How many of my Anticipated 2021 Releases did I actually read? 📚

Hello fellow bookworms 📚 I did a post about what 2020 releases that I have or haven’t read yet last year, and really wanted to make another edition for what 2021 releases I managed to read and what books are still on my TBR ❤ Once again the books are sorted into 3 categories: read (with the rating), unread (also mentioning if I own the book already), and removed from my TBR. This post has become an annual tradition on my blog by now and I love it, as it’s always interesting to see how many books I actually ended up reading 👀

For reference ~ My Most Anticipated Releases Lists for 2021 📚

• Most Anticipated Releases of 2021 (January to June) 💕
• Most Anticipated Releases of 2021 (July to December) 💕

Happily Ever Afters (Elise Bryant) ❌ Removed from TBR! ➽ I was very excited for this book about an aspiring writer, but from reviews I found out that there is a cheating plotline. I generally dislike that, especially as it seems like the main character doesn’t face any criticism for it and the girlfriend of the guy is demonized in order to justify it 😔

Concrete Rose (Angie Thomas) ⛔ Unread! ➽ I really wanted to read this book since it came out – I waited ages for another Angie Thomas book – but somehow never ended up reading it 😅 I had it on my March TBR, it was the end of the month too quickly and I didn’t end up finishing it.

You Have a Match (Emma Lord) ✅ Read! Rated 3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐ ➽ I was a bit let down by Emma Lord’s 2021 release after loving Tweet Cute so much 😔 This had a summer camp and sister relationships, but the romance was annoying and generally I wasn’t that hooked.

Across the Green Grass Fields (Seanan McGuire) ✅Read! Rated 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ➽ Once again Seanan McGuire writes a great novella in her Wayward Children series! This one was about a new character called Regan and her adventures in the Hooflands 🐎

As Far as You’ll Take Me (Phil Stamper) ✅ Read! Rated 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ➽ This was a great book about finding your way and traveling. Phil Stamper writes great queer books! Be aware that there’s detailed description of a developing eating disorder though, as this isn’t mentioned in the synopsis.

A Dark and Hollow Star (Ashley Shuttleworth) ✅ Read! Rated 2 Stars ⭐⭐ ➽ Sadly this was one of my least favorite books of the year. There was simply too much going on with this book: convoluted worldbuilding, confusing plot, and a slow pace 😅

The Desolation of Devil’s Acre (Ransom Riggs) ✅Read! Rated 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ➽ This was the finale of the Miss Peregrine’s series and I loved it! ❤️ I’m glad that this was longer than the fifth book even though I wish that the ending hadn’t been as rushed!

A Trial of Sorcerers (Elise Kova) ⛔ Unread! ➽ I’m very behind on Elise Kova’s books, I need to make an effort to check them out. She writes lots of fantasy romance and this one has magic/sorcery, which I always love to read about 🥰

Our Last Echoes (Kate Alice Marshall) ✅ Read! Rated 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ➽ Kate Alice Marshall writes the best mystery/horror books! Ever since reading Rules for Vanishing, I have loved her works and this one is actually set in the same universe with a familiar character 👀

Lost in the Never Woods (Aiden Thomas) ⛔ Unread! ➽ I keep saying that I’ll read this book, but there are so many books catching my attention 🙈 I definitely want to read more by Aiden Thomas after reading Cemetery Boys, especially as a new book is coming out this year!

Rule of Wolves (Leigh Bardugo) ⛔ Unread! ➽ I procrastinate finishing series, so this doesn’t really come as a surprise to me 😅 This is the finale of the King of Scars Duology and I believe the last book in the Grishaverse that Leigh has planned. I will read it, but currently I’m not 100% in the mood for it!

 

The Half-Orphans Handbook (Joan F. Smith) ✅ Read! Rated 3 Stars ⭐⭐⭐ ➽ This is about a grief camp and I enjoyed the idea of that! I wasn’t completely wowed, as I expected to love this way more and also thought there would be a podcast element involved, when there wasn’t 😔

Victories Greater Than Death (Charlie Jane Anders) ⛔ Unread! ➽ A fun, short space adventure that I still want to read, but somehow it’s never the right time 😅 This should be a quick read, so I’ll definitely be reading it at some point!

 

In Deeper Waters (F.T. Lukens) ⛔ Unread! ➽ A historical fiction with pirates and queer rep, so I’m still very excited for it! I haven’t yet found the time to pick it up, but the premise is too good to pass up and I keep seeing Luken’s upcoming books 👀

Fugitive Telemetry (Martha Wells) ✅ Read! Rated 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ➽ Of course I had to read the newest Murderbot Diaries books as it’s one of my all-time favorite series ❤️ Chronologically, this is set before Network Effect and explores Murderbot’s time on Preservation!

