End of Year Book Survey: 2021

1. New Favourite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel I discovered in 2021?

I can’t remember if I discovered Fictional Fates in 2021 or 2022 so I’ve included two new favourite BookTubers!

My favourite BookTuber would have to be Joel at Fictional Fates because we have similar reading tastes and I just love the vibe of all his videos. He’s an instant watch for me.

Someone I for sure discovered in 2021 was Jananie at The Story Aint Over. I feel like I’m always caught up on the “It” books when I watch her channel. Also, love her book haul and TBR videos.

2. Best bookish event I participated in?

I didn’t participate in any bookish events in 2021!

3. Favourite bookish-related photo I took in 2021?

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This photo I took of Reel by Kennedy Ryan (my favourite book of June) is my favourite bookish photo I took in 2021.

The light was perfect and I love how all the colours work together to complement the book cover.

Also, I took this photo on my iPhone, so no fancy camera was needed to achieve the style and quality I’m going for which is a relief 😅.

4. Favourite post I wrote in 2021?

My favourite post was the Ice Planet Barbarian series review. There are so many books in that series I had to separate the review into two posts. And, doing this post also pushed me to read the rest of the series – including the books about couples I didn’t like, who turned out to be one of my favourite pairings.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2021?

I think getting adding to Karla Sorensen’s ARC list. I’ve been reading her books forever, so it was both a surprise and a joy to be invited by her team to read her ARC of The Lie.

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or my reading life this year?

100% balancing blogging with all my school work. I have a lot of ideas for my blogging content but I also have a lot of responsibilities with school. I’m still working out a way to balance them to ensure I’m posting the best content I can.

7. Most popular post this year on my Blog?

My most popular post was 10 Books Similar to The Favor by Suzanne Wright. This post was my first attempt at doing a readalike so I’m really proud it’s my most popular post of the year (and, you know, ever).

8. Post I wished got a little more love?

I don’t actually have a specific post that I wish had more views. It would be nice for there to be more comments or likes on my posts – they boost morale. But, all of my content is primarily for me, at the end of the day.

I guess I would like some more engagement with my monthly or yearly wrap-ups when I look at the viewership statistics. Those wrap-ups take a lot of effort and it’s nice when the post does well.

9. Best bookish discovery?

I know blockchain bookstores can be problematic, but as we all know, books are very expensive. Therefore, my best bookish discovery of 2021 was Indigo’s Plum+ membership which gives 10% off every item purchased. If you buy enough books at once, the discount from the membership effectively negates its cost.

10. Did I complete any readings challenges or goals that I set at the beginning of 2021?

I completed my Goodreads Challenge of 385 books! You can read more about the details in my 2021 Wrap Up post.

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski was one of the four books I mentioned that was a priority in my 2021 Wrap Up.

I finished Burnout last week and gave it 3.75-stars. While I found some of the content repetitive, there are quite a few actionable strategies I’m planning to put into place in 2022.

This was such a difficult prompt, but I think my most anticipated non-debut novel is The Wicked in Me by Suzanne Wright. I love how all of her books are instant reads where I don’t have to be concerned about too much angst (which can set off my anxiety).

I’m also so curious about the love interest of Cain – she’s the main character of The Wicked in Me – who we got to meet briefly in Suzanne’s Touch of Rapture book. I’m curious what kind of person would be partnered with Cain, who is the most powerful being on Earth (and perhaps beyond?) and who isn’t exactly known for being benevolent.

I cannot wait until late April to get my hands on Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel. It’s a fantasy retelling of Kaikeyi, the vilified queen in the Indian epic Ramayana. I adore retellings with a feminist twist.

Not only is Kaikeyi about finding and fighting for herself in a patriarchal climate, but Kaikeyi is asexual. I’ve never read a book with an asexual MC, so I’m interested to see how Kaikeyi’s sexuality is explored within her story.

Overall, I’m pumped for the feminist retelling and quite intrigued about the plot (since I don’t know the story of Ramayana).

Mating Monsters by M. Sinclair happens to be the only 2022 release I’ve read so far, but I also gave it 4.5-stars and it’s a Standalone in the I.S.S. series.

If you like monsters, sweet yet psychotic Heroes, sexy times and reverse harem romance – of course with a suspenseful subplot – I definitely recommend Mating Monsters!