As many of you know, I’m part of a wonderful group of bloggers known as the Squadpod. Over the last eighteen months these women have become not only my friends but a much-needed support network and my chosen family. It started with books and became much more. This year we have expanded our group to go beyond our WhatsApp Chats and you can now follow us on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. We have started our Squadpod Book Club, organised blog tours and even cake blasts (the one for Evie Epworth was one of my favourite moments of 2021).
Last year, I shared a list of each of the Squadpod’s 20 Favourite books of 2020 so I’m doing it again. Though this year it is obviously our 21 favourite books of 2021. So, buckle up because there a quite a few of us. But please keep reading to the end so that you can find out what book the Squadpod recommends overall in 2021…
********
Becca at Becca Kate Blogs
- For When I’m Gone by Rebecca Ley
- The Push by Ashley Audrain
- Keeper by Jessica Moor
- Shiver by Allie Reynolds
- The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor
- The Long, Long Afternoon by Inga Vesper
- Everything Is Beautiful by Eleanor Ray
- The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
- Space Hopper by Helen Fisher
- Dog Days by Ericka Walker
- Lost Property by Helen Paris
- The Miseducation of Evie Epworth by Matson Taylor
- The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex
- The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
- The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent
- The Island Home by Libby Page
- Another Life by Jodie Chapman
- The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain
- The Pact by Sharon Bolton
- The Ends of the Earth by Abbie Greaves
- Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian
BOOK OF THE YEAR: The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
Follow Becca on Instagram, Twitter and her Blog
********
Beth at Beth’s Booketlist
- The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley
- Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
- The Last Library by Freya Sampson
- Nightingale Point by Luan Goldie
- The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
- Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
- Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce
- The Arctic Curry Club by Dani Redd
- The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
- Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
- Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
- The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
- The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
- Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zarfon
- Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare
- The Switch by Beth O’Leary
- The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune
- The Miseducation of Evie Epworth by Matson Taylor
- Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
- Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley
Follow Beth on Instagram
********
Cara at Welsh Book Lover
- Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
- The Christmasaurus – Tom Fletcher
- Johnny Be Good by Paige Toon
- The Unhooneymooners by Christina Lauren
- The Whisper Man by Alex North
- Chasing Daisy by Paige Toon
- Is This It? by Hannah Tovey
- How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
- If I Can’t Have You by Charlotte Levin
- The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor
- Throttled by Lauren Asher
- Girl A by Dan Scottow
- The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
- All My Lies by Sophie Flynn
- People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd
- It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
- Once Perfect Summer by Paige Toon
- The Midnight Man by Caroline Mitchell
- Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams
- The Minute I Saw You by Paige Toon
- The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
BOOK OF THE YEAR: Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
Follow Cara on Instagram, Twitter and her Blog
********
Ceri at Ceri’s Lil Blog
- Everything is Beautiful by Eleanor Ray
- She’s Mine by A. A. Chaudhuri
- The Post Box at the North Pole by Jaimie Admans
- The Art of Loving You by Amelia Henley
- The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
- All My Lies by Sophie Flynn
- Shiver by Allie Reynolds
- An Ordinary Life by Amanda Prowse
- All You Need Is Love by Jessica Redland
- Midnight Ladies Swimming Club by Faith Hogan
- The Story of Our Secrets by Shari Low
- The Islanders by S. V. Leonard
- The New York Secret by Ella Carey
- The Night We Met by Zoe Folbigg
- The Queen’s Dressmaker by Meghan Masterson
- Until Next Weekend by Rachel Marks
- Freckles by Cecelia Ahern
- Lies Like Wildfire
- The Little Duck Pond Cafe Series by Rosie Green
- The Blood Brothers Series by Heather Atkinson
- Our Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent
BOOK OF THE YEAR: Everything Is Beautiful by Eleanor Ray
Follow Ceri on Instagram, Twitter and her Blog.
********
Chloe at Reviews by Chloe
- Hostage by Clare Mackintosh
- The Judge’s List by John Grisham
- The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
- Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
- The Chalet by Catherine Cooper
- Mrs England by Stacey Halls
- Seven Lies by Elizabeth Kay
- Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal
- Exit by Belinda Bauer
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
- The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili, Translated by Charlotte Collins and Ruth Martin
- Eight Detectives by Alex Pavesi
- The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley
- The Last Wife by Karen Hamilton
- The Heights by Louise Candlish
- Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena
- Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
- That Night by Gillian McAllister
- My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
- Yours Cheerfully by A. J. Pearce
BOOK OF THE YEAR: Hostage by Clare Macintosh
Follow Chloe on Instagram, Twitter and her Blog.