Blade of Secrets (Tricia Levenseller) ⛔ Unread! ➽ This is a fantasy about magical weapons and a blacksmith with social anxiety, so I’m very hyped! I’ll be reading this next month for Mental Health May and I’m incredibly hyped 🥰

Realm Breaker (Victoria Aveyard) ⛔ Unread! ➽ I loved Aveyard’s Red Queen series and was eager for new books by her! I have to admit that there are Fantasy authors that have a higher priority for me, but I still very much want to see a different world by Aveyard ❤️

Misfit in Love (S.K. Ali) ⛔ Unread! ➽ This is the sequel to Saints and Misfits, one of my favorite contemporary books that surprised me by how much I loved it 🥰 I haven’t picked this up because a) it features a love triangle and b) I’m always nervous about standalone books being extended when they could have stood on their own.

 

The Nature of Witches (Rachel Griffin) ✅ Read! Rated 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ➽ I’m so glad that I read this! It was one of my most anticipated books as it’s about witches and seasonal magic 🍂 It lived up to my expectations and was a fantastic, magical book!

The Ghosts We Keep (Mason Deaver) ⛔ Unread! ➽ I’m still haven’t read any of Deaver’s books (I Wish You All the Best has been on my TBR for so long), but I still find myself drawn to them! The Ghosts We Keep is about grief and I hope I can read it this year 😊

The Witch King (H.E. Edgmon) ⛔ Unread! ➽ SO hyped for this! I didn’t get around to reading it last year, but I love that this features a diverse fantasy world and fairies! I have a good feeling about it and hope to read it this year 🥰

An Emotion of Great Delight (Tahereh Mafi) ❌ Removed from TBR! ➽ I haven’t really been interested in Tahereh Mafi’s books recently, even though I liked A Very Large Expanse of Sea. I just feel like I have kind of moved on from her books, though this one definitely seemed to be an emotional, impactful book!

My Contrary Mary (Hand, Ashton, Meadows) ⛔Unread! ➽ The authors wrote The Lady Janies Trilogy and are back with a new one about historical characters called Mary! I loved the humor of their retellings and I’m excited to read their take on Mary, Queen of Scots 😊

Witchshadow (Susan Dennard) ⛔ Unread! ➽ I talked about this before, but I didn’t read this book because I kept seeing some fans unhappy with how it turned out 😅 I usually avoid spoilers, but I saw it by accident on Tumblr and it made me a bit nervous. I don’t think the final book is coming out this year (but a new series called The Luminaries is coming!!), so I still have time to read it!

Between You, Me and the Honeybees (Amelia Diane Coombs) ⛔ Unread! ➽ So sad I still haven’t read this summer contemporary featuring bees and rivals to lovers! I have been waiting for the paperback release (in June) as my library doesn’t have a copy. I’ll read this as soon as I can get my hands on the paperback 🥰

Of Princes and Promises (Sandhya Menon) ⛔ Unread! ➽ This is the second book in the St. Rosetta’s Academy series and a retelling of the Frog Prince. It’s a companion novel about two characters from the first book that I found interesting! I got an Arc but put it down, as I wasn’t happy how Rahul was handled. He’s heavily autistic coded but the rep felt very stereotypical even to me.

What We Devour (Linsey Miller) ✅ Read! Rated 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ➽ Linsey Miller is such an underrated writer! What We Devour is a great dark Fantasy book about volatile magic, dark gods and a dangerous door. It had a great morally grey main character and is very atmospheric, character-driven at its core!

The Taking of Jake Livingston (Ryan Douglass) ✅ Read! Rated 2 Stars ⭐⭐ ➽ My biggest disappointment of 2022 as I was incredibly excited for this horror book about a medium haunted by a vicious ghost 😔 The premise was so good, but the story was all over the place and I had to drag my way through the book at some point.

XOXO (Axie Oh) ⛔ Unread! ➽ I loved Axie Oh’s debut series, so I really need to read more of her books! This is the perfect summer contemporary, all about a girl who falls for a boy who turns out to be a popular K-pop star 😱 I don’t really listen to K-pop but I find the premise so interesting!

The Dead and the Dark (Courtney Gould) ✅ Read! Rated 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ➽ This was such a GOOD book!!! Highly recommend it if you love mystery/thriller stories set in small towns that have some dysfunctional family dynamics 😱 I was completely engrossed in the story and on the edge of my seat the entire time!

