Read Women discussion

It's that time of year. Let's share our best - in whatever way you want to assess and award that term - reads of 2021 (written by women).

What are your 2021 5-star reads? Did any of them surprise you? Are there other books that fit "best" for you, but didn't merit 5-stars? Are you a reader that has your reading between now and 12-31 planned, and you see a 5-star read on your near-term TBR?

Maybe I've been a generous grader this year, but here are mine.

Standouts among the 5* group.

On Lighthouses by Jazmina Barrera (translated)
My Brother by Karin Smirnoff (translated)
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson (translated)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

stellar, but a tier down
Just Us: An American Conversation by Claudia Rankine
Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
Mitz: The Marmoset of Bloomsbury by Sigrid Nunez
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
The Hours Before Dawn by Celia Fremlin
Masks by Fumiko Enchi (translated)
That Quail, Robert by Margaret A. Stanger
Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Until Thy Wrath be Past by Åsa Larsson (translated)
Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry by Imani Perry
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo

My 5-star reads so far this year are:


Winter Loon

Magic Lessons

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

On my 2021 TBR I'm expecting these to be 5-star reads:

Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler: Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art

The Bay of Noon

The Book of Magic

My 5 star reads (favourites at the top):

Potiki
The Break
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
(All 3 of these helped me during difficult times and I'm sure they'll remain on my all time favourites list)

Freshwater
The First Woman
Three Apples Fell from the Sky
Sing, Unburied, Sing
Earthlings

Almost made the cut but not quite 5 stars:
I'll Go On
Voices of the Lost
Of Women and Salt

I seldom give 5 stars, but these are my favourite reads so far this year.

Fiction:
Kraaien in het paradijs by Ellen de Bruin (dystopic novel, not translated yet)
After the Parade by Lori Ostlund
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Non-fiction:
De genocidefax by Roxane van Iperen (essay, not translated)

This is fast becoming my most enjoyable, positive, thread to check. I'm now excited about Piranesi (up from looking forward to it) and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (an IRL book club pick coming up soon), and willing to give Traveling Cat Chronicles another go. Thanks for sharing them!

Carol wrote: "This is fast becoming my most enjoyable, positive, thread to check. I'm now excited about Piranesi (up from looking forward to it) and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (an IRL book..."

Oh yes, I'm excited about Piranesi too!

I also do not give many books 5 stars. They must stay with me for a long time, I sympathize with the characters and the writing is wonderful. I put those into my all-time favorite category. So far, one book has made that list this year.
Inheritors

I gave these others 5 stars, many of which I found through my friends in this group.

Lucy
Piranesi (Yes, I'm on board with this one.)
Crying in H Mart
Transcendent Kingdom
Return to Sender
Three Apples Fell from the Sky Almost made my ATF list.
The Great Believers
The Gringo Champion
The Housekeeper and the Professor
Agatha of Little Neon
Mr Loverman
If I Had Your Face

My TBR list grows ever so much. Thank you!

The women-authored books that spring to my mind right away (all 5 star reads):

Iza's Ballad (translated)
Ceremony
Shadow (translated)
Second Place
Mr Loverman
Three Apples Fell from the Sky (translated)
Nightbitch
The Wild Fox of Yemen: Poems

So far I've read six woman authored books that I've given five stars in 2021:


Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy

Freedomville: The Story of a 21st-Century Slave Revolt

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

The Witch's Heart

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together

White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind

What an interesting list of books we've all been reading!

I plan to do a lot more reading before year's end but here are my women-authored favs so far:
Fiction
Nightbitch
Nothing But Blue Sky

Non-fiction
Islands of Abandonment: Nature Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape

Memoir
Real Estate
Walk Through Walls: A Memoir

Hello, what a nice idea! Like everybody, my five-star books are special. For this year, I only have one, which has slapped me in the face for its topic, slavery, for its poetic undertones in spite of its sometimes crude depictions, for its historical and cultural load, for being such a page-turner, for its rich characters, and its feel-good ending. I highly recommend, if you haven’t already read it, « Homegoing », by Yaa Gyasi.

I read Homegoing last year, and also gave it 5 stars.

This year´s 5 star books:
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Girl, Woman, Other that I read in German
Girl at War
Two Old Women: An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival
The Yield
What Was Said to Me: The Life of Sti’tum’atul’wut, a Cowichan Woman

Others that perhaps don´t fit into this group:
Here Be Dragons
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Arabella

I enjoy reading these lists and see some previous favourites of mine appearing.

For 2021 so far, my 5 star list (woman authored) list includes:
My Cousin Rachel
The Liar's Dictionary
Transcendent Kingdom
Beast In View

My ratings often change at the end of the year when I reflect back on what has stuck with me.

Jen wrote: "I enjoy reading these lists and see some previous favourites of mine appearing.

For 2021 so far, my 5 star list (woman authored) list includes:
My Cousin Rachel
[book:The Liar's Di..."

