Below are the books that I want to read in 2021, in addition to the books Iāll read for class and any other books I read impulsively. Iāve never planned out a TBR list at the beginning of a year; I usually just read what I want when I want, but since I didnāt read as much as I wanted to in 2020, Iām hoping this will help keep me accountable and keep me lit. I also tend to read more of the Classics, so Iām trying to branch out more into Contemporary and newer releases.
I’m including links to the novels below in case you want to join me in reading these books. (I am an Amazon Associate, so I may receive a commission if you click on them.)
Classics
Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
I’ve started reading this one already and I have a ton of quotes marked that struck me as poignant. This will be the last Dostoevsky novel I set out to read (although I may venture into The Idiot sometime in the future).
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
I have heard so much about Rebecca in the past year. The universe must be telling me to read it, and I’m super stoked to read this one. I’ve only heard good things.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
As someone who reads a lot of Russian literature, it’s surprising that I haven’t read any of Tolstoy. So that has to be fixed this year. I’m familiar with the story of this one (I highly recommend the movie version with Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer), so I have high expectations (highly expecting to fall even more in love with Andre).
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Again, I have to read Tolstoy if I want to claim any sort of familiarity with Russian literature. I’ve read Gogol, Bulgakov, Chekhov, and Dostoevsky, but not Tolstoy or Pushkin.
Re-read all Jane Austen novels
The only one I have never read is Sense and Sensibility and her first, rather unpopular published work. I’ve read all of her other novels and highly enjoyed all of them, but I want to revisit them to form more established opinions now that my literary taste has developed.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
I love older dystopian/utopian novels that are shockingly poignant and revealing of today’s society, like 1984. Hopefully, this will be just as thought-provoking.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I may be one of the few that never read this novel in high school. But it is a lot of peoples’ favorite, so I’m looking forward to it.
Newer Releases
All of the Shadowhunters series by Cassandra Clare
I know, Iām super late to this. I have read the Infernal Devices a while ago, but I need to reread them and read all of the Clockwork series.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
I mentioned this one a while ago in my Incredibly Cheap Book Haul: 10 Books for $10.53 blog. This is one of the ones that I was super excited to have found, as I’ve wanted to read it for a while. The synopsis doesn’t really grab my attention, but it has been hyped up in the book community and I’m hoping it’s similar to my beloved Weight of Ink.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
I also mentioned this one in the same blog as above. Historical fiction and an homage to literature… right up my alley.
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
I anticipate this to be a palate cleanser if I need one. I’m also an infamous chocaholic, so y’all know I have to read this.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This one sounds incredibly intriguing. Old Hollywood glamour and scandal… YES!
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
This has been in so many Favorites videos in the book community this year, so I thought I should try it out. I also love Greek mythology.
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
I added this one on a whim. I’ve heard that it is gripping and borderline dark, so why not?
Little Fires EverywhereĀ Celeste Ng
Can I even call myself a reader if I haven’t read this?
Normal People and Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
Sally Rooney has come highly recommended by friends, so they’ll be happy to know that I’m acquiescing.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Another one that has made a lot of Favorites videos. Bennett seems to have combined topical and mysterious, which isn’t commonly well done.
Happy reading, Comrades!
