My 10 Must-Buy Books of 2021

Plus the body products I adore, including smoothing serum that actually works.

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Since I was a kid, books have always been my thing. I love reading, and I read for at least an hour before bed most nights. (I even did this when I was a drunk sorority girl. That’s how dedicated I am!) But then, in 2017, something wild happened to me. After a lifetime of reading religiously, I simply had no appetite for books. For some reason—like extreme sleep deprivation, perhaps?—I couldn’t read a novel from the time my oldest was born until this summer. Short stories were fine, but something about keeping a whole plot together was simply beyond me.

Until it wasn’t.

For reasons I don’t fully understand, I caught the bug again after a friend posted Stephanie Danler’s new book, Stray, on her Instagram. I loved Danler’s first book, Sweetbitter, and something unlocked in me when I realized the author had written a second book. I had a bad case of book FOMO, so I immediately bought it, read it in a few days, and then something just shifted. Stray led to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising, which in turn led to a streak of three other TJR books, and the next thing I knew I’d ripped through most of Reese’s Book Club and was soliciting recommendations off of Instagram.

So yeah, I went from reading very little to reading constantly, and I’m happy to share some of my favorite reads from 2021. I hope you enjoy!

Oh wait, one more quick thing. These books are all available in a variety of places, and if you decide to get any of my picks, I hope you buy from your favorite independent bookstore. Obviously, these books are available in other places, places that might be faster or easier, and I get it, but just wanted to explain why the links in this newsletter go where they go!

BOOKS!

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

I cannot recommend this one enough. On one level, it’s a quirky second-chance love story, but it also covers a lot of difficult territory—mental health, addiction, invisible disabilities, family complications—in a thoughtful, but never sensationalized, way. It’s also quite sexy and funny and full of joy. One of the best books I’ve read in ages. And if you don’t trust me, consider the fact that it’s an instant New York Times best seller and a Reese’s Book Club pick.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Set in 1940s England at the infamous Bletchley Park—the estate, which is about an hour outside of London, where Allied codebreakers worked during World War II—The Rose Code follows three very different women as they work their top-secret jobs and become unlikely friends. The book is complicated, bleak, heartbreaking, funny, richly written, romantic, and unsparing, and it really stayed with me.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

This is a wonderful mystery novel (about a novel mystery!) that is wholly suspenseful but won’t freak you out so much you can’t sleep. Spoiler alert (sort of): It’s about a writer who steals an incredible plot from another writer and the unraveling that ensues. When I posted about it, half the folks who’d read it guessed the outcome ahead of time, but I was not one of them. I enjoyed it because I like stories that feature inside baseball about the publishing industry. Also, as someone who understands the pressure of a book deadline, I loved so many of the details about the pain of writing. I realize I just made this book sound more boring than it is. Trust me when I say it’s an entertaining, fast read.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

The movie Sliding Doors is a low-key obsession of mine, and I have a hunch that adoration is linked to my fondness for second-chance stories, whether they are about love (like Seven Days in June) or just life, in general. The concept of getting to try on a different life—or lives—is central to this gentle, thoughtful novel with a sleepy, old-fashioned vibe. It starts off dark, but don’t let that deter you.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

This was another book that gripped my brain so tightly I ended up making a fake lunch meeting for myself just so I could read for an hour in the middle of the day. The story is centered on a pair of identical twins from a small Black community in Louisiana, whose relationship fractures when one sister leaves her life behind to secretly pass as white. The novel covers generations of this family, and while absolutely heartbreaking at times, it’s also insanely engrossing and a total page-turner.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

This book made me feel like I was trying to hold on to a speeding train for dear life. From the jump, you will be consumed by this wildly gripping plot, and I lost time in my life because I was so focused on reading this as quickly as possible. I don’t even want to tell you a single detail; just buy it now. It’s suspenseful, but not scary, and brilliant to the last word. Unsurprisingly, this is another Reese book.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Full disclosure: Of all of TJR’s books, I love Daisy Jones and The Six most, but this one is a close second. (Don’t fuss; I liked Malibu Rising, too, but that one’s number three on the list.) There are flaws in this story, no doubt, but the central love story is epic. Glamorous, complicated, and nuanced, this is a dreamy book on so many levels.

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Okay, so this is the second book I read by Emily Henry and definitely my favorite. If you’re looking for banter, snark, surprising depth, second chances, slow-burn romance, with a very small side of cults, this book’s for you. Definitely more than a beach read, it’s so good that the second I was done, I went online to see what else Henry’s written and preordered her next book, which sadly isn’t coming out until next year.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

I didn’t know how much I needed a queer rom-com involving British royalty and a scion of an American political dynasty until I bought this book, but honestly, I think I’ve been waiting for this genre for years. Tyler McCall, Fashionista.com’s brilliant EIC, raved about it on IG, and I like her taste, so I picked it up, and it’s just so, so, so charming. If you loved The Royal We as much as I did, I think you’ll adore this one too.

Stray by Stephanie Danler

The book that started it up again. This is not a breezy read. I cried multiple times, I took breaks because it was so tough in certain parts, and then when it was over, I was heartbroken because I wanted to stay in Danler’s world just a little bit longer.

And with that, my 2021 book list comes to a close. As I mentioned earlier, I’m always looking for new books, so if you have any suggestions, please, please, please leave them in the comments below. (Note: Books involving child abuse in any form are a hard no for me, so if you’re planning on asking me about my thoughts on Paper Palace, I regret to inform you that I did not get through it and have no plans of returning to it. I’m sure it’s great, but it’s not for me!)

QUICK CHAT

You ask questions, and I answer, kind of like a non-disappearing AMA!

Do you have any favorite body products? Like lotions or firming creams?

I am always looking for new body products and have found a few that work well for me. For overall daily lotion, I like Cetaphil’s Restoraderm Skin Restoring Body Moisturizer, which I learned about from my friend Eva Chen, who heard about it from Dr. Amy Wechsler. It is technically for eczema but works well for me. I also love Nécessaire’s The Body Lotion, which is clean and fragrance-free and was my go-to for my pregnancies. (I still love it; it’s just pricey for how much I go through.) I’m also newly loving Osea’s Body Oil, which came in the Streicher Sisters’ Fall Beauty Box and is truly wonderful and amazing. It dries really quickly and doesn’t get on your clothes. In terms of treatment, I get KP (as in keratosis pilaris) on the back of my arms and have been using Ren Clean Skincare’s AHA Smart Renewal Body Serum on the suggestion of my friend Shani Darden. It’s really incredible at smoothing your skin.

As always, thank you for being here, and thank you for sticking around. If you have any questions or concerns, or want me to touch on any topics in particular, I’m all ears. Leave a comment on Hi Everyone’s Bulletin or DM me on Instagram—I’m @hillarykerr—my inbox is always open!

xxHillary