That moment when you thought you posted a post and totally didn’t…but let’s not talk about that, instead let’s talk about the amazing books I read last year, because wow did I read a lot of good books. In terms of the sheer amount of books I read. it was not my best. Normally I read over 100 books, however the quality of books I read in 2021, more then made up for the number of books I read. As always lets starts off with some fun stats:
- I read 78/100 books for my Goodreads Goal
- 10/78 were mangas (3 of which were bindups, so technically I read 25 mangas).
- 28/78 were Manhwas
- 29/78 were Adult Romances
- 1/78 was a comic
- 1/78 was a non-fiction
- 1/78 was a poetry collection
- 4/78 were YA books
- 4/78 were miscellaneous (Hard to fit in one main genre)
- I also DNF 6 Books
While I’m a little sad at not beating my Goodreads Goal of 100 Books, I gave out so many 4 & 5 stars, like sooo many. Which is why I’m still counting 2021 as a win. Like every year my Book Awards change depending on what I read and you will notice there is no Book I hated category. Disappointed? Sure, but hated, no. Also, I read a lot of manhwa, and I do mean a lot of manhwa. Most of which I forgot to add to my Goodreads (mainly because I couldn’t find it or it is still unfinished). With that all in mind let’s get into last year’s Book Awards!
The First Book Of The Year – Rage & Ruin (The Harbringer Series #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout. As I say every year, the first book I read at the start of the year usually sets the tone for the rest of the year. Honestly it is no wonder why I had such a great year because I gave this one 4.5 Stars. As this is the second book I really don’t want to spolier it, but guys this series get’s so freakin good. Trinity and Zayne have such great chemistry and I love what we got from Roth, Laylah and of course my favourite Demonic Tattoo Bambi. She is the bestest girl and if anyone wanted justice for the demonic snake after the end of the Dark Elements Series, well we finally got it. I seriously wouldn’t mind a Trinity and Roth spin off novella, because they have the kind of chaotic friendship I adore. Trinity was just a badass in this one and that ending was just crazy from each battle to the park scene at the end. So yeah, absolutely loved this one and cannot wait to finish this series in 2022.
The Most Surprising Read – Zodiac Academy: The Awaking by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti. This one I picked up on a whim and I honestly didn’t expect to fall in love with the characters or the world so deeply. Literally, I binged the first three books and immediately bought the rest of the series. This is an Urban Fantasy Adult series set at a college boarding school that revolves around Fae, elemental magic and of course the zodiac stars. This book has a lot going for it, but believe me it blends so well together. When Tory and Darcy Vega are whisked to Zodiac Academy to claim their birthright (of the financial kind) they are met with much resistance. For starters they have no mental shield to protect them from compulsion, the teachers are crazy, and the student body is ruled by the cruel Four Celestial Heirs; hot powerful morons who are convinced that the twins want to become the next Queens of Solaria (which they really don’t want to be but no one listens). I will say while it is highly addictive, but it is not a series for everyone. It is a bully romance, so there’s a lot of questionable actions. So, if you are interested in this adult urban fantasy, please, PLEASE read the tags before picking this one up.
Most Disappointing Read- Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors by Annette Marie. Out of all the books I read last year, Wraping Minds & Other Misdemeanors was by far the most disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad by any means, it just was not for me. So a couple of things you should know to understand why I was so disappointed with this one. I really enjoyed the rest of the books set in the Guild Codex Universe (Adult Urban Fantasy), so when I went into this one I had high expectations. Another thing is I personally struggle with reading from a male’s pov and while I enjoy the odd pop culture reference, this one was chalk full of them. In short, I had a lot of trouble getting into this one and could never make it beyond the third chapter. Maybe I will give it another try in the future, possibly by audiobook (especially because Kit and Lianna play such important roles in the rest of the series). However, as of now, it remains a book that was not for me.
