Choosing a Top Ten list was harder this year than ever before. I read 91 books in 2021, and believe me, choosing just ten took a while. The books listed here affected my life and they linger still. I hope you see something new that piques your interest!
The purchase links are on the images if you see one you want to grab.
And before I close out the year, I want to pay tribute to an author who passed away in 2021. Suzanne Burke was bold in her writing and delved deep into the psyche of twisted characters. But the book that changed me forever, was her memoir, EMPTY CHAIRS. The horrific abuse she suffered would destroy a lesser person, but not Sooz. She was a warrior.
May she rest in peace.
I can see why you had such a hard time, Jan, with great reads like these. Congratulations to all the authors! I personally enjoyed The Ferry Man and The Sea Witch, Diana did a fantastic job. It was sad to see the passing of Suzanne, she was a wonderful person.
Thanks for stopping by, Mark, and for adding your recommendation for The Ferryman and The Sea Witch! A fabulous story! And yes, Soooz was an amazing resilient woman.
Thanks, Jan. I have a few of those books on my sight and some of my Kindle already, and your recommendation has inspired me to explore further. I hope 2022 is a great reading year for us all. ♥
Wonderful, Olga! Yes! Here’s to another great year of reading!! Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment!
Thank you for sharing another wonderful list of very interesting books, Jan! I think i have to active my turbo in reading faster. They are all so interesting. Thanks a lot again, enjoy a nice rest of the weekend, and have a wonderful beginning of a fabulous new week! xx Michael
Lol, Michael! I totally relate to the “turbo reading” comment. I need the same activation. Thank you for stopping by and glad you found some of the books interesting!
Thank you very much for sharing these great recommendations, Jan. Oh yes, our mood is determined on a very daily basis, these times. Have a nice week! xx Michael
Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
Thank you so much for sharing, Michael! Much appreciated!
:-)) xx
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Thank you, Sally for reblogging!
Wonderful selection of authors. Congrats to them all and wishing them continued success. xx
Thank you, Jane!
Pleasure x
A wonderful selection Jan.. congratulations to all the authors.. hugsx
Thank you, Sally!
Hi Jan, a wonderful selection of books here. I have also read some of them. I didn’t know Suzanne Burke had passed. That is very sad news. I did wonder what had happened to her because she disappeared from her blog.
She passed away sometime in November, and was sad indeed. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the eclectic book selection!
Fabulous, Jan! Thanks for sharing these amazing reviews with us. Bravo to all! A beautiful tribute to Soooz. She is deeply missed. xo
Thank you, Natalie. I appreciate you stopping by and leaving a comment. I am glad you enjoyed the tribute to Sooz.
Some fabulous looking reads here Jan. I have Joan and Mae’s book and looking forward to. I also loved Diana’s book. I was sorry to hear of Soooz’s passing. Such a great loss to the book world, and I have that book, Empty Chairs on my Kindle but have been putting off due to the subject matter right now. I will get there. 🙂 x
Thank you for stopping by, Debby! I’m glad to hear you have some of these books waiting for you on your Kindle. Empty Chairs is not an easy book to read, but it is a book that changed me forever.
And a book I do intend to read. 🙂
What a lovely presentation, Jan. Wow, you are such a professional. And I’m so honored to have a book included. That was kind of you. Congrats to all the authors, especially Mae and Joan whose books I’ve read and enjoyed. And a touching mention of Suzanne at the end. She was a wonderful person and talent. <3 <3
Thank you, Diana! I’m happy you stopped by and The Ferryman and the Sea Witch deserved a spot in my top 10. Great story! I’m glad you enjoyed the post and the tribute to Sooz. Hugs!
<3
A lovely idea, and touching tribute to Sooz. Happy New Year! Happy reading!
Thank you Marje! I’m happy you stopped by and thank you for mentioning Sooz. Happy New Year!
My pleasure Happy New Year Jan. 🙂
Oh, my, Jan… I’m deeply honored to among your Top Ten. Thank you–two words filled with so much meaning. “Greenlights” is one several have recommended to me, so I believe it will be my next read. Again, my sincere appreciation for all that you do for authors and readers. And what a lovely tribute to Sooz…
My pleasure, Mary. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the Wolves the Clan Sutherland. I’ve tried to guess who is the next main character, but will just have to be surprised. I loved “Greenlights” and found it inspiring. I hope you will too. Have a great weekend!
Beautiful tribute to a wonderful lady <3
I've read a few of these and have my eye on Matthew McConaughey's- thanks, Jan!
Thank you, Jacquie. I thoroughly enjoyed Mcconaughey’s book. It inspired it. I’m sure you will enjoy it as well. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. Have a great weekend!
You are right Jan, Soooz was not just a fighter, she was also a lovey Soul. I enjoyed Empty Chairs too. May her soul rest in perfect peace. She will be missed.
Thank you, Joy!
Fantastic list, Jan – and I’ve read some of them! I hadn’t heard about Soooz, but what a wonderful tribute to her.
Thanks for stopping by, Teri. Have a wonderful weekend!
Great list of books, Jan! The ones I read I completely agree with, must-reads. I still have a couple to read, hopefully soon. Beautiful tribute to Soooz. She is so missed by our community.
