2021 Reading List: Part Two

It's time again to recap everything I read for the last six months! I honestly look forward to these posts because I love to share reading recommendations and spread the word about good (or less than good) books. This year I made a goal on Goodreads (my reading list app of choice) to read 24 books. This was one more than I read in 2019, and I try to up my goal by one book every year. 2020 was an anomaly because of the pandemic, so I read an unusually high amount of books. I came about 100 pages short of finishing my 24th book, but I am not too disappointed because I spent last night playing Zelda on our new Nintendo Switch instead of reading...

So, here are the books from I read in order from July-December 2021 with a few thoughts about each.

Golden Son by Pierce Brown
The second book in the Red Rising series, Golden Son was excellent. I enjoyed the first book quite a bit but found a lot of similarities with other popular dystopian literature. This second book in the series was even better and took the series to new, exciting places. I can't wait to find out what happens next.

The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott
The next two books are the obligatory Star Wars reads, which will be present on every reading list I make. I did not enjoy this book as much as some of the previous High Republic novels, but it did set up some really interesting storylines for the future.

Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland
When I was looking back through my reading list, I actually forgot I read this, so I am not sure what that says about its quality. I believe I listened to this as an audiobook, and I enjoyed it, but nothing super memorable about it.

Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez
I could probably write an entire blog post about this book, and maybe I will, but I would argue that this book is essential reading for anyone who considers themselves part of the evangelical church. What I will say is, at the end of this book I cried, because of the ways it touched on a definition of masculinity that I have found damaging over the course of my life.
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Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
Thanks to a very cool program started by the library at the school where I work, the next two books on the list were given to me by our librarians. This title was a graphic novel about a self-proclaimed nerd (computer science teacher) who gets wrapped up in something he never expected, the school's basketball program. As a fellow self-proclaimed nerd teacher and casual sports fan, I very much related to the author's story.

Educated by Tara Westover
Another book I would never have picked out if not for the school librarians' recommendation, this book tells the unbelievable story of a woman raised in a crazy family in the middle of nowhere Idaho. The stories of her family are insane, but the throughline of her desire to better herself humanizes her experience.

Tempest Runner by Cavan Scott
By far the most unusual entry on this list, this book is not a book in the traditional sense. Tempest Runner will be published as a book, but for now it is a Star Wars audio drama. Highly produced with excellent voice acting, I enjoyed learning more about one of the more intriguing villains of the High Republic era.

The Star Wars Book by Cole Horton, Pablo Hidalgo, and Dan Zehr
Not a lot to say about this book other than that is a fun compilation of Star Wars trivia and info that will make a great reference book.

What did you read this year? Leave a comment with some of your favorites.