**********
Claire at Secret World of a Book
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- Born of No Man by Franck Bouysse
- Femilandia by Christina Dalcher
- The Coven by Lizzie Fry
- House of Hollow by Kristin Sotherland
- Madame by Phoebe Wynne
- We Go On Forever by Sarah Govett
- Threadneedle by Cari Thomas
- The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
- The Women of Troy by Pat Barker
- Pandora’s Jar by Natalie Haynes
- Underbelly by Anna Whitehouse
- Circe by Madeline Miller
- The Hiding Place by Amanda Mason
- We Are Not Like Them by Jo Piazza and Christine Pride
- Elektra by Jennifer Saint
- The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
- The Lighthouse Witches by C. J. Cooke
- Matrix by Lauren Groff
BOOK OF THE YEAR: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint.
Follow Claire on Instagram, Twitter and her Blog.
********
Clare at The Fallen Librarian Reviews
- The Push by Ashley Audrain
- On Hampstead Heath by Marisa Cobbold
- Trobairitz: The StoryTeller – Ceila Mickenfield
- The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
- Last One at the Party by Bethany Clift
- The Lip by Charlie Carroll
- The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex
- Madame Burova by Ruth Hogan
- The Island Home by Libby Page
- Yours Cheerfully by A. J. Pearce
- The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard
- White Spines by Nicholas Royal
- The Visitors by Caroline Scott
- The Cove by L. J. Ross
- A Woman Made of Snow by Elizabeth Gifford
- Afloat by Diane Couchman
- PAH by Orla Owen
- Girl A by Abigail Dean
- Dear Reader – Cathy Rentzenbrink
- The Girl, The Crow, The Writer & The Fighter – George Patterson
- The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
BOOK OF THE YEAR: Last One at the Party by Bethany Clift.
Follow Clare on Instagram, Twitter and her Blog.
********
Ellie at Elspells
- Panenka by Ronan Hession
- The Smallest Man by Frances Quinn
- Kolollo Hill by Neema Shah
- What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson
- Sybelia Drive by Karin Cecile Davidson
- Boys Don’t Cry by Fiona Scarlett
- Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden
- The Stranding by Kate Sawyer
- Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal
- Havana Year Zero by Karla Suarez translated by Christina MacSweeney
- Catch The Rabbit by Lana Bastasic
- My Broken Language by Quiara Alegria Hudes
- Still Life by Sarah Winman
- Assembly by Natasha Brown
- The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
- Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
- The Good Book by Iain Hood
- Iron Annie by Luke Cassidy
- Line by Niall Bourke
- Somebody Loves You by Mona Arshi
- Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter by Lizzie Pook
BOOK OF THE YEAR: Iron Annie by Luke Cassidy
Follow Ellie on Instagram, Twitter and her Blog.
********
Emma at Emma’s Biblio Treasures
- The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex
- Call Me Mummy by Tina Baker
- The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
- The Asylum by Karen Coles
- Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal
- The Metal Heart by Caroline Lea
- Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
- The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
- The Stranding by Kate Sawyer
- This Is How We Are Human by Louise Beech
- The Tsarina’s Daughter by Ellen Alpsten
- Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bulbitz
- Mrs England by Stacey Halls
- The Beresford by Will Carver
- The Last Library by Freya Sampson
- The Hidden Child by Louise Fein
- The Maid by Nita Prose
- Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
- The Imperfect Art of Caring by Jessica Ryn
- A Girl Made of Air by Nydia Hetherington
- Midnight in Everwood by M. A. Kuzniar
BOOK OF THE YEAR: This Is How We Are Human by Louise Beech
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter
********
Hayley at The Lotus Readers Blog
- The Stranding by Kate Sawyer
- The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex
- The Great Silence by Doug Johnstone
- Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
- Bad Apples by Will Dean
- This Is How We Are Human by Louise Beech
- The Beresford by Will Carver
- The Watchers by A.M. Shine
- The Metal Heart by Caroline Lea
- A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ni Ghriofa
- The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell
- The Spirit Engineer by A. J. West
- The Lighthouse Witches by C. J. Cooke
- The Return by Anita Frank
- Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal
- The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
- Snow and the Works on the Northern Line by Ruth Thomas
- The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
- Cold as Hell by Lilja Sigurdardóttir
- The Unheard by Nicci French
BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Stranding by Kate Sawyer
Follow Hayley on Instagram, Twitter and her Blog.