Author Shout Out & All Time Favourite Series- Guild Codex Universe by Annette Marie. Annette Marie is this Independent Canadian Author (B.C), which makes me super happy, because I always love supporting Canadian and Indie Authors. Funny enough not only has she written my most disappointed book of 2021, but four of my favourite series of all time- three of which I started last year! It is mind boggling that I started her Guild Codex Universe books last year. Her writing is just so addictive and I feel like I have read her books for years now (but nope, I just re-read them a lot). She is also the author of one 
of my all time favourites, The Red Winter Trilogy. She has a knack for creating such incredible characters and fun magic system. I just want books for all the members of Crow & Hammer (a magical guild hidden in plan sight). It’s no wonder why she has easily became one of my favourite auto-buy authors in such short time.
The Fever Dream Romance – Fireblood Dragon series (Specifically Books #1-4) by Ruby Dixon. Now I have read a lot of different types of romance last year. Mafia Romance, Steamy Romance, Fluffy Contemporary Romance, Angsty Romance, Fantasy Romance and so forth, but I want you to forget all those Romances. No instead of talking about those and which were my favourites, I want to talk about the Romance series that felt like a Fever Dream to me. Would I recommend it? No, but boy did it leave an impression. I am talking of course about the Fireblood Dragon series by controversial Ruby Dixon. Okay so this is a Adult Romance series set in a Dystopian world overrun by Mad Dragons, which of course can morph into people. Never have I read something that felt so surreal. Like a lot of people talk about how crazy her Ice Planet Barbarians series was, but guys after reading this, Ice Planet Barbarians makes so much sense in terms oof why she created a world like that. Like major spoilers but after the first book the MC got pregnant and I was like “oh that’s nice”, but then guys the MC of the second book also got pregnant and at which point I had to read the third book. She too got pregnant and the next thing I knew I picked up the fourth book and you will never believe it but she didn’t get pregnant. I mean what a wild ride that was. God this romance series was such a trip even if all the characters were super boring (except for the third book). Again, not recommending it, but it was definitely a series that left an impression.
Best Sequel – Well Matched by Jen DeLuca. Out of the many sequels I read Well Matched by Jen DeLuca was by far my favourite. The second I learned it was April and Mitch’s story, I just knew I would love it far more then Well Played. Don’t get me wrong I still love Stacey, and I connected with her far more then I expected to but there just wasn’t enough Renaissance scenes and I still think Stacey could do better then Daniel. Thankfully Well Matched delivered and I loved every second of it. April and Mitch were hilarious together. You have independent April who wants to get the hell out of her small town now that her daughter is graduating and thinks she is way to old for romance and then you have Mitch whose the life of the party and wants to announce their love to the world. And guys there is so much character development in this one from April learning to open up and wanting to be apart of the Renaissance Faire to Mitch’s Grandparents getting off their high horse and learning to accept him even if he willingly chose to become *gasp* gym teacher. I can honestly say this one is my favourite of the entire series so far. From the whole home renovation, fake dating, to Renaissance Fair goodness, this one has so much to offer. Bonus points for April loving Ciders to Mitch’s horror.
Best Scare – The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates. This is another book that I can’t believe I started in 2021. I really enjoyed this one. The many ghosts, the setting and colorful crazy characters. Remy was just a breath of fresh air. As a tour guide for a supposedly Haunted House, Remy loves her job, even if she has yet to see an actual ghost. The thing about this is that I love how all the guests staying at a haunted house know exactly what to do when shit hits the fan. There is no moment of “I don’t believe in ghosts” and I appreciate that. Coates is a master at writing atmosphere. There was this constant tension of the danger that the house and ghosts presented. As for the plot I loved everything about it and could easily see myself rereading it in the near future. I have heard it being compared to scooby doo but with real ghosts, and while that was meant as a complaint, I took it as compliment. Darcy Coates has instantly become an author on my radar. After looking at her backlist, there are definitely a whole slew of books of hers I want to read in this year.