Thank you, Denise, for stopping by and leaving a comment. I hope you enjoy the new books you discovered. Yes, Sooz is missed and loved by many. Have a great weekend!
Thank you for sharing your list of top ten, I’ve read three out of them and have read a few of Sooz’s books. She was an amazing author. I am grieved to hear that she is no more. May her beautiful soul rest in peace.
My pleasure, Balroop. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. Hugs!
Excellent, Jan. Great books and great reviews. I reviewed both Mae’s and Diana’s books and enjoyed them as well.
Thank you, John. I’m happy you stopped by and left a comment today! Have a great weekend!
Jan, I’m honored to find Things Old and Forgotten among your top ten. Thank you for including it. I’ve read several of the books on your list, and I definitely want to snatch up your number one choice. That book has been calling to me. You also did an outstanding job with presentation. Wow–just fantastic!
And, finally, thank you for the tribute to Soooz. I avoided reading Empty Chairs for the longest time because I knew it would be a painful read. I’m so thankful I did, and so thankful to have developed a friendship with Soooz. She was a remarkable person, and I’m grateful she touched my life.
It is my pleasure to include Things Old and Forgotten. It’s such an eclectic array of stories that there is something for everyone! I know you will love Shadow of Pecan Hollow. And it was the author’s debut novel! Glad you enjoyed the presentation. I could not let the year go without a tribute to Sooz. I just wish her daughter could see the outpouring of love. I know it would comfort her. Thank you for stopping by and have a great weekend!
Jan, what an awesome tribute. Your top ten list holds some new authors for me to explore. I love your take on the books. Sooz will be missed and admired for all she did, I pray she rests in peace. I enjoyed so many stories in 2021 I’m not certain I would be so successful in narrowing it down. I will strive to get a list for next year. Thank you for posting this. Happy weekend.
Choosing a top ten was very hard for me. I read so many good books in 2021, and I could do an entire post on just amazing short stories. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. Yes! Happy Weekend, and thank you for stopping by, Rox!
Great top ten, Jan. I love the presentation. Lovely tribute to Sooz. I miss her dearly. Thanks for sharing 💕🙂
Thank you for stopping by, Harmony. I’m so glad you enjoyed the post and I could not let the year slip away without a tribute to Sooz.
What a great selection of books, Jan, several of which I have read and agree with you about, and others I’ll definitely add to my TBR list. Plus, I have to say that I really love how you displayed each one in an artistic graphic. A super way to present each book to potential readers, and beautiful as well.
I didn’t “know” Suzanne Burke, but I am saddened by her passing. Your tribute is lovely and now I want to read her work, too.
Thanks for such a super post! 😊
I’m glad you enjoyed the graphics. I wanted to do something different than just quoting the blurb, so I took lines from my reviews. 🙂 Now, to get it all uploaded to YouTube in a video. Glad a few books grabbed your attention. You won’t be disappointed! Have a great weekend, Marcia, and thank you for leaving a comment today!
Wonderful Top Ten, Jan. Thank you for sharing. My sincere Congratulations to each of the writers. And to close with mention of Soooz was perfect. She was a dear friend, a terrific writer, and an unusually beautiful soul. I’m sure she is dancing freely in her new celestial home. 💗
I totally agree, Gwen. Sooz suffered more in her lifetime than anyone should have to and I just know she’s dancing pain-free beyond the veil. Thank you for stopping by and I”m glad you enjoyed the post!
I appreciate how you presented each book, some of which I have read and ordered others. Congratulations to each author. I am deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved Soooz. Her book, Empty Chairs, is one of my favorite books. Your tribute to her was beautiful and touching.
Thank you for stopping by, Karen. I’m glad you found some new books to read. And thank you for your recommendation for Empty Chairs. That book changed me. Have a great weekend and thank you for sharing!
Jan, it’s an honor to be included in this list. I’ve read a few of these as well, and have immediately hopped over to Kindle to check out some others. That’s a wonderful tribute to Soooz. She will be dearly missed. And lastly, I love the way you highlighted the books.
Oh good! I’m glad you liked the post, Joan. And A Cold Dark Night deserved a spot in my top ten! Great story! Hope you enjoy any of the other books you picked up. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Have a great weekend and thank you for sharing!
Wonderful selection of titles, and I enjoyed the tribute to Soooz.
Thank you, Craig. I appreciate you stopping by and sharing! Have a great weekend!
Congratulations to everyone. I’ve read several on your list Jan and plan to check out the others. Thanks for sharing. Beautiful tribute to Soooz.
Thank you for leaving a comment, Jill. I’m glad you enjoyed the post and so many are expressing the same sentiment for Sooz. I just wish her daughter could see all the love we have for her mother.
I love the way you highlighted your top ten books. (The selections were excellent, by the way.) And what a lovely tribute to Soooz. Thanks, Jan.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Staci. Thank you for always being so supportive and sharing! Have a great weekend!
Congratulations to all the authors mentioned above. I’ve read Randy and Mae’s books and can attest to their magnificence. I’m a huge fan of Matthew McConaughey, so I’ll be check out his book, for sure. You honor Soooz well. She is dearly missed. Great post, Jan! 🙂
Greenlights inspired me, Yvette. It also made me want to head out on an adventure. 🙂 I think you will enjoy it. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment today! Have a good weekend!