The 11 Best Books of 2021

The best books of 2021 helped get us through a year that has been… complicated. 

While 2020 was heart-wrenchingly strange and introspective, 2021 has been a year of re-learning. As various parts of the world began to reopen, and we returned #outside in droves, many a book list was ditched in favor of an IRL hang. But the learning curve for connection has been steep, and much of this year has been spent re-learning what it means to socialize, to be a companion, to be a person outside of one’s self. After a year reinventing connection with others, 2021 was a shock to the system.

So for those who seek a chance to escape and recharge their social batteries, those hoping to re-ground themselves in tales both fictitious and true, and those wishing to re-learn who they are through powerful and gripping characters, the best books of 2021 await. The authors who braved the complexities of this year have released works that challenge the status quo, celebrate shared experience, and offer unflinching perspectives on how we interact with one another.

Though the last year and a half has been wildly unpredictable, getting lost in the pages of a good book is a sweet constant we can always rely on.

Read more about the best books of 2021 below.

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She Memes Well by Quinta Brunson

In her debut essay collection She Memes Well, Internet darling Quinta Brunson explores her own rise to stardom through vulnerable and hilarious anecdotes on pop culture, race, social media, love, and womanhood. Brunson writes about her life and career in the refreshingly earnest and intimate voice that solidifies her as a member of the new guard of comedy, and honors the experiences that shaped her with each dedicated chapter.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

From the author of Red, White & Royal Blue comes a queer love story for the ages — literally. Twenty-three-year-old August is a cynical New York City transplant and the opposite of a hopeless romantic. But when she meets a woman named Jane on the train during her daily commute, she can’t deny the magic. Jane is beautiful, with an old-school punk rock style that turns out to be extremely authentic… because Jane is displaced in time from the 1970s and trapped on the subway. Suddenly, August is a believer of things like time travel and true love, and she will do everything in her power to rescue Jane.

How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

Writer, poet, and scholar Clint Smith is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the host of Crash Course’s Black American History series. In his nonfiction debut, Smith does the work of illumination, revealing the memories of the United States that are hidden in plain sight. With careful research, scholarship, and perspective, Smith underscores a necessary truth: the imprint of slavery is unyieldingly present in contemporary America, and the stories of its legacy, of the enslaved people and their descendants, are everywhere. One only needs to know where to look.

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where seniors Devon and Chiamaka are scholastic royalty. The two prefects have bright, meticulously-planned futures ahead of them — until Aces sends the first text. Via anonymous text messages, Aces begins to wield Devon and Chiamaka’s darkest secrets like weapons of mass destruction, turning high school gossip into a dangerous game. With power, privacy, and perfection all on the line, Gossip Girl meets Get Out in this YA thriller with a devastating twist.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Namina Forna’s debut novel is a YA high fantasy epic, a tale of battle, heroism, and incredible destiny. In the patriarchal kingdom of Otera, a woman’s purity is determined by the color of her blood. With a gift of unnatural intuition, sixteen-year-old Deka is already different. At her own village’s blood ceremony, Deka becomes a true outcast when her blood runs gold, the demonic color of impurity. But a mysterious stranger tells Deka that she is no demon — she is an Alaki, a near-immortal with extraordinary gifts. The choice is Deka’s: defend the empire as an Alaki warrior, or face consequences worse than death.

Lady Bird Screenplay Book by A24

The Lady Bird Screenplay Book is a hardcover ode to Greta Gerwig’s 2017 coming-of-age film and the sixth book in A24’s acclaimed Screenplay Collection. Along with Lady Bird’s full screenplay, the book contains photos from the film, Gerwig’s letters to Alanis Morissette and Justin Timberlake, a foreword by Stephen Colbert, and original essays from writers like Hunter Harris and Haley Mlotek.

Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon

When a blackout engulfs New York City on a sweltering summer night, twelve teenagers take six shots at love in the dark. Friends, exes, love triangles, and complete strangers all find sparks that could last far beyond one night — thanks to the power outage, anything is possible. This collection of love stories is authored by bestselling YA superstars Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon, and is currently being developed as a film and TV event at Netflix, produced by the Obamas.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Malibu Rising follows four famous siblings — the offspring of rock star Mick Riva — over the course of a fateful 24 hours in August 1983. Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit are all hoarding secrets and emotions, and the family drama is poised to take center stage at Nina’s annual end-of-summer bash. But when night falls, the party will lose control. And when dawn breaks, the Riva mansion will be burnt to the ground. From the author of Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo comes a novel about one unforgettable night in the life of a family that will change their lives forever.

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi

Struggling fashion student Jayne Baek is going through it. Her boyfriend sucks, her friends suck, and her living situation, well... sucks. In comparison, Jayne’s older sister June is thriving, with her high-paying job, gorgeous apartment, and picture-perfect life. But when June is diagnosed with uterine cancer, their lives collide by circumstance. Suddenly, the estranged sisters find themselves reunited, swapping identities, committing insurance fraud, and possibly saving each other.

Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir by by Akwaeke Emezi

New York Times-bestselling author Akwaeke Emezi has written three critically acclaimed works of fiction, including the award-winning Pet. Their latest book is their memoir, a powerful trip through their own history. Through letters to loved ones, Emezi shares the story of their life and examines their relationships, explores their writerly path to success, and reflects on their transformative decisions about their gender and body. A creative spirit that has been called a “once-in-a-generation voice” by Vulture, Emezi tells one of the most important stories they have ever told — a story of self.

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

In this prequel to the international phenomenon The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas expands the T.H.U.G. universe with the story of a teenage Maverick Carter. Seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give, the novel follows Mav as he struggles to navigate the trials and tribulations of young fatherhood in Garden Heights. All Mav wants is to support his family, but he soon learns that a chance to leave the streets behind comes at a large cost. As loyalty, responsibility, and revenge threaten to destroy him, Mav is forced to create his own definition of what it means to be a man.