The Best Dressed/The One I Wish I Could Forget – From Blood to Ash & A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L.Armentrout. Not going to lie, the main reason I even picked up this series was because the covers are stunning. The world was bleak, the magic system and races were lol, and the love interest sucked (seriously Casteel was the main reason I dnf the second book, he claimed Poppy was free yet he kept her prisoner, he just made me super uncomfortable and nothing really happens until the end of the book – it did not need to be as long as it was), but the covers. The covers mon ami! Look at these beauties! This is the kind of cover I love. I knew I wouldn’t like this series after reading the synopsis. It just sounded like something I wouldn’t enjoy, but I picked it up anyway because I love these covers and I knew if I enjoyed this series, I would buy them in a heartbeat. I. Mean. Look. At. Them.
The font, the colours, the leaves, the silver/wooden stakes, the ivory, all the little details, I absolutely love. Their gorgeous and while I did not care for the content I would love a poster of the Cover art so I can just stare at them. Move over shirtless pasty yet tan dude with “abs for days”, this right here is what a vampire book should look like. Even the spin-off series (on the far right above) looks stunning. These covers just speak to me so much, despite hating Casteal with a burning passion, I would consider buying these from time to time. I mean I love my Jennifer. L. Armentrout books, but it feels like she did Poppy dirty (and Poppy was my favourite thing about the books – like if later in the series she ditches Casteal for some other dude or better yet an equally badass woman, then I will not hesitate to pick up the series again). Anyways these covers alone (and the fact that we are fallowing a different couple) have made me hold out for the spin-off series, A Shadow In The Ember. Without a doubt The Blood and Ash series won Best Dressed hands down.
The Cover Disaster – Dear Azula, I have a Crush on Danny Phantom by Azura Tyabji & Jackson Neal. This is one of the most boring covers I have ever seen. I understand that this is a poetry collection that mentions characters from cartoons, so understandably they don’t want to deal with copyright for the cover, but this cover does nothing. Sometimes minimalism doesn’t work for covers. Had I not read the end of the title it would have never crossed my mind that this was a poetry collection about early 2000’s cartoons and how Generation Z could see themselves reflected in these 2D characters. Look at it, look at how awful it is. I hate it so much. It feels like some psychological thriller. Like I’m genuinely curious, would you pick up this poetry collection with this cover? I feel like a lot of people will pass this one buy, which is a shame because the actual content is amazing. Seriously, how did this not make the Goodread’s Choice Awards? At least the font looks like it could be about a comic book series, but that is all that is working for this book.
The Best Manga – Spy x Family Volumes 1-7 by Tatsuya Endo. I absolutely adored the first 7 volumes of Spy x Family. I love all the cold war elements in this fictional world. This one is about Twilight who is the best spy from Westalis, but his new mission is about to test all her skills. He must take the name Loid Forger, get married and enroll his child six-year-old child into a prestigious school so his child can befriend the child of evil man that’s of interest to his organization. Needless to say, fatherhood is the trickiest mission yet for this spy. Unbeknownst to him the daughter he adopts is an esper, his wife is a skilled assassin and dog can see the future. Anya’s reactions are hilarious and there has never been quite the marriage proposal like Loid’s to Yor. They truly are a family like no other. I am so happy this series is getting an anime and I can’t wait to read more of this series in 2022.
The Even Better Manhwa – The Beloved Little Princess by Saha. Now I read a lot of great Manhwa this year and it was really hard for me to chose my all time favourite, but when it comes down to it had to be The Beloved Little Princess, because out of all the manhwa it was the one that constantly made me laugh out loud. The Hyperion Empire has a prophecy, when the third child is born in the royal line, the Hyperion Empire will begin their great reign. Enter the High Mage. After stepping in a magical circle, she finds herself reborn as Princess Enisha, the beloved daughter of a war hungry king and sister to two psychotic brothers. But she is in no rush to return to her old life of endless paperwork, instead she finds herself enjoying the pampered life of the princess, but first she must charm her family into not killing anyone. There are so many great moments in this one, but I highly recommend reading it. It’s not even finished yet but I have re-read the first season so many times. This series is just pure comedic gold.
The Only Ending For The Villainess, I’m A Martial Art Villainess But I’m The Strongest & I’ll Be The Matriarch In This Life
And that was my 2021 Book Awards. It’s always fun picking out books for each of these categories, especially snice I read so many great books last year. Nyssa Rose
Seshat In Modern Days 