********
Hayley at Shelf Lyfe
- House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
- Under the Rainbow by Celia Laskey
- Last One at the Party by Bethany Clift
- Botanical Curses and Poisons; The Shadow Lives of Plants – Fez Inkwright
- Spirited by Julie Cohen
- Assembly by Natasha Brown
- The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain
- Small: On Motherhood by Claire Lynch
- The Harpy by Megan Hunter
- Malice by Heather Walter
- The Crossing – Manjeet Mann
- Gold Fury by Keiren Westwood
- The Miseducation of Evie Epworth by Matson Taylor
- The Charmed Wife – Olga Grushin
- 100neHundred – Laura Besley
- The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood
- Together by Luke Adam Hawker
- The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
- Cerebral Palsy: A Story – Ilana Estelle
- The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
- A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts: A Collection of Deliciously Frightening Tales – Ying Chang Compestine
BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Harpy by Megan Hunter
Follow Hayley on Instagram and Twitter.
********
Jackie at Jackie’s Reading Corner
- Kololo Hill by Neema Shah
- No Honour by Awais Khan
- The Art of Death by David Fennell
- Blackstoke by Rob Parker
- The Stonebridge Mysteries(Series, all 5) by Chris McDonald
- Dead Ground by M. W. Craven
- The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
- True Crime Story by Joseph Knox
- Cave Diver by Jake Avila
- The Wolf Mile by C. F. Barrington
- Dangerous Women by Hope Adams
- Cunning Women by Elizabeth Lee
- The Metal Heart by Caroline Lea
- One Ordinary Day at a Time by Sarah J. Harris
- The Stranding by Kate Sawyer
- She’s Mine by A. A . Chaudhuri
- Black Reed by Rod Reynolds
- The Spirit Engineer by A. J. West
- The Man Who Made Them Happy by John Lawrence
- Facets of Death by Michael Stanley
- The Appeal by Janice Hallett
BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Kololo Hill by Neema Shah and No Honour by Awais Khan.
You can follow Jackie on Instagram, Twitter and her Blog
********
Jen at Travels Along My Bookshelf
- Together by Luke Adam Hawker
- Cecily by Annie Garthwaite
- Diamonds At the Lost and Found by Sarah Aspinall
- The Dead of Winter by Nicola Upson
- When They Find Her by Lia Middleton
- Under the Mistletoe by Sue Moorcroft
- The Hollow by Agatha Christie
- The Maid by Nita Prose
- The Last Library by Freya Sampson
- The Law of the Heart by Boris Starling
- Snow Country by Sebastian Faulks
- When I Ran Away by Ilona Bannister
- The Spirit Engineer by A. J. West
- The Prison Healer (series) Lynette Noni
- All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle
- The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain
- The Stranding by Kate Sawyer
- The Miseducation of Evie Epworth by Matson Taylor
- Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd Robinson
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
- Elektra by Jennifer Saint
BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Law of the Heart by Boris Starling, Together by Luke Adam Hawker and War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Follow Jen on Instagram and Twitter
********
Karen at Book Blogging Bureau
- Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- The Appeal by Janice Hallett
- The Smash Up by Ali Benjamin
- The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jonasson
- A Girl Made of Air by Nydia Hetherington
- Lullaby Beach by Stella Duffy
- Leonard and Hungry by Paul Ronan Hession
- The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent
- A Taste of Home by Heidi Swain
- On Hampstead Heath by Marika Cobbold
- The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
- The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean
- A Single Rose by Muriel Barbery
- Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz
- The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
- The Fair Botanist by Sara Sheridan
- Common Ground by Naomi Ishiguro
- Dear Reader by Cathy Retzenbrink
- The Lip by Charlie Carroll
- The Good Neighbours by Nina Allen
- Shiver by Allie Reynolds
BOOK OF THE YEAR: Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Follow Karen on Instagram, Twitter and her Blog.
********
Kate at Rutherford Reads
- Other Parents by Sarah Stovell
- Psychopaths Anonymous by Will Carver
- The Christmas Dress by Courtney Cole
- The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
- Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
- Freckles by Cecelia Ahern
- The Appeal by Janice Hallett
- For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing
- Always in December by Emily Stone
- The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker
- Let That Be A Lesson by Ryan Wilson
- My Best Friend’s Murder by Polly Phillips
- Invite Me In by Emma Curtis
- Worst Idea Ever by Jane Fallon
- Both of You by Adele Parks
- The Miseducation of Evie Epworth by Matson Taylor
- When They Find Her by Lia Middleton
- The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex
- The Promise by Lucy Diamond
- The Downstairs Neighbour by Helen Cooper
- The Pact by Sharon Bolton
BOOK OF THE YEAR: Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
Follow Kate on Instagram, Twitter and her Blog.
********
Kirsty at Kirsty’s Book Buying Addiction
- Someone I Used To Know by Paige Toon
- Before I Saw You by Emily Houghton
- On A Night Like This by Lindsey Kelk
- Walking On Sunshine by Giovanna Fletcher
- The Lock In by Phoebe Luckhurst
- The Telephone Box Library by Rachael Lucas
- The Village Green Bookshop by Rachael Lucas
- A Taste of Home by Heidi Swain
- Underneath the Christmas Tree by Heidi Swain
- And Now You’re Back by Jill Mansell
- The Promise by Lucy Diamond
- The Woman in the Middle by Milly Johnson
- A Cosy Countryside Christmas by Eliza J Scott
- The Merry Christmas Project by Cathy Bramley
- My Kind of Happy by Cathy Bramley
- The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella
- The Best Is Yet To Come by Katy Collins
- The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary
- Until Next Weekend by Rachel Marks
- The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent
- Lost Property by Helen Paris
BOOK OF THE YEAR: Someone I Used To Know by Paige Toon.
Follow Kirsty on Twitter and her Blog
********
Sue at Brown Flopsy’s Book Burrow
- The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor
- Last One at the Party by Bethany Clift
- Rites of Spring – Anders de la Motte
- On Hampstead Heath – Marika Cobbold
- The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt – Sarah Armstrong
- Summer in the City by Fiona Collins
- The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
- The Fair Botanists by Sara Sheridan
- The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
- The Hidden Child by Louise Fein
- The Impossible Truths of Love by Hannah Beckerman
- Kings of a Dead World – Jamie Mollart
- The Girl in the Maze by Cathy Heyward
- The Arctic Curry Club by Dani Redd
- Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- The Bone Shard Emperor by Andrea Stewart
- Blasted Things – Lesley Glaister
- Tsarina/The Tsarina’s Daughter by Ellen Alpsten
- The Lip by Charlie Carroll
- Space Hopper by Helen Fisher
BOOK OF THE YEAR: On Hampstead Heath by Marika Cobbold
Follow Sue on Instagram, Twitter and her Blog.
********
Vikkie at Little Miss Book Lover
- When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins
- I Know What You’ve Done by Dorothy Koomson
- Love and Other Mushy Stuff by Lyndsay Gallagher
- Love at First Sight by Mary Jayne Baker
- All My Lies by Sophie Flynn
- Call Me Mummy by Tina Baker
- The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean
- I Have Something To Tell You by Susan Lewis
- The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting by Evanna Lynch
- The Locksmith by Linda Calvey
- Trust Me by TM Logan
- The Art of Loving You by Amelia Henley
- Worst Idea Ever by Jane Fallon
- Three Weddings and a Proposal by Sheila O’Flanagan
- When They Find Her by Lia Middleton
- Look What You Made Me Do by Nikki Smith
- That Night by Gillian McAllister
- No Honor by Awais Khan
- The Beresford by Will Carver
- Isn’t It Bromantic by Lissa Kay Adams
- Is This It? by Hannah Tovey
BOOK OF THE YEAR: When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins
Follow Vikkie on Instagram, Twitter and her Blog.
********
Zoe at Zoe’s Book Nook
- Still Life by Sarah Winman
- Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
- Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
- You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry
- The Upper World by Femi Fadugba
- Assembly by Natasha Brown
- Lean, Fall, Stand by John McGregor
- Luster by Raven Leilani
- The Haunting Season: Ghostly Tales for Long Winter Nights by Various
- The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
- Fault Lines by Emily Itami
- The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa
- Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar
- Cecily by Annie Garthwaite
- 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard
- Girl, 11 by Amy Suiter Clarke
- Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski
- Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson
- Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain
- Before the Ruins by Victoria Gosling
- It’s Behind You by Kathryn Fox
BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff and Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Follow Zoe on Instagram, Twitter and her Blog.
********
One of my favourite parts of putting together the Squadpod’s lists of favourite books is seeing how diverse they are. And this year that was even more evident. We had a lot of books that appeared on two or three of our lists, but only seven that appeared on four or more lists. One was even on many of our lists last year and very nearly took the title of overall favourite. So, here’s our ultimate Squadpod Recommendations for 2021:
Some debut novels that just narrowly missed this list but were clearly loved by many in the Squadpod were Shiver, The Last Library, The Last House on Needless Street, The Summer Job, The Appeal, When They Find Her, The Lip, Assembly and All My Lies.
********
Squadpod Book of the Year
We had a tie for Book of the Year, with The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot and The Wolf Den both appearing on six of the Squad’s lists.
********
What do you think of our choices? Do you see books you’ve loved this year on our lists? Let me know in the comments. And don’t forget to follow us.
Thanks for reading Bibliophiles! Wishing you all a Happy New Year ☺️Emma xxx
Emma's Biblio Treasures 