2021 Reading Challenge


My Goodreads Reading Challenge 2021

Welcome Readers!

At the beginning of 2021 I set myself the challenge of reading 105 books for the year. I read 103 books in 2020 and my goal was 100. In 2019 I set a goal of 55 books and I managed to read 105 books – so I know I can do it!

You too?

This year I’m in two bookclubs – a local group where we meet each month in person and a small online group which meets over Zoom every few weeks. We’ve been reading the Bronte sisters , slowly in pre-arranged chunks, and incorporating a cooking session after we finish each book. It’s such a great way of reading and dissecting a book, we all love it. We’ve also started a monthly blogging challenge, What’s on your Bookshelf, and encourage others to join in. All my WOYBS posts can be found here

What's on your bookshelf badge
What’s on your bookshelf badge

End of 2021

By the end of 2021 I have read 133 books! That sounds amazing, even to me 🙂

Here’s a link to my Goodreads Challenge if you’d like to see the books I’ve managed to get through.

What did I read in 2021?

January 2021 (10 books)

  1. Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 2* (bookclub)
  2. Bombproof – Michael Robotham 4* (#2 in Joseph O’Loughlin series)
  3. Unsheltered – Barbara Kingsolver 2*
  4. Searching for Charlotte – Kate Forsyth 4*
  5. Daring Greatly – Brene Brown 3*
  6. Fearless – Fiona Higgins 4*
  7. Wuthering Heights– Emily Bronte (Online bookclub) 4*
  8. The Godmothers – Monica McInerney (bookclub) 5*
  9. The Pull of the Stars – Emma Donoghue 4*
  10. Shatter – Michael Robotham (#3 in Joseph O’Loughlin series) 4*

February 2021 (11 books)

  1. Charlotte Pass – Christine Lee 4*
  2. Bleed for me – Michael Robotham (#4 in Joseph O’Loughlin series) 4*
  3. Crackenback – Christine Lee 4*
  4. The Wreckage – Michael Robotham (#5 in Joseph O’Loughlin series) 4*
  5. Brody Cody and the Haunted Vacation House – Toni Pike 5*
  6. Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrell 5*
  7. Myrren’s Gift – Fiona McIntosh 4*
  8. Sam Bloom: Heartache and Birdsong – Bradley Trevor Greive 5*
  9. The Secrets we Kept – Lara Prescott (bookclub) 4*
  10. The Natural Way of Things – Charlotte Wood 3*
  11. The Blue Day Book – Bradley Trevor Greive 5*
book club fun
book club fun

March 2021 (9 books)

  1. Penguin Bloom – Cameron Bloom 5*
  2. Agnes Grey – Anne Bronte (online book club) 4*
  3. The Quickening Trilogy – Fiona McIntosh 4*
  4. Escape to Curlew Cottage – Joanne Tracey 5*
  5. In an Instant – Suzanne Redfearn 5*
  6. The Girl who Saved the King of Sweden – Jonas Jonasson 4*
  7. Women of a Certain Rage – Liz Byrski 3*
  8. The Spill – Imbi Neeme 3*
  9. Tapestry – Fiona McIntosh 5*

April 2021 (9 books)

  1. Hadley & Grace – Suzanne Redfearn 4*
  2. Trio – William Boyd (book club) 1*
  3. Kokomo – Victoria Hannan 3*
  4. The Four Winds – Kristin Hannah 5*
  5. Royal Exile – Fiona McIntosh 4*
  6. Life is so Good – George Dawson (book club) 3*
  7. Say you’re sorry (Audible) – Michael Robotham (#6 in Joseph O’Loughlin series) 4*
  8. The Library of Lost and Found – Phaedra Patrick 4*
  9. The Chocolate Maker’s Wife – Karen Brooks 5*
old ladies reading
old ladies reading under the table – looks like fun!

