YEAR IN REVIEW – Best of 2021 for Adults

2021 was a tough reading year for me. Between starting a new job, rediscovering an old hobby, and (waves vaguely at a world in chaos), I found it hard to stop doom scrolling and focus long enough to really engage with the sort of reading I usually do. But that doesn’t mean 2021 didn’t have some amazing books that I thoroughly enjoyed. Here are some of my favorites for adults from what I read in 2021:

Best of 2021 – Adult Fiction


Hunt the Stars (♥♥♥♥½)- These books aren’t necessarily in order, but if I had to pick a favorite adult fiction book from last year, I think Hunt the Stars would be the one. It helps that it was one of the last books I read in 2021. But I remember so clearly as I was reading being delighted by the whole story and the characters, and feeling such joy whenever I checked my progress and saw I had so much book still left to enjoy.  This one doesn’t release until this year, but the author is a favorite, so I prioritized this one over some others I probably should have read – and I was not disappointed. If you enjoyed The Consortium Rebellion series or you love romantic scifi, put this one on your list for February 2022. Stay tuned for my full review in February as well.
Capture the Crown – If you’ve read my coverage of the Crown of Shards series, my love of this spin off shouldn’t come as a surprise. You can read my full review here.
The List (♥♥♥♥♥)- My husband pulled me into the Orphan X series a couple summers ago. One of my favorite characters is Joey, who features as the main character in this short story. It was everything I wanted it to be. If the author would ever spin off a series starring Joey, I’d be first in line to pick it up.
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It – This mystery was quirky and different, and I loved it. You can read my full review here. And stay tuned for my review of the sequel, Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead, which releases February 1st.
To Fetch a Felon – First in a new cozy series from late 2020 with a talking corgi, this was a delight from start to finish. (My blog was even quoted in the “praise for book one” section of the second book!) You can read my full review of book one here and book two here. Cozy fans should NOT miss this series!

Best of 2021 – Adult Nonfiction


All of the Marvels – Again, these aren’t listed in any particular order, but if I had to pick just one favorite nonfiction book from this year, it would be this one. I didn’t expect to love this like I did – the writing is fantastic, and the comics history and stories are fascinating. You can read my full review here.
Reading While Black (♥♥♥♥♥) – I read this one for me, rather than for a blog post, so there’s no review here on the blog. But I will tell you this was FANTASTIC. It was challenging in all the best ways. The writing is engaging and conversational. This is a resource I highly recommend.
The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up – I didn’t read much nonfiction in 2021, and the bulk of what I did read was Enneagram related. You can read my full review of this resource here.
The Enneagram Goes to Church – Another great Enneagram resource from 2021, you can read my full review here.
The Story of You – This was my final review of 2021, so this one might be more familiar to you. You can read the full review again here.

REVIEW: The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up by Chestnut and Paes

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Edelweiss and a print copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review


I have read a lot of Enneagram resources over the last 4-5 years, but I think this is the first one that has felt like the chapter for my type was written expressly for me. I don’t know if that is a commentary on the quality of this book or the fact that one of the authors shares my number. It might even just be the perfect intersection of this resource and my journey with myself and the Enneagram. But I feel seen and understood and called out at a whole new level with this resource. Each section – and sometimes each paragraph – ties perfectly to something I am experiencing or recognizing. It’s almost too much on target.

The book opens with a brief introduction, but the bulk of it is focused on each of the 9 types. The type chapters start with a brief narrative about little One or Six and the journey to type behaviors and reactions. This piece for my type was different than anything I have read before. I rarely identify with childhood references to my type, but reading this, I felt like someone was in my mind and heart as a kid.

The chapters all follow a pattern – the narrative, a list of common traits, patterns, passions, wings, shadow sides, blind spots, etc. Having read a lot of resources, I am used to the content starting to sound the same. This felt like a fresh take on things I have read – nuances and insights I hadn’t caught or heard expressed in such a way before.

The overall premise of the book is developing enough self-awareness through the Enneagram to “wake up.” Too often we operate in “zombie mode,” letting our personalities lead while we try to secure what we crave through these patterns that rarely work as we want them to. And that idea of raising self-awareness to the point of making healthier patterns really appeals to me.

This is going to the top of my Enneagram resources list along with The Road Back to You, Millenneagram, The Enneagram Goes to Church, and Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram. You can read more reviews and discussion of Enneagram resources here.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!