A YEAR IN BOOKS - 2021
Yes, it is March, and not January. I did not start tracking my reading until March of 2021, completely skipping the Gregorian new year. If we pretend this year in books follows the lunar calendar, this March-March roundup is a little closer to the new year, new beginning concept. Tangled ideas of time aside, this is a list of every book I read from March 1st, 2021, until February 28th, 2022.
This was the year of the backlist. I read nearly everything Talia Hibbert, Courtney Milan, Tessa Dare, Sherry Thomas, and Lisa Kleypas have ever written. I also discovered Libby, which is an app that connects to your local library and allows you to read ebooks and audiobooks for FREE. Incredible!
If you are a data person, I did some sketchy math below to create a “Year in Numbers.” Now that I am intentionally examining what I am reading, I am committing to reading more books by authors of color and more queer romances.
I know you’re wondering — while I cannot pick a favorite, Reel by Kennedy Ryan was an absolute standout. My notable reads below are the ones with the cover images included, ultimately comprising the Irena Huang Best of the Year. I hope you enjoy scrolling the list and find a few new titles to add to your TBR!
YEAR IN NUMBERS
170 Books Total
44% Books by Authors of Color (Based on Best Information I Had — an area I need to improve!)
13/144 Queer Romances (another area I need to improve on!)
6 Main Genres (Romance, YA, Poetry, Nonfiction, Fiction, Science Fiction/Fantasy)
THE LIST
MARCH
The Duke Heist by Erica Ridley
Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
Pilgrim Bell by Kaveh Akbar
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake by Claire Christian
The Heiress Hunt by Joanna Shupe
A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib
APRIL
Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron
Taking on the Billionaire by Robin Covington
The Way You Hold Me by Elle Wright
Just a Heartbeat Away by Cara Bastone
Can’t Help Falling by Cara Bastone
Flirting with Forever by Cara Bastone
The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan
Angel & Hannah by Ishle Yi Park
We Do This Til’ We Free Us by Mariame Kaba
Things You Save in a Fire by Catherine Center
Love at First by Kate Clayborn
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon
Ice Planet Barbarians: Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon
Goodbye, Again by Jonny Sun
Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
The Leavers by Lisa Ko
MAY
Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez
How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
JUNE
Happy Endings by Thien-Kim Lam
Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters
Heart and Hand by Rebel Carter
JULY
Selling Sin by Angelina M. Lopez
The Road to Rose Bend by Naima Simone
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
The Roommate Risk/Wanna Bet? by Talia Hibbert
Guarding Temptation/Resisting Desire by Talia Hibbert
The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert
Sweet on the Greek by Talia Hibbert
Untouchable by Talia Hibbert
That Kind of Guy by Talia Hibbert
Bad for the Boss by Talia Hibbert
Undone by the Ex-Con by Talia Hibbert
Work for It by Talia Hibbert
Mating the Huntress by Talia Hibbert
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
The Very Virile Viking by Sandra Hill
AUGUST
While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare
The Governess Game by Tessa Dare
The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare
Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare
Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare
When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare
Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare
Surrender to a Siren by Tessa Dare
A Lady of Persuasion by Tessa Dare
One Dance with a Duke by Tessa Dare
Twice Tempted by a Rogue by Tessa Dare
Three Nights with a Scoundrel by Tessa Dare
Lord Dashwood Missed Out by Tessa Dare
His Bride for the Taking by Tessa Dare
Once Upon a Winter’s Eve by Tessa Dare
The Scandalous, Dissolute, No Good Mr. Wright by Tessa Dare
The Naomi Letters by Rachel Mennies
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Neon Gods by Katee Robert
Indigo by Beverly Jenkins
Loving Color by Bolu Babalola
Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Angie Thomas, Nic Stone, Nicola Yoon, and Ashley Woodfolk
The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian
SEPTEMBER
Battle Royal by Lucy Parker
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore
A Lowcountry Bride by Preslaysa Williams
The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas
Seeing Ghosts by Kat Chow
For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten
Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas
Potent Pleasures by Eloisa James
Midnight Pleasures by Eloisa James
Enchanting Pleasures by Eloisa James
The Duchess War by Courtney Milan
The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan
The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan
The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan
Talk Sweetly to Me by Courtney Milan
The Devil Comes Courting by Courtney Milan
Once Upon a Marquess by Courtney Milan
After the Wedding by Courtney Milan
Fortune Favors the Bold by Theresa Romain
Beguiling the Beauty by Sherry Thomas
OCTOBER
Beginner’s Luck by Kate Clayborn
Luck of the Draw by Kate Clayborn
Best of Luck by Kate Clayborn
Her Every Wish by Courtney Milan
The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan
Unveiled by Courtney Milan
Unclaimed by Courtney Milan
Unraveled by Courtney Milan
Unlocked by Courtney Milan
Something True by Karelia Stetz-Waters
Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas
The Roommate by Rosie Danan
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles
His at Night by Sherry Thomas
No Words by Meg Cabot
Well Matched by Jen DeLuca
Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
NOVEMBER
The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper
My Beautiful Enemy by Sherry Thomas
Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas
Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas
Tempting the Bride by Sherry Thomas
The Duchess Hunt by Lorraine Heath
Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddler by Vanessa Riley
Claiming the Duchess by Sherry Thomas
A Dance in the Moonlight by Sherry Thomas
The Prize by Julie Garwood
Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
DECEMBER
Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas
Merry Inkmas by Talia Hibbert
Delicious by Sherry Thomas
The Bride of Larkspear by Sherry Thomas
All the Feels by Olivia Dade
Secrets of a Summers Night by Lisa Kleypas
Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas
On Location by Sarah Echavarre Smith
Hello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
Missing Christmas by Kate Clayborn
Wild Rain by Beverly Jenkins
JANUARY
Mine Til Midnight by Lisa Kleypas
Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas
The Viscount Made Me Do It by Diana Quincy
Bombshell by Sarah MacLean
It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas
Reel by Kennedy Ryan
Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas
The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
Dreaming of You by Melissa Lozada-Oliva
Nine Rules to Break While Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes
Ghost Of by Diana Khoi Nguyen
Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas
A Lady’s Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett
A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas
The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
FEBRUARY
Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas
Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas
Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman
Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas
Getting His Game Back by Gia de Cadenet
Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
Isn’t it Bromantic by Lyssa Kay Adams
The Fire This Time edited by Jesmyn Ward
When Strangers Marry by Lisa Kleypas
Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Waiting for a Scot Like You by Eva Leigh
Somewhere I’ll Find You by Lisa Kleypas
