Top Picks
Staff-Created List

The Reading List: Best Adult Genre Fiction from 2021

Here are the best 2021 books published in eight genres - Adrenaline, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Relationship Fiction (formerly Women's Fiction), Romance, and Science Fiction - as selected by the 14 librarians of the American Library Association's Reading List Council. (Created January 2022).

40 items

Razorblade Tears
Cosby, S. A.
Adrenaline - Winner
Book, 2021New York, NY : Flatiron Books, 2021. — FIC COSBY 2021
A Master of Djinn
Clark, P. Djèlí
Fantasy - Winner
Book, 2021New York : Tordotcom/Tom Doherty Associates, 2021. — SCI-FIC CLARK 2021
The Sweetness of Water
Harris, Nathan
Historical Fiction - Winner
Book, 2021New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2021. — FIC HARRIS 2021
Nothing but Blackened Teeth
Khaw, Cassandra
Horror - Winner
Book, 2021New York : Nightfire, Tom Doherty Associates Book, 2021. — FIC KHAW 2021
Arsenic and Adobo
Manansala, Mia P.
Mystery - Winner
Book, 2021New York : Berkley Prime Crime, 2021. — MYSTERY MANANSALA 2021
The Guncle
a Novel
Rowley, Steven, 1971-
Relationship Fiction - Winner
Book, 2021New York : G. P. Putnam's Sons, [2021] — FIC ROWLEY 2021
One Last Stop
McQuiston, Casey
Romance - Winner
Book, 2021New York : St. Martin's Griffin, 2021. — FIC MCQUISTON 2021
A Psalm for the Wild-built
Chambers, Becky
Science Fiction - Winner
Book, 2021New York : Tordotcom, a Tom Doherty Associates Book, 2021. — SCI-FIC CHAMBER 2021
Bullet Train
a Novel
Isaka, Kōtarō, 1971-
Adrenaline - short list
Book, 2021New York : The Overlook Press, 2021. — FIC ISAKA 2021
Never Saw Me Coming
Kurian, Vera
Adrenaline - short list
Book, 2021Toronto, Ontario : Park Row Books, [2021] — FIC KURIAN 2021
The Push
a Novel
Audrain, Ashley, 1982-
Adrenaline - short list
Book, 2021[New York, New York] : Pamela Dorman Books / Viking, [2021] — FIC AUDRAIN 2021
Red Widow
a Novel
Katsu, Alma
Adrenaline - short list
Book, 2021New York : G. P. Putnam's Sons, [2021] — FIC KATSU 2021
Black Water Sister
Cho, Zen
Fantasy - short list
Book, 2021New York : Ace, 2021. — SCI-FIC CHO 2021
The Blacktongue Thief
Buehlman, Christopher
Fantasy - short list
Book, 2021New York : TOR, a Tom Doherty Associates Book, 2021. — SCI-FIC BUEHLMAN 2021
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain
Vo, Nghi
Fantasy - short list
Book, 2020New York : Tom Doherty Associates, 2020. — SCI-FIC VO 2020
The Witch's Heart
Gornichec, Genevieve
Fantasy - short list
Book, 2021New York : Ace, [2021] — FIC GORNICHEC 2021
Daughters of Sparta
Heywood, Claire
Historical Fiction - short list
Book, 2021[New York] : Dutton, [2021] — FIC HEYWOOD 2021
Leonora in the Morning Light
Carter, Michaela, 1967-
Historical Fiction - short list
Book, 2021New York : Avid Reader Press, 2021. — FIC CARTER 2021
The Rose Code
a Novel
Quinn, Kate
Historical Fiction - short list
Book, 2021New York, NY : William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2021] — FIC QUINN 2021
A Tip for the Hangman
a Novel
Epstein, Allison
Historical Fiction - short list
Book, 2021New York : Doubleday, [2021] — FIC EPSTEIN 2021

You've viewed 20 of 40 items