As another year comes to an end, there are lots of “best” books lists of 2021 to look back on, that you can look forward to reading!
- From mystery, thriller, fantasy, and horror to memoir & autobiographies, poetry, and graphic novels, this 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards voted the best in 17 genres/categories.
- The 2021 Mighty Women Reading List features biographies and memoirs about remarkable women of the past and present.
- Search science, travel, photography, food, and more with the Best Books of 2021 list from the Smithsonian Magazine.
- Wonder what writers are reading? The Guardian’s Best Books Picked by Guest Authors provides insight into what authors like to read when they are not working on their next book.
- Find over 360 great reads from the NPR Books We Love 2021 list (and also see tops picks from 2013-2020).
- The 2021 PEN America Literary Awards spans fiction, nonfiction, poetry, biography, essay, science writing, translation, and more
Children’s literature provides the opportunity to explore diverse cultures and topics. Below is a selection of lists highlighting this year’s top children’s books.
- From the American Library Association, find Notable Children Books, Notable Children’s Digital Media, and Notable Children’s Book Recordings.
- Book Riot’s Books of 2021 covers all genres from children’s and fiction to poetry and young adult books.
- Among the Smithsonian Magazine’s Ten Best Children’s Books of 2021 is Try it! How Frieda Caplan Changed the Way We Eat. Frieda Caplan, a food innovator who was the first woman in the U.S. to own and operate a produce company, also introduced the U.S. to new produce like dragon fruit, spaghetti squash, and jicama.
- For middle school grade readers and younger, this list contains more than 20 Best Children’s Books of 2021.
Love a good murder mystery novel? Want to brush up on your science knowledge? Just how did they use science to solve that case? These science and crime 10 best first-time authors from Crime Reads are breaking into this genre.
Freely accessible books online include the more than 60,000 e-books available via Project Gutenberg. Choose from more than 15,000 read-along audiobooks at TeachingBooks. The IU East eBooks & Audiobooks resource guide contains a compiled list of sites offering open access to audiobooks, eBooks, and college eBooks.
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