Like a Love Song (Gabriela Martins) ⛔ Unread! ➽ This has the fake dating trope with bonus celebrities, so I was super excited for it! My excitement has waned a bit over the months, but I still think this would make a fun, summer contemporary read ☀️

Dark Waters (Katherine Arden) ✅ Read! Rated 4.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 ➽ The third Small Spaces book, focused on the season of Spring! It follows the main characters who are still haunted by their old enemy as they take a boat trip that goes wrong. Perfect if you love the abandoned, creepy island trope 👀 I love this series so much and cannot wait for the last book to come this year! ❤️

 

A Lesson in Vengeance (Victoria Lee) ✅ Read! Rated 3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐.5  ➽ I was a bit disappointed with Victoria Lee’s newest book, for me it didn’t live up to her Fever King Duology at all. I liked the atmosphere and Dark Academia vibes, but the pacing was slow and I didn’t much care for the characters 😅

Phantom Heart (Gabriela Martins) ⛔ Unread! ➽ I got an Arc of this that I never managed to read, probably due to exam stress. I might pick this up in Fall, as it’s got some dark vibes 👀 This is a Phantom of the Opera retelling!

The Girls are Never Gone (Sarah Glenn Marsh) ✅Read! Rated 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ➽ I read this during October as it’s the perfect spooky book! There’s a haunted house (and lake) and features a ghost-hunting skeptic that is doing her new podcast 👻 There’s sapphic romance, a diabetic main character, and a dog, so you definitely need to read this book 😄

Under the Whispering Door (T.J. Klune) ✅ Read! Rated 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ➽ After loving The House in the Cerulean Sea, I had to read this!  It’s a story about a new ghost and the ferryman that is supposed to help him move on. There was so much forbidden love, found family, and character growth, a definite favorite of last year! 🥺

The Bronzed Beasts (Roshani Chokshi) ✅ Read! Rated 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ➽ I buddy read this with Marie at the beginning of this year! ❤️ It’s the final Gilded Wolves book and I was super nervous about how everything would turn out, but I loved this! The ending satisfied me and it was less painful than the second book 😄

Vespertine (Margaret Rogerson) ⛔ Unread! ➽ Another author that I kept waiting to announce a new book! I adore Margaret Rogerson’s Fantasy books and after waiting for 3 years there is finally another book ❤️ Vespertine is definitely a priority book for this year, as I need to read it! It’s about a nun and dark spirits, so right up my alley 👀

You’d Be Home Now (Kathleen Glasgow) ⛔Unread! ➽ New Kathleen Glasgow book!!! I loved How to Make Friends with the Dark and Girl in Pieces so much! That means that I was eagerly awaiting a new book since there isn’t any more backlist for me to read 😄 I’ll hopefully be reading this emotional small-town drama next month!

 

Daughter of the Deep (Rick Riordan) ✅ Read! Rated 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ➽ This was my first read of 2022!! It’s Rick Riordan’s newest book, a sci-fi standalone retelling Captain Nemo and all about marine biology 🐬 I had a good time with it, even though I would have loved if it was a series, as there was much potential for sequeös!

All the Feels (Olivia Dade) ⛔ Unread! ➽ The companion to Spoiler Alert features one of my favorite characters from the first book and I’m super excited! I preordered this on Kindle and hope to read it this year, as I  loved the fandom and romance 🥰

A Marvellous Light (Freya Marske) ✅ Read! Rated 4? Stars ➽ I actually pushed myself and picked up this book! It was one of my most anticipated releases as it had so many of my buzzwords. It’s set in 20th century London with a twist, as there are magicians! And some great hate to love romance 👀

Gilded (Marissa Meyer) ⛔ Unread! ➽ I kind of lost interest in Meyer’s previous release – Instant Karma – but was excited for Gilded! It’s a fairytale retelling and I feel like this is the author’s strong point 🥰 I loved the Lunar Chronicles, as they were such great retellings, so I have high hopes!

All of Us Villains (Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman) ⛔ Unread! ➽ Another book I was super hyped for, as I love Amanda Foody’s fantasy worlds and this one gives off Hunger Games vibes 👀 I’ll be reading it for the 12 in 12 challenge later this year ❤️

Honorable Mentions I Read ❤

In Conclusion I read

… out of my 44 most anticipated 2021 Releases

➽ I have read 19 books (43% ~ this might be less than last year) containing five 5-star, eight 4-star, three 3-star, and two 2-star reads ⭐

➽ 23 books are still on my TBR. Out of them, I own only 8 books, but some of them are available at my library 📚

➽ I’ve also removed 2 books from my TBR ❌

Have you read your most anticipated 2021 releases? Did they hold up to your expectations? Any books you’ve lost interest in? 📚