May 2021 (12 books)

  1. H.A.G.S with Attitude: A Philosophy for Ageing – Angelique Du Toit 4*
  2. The Diamond Hunter – Fiona Mcintosh 4*
  3. The Darkest Shore – Karen Brooks 5*
  4. The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison – Meredith Jaffe 5*
  5. The Midnight Library – Matt Haig 5*
  6. Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams) – Anita Heiss 5*
  7. The Good Sister – Sally Hepworth 5*
  8. The Sisters (Audible)- Dervla McTiernan 4*
  9. The Family Doctor – Debra Oswald 5*
  10. Still House (Audible) – Christian White 3*
  11. An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good (Bookclub) – Helene Tursten 4*
  12. Wild – Kristin Hannah 5*

June 2021 (13 books)

  1. Spring Clean for the Peach Queen – Sasha Wasley 5*
  2. The Chocolate Tin – Fiona McIntosh 4*
  3. Best Seller – Terry Tyler 4*
  4. Bruno Chief of Police #1 (on Audible) – Martin Walker 4*
  5. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte – (online book club) 5*
  6. Dear Banjo – (Daughters of the Outback #1) Sasha Wasley 4*
  7. Love Song – (Daughters of the Outback #3) Sasha Wasley 4*
  8. The Kindness Revolution: How we can restore hope, rebuild trust and inspire optimism – Hugh Mackay 5*
  9. Silent Valley – Malla Nunn 4*
  10. Megacity (Operation Galton #3) – Terry Tyler 5*
  11. True Blue – Sasha Wasley 4*
  12. Still Life – (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #1) – Louise Penny 4*
  13. The Cuckoo’s Cry (on Audible) -Caroline Overington 3*

July 2021 (11 books)

  1. Anatomy of a Scandal – Sarah Vaughan (Bookclub) 3*
  2. The Bluffs – Kyle Perry 3*
  3. The Silent Wife – (Will Trent #10) Karin Slaughter 4*
  4. The Honey Queen – (via Audible) – Cathy Kelly 4*
  5. The Perfumer’s Secret (via Audible) – Fiona McIntosh 4*
  6. The Good Wife of Bath – Karen Brooks 5*
  7. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall – (online bookclub) Anne Bronte 4*
  8. Good Girl, Bad Girl – (Cyrus Haven #1) Michael Robotham 4*
  9. The Rose Code – Kate Quinn 5*
  10. The Little Paris Bookshop – Nina George 3*
  11. A Room Made of Leaves – Kate Grenville 4*

August 2021 (12 books)

  1. Bye Bye Baby – Fiona McIntosh (DCI Jack Hawksworth #1) 4*
  2. When She was Good – Michael Robotham (Cyrus Haven #2) 4*
  3. Second Skin – Christian White Audible 3*
  4. Dead Cold – Louise Penny (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #2) 4*
  5. Watching You – (Joseph O’Loughlin series #7) Michael Robotham 4*
  6. Danger Music – Eddie Ayres (Bookclub) 4*
  7. What She Wants – Cathy Kelly 4*
  8. Our Italian Summer – Jennifer Probst 4*
  9. Just Between Us – Cathy Kelly 4*
  10. The Nancys – R W R McDonald 5*
  11. The Last Garden in England – (via audible) Julia Kelly 5*
  12. The Huntress – Kate Quinn 5*

Total books so far: 87

September 2021 (13 books)

  1. The Chase – Candice Fox (Audible) 5*
  2. The Comfort Book – Matt Haig (Audible) 5*
  3. Before I Leave – Jenney Egertson 4*
  4. The Cornish Midwife – Jo Bartlett 4*
  5. The Little Cafe by the Lake – Joanne Tracey 5*
  6. A Summer Wedding for the Cornish Midwife – Jo Bartlett 4*
  7. Beautiful Death – Fiona McIntosh (DCI Jack Hawksworth #2) 3*
  8. Villette – Charlotte Bronte (online bookclub) 4*
  9. One Hundred Years of Dirt – Rick Morton (local bookclub) 4*
  10. Mirror Man – Fiona McIntosh (DCI Jack Hawksworth #3) 4*
  11. Nancy Business – RWR McDonald 5*
  12. Crimson Lake – Candice Fox (Crimson Lake #1 series) 5*
  13. Hades – Candice Fox 4*
Reading in my orange converse hightops
Reading in my orange converse hightops

October 2021 (9 books)

  1. Apples Never Fall – Liane Moriarty 3*
  2. Redemption Point – Candice Fox (Crimson Lake #2) 4*
  3. Gone by Midnight – Candice Fox (Crimson Lake #3) 5*
  4. The Great Alone – Kristin Hannah 5*
  5. Treasure & Dirt – Chris Hammer 4*
  6. False Witness – Karin Slaughter 4*
  7. Well Hello – Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales 5*
  8. Close your Eyes – Michael Robotham (Joseph O’Loughlin series #8) 4*
  9. Flesh Wounds – Richard Glover (Bookclub) 5*

