One thing our Sparks have in common is a shared love for reading.
These are just a few of our favorite books of the year, as chosen by our team members.

The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina
This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. Inspired by the real story of the wind phone in Japan where people who are grieving can come and speak to their lost loved ones, the novel follows Yui (who lost her mother and daughter in the tsunami of 2011) as she makes the trip to the wind phone to try and deal with her grief. Once there, she cannot bring herself to speak into the phone but she meets Takeshi, who lost his wife and  who brings his daughter there to try and get her to speak again after the loss of her mother. These characters find each other in all their grief and it’s a magical and beautiful story of honoring that grief and of healing.

He Gets That From Me by Jacqueline Friedland
This book could have been ripped from the headlines and creates such great conversation around what it means to be a family today. It covers so many things – nature versus nurture, biology, parenthood and the messiness and craziness of modern life, parenting and technology. I could not stop turning the pages of this equally suspenseful and emotional drama.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
This book is an epic family saga set during the first half of the 20^th century during the Japanese occupation of Korea. It’s complex, heartbreaking, and enlightening and I definitely got lost (in a good way) in the beautiful detailed writing, from the description of homemade candies and kimchi to the steady character development and family bonds.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
This book follows the life of a young woman Elsa through the Great Depression and Dust Bowl era, and the move from Texas to California to seek a better future for her family. This is the third book I’ve read of Hannah’s (The Great Alone, The Nightingale) and all three imprinted themselves in my memory.

Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP by Mirin Fader
Fader’s account of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s rise from poverty in Athens, Greece to becoming one of the most notable players in NBA history is my all-time favorite sports book. Giannis’ story is nothing short of incedible and this book does an excellent job recounting his turbulaent journey. Fader’s writing is fantastic and so descriptive. She was able to pull this book together during the pandemic and conducted around 200 interviews over the phone, many of which were with people on the other side of the world.

These Toxic Things by Rachel Howzell Hall
This is my favorite Rachel Howzell Hall book yet. She has crafted such a unique and well-paced thriller; it kept me at the edge of my seat the entire time. I also think this is one of my favorite covers of 2021; it was perfect for spooky season!

Final Table by Dan Schorr
Final Table was a great read that deals with real-world, contemporary scenarios and crimes and was very well-written and thought out with a different story line than any other books I have read in a few years. I very much enjoyed it! Bravo to this first-time author.

The Ghost Marriage by Kirsten Mickelwait
This memoir was written like a novel and really had me flipping through the pages to track the marriage and divorce of Kirsten Mickelwait. She handled so much with grace and the signs from the afterlife were surreal and made me question a lot of things that I don’t normally believe in. Highly recommend.

Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey
This deeply layered book gave me all the feels. It had me crying, laughing, and smiling until the last page. And the twists throughout kept me on my toes.

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
Book 5 in the A Court of Thornes and Roses Series, A Court of Silver Flames was a binge-read. I don’t normally read books above 700 pages, so the fact that Sarah J. Maas constantly has me doing that says something…

Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley
Kara Sullivan is an expert on all things love… or at least fictional love. Between being a bestselling romance novelist and running her bookstagram, she has very little time to find the love she writes about. But when she crosses paths with her old college flame at her best friend’s wedding, she might just find everything she’s been looking for –– along with some inspiration for her next book!

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Lily Hu isn’t quite sure when she began to feel this way about girls, but what she does know is that 1950s Chinatown is not the time or place to bring her feelings out into the open; especially not with the Red Scare running rampant and her father just a step away from deportation. But the minute she catches sight of the Telegraph Club’s neon glow with Kathleen Miller standing underneath, the impossible doesn’t seem so scary anymore.

Animal by Lisa Taddeo
Taddeo’s character was bitter and hateful of men, which usually would rub me the wrong way and feel melodramatic. But the flashbacks of the character’s traumatic past slipped in at just the right moments explained her self-sexualization, her hate, and her power – how she lost it to men and how she takes it back.

