A new year means new goals, new intentions, and, for me, new books. These are all the books I will, hopefully, read in 2021. They all happen to be best-selling books and mostly thrillers.
My plan for the new year is to read 12 books or one book a month. I already own 7 of these books and already started reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.
If you want to see reviews and see which books I read each month, then follow me on my Instagram @imerikamarie. I will share which book I read at the beginning of the month, in case you want to read along with me. When I’m finished, I will post a spoiler-free review on my stories!
These happen to all be thriller, mystery, and murder books so if you want something a little different to read then check out these books instead.
Okay, here are 12 best-selling books to read in 2021!
Big Magic
ELIZABETH GILBERT
Elizabeth Gilbert, a well-known author, shares what it means to be creative and shares her own process of creativity. She talks about inspiration, embracing curiosity, and not be fearful of what we love to do most. She’ll guide you on what habits and attitudes it takes to live your most creative life. A self-improvement book for all you creatives out there!
The Guest List
LUCY FOLEY
The perfect couple, the perfect wedding, and the perfect murder? As a couple and their guests celebrate on an island off the coast of Ireland, a body shows up and the suspects are the people on the guest list.
Before She Knew Him
PETER SWANSON
A woman and her husband settle down in Boston, Massachusetts where life is normal and she’s on her meds. She then finds an item in her neighbor’s house that was connected to an unsolved murder years before. Is her neighbor a killer or is she having another psychotic episode?
The Wife Between Us
GREER HENDRICKS & SARAH PEKKANEN
“When you read this book, you will make many assumptions. You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife. You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love. You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle. Assume nothing.”
Verity
COLLEEN HOOVER
A struggling writer, Lowen, gets the job of a lifetime that she couldn’t turn down. She has to finish a series of books for Jeremy’s wife, Verity, who is injured. When she starts looking through Verity’s notes, Lowen finds a manuscript with dark secrets about what happened to their daughter. Lowen keeps it from Jeremy at first, but if she shares his wife’s darkest secret maybe he’ll start falling for her.
The Silent Patient
ALEX MICHAELIDES
“Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.”
You Are Not Alone
GREER HENDRICKS & SARAH PEKKANEN
Shay Miller thinks her life is a drag. She hates her job, she’s lonely, and she wants to find love but everything seems out of reach. Until she meets Cassandra and Jane, the Moore sisters. They live a glamorous life and Shay would literally die to be a part of their circle.
My Lovely Wife
SAMANTHA DOWNING
“Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams, and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored. We look like a normal couple. We’re your neighbors, the parents of your kid’s friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with. We all have secrets to keeping a marriage alive. Ours just happens to be getting away with murder.”
Mexican Gothic
SILVIA MORENO-GARCIA
Noemí Taboada receives a frantic letter from her cousin to be saved from her troubled situation, so Noemí goes to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. Noemí is a glamorous girl who’s never done anything but. She soon finds out her family has dark secrets and the house is filled with violence and mystery of the family’s wealth.
It Ends With Us
COLLEEN HOOVER
Lily built a perfect life for herself and it only gets better when she meets Ryle Kincaid, a hot neurosurgeon. Lily instantly falls for him, but Ryle is hesitant about relationships except when it comes to her. Lily sets out to find out why Ryle doesn’t like dating all while her last love, Atlas, reappears in her life. Lily’s perfect life with Ryle is now threatened by the past she thought she left behind.
The Perfect Marriage
JENEVA ROSE
Sarah Morgan is a successful defense attorney who is on top of her game. The same can’t be said for her husband who is a struggling writer. Her husband decides he’s bored with Sarah so he has an affair with a woman. The next day, the mistress ends up dead. His only hope to get him out clean is the one he cheated on, his wife.
Home Before Dark
RILEY SAGER
“In the latest thriller from New York Times bestseller Riley Sager, a woman returns to the house-made famous by her father’s bestselling horror memoir. Is the place really haunted by evil forces, as her father claimed? Or are there more earthbound—and dangerous—secrets hidden within its walls?”
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Want more options? Check out 10 more books to read here.
Until next time,
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These sound good! I usually read self-care books but this year, I want to read more fictional books. Thanks for sharing.
self-care and thrillers are definitely my favorite genres to read!
-erika
Great list, been meaning to read my lovely wife for months
It sounds like such a good read!
-erika
Big magic is so freaking good – completely changed the way I thought about creativity! i will have to check out the rest of your recommendations! ALways love seeing your posts x
I’m almost done reading it but oh my gosh it’s sooo good! Definitely one of my new faves. Thank you so much for always reading!?
-erika
To someone who love reading as I do,this is quiet the treasure I’m looking at
these are all wonderful suggestions. Big magic is my all-time favourite. this book literally changed my life!
I can’t wait to read the silent patient. Sounds intriguing!
I’m almost done reading it but I know it’s going to be my top fave self-help books! I heard The Silent Patient is really good and I can’t wait to start it too!
-erika
I love a post about books. I really enjoy reading. I have actually been wanting to read the gues list! I am on a site called book a month and they have a lot of these books. My lovely wife book and You’re not alone both sound interesting! Thank you for your recommendations!
I think I am going to read The Guest List next but I heard it’s really good and I kind of want to save the best for last but also really want to read it LOL. Super excited to read those two books too!
-erika
I have recently been tryiNg to get back READING and all of these suggestions sound Amazing.
The perfect marriage sounds so intense and right up my alley! Thanks for sharing these great books!
Awesome list! I’ve recently started Big Magic, and it’s been so insipational. Can’t wait to check out more books from this post 😀
Sounds like a great list!