Susan’s Book Blog

 I’m hardly qualified (or well-read enough) to tell you what the “best” books of the year were but these are my picks for my Favorites of the year. To me, they were the best among the 118 I read.  Top Ten of 2021: 🌟  The Guncle (My #1 fave) ⭐️  Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World  ⭐️  Under the Whispering Door  ⭐️  The Charm Offensive ⭐️  A Marvellous Light  Any Way the Wind Blows Fifteen Hundred Miles From the Sun The Love Hypothesis  If This Gets Out Peter Cabot Gets Lost Obviously, I read mostly romance this year (and a lot of queer romance within that genre) and I honestly can’t imagine topping several of these choices even if you look in any other genre. But again, these are just my picks from among what I read.  What were your faves this year??

 I was so happy to see two of my favorite reads from this year ended up on Barnes & Noble’s Best of 2021 list! (Click here to read their blog post!) They might even be two of my favorite books of all time. They’re that good. I was fortunate enough to have received digital ARCs of both of these books back in April and was absolutely thrilled with how utterly magnificent they both were. They are both profoundly beautiful and make wonderful reads for any age, not just the YA demographic. If you want something to make you feel all the feels and be left with a sense of hope, give these a try.

 Just one more mention then I swear I’m done crowing about these, but I just have to show them off because they arrived yesterday! 🥰  These books have some of the most gorgeous cover art I’ve ever seen, from the graphics and sketches to the beautiful calligraphy to the sun setting and dawning over the horizons. I especially love how they actually tell a story when placed side by side. The day is dawning and things are looking bright in the second one, don’t you think?  I am so pleased to have these on my bookshelf. I hope they make it to yours as well. Happy reading!

Today is Pub Day for the sequel to Ari & Dante! My request for this book on NG was graciously approved by the publisher earlier this year and I feel enormously grateful to have been allowed to read it early. I want to shout from the rooftops about this book. It. is. a. stunning. sequel. It's so beautiful. It met and exceeded all my expectations. I give it ALL THE STARS. I urge everyone to read this book as well as the first volume, Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. You will not regret it. ➤  GR Review Ari & Dante are as heart-meltingly wonderful as ever, and the writing is as elegant and profound and poignant as ever. Like the first book, there’s so much beauty here: in the characters, the experiences they go through, the things they learn. This book, again like the first, rather meanders through the story. Even so, I never felt bored or wanted to put it down. The pace isn’t hurried at all but the writing is still compelling. I think that’s one of ...