Goodreads 2021 Challenge of 105 books read completed 25/10/21

November 2021 (13 books)

  1. Beauty in the Ruins – J’Nell Ciesielski 4*
  2. Cuthberts Way – (DCI Ryan #17) LJ Ross 4*
  3. The Rock – (DCI Ryan #18) 4 *
  4. The Man Who Died Twice – Richard Osman 5*
  5. Notes from an Exhibition – Patrick Gale 3*
  6. Bluey Sleepy time – Bluey 5*
  7. Case Histories – Kate Atkinson (Brodie Jackson #1) 4*
  8. Bluey Christmas Swim – 5*
  9. Somebody’s Land – Adam Goodes 5*
  10. One Good Turn – Kate Atkinson (Jackson Brodie #2) 3*
  11. When will there be Good News – Kate Atkinson (Jackson Brodie #3) 4*
  12. A Winter’s Wish for the Cornish Midwife – Jo Bartlett 4*
  13. Second Chance at Cherry Tree Cottage – Jo Bartlett 4*

Total books so far: 122

December 2021

  1. Started Early, Took My Dog – Kate Atkinson (Jackson Brodie #3) 4*
  2. The Deep – Kyle Perry 3*
  3. Never Never – James Patterson and Candice Fox (Detective Harriet Blue #1) 4*
  4. The Professor – Charlotte Bronte 3*
  5. A Fiery Heart – Claire Harmon 4*
  6. Daring to Fly – Lisa Millar 5*
  7. The Others – Mark Brandi 4*
  8. Vanished – James Delargy 4*
  9. Second Chances at Channel View Farm – Jo Bartlett 3*
  10. A Cornish Summer’s Kiss – Jo Bartlett 3*
  11. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens 5*

Total books for 2021 = 133 📚🎉


I have included links to Goodreads on each of these titles, so if you want more information on what the book is about, click the title and away you go! I read a wide range….just saying!

Please note I will bold all of my 5* star ratings – I’m fairly strict with what I give 5 stars to, so you can be assured that these are my favourites.

My rating code: 1* did not finish/terrible; 2* OK; 3* enjoyable; 4* really good ; 5* excellent

Let’s see how many I get up to this year! I don’t set any rules or follow any plans, I just read what I feel like, what friends have recommended and what takes my eye. I rarely start a book and not finish it, but it does happen sometimes!

Are you on Goodreads? – you can join me 🙂

My wrap-up post for my 2020 challenge is here:

Reading my way through 2020 – Reading Challenge and Top Reads

You can find my lists for 2019, 201820172016 and my 2014/2015 books by clicking on the links.

Every now and again I do a Friday Fiction post just to keep updating my reading collections!

This year I’ve joined with blogging friends Sue, Donna and Jo to do a monthly What’s on Your Bookshelf Challenge and you’re very welcome to join us!

I’d love to hear what you’re reading too. And any recommendations are always welcome 🙂

Deb xx


Visit Deb’s World’s Instagram for photo updates

You can also find Deb’s World in lots of other places – stay in touch by clicking any of the buttons below.

Debbie in rock chick mode

Everyone has a story to tell! Deb is a young-at-heart & active 60+ blogger/retiree, after being made redundant from her 22-year career managing education programs in a men’s correctional centre (jail). She now spends her time reading, blogging, riding her ebike and travelling. Deb was awarded a Bravery Award from the Queen when she was 17 after a tragic accident – a definite life changing moment! She is married with 3 grown-up daughters & has 4 grandchildren. She never imagined being Granny Debs would bring so much joy to her life! You can read more of Deb’s story here

Copyright © 2023 debs-world.com – All rights reserved

7 Replies to “2021 Reading Challenge”

      1. I’m still undecided. My friends agree with you but in some ways I feel like it’s equates with seeing the movie. although, I am listening to a Nicholas Sparks book and every time I hear his words I am awed by his mastery of them. That’s not something you would appreciate in a movie.

        Liked by 1 person

Let's keep the conversation going...

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: