I had planned to read only 25 books in 2021 because it seemed a lot to me, and I had never read more than 20 books in a year. But when I started reading, I fell more in love with books and ended up reading 45. This may not be a large number for many experienced readers, but it’s really great for me.
So, in this post, I will share the list of all the books I read in 2021. It includes fiction novels, self-help books, biographies, short stories, etc. Go through this, and I am sure you will find some great books to add to your reading list.
Books I Read in 2021
1. The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni– It’s a mythological fiction that will retell the story of Mahabharata from the perspective of Draupadi. It’s extremely gripping and emotional.
2. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe– Illustrated classic fiction that will tell you the story of Robinson Crusoe, a sea adventurer who got washed up on a deserted island when he met a sea storm. If you like traveling and sea adventure, you would love it.
3. God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy– Winner of the 1997 booker prize, God of Small Things is the story of two-egg twins, Estha and Rahel, belonging to a Christian family in Kerala. Politics, love, and social discrimination are the book’s primary focus. The story is highly depressing.
4. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka– A classic novella that will tell you the story of Gregor, a traveling salesman who magically transformed into a large insect-like creature. The story is all about his struggles and how he becomes a burden to his family. It’s also a depressing story.
5. Questions are the Answers by Allan Pease– A self-help book for network marketers and salespeople.
6. You Can Sell by Shiv Khera– Self-help and motivational book for learning the art of sales.
7. Before You Start-Up by Pankaj Goyal– A self-help book for aspiring entrepreneurs. The book will tell you how difficult it is to start a company, what type of challenges you will face, and how to prepare for those challenges before you jump off the cliff.
8. The Martian by Andy Weir– A science fiction novel that will tell you the story of Mark Watney, an astronaut stranded on Mars. The book is all about how he survives the challenges on the planet. It’s adventurous, humorous, and thrilling.
9. Deep Work by Cal Newport– A Self-help book for increasing focus and productivity.
10. Death: An Inside Story by Sadhguru– Self-help book that will make you aware of death.
11. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie– An excellent crime fiction featuring Hercule Poirot, a famous fictional detective, who solves the mystery of a murder on a train.
12. You are a Badass by Jen Sincero– Self-help book that will teach you how to love yourself, be confident, and improve your life.
13. Alice’s Adventures in the Wonderland by Lewis Carroll– A classic fantasy novel that tells the story of Alice, who fell down a rabbit hole to find a mysterious world inside.
14. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert– A self-help book for those who want to be artists or live a creative life.
15. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga– Winner of 2008 Booker prize, this Indian fiction tells the story of Balram Halwai, who is a servant, philosopher, murderer, and entrepreneur. The book is humorous and focuses on corruption, poverty, and oppression in modern India.
16. Animal Farm by Geoge Orwell– It is a classic novella that contains the story of some farm animals suffering from their owner’s oppression. The story is humorous, and on a deeper level, it’s a political satire on corrupted rulers.
17. As a Man Thinketh by James Allen– A Classic self-help book based on the power of thoughts.
18. Alibaba: The House that Jack Ma Built by Duncan Clark– This book is about the Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba that will tell you how Jack Ma created it.
19. How to Develop Self-Confidence and Influence People by Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie– Classic Self-help book that provides excellent tips and examples for learning public speaking.
20. Without Fear: The Life and Trial of Bhagat Singh by Kuldip Nayar– It is a biography of brave Indian Freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.
21. Why I am an Atheist, and Other Works by Bhagat Singh– It is a collection of articles and letters written by Bhagat Singh when he was in jail.
22. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown– A self-help book that will teach you how to utilize the power of vulnerability, embrace imperfections, fight shame, and be brave.
23. Poonachi: The Story of Black Goat by Perumal Murugan– The story of this book revolves around a goat named Poonachi. It is set in southern India and will tell you what cruelties Poonachi and other goats had to face in their lifespan. It’s a political novel that focuses on poverty, famine, and oppression.
24. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami– A romantic novel that contains the story of Toru Watanabe, a Japanese boy who will tell you about his college and love life. The story is funny as well as nostalgic and heartbreaking.
25. 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris– A self-help book that will teach you a new way of living, which is interesting, effective but needs the courage to embrace it. It will help you be more productive and have more time and freedom to do what you love.
26. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles– Self-help book on finding the purpose of life and living a physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially healthy life. The book is somewhat overrated but excellent for beginner readers.
27. 400 Days by Chetan Bhagat– A romance and mystery story of Keshav Rajpurohit, who helps Alia Arora, a mother and ex-model, find her missing daughter. The story is suspenseful and humorous.
28. Wisdom From Ramayana on Life and Relationships by Chaitanya Charan– A self-help and spiritual book that shares 19 stories from Ramayana and life lessons from them.
29. Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy– A self-help book that contains 21 ways to stop procrastinating and be more productive.
30. Roads to Mussoorie by Ruskin Bond– It is a collection of short stories and incidents that took place in the life of Ruskin Bond. His stories show that you don’t need money, power, or fame to live an interesting life. All you need is to embrace who you are and make the best of what you got.
31. The Richest Man in Babylon by Geroge S. Clason– A classic self-help book for learning the basics of personal finance.
Sherlock Holmes Novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle– These are four novels featuring the renowned fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Few of the finest detective stories with complex criminal cases, these books are full of mystery, suspense, and thrill. According to me, the best out of these four is The Hound of the Baskervilles.
32. A Study in Scarlet
33. The Sign of the Four|
34. The Hound of the Baskervilles
35. The Valley of Fear
36. Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday– An enlightening Self-help book that will teach how to defeat this dangerous enemy- ego. The book will make you humble and failure resilient.
37. You are the Best Wife by Ajay K Pandey– Romantic, heartbreaking, true story of the Author that focuses on love and death. The story is very painful.
38. Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley– A self-help book to improve your writing skills.
39. The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale– A classic self-help book based on the law of attraction that will teach you how to utilize the power of thinking.
40. Birthday Girl by Haruki Murakami– It’s a short and strange story with an open ending.
41. Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn– Self-help book for learning meditation, being in the moment, having inner peace, letting go, etc.
42. The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Vikrant Khanna– A suspenseful romance mystery. Not for experienced readers; read it only if you are a beginner.
43. Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne– A classic science-fiction novel that will tell you the story of professor Liedenbrock, his nephew, and a guide going to the center of the earth to find a mysterious world. It’s full of adventure, science, and mystery.
44. Unf*ck Yourself by Gary John Bishop– A motivational self-help book that will inspire you to solve your problems and work for your goals.
Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan– This series is a set of five fantasy adventure novels based on Greek Myths. It will tell you the story of Percy Jackson and his friends who go on dangerous adventures in every book to save their friends, or their camp, or the world. The books are packed with action and adventure, and the story is very fast-paced and humorous.
45. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
46. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters
47. Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse
48. Percy Jackson and the Battle of Labyrinth
49. Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian
Conclusion
That’s the list of all the books I read in 2021. I hope it helped you find some good books to add to your reading list. You made it to the conclusion; you seem to be an avid reader. Now, I admit some of these books are popular and very common, so you might have read at least a few of these. So, let me know in the comments which of the above books you have already read. Also, you can subscribe to my Youtube channel, where I mostly talk about books. Thanks for reading.