In 2021, I set a Goodreads goal to read 65 books, intentionally lowballing my aim. Despite having a lot less time on my hands, I still managed to read more books than I did the year before. I give a lot of credit to the Libby app which allowed me to read a lot of audiobooks and devour content in places and situations where I usually couldn’t, such as driving in my car or working in my yard. I also got a ton of book review requests, many of which I had to turn down. And of course, there’s always the to-be-read pile to tackle.
As usual, my list contains a mixture of genres, lengths, and topics. I highly encourage you to check out the indie titles as well as the more well-known choices as they are all on this list for the same basic reason: they’re good. I’d also love to hear the best books you’ve read this year. So, leave your favorite titles and recommendations in the comments below!
FYI, all links will open in a new tab. The Bookshop.org links are affiliate links, and I will earn a commission on any sales.
Take the Long Way by Christopher Tait
Plot summary
On his last day at home before leaving for college, Ethan Hudson takes his father’s Ford Mustang out for a joyride to another town. There, he meets Sally Buchanan, and the two spend a perfect 24 hours together before parting ways for the next 20 years. After a second perfect day together, the two must decide whether to part the same as before or attempt to develop their relationship into something more.
Why it’s great
Take the Long Way is a page-turning romance that delivers on its captivating premise. The characters are interesting while still being relatable. The first half of the book takes place in the mid 90’s which hooks you on the nostalgia of the era. The second half, set in present-day, keeps the momentum going with a more mature yet just as enticing meet up. It’s a fun and poignant ride that delivers a satisfying yet practical ending.
Read my full review of Take the Long Way here!
Victory Lap by K.A. Mielke and Riley Alexis Wood
Plot summary
Super senior Josh McTavish opts for a fifth year of high school rather than moving on to college with his friend and girlfriend, Erica. When he catches Erica cheating during a visit to campus, he falls into a deep depression. There to fish him out is Kiki, a lonely girl who started transitioning over the summer, much to her father and classmates’ disdain. Kiki and Josh, along with Josh’s fellow slacker friend, Mel, help each other through this train wreck of a school year as they face one hurdle after another.
Why it’s great
Victory Lap reads like a John Green novel with its witty dialogue and melodramatic plotlines. It’s both fun and poignant and full of interesting characters who you can both shake your head at and root for in with their wide array of teenage conflicts and viewpoints that toggle between maturity levels. I flew through this novel not because it was an easy read or personally identifiable as much as it was an engaging one.
Read my full review of Victory Lap here!
No Time Like the Future by Michael J. Fox
Plot summary
Actor and advocate Michael J. Fox fills in his fans on what he’s been up to lately, from maintaining his optimism through several health crises to the many trips he has taken and his shifting career path that has fulfilled the cravings of his acting bug while accommodating his physical limitations. Each chapter offers an optimistic perspective on otherwise grim topics.
Why it’s great
I’m a sucker for celebrity memoirs in general. And since he already has a few under his belt, Fox is able to skim through the back history to get to the meat of the ideas that occupy his thoughts in the present day. I love his practical optimism, his unfailing sense of humor, and the lessons that he can pull out of any experience.
Read my 5 Takeaways From Reading No Time Like the Future here!
Buy it!
Living at Langster Motel by Cindy Sabulis
Plot summary
Cali Jarvis has been living at Langster Motel with her mother and sisters for months. There, she has her best friend Rivka to distract her from the fact that her parents have split up and she is living out of suitcases and can’t compete with the well-dressed popular girls at school known as The Royals. But that doesn’t keep her from trying. And in doing so, she begins to turn her back on Rivka and life at Langster Motel as she knows it.
Why it’s great
As a middle grade author myself, I’m always eager to read other middle grade stories, especially those that are set in the real world with real kids doing real things. This story is not only grounded and down-to-earth, but it’s got such an interesting premise. What is it like to live in a motel? I love the extended family that the residents of this motel form and how they make the best of their situation, even if our hero does betray that family dynamic at one point for understandable pre-teen reasons.
Read my full review of Living at Langster Motel here!
Signs We Don’t See by Carrie Beamer
Plot summary
Etta Litali is your average high school student who works at her best friend’s family’s deli and harbors a crush on a boy at school. But her home life is a mess with her mentally ill father stealing road signs and her overworked mother trying to keep food on the table. With the support of her best friend Nessa, Etta begins dating her crush, Jordan. But when Jordan suddenly disappears and her father’s behavior finally lands him in the hospital, Etta is swept up in the storm that she has always dreaded.
Why it’s great
Signs We Don’t See is a YA novel with depth and real stakes. The love story is strong, the conflicts are tragic and relatable, and our hero is a hard-working girl who deserves more than she gets out of life. Set in the 80’s, the novel gives off strong Pretty in Pink vibes, sending a powerful message to readers while fulfilling the expectations of a standard YA romance.
Read my full review of Signs We Don’t See here!
Nurse Papa by David Metzger
Plot summary
Nurse David Metzger shares his experience caring for young patients who are suffering from deadly and debilitating diseases. From sharing specific, emotional moments to providing an overview of hospital work life in general, Metzger shows what it takes to get through a day of caring for sick children and then come home to two health and rambunctious kids waiting for him at the end of each shift.
Why it’s great
Most people shy away from hard topics, but I tend to gravitate towards them, and pediatric care has always been an interest of mine. I can’t imagine going to a job where I’m likely to see children pass away from horrible diseases on a regular basis, let alone be a parent and have a biological and emotional connection to these children. But it is a sad reality, and Metzger tackles the subject with a nurse’s professionalism and a father’s compassion. I learned so much from this book, and while it devastated me at times, it helped to paint a clearer picture of illness and treatment, particularly in such young patients.
Read my full review of Nurse Papa here!
Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
Plot summary
Thirteen-year-old Henry and his agoraphobic mother, Adele, harbor a fugitive, Frank, who has escaped from prison over the course of a long Labor Day weekend. As Adele and Frank play out a whirlwind romance, Henry gains the father figure he has always longed for and relief from the burden of being his mother’s caretaker in place of his absent father. But the looming danger of being caught mixed with the unspoken emotions and histories that hang in the air catch up with the three of them as they make plans to leave the country and go on the run as a newly formed family.
Why it’s great
I read this book over the summer years after first seeing the Jason Reitman film, which I find to be one of the most underrated films of all time, and I wanted to see how the book measured up. The two stories are very similar, but as always, the book offers additional backstory and characterization that the film was forced to trim out. There’s something about the way the story flows, the relationship between the characters, and the bittersweet ending that makes me recommend this book as passionately as I would the movie.
Buy it!
When Love Sticks Around by Danielle Dayney
Plot summary
Author Danielle Dayney recalls her childhood growing up in a broken home with an absent father, a disinterested stepfather, and a desire to break free of her hometown. Eventually, she works her way up into a successful career, starts her own stable family, and has now sat down to write about her journey along the way.
Why it’s great
Dayney shares raw and candid stories of her life growing up that keep you engaged and itching to find out what happens next. Her stories range from dangerous to tragic to endearing, never venturing too dark or too overdramatic. She has a conversational yet detailed and sophisticated writing style that turns her ordinary life into an extraordinary journey.
Read my full review of When Love Sticks Around here!
My Mother Was Nuts by Penny Marshall
Plot summary
Actress and filmmaker Penny Marshall chronicles her life from birth to a few years before her death, sharing both hilarious and heartbreaking stories about her childhood, her career in the TV and film history, and motherhood.
Why it’s great
Comedian memoirs are my favorite to read. They never forget to find the humor in even the saddest situations. It’s also a plus when you get to hear behind-the-scenes accounts from some of your favorite movies and movie stars and the personal, vulnerable sides of the people whose talents have shaped some of your greatest viewing experiences. You get behind-the-scenes stories from the sets of Big, A League of their Own, and Riding in Cars with Boys along with personal struggles with motherhood, relationships, and Marshall’s desire to prove herself worthy as the seemingly unwanted third child in her family.
Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt
Plot summary
When their mother leaves them in their car at the mall, Dicey and her three younger siblings decide to walk to their grandmother’s house several towns away in hopes that she will take care of them. The four resilient kids find ways to find food, safe places to sleep, and make up stories to keep them off the radar of the police and anyone else who may try to separate them until they can find the safety and security that they have always longed for.
Why it’s great
I read this book as a preteen and always wanted to revisit it. In reading it as an adult, I got just as much out of it and more. This novel sugarcoats nothing but still keeps it on a younger reader’s level. Over 25 years later, I was better able to read between the lines and the severity of the situations that these kids encounter along with the surface-level conflicts. Its sequel, Dicey’s Song, is equally engaging, and I intend to read the rest of the books in the series. But I suggest you start with Homecoming.
View my shop on Bookshop.org for more book recommendations.
Pin it!
This list is so diverse! I really love celebrity memoirs too so I’m definitely adding Michael J. Fox’s autobiography to my 2022 to-read list.
I love seeing books I recognize from your past reviews making a second appearance here, as well as books I have not heard of before! Labor Day and My Mother Was Nuts both sound so good.
Thanks for sharing! It’s always great to nail a goal 🥰
I’ve only read Homecoming from this list, which I really enjoyed. From the others, I would choose Labor Day as my next read.
Signs we don’t see sounds good.
Absolutely MY MOTHER WAS NUTS, PENNY MARSHALL …..
So many books that sound soo good!
Signs We Don’t See sounds interesting.
My favorite book of all time is Midnight Blue by Pauline Fisk you should check it out. Great list btw. ❤️
I loved reading Moonscript by H.S.J. Williams!
I think Homecoming looks pretty cool!
Great list. No Time Like the Future sounds great.