My Cousin Rachel is definitely a 5-star for me too!

I'm normally a little hesitant to hand out 5* but I had a run of amazing reads this year and all from my Read Women's Group monthly reads or challenges.

The Yield
Unaccustomed Earth
Station Eleven (This is being made into a film)
Americanah
Kindred
Potiki

Generally I would have a lot more 4* reads but this year I found that I was either extremely enthusiastic about something or dubious about it. The few 4* reads were all from this Group as well:

Parable of the Sower
Mitz: The Marmoset of Bloomsbury
The Cure for Death by Lightning
Bel Canto

So keep up the great work everyone!

Great list, Liesl! I'm so excited to hear Station Eleven is being made into a film. I re-read it this year and bumped my rating up from four stars to five. And I guess I should have also included Bel Canto on my list as I enjoyed it a lot.

Good to hear you liked Potiki too as I'll be getting my library copy quite soon.

I love these lists. I've only had a few 5 star reads this year in fiction, and surprisingly they're either graphic novels/ comics, or YA.

Concrete Rose
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet series
A ​Sky Beyond the Storm


I've seen a few favorites from previous years on these lists and a few tbr's, so that makes me eager to read them. I've been meaning to re-read Station Eleven as well. I'm glad to seePiranesi on a couple lists too since I'm reading and enjoying that now.

A few non-fiction favorites from the year:

Crying in H Mart
Speak, Okinawa: A Memoir
The Making of Asian America: A History

I hope to add a few more before the year is out though

I've had a fabulous year in books. I've never read this many books that I loved in a year. Of course, I've had a spectacularly crappy year (lost my mom, FIL, two other family members and a dear friend), so maybe I've just been super easy to please! Either way - here is my list so far:

Fiction:
Sarah J. Maas (I've loved everything by her, but a couple of the books were four star reads - these are the five star ones)
A Court of Thorns and Roses
A Court of Mist and Fury
A Court of Wings and Ruin
A Court of Frost and Starlight
A ​Court of Silver Flames
House of Earth and Blood
Crown of Midnight
Queen of Shadows
Empire of Storms
Tower of Dawn
Kingdom of Ash

L.M. Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables (for some reason I can't get this one to link)

Delilah S. Dawson - Black Spire

Jacqueline Winspear - Maisie Dobbs

Namina Forna - The Gilded Ones

Sahar Mustafah - The Beauty of Your Face

Non-Fiction
Rachel Held Evans - Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again

Audre Lorde - Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches

The 5 * reads by women authors read this year have been a nonfiction (most older) books for me. All my 5 Star fiction have been men so far. That said, I am female end loaded this year and am excited about some upcoming (for me) books. Really wish I had the bandwidth to get in on the Piranesi read going on right now... 😊 So far they are:

Best Nonfiction so far:



Best Fiction (so far):



High expectations for Nov/Dec:

Piranesi by Susan Clark definitely.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers
Unsettled Ground by Clare Fuller.

Misty wrote: "I've had a fabulous year in books. I've never read this many books that I loved in a year. Of course, I've had a spectacularly crappy year (lost my mom, FIL, two other family members and a dear fri..."

So sorry you've had such an awful year misty. Here's hoping 2022 is better for us all

Misty wrote: "I've had a fabulous year in books. I've never read this many books that I loved in a year. Of course, I've had a spectacularly crappy year (lost my mom, FIL, two other family members and a dear fri..."

What a terrible year for you, Misty. I'm so sorry to hear of all the losses in your life.

It's strange how grieving can make our reading more vibrant. I don't know why it does, but it's been the same for me.

Monica wrote: "The 5 * reads by women authors read this year have been a nonfiction (most older) books for me. All my 5 Star fiction have been men so far. That said, I am female end loaded this year and am excite..."

Really love the diverse range of books you've been reading. Midnight Robber sounds fascinating.

Story wrote: "Really love the diverse range of books you've been reading. Midnight Robber sounds fascinating...."

Thank you, Story!! Warning Midnight Robber is rife with trauma. Hopkinson is very skilled, but the book does deal with very uncomfortable and unpleasant human foibles... /understatement

Thanks for letting me know, Monica. I might safe it for calmer times then :)

Monica wrote: "The 5 * reads by women authors read this year have been a nonfiction (most older) books for me. All my 5 Star fiction have been men so far. That said, I am female end loaded this year and am excite..."

I enjoyed the bulawayo too. I also liked nalo hopkinson's salt roads that I read this year but have been hesitant over midnight robber. My library has it on audio, do you think it would work well as audio Monica? I also want to try red at the bone so glad to see they were both 5* for you! Haven't tried Jacqueline woodson before

Hannah wrote: I also liked nalo hopkinson's salt roads that I read this year but have been hesitant over midnight robber. My library has it on audio, do you think it would work well as audio Monica? I also want to try red at the bone so glad to see they were both 5* for you! Haven't tried Jacqueline woodson before..."

