Our 21 Favorite Books of 2021
Newsweek|December 31, 2021
Luckily, 2021 provided a plethora of intriguing options to pique any interest from thrillers on this planet and in space to a Dustbowl family saga,
By Juliana Pignantaro
Our 21 Favorite Books of 2021

THE YEAR STARTED OFF WITH THE PROMISE OF VACCINES, THE WORLD REOPENING AND socializing in person once again, but the resurgence of COVID-19 with Delta, and now Omicron, variants makes the comfort of losing yourself in the pages of a book all the more appealing. Luckily, 2021 provided a plethora of intriguing options to pique any interest from thrillers on this planet and in space to a Dustbowl family saga, or from the real-life promise of artificial intelligence to the heartbreak wrought by addiction and gun violence. Here are Newsweek's picks for the best books of 2021, fiction and non-fiction treasures that helped us get through another challenging year. - Juliana Pignantaro

Fiction

The Four Winds

By Kristin Hannah | ST. MARTIN’S

PRESS $28.99

Hannah’s brutally beautiful latest novel unfolds in 1930s Texas, where the Martinelli family must choose between the blighted dust of the land they love dearly, or face the unknown country to the west.

Project Hail Mary

By Andy Weir | BALLANTINE

BOOKS $28.99

From the author of The Martian and Artemis comes another interstellar story, in which the sole survivor of a mission has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Weir spins a space yarn in a way only he can. Fans of his earlier works won’t be disappointed.

Bath Haus

By P.J. Vernon | DOUBLEDAY | $26.95

This story is from the December 31, 2021 edition of Newsweek.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the December 31, 2021 edition of Newsweek.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM NEWSWEEKView All
Wendi McLendon-Covey
Newsweek US

Wendi McLendon-Covey

AFTER 10 YEARS OF PLAYING BEVERLY GOLDBERG ON THE GOLDBERGS, Wendi McLendon-Covey was not eager for a break. \"I need to go do a job where I can just throw everything at it and then come home totally exhausted.\"

time-read
1 min  |
November 22, 2024
'I'm the Highest Earner in Esports'
Newsweek US

'I'm the Highest Earner in Esports'

Johan \"NOtail\" Sundstein has won over $7 million but says, \"I don't really crave that status.... I play for my own reasons\"

time-read
6 mins  |
November 22, 2024
AMERICA'S BEST Weight Loss CLINICS & CENTERS 2025
Newsweek US

AMERICA'S BEST Weight Loss CLINICS & CENTERS 2025

WHETHER IT'S FOR MEAL PLANS, PROFESSIONAL guidance or access to medications like GLP-1s, weight loss clinics can offer personalized assistance for those hoping to make sustainable lifestyle changes.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 22, 2024
AMERICA'S MOST ANTICIPATED NEW VEHICAL 2025
Newsweek US

AMERICA'S MOST ANTICIPATED NEW VEHICAL 2025

WHETHER IT'S A NEWLY IMAGined sport utility vehicle or the re-emergence of a highly regarded halo car, the vehicles coming to market in 2025 prove that Americans' attitudes about personal transportation are diverse and are being served from all angles.

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 22, 2024
'THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE'
Newsweek US

'THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE'

What Donald Trump's historic U.S. presidential election victory means to America - and the world

time-read
8 mins  |
November 22, 2024
Trump Won, Mainstream Media Lost
Newsweek US

Trump Won, Mainstream Media Lost

A broken business model exacerbated by a collapse in influence has the Fourth Estate entering another Donald Trump term in trouble

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 22, 2024
Can Alternative Therapies Treat Cancer?
Newsweek US

Can Alternative Therapies Treat Cancer?

Doctor and breast cancer survivor Liz O'Riordan addresses misinformation around managing the disease

time-read
5 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Falling for Romance
Newsweek US

Falling for Romance

A new book, Nora Ephron at the Movies, celebrates the writer/director best known for her iconic rom-coms and strong female characters

time-read
5 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Cracking the Norse Code
Newsweek US

Cracking the Norse Code

Walrus DNA has shown that Vikings were likely the first to have encountered Indigenous North Americans

time-read
4 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Monumental Shift
Newsweek US

Monumental Shift

The discovery of 165-million-year-old crystals Easter Island has upended the longheld notion of how the Earth's \"conveyor belt\" moves

time-read
6 mins  |
November 15, 2024