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
Our narrator (who is never named, and I love that) finds herself more and more dog-like in a metaphoric story of motherhood and womanhood. What set this book apart for me is how her relationship with herself, her family, and the world feels more authentic and raw after she allows herself to be feral.

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that somehow I was utterly convinced, until right after I finished it, that this gorgeous book about a female aviatrix during World War II was based on a true story (spoiler alert: Marian Graves is a fictional character). The historical detail was second to none, a dual contemporary timeline helped propel the story forward, and the characters were beautifully developed and impossible to forget.

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova
This magical mystery about the Montoya family unwinds across dual timelines as well. A fresh, gorgeously written fantasy set mostly in Ecuador that I couldn’t stop listening to once I started (I highly recommend the audiobook!) and couldn’t stop thinking about once I finished.

Don’t Let It Get You Down: Essays on Race, Gender, and the Body by Savala Nolan
Savala Nolan’s collection of essays truly moved me this year. They were filled with hilarious and anxiety inducing anecdotes that also put important conversations about biracial and class identities in the forefront.

My Year Of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
#BookTok got me with this one! My Year of Rest and Relaxation was full of questionable characters that constantly had me laughing and feeling oddly seen.

The Other Merlin by Robyn Schneider
A spin on Arthurian lore, if Prince Arthur loved books more than battles, and only pulled the sword from the stone as a dare while he was drunk. The story follows main character Emry Merlin, who is casually bisexual and amazing, masquerading as her twin brother to take over as court jester. Full of adventure and fun, I am already itching to reread this one and so impatient for the next book!

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
My favorite series continues with the third and final book, following the youngest sister Eve! I listened to this one on audiobook, and it provided lots of laughs and the perfect amount of spice. Seeing representation of neurodiverse characters is so refreshing, in such a normal and real way.

See No Stranger by Valarie Kaur
In this gorgeous book, one-part memoir and one-part manifesto, Valarie Kaur makes a case for seeing our commonalities versus our differences, for leading with love rather than suspicion of the “other,” for seeing what’s beautiful in others. It’s an inspiring book that touched me profoundly in the midst of the current divisions that are fracturing our country.

Lead by Ellen Snee
I was moved by Ellen’s book about women and leadership. Ellen is the kind of author for whom She Writes Press exists—an expert in her field, passionate about her life’s work, a consummate champion of women. Ellen has written a book steeped in experience and compassion that has found its readers because she knew it would. She’s a gentle warrior and a wise mentor, and Lead supported me this year to consider my own role as a leader, and how we, as women, show up as leaders.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
I picked up this book while I was on vacation because I loved McQuiston’s last book, and One Last Stop didn’t disappoint. It’s cute, it’s sapphic, and it has a paranormal/sci-fi/time travel element—what more could you ask for?

Dovetails in Tall Grass by Samantha Specks
I love historical fiction that focuses on parts of history that weren’t covered in school. This story, rich in historical detail and told with empathy, takes place leading up to the execution of 38 Dakota men, after they raided for food after promised shipments were denied.

The Long-Lost Jules by Jane Elizabeth Hughes
Full of adventure, espionage, and captivating history, this story’s twisting plot kept me on my toes and entrapped me in a romance you can’t help but root for. I couldn’t put it down.

You’ll Never Find Us by Jeanne Baker Guy
Jeanne’s story puts you in the middle of the worst nightmare of a mother when her children are stolen from her. Through legal mazes and constant misleads, her determination and strength to find and reclaim her kids creates an inspiring memoir that has stayed with me.

Faker by Sarah Smith
Absolutely LOVED this novel and the dynamic between these enemy coworkers turned lovers – I couldn’t put it down! This book had me walking around like the heart eye emoji.

shine your icy crown by amanda lovelace
Another amazing poetry collection by Lovelace! It is feminine, empowering,  and it erases the expectation for women to have a king in order to become a queen.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Definitely the most impactful book I read this year. It offers a new perspective on the struggles of immigrating and everything that comes with that; good and bad.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s a spiritual self help book and it’s helped me be more in tune in the present moment. This book offers so much more than that too, really worth the read!!

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