\/em>, by T. J. Klune<\/li>\n
  6. The Hidden Palace<\/a><\/em>, by Helene Wecker<\/li>\n
  7. The Jane Austen Project<\/a><\/em>, by Kathleen A. Flynn<\/li>\n
  8. This Is How It Always Is<\/a><\/em>, by Laurie Frankel<\/li>\n
  9. Longbourn<\/a><\/em>, by Jo Baker<\/li>\n
  10. The Last Graduate<\/a><\/em>, by Naomi Novik<\/li>\n
  11. Unmarriageable<\/a><\/em>, by Soniah Kamal<\/li>\n
  12. A Song of Flight<\/em>, by Juliet Marillier<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Nonfiction<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Stamped from the Beginning<\/a><\/em>, by Ibram X. Kendi<\/li>\n
    2. Intimate Conversations with the Divine<\/a><\/em>, by Caroline Myss<\/li>\n
    3. Every Thing Is Sacred<\/em>, by Richard Rohr and Patrick Boland<\/li>\n
    4. The Art of Bible Translation<\/a><\/em>, by Robert Alter<\/li>\n
    5. Two Trains Leave Paris<\/a><\/em>, by Taylor Marie Frey & Mike Wesolowski<\/li>\n
    6. Subpar Parks<\/a><\/em>, by Amber Share<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Teen Fiction<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Firekeeper’s Daughter<\/a><\/em>, by Angeline Boulley<\/li>\n
      2. The Girls I’ve Been<\/a><\/em>, by Tess Sharpe<\/li>\n
      3. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories<\/a><\/em>, by Holly Black<\/li>\n
      4. Everything Sad Is Untrue<\/a><\/em>, by Daniel Nayeri<\/li>\n
      5. Blackout<\/em>, by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon<\/li>\n
      6. Winterkeep<\/a><\/em>, by Kristin Cashore<\/li>\n
      7. Beasts and Beauty<\/em>, by Soman Chainani<\/li>\n
      8. Terciel and Elinor<\/a><\/em>, by Garth Nix<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Children’s Fiction<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Pony<\/a><\/em>, by R. J. Palacio<\/li>\n
        2. Just Like That<\/a><\/em>, by Gary D. Schmidt<\/li>\n
        3. Amber & Clay<\/a><\/em>, by Laura Amy Schlitz<\/li>\n
        4. Long Road to the Circus<\/a><\/em>, by Betsy Bird<\/li>\n
        5. Starfish<\/a><\/em>, by Lisa Fipps<\/li>\n
        6. Pax: Journey Home<\/em>, by Sara Pennypacker<\/li>\n
        7. The Beatryce Prophecy<\/em>, by Kate DiCamillo<\/li>\n
        8. In the Red<\/em>, by Christopher Swiedler<\/li>\n
        9. Merci Su\u00e1rez Can’t Dance<\/a><\/em>, by Meg Medina<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Children’s Nonfiction<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Unspeakable<\/a><\/em>, by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Floyd Cooper<\/li>\n
          2. Boardwalk Babies<\/a><\/em>, by Marissa Moss, illustrated by April Chu<\/li>\n
          3. Born on the Water<\/em>, by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith<\/li>\n
          4. Hear My Voice<\/a><\/em>, compiled by Warren Binford<\/li>\n
          5. The Great Stink<\/a><\/em>, by Colleen Paeff, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter<\/li>\n
          6. Geometry Is as Easy as Pie<\/a><\/em>, by Katie Coppens<\/li>\n
          7. Code Breaker, Spy Hunter<\/em>, by Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by Brooke Smart<\/li>\n
          8. A Sporting Chance<\/a><\/em>, by Lori Alexander, illustrated by Allan Drummond<\/li>\n
          9. The Pig War<\/a><\/em>, by Emma Bland Smith, illustrated by Alison Jay<\/li>\n
          10. Maryam’s Magic<\/em>, by Megan Reid, illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Picture Books<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Watercress<\/a><\/em>, by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin<\/li>\n
            2. The Passover Guest<\/a><\/em>, by Susan Kusel, illustrated by Sean Rubin<\/li>\n
            3. Seven Golden Rings<\/a><\/em>, by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan<\/li>\n
            4. Fred Gets Dressed<\/a><\/em>, by Peter Brown<\/li>\n
            5. The Little Blue Bridge<\/a><\/em>, by Brenda Maier, illustrated by Sonia Sanchez<\/li>\n
            6. The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess<\/a><\/em>, by Tom Gauld<\/li>\n
            7. Simon at the Art Museum<\/a><\/em>, by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Christine Davenier<\/li>\n
            8. Milo Imagines the World<\/a><\/em>, by Matt de la Pe\u00f1a, illustrated by Christian Robinson<\/li>\n
            9. Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum<\/a><\/em>, by Natasha Yim, illustrated by Violet Kim<\/li>\n
            10. Lia & Luis: Who Has More?<\/a><\/em>, by Ana Crespo, illustrated by Giovana Medeiros<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Happy Reading! I hope you will enjoy these books as much as I did!<\/p>\n

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