Neither books were 5 star for me. Midnight Robber was just "a lot" for me and Red at the Bone ended abruptly for my tastes. To be honest, I find myself vacillating between 4 and 5 on both books. I listened to the audio book for Midnight Robber. The excellent Robin Miles narrated. It was very good! I gave Red at the Bone 4 Stars but honestly, I haven't stopped thinking about it since I read it back in February. Woodson for me is an extremely good and underappreciated/underrated author. I've only read two of her books but I think (so far) she is up there with the great ones (Morrison, Angelou, etc). Like Angelou, Woodson was a poet before she became an author. I also recently finished Transcendent Kingdom and now Gyasi in those prestigious ranks too.

Monica wrote: "Hannah wrote: I also liked nalo hopkinson's salt roads that I read this year but have been hesitant over midnight robber. My library has it on audio, do you think it would work well as audio Monica..."

Sorry I misread your post. Still glad you rated them both so highly and I'm looking forward to the woodson even more 😀

Son of a Trickster - is hands down the best book I've read this year.

Two surprises:
A Conjuring of Ravens: A Magepunk Progression Fantasy
and
Nevernight

Had no idea these books would so good when I picked them up.

Thanks Hannah! Yes - here's to a less crappy 2022! :)

Story - I agree. Maybe our brains just need something to escape into. I don't know, but I definitely agree with you.

Have any of you published a "2021 in Goodreads" synopsis? Feel free to share a link to it here. I find my friends' year-end GR missives to be some of the best reading I experience every year.

What's been the Best of 2021 in reading for you?

I do! I don't post long reviews, but here's my 2021 in books if anyone's interested. I've read 140 books this year, and am pretty proud of my diverse reading accomplishments that I've scattered throughout the year - soley thanks to this group's prompts and challenges. I'm always surprised at how long ago some reads seem to be, wheras others seemed like I just read but they were read very early in the year.

Thinking forward to my personal growth goals in reading next year

Your link leads to my own 2021 year in books Anita, but I found it over your profile. Very interesting reads, and I also did a number of them (probably our group reads). Is it possible that you were only reading women? After a quick scroll I found one man, but then names from African or Asian countries aren´t so easily recognisable.

Trying if my own link works for others:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_i...
Many mysteries and some German books, but also trying to read diverse topics and authors.

Really weird. I clicked on both Anita and Michaela's links and both of them lead to my own 2021 year in books. There must be a way to get it to link to someone else's 2021 year in books.
Here's my link in case anyone wants to check out the 86 books I read this year:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_i...

I'm guessing the link will just lead you to your own books.

Tamara wrote: "I'm guessing the link will just lead you to your own books."

Yup.

There is a 'Share' link in the 'my year in books' (underneath the number of books read). If you click that, it is posted in your user profile updates, and from there you can copy the link, but not sure if it works: https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_i...

It works lethe, thanks! Trying with mine...

Wonder if that works?
https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_i...

Michaela wrote: "Wonder if that works?
https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_i..."

Yes, it does! :)

Thanks, Lethe.
does mine work? https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_i...

Yes, it does :)

Thanks Lethe, great tip!

Thanks for letting me know, Lethe.

Michaela wrote: "Your link leads to my own 2021 year in books Anita, but I found it over your profile. Very interesting reads, and I also did a number of them (probably our group reads). Is it possible that you wer..."

Sorry Michaela, I tried the fix you all worked out, hope it's fixed and thank you lethe!

I wasn't intentionally reading just women, but I definitely gravitate towards them more, and with readily available resources like goodreads and this lovely group at my fingertips, I don't have to struggle through annoying female character tropes written by male authors. My reading pleasure has increased immeasurably without those constant small annoyances. I do notice when I read a male author, but I have read a few this year- Robert Jordan, Stephen Graham Jones, Grady Hendrix... maybe a couple others. P. Djeli Clark.. I'll have to do a count and check my actual percentages for the year.

No need to be sorry Anita, we all didn´t know - except lethe. :)

Would be interesting to do a count of the male authors. I had two thirds female authors last year, mostly due to Agatha Christie and other mystery writers that sometimes have other critical points. Will have to look how it turned out this year.

I don't often give 5 stars but this year I had 2 of them and a lot of 4 which is also very good accroding to my rating system ;-p

Both of my 5 stars happen to be science-fiction this year.
Ahead of all The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin, it had been warmly recommened to me and I wasn't dissapointed, what a book!
The other is a Dutch classic children book Torenhoog en mijlen breed: een toekomstverhaal which was also very fasinating.

For the 4 stars those who really stand out were:
- Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- Orlando by Virginia Woolf

The biggest deception for me was Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, I was really excited about it but ended up giving it only 2 stars... If you are interested you can check out my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...