Currently Reading Podcast: Season 8, Episode 21

"A Look Back – Our Top 10 Reads of 2021"

Hosts: Meredith Monday Schwartz & Kaytee Cobb
Date: December 29, 2025

Episode Overview

In this special look-back episode, Meredith and Kaytee revisit their top 10 reads of 2021. Rather than sharing only books published in 2021, they focus on the best books they read that year, regardless of release date — meaning plenty of accessible, backlist titles. This honest, spoiler-free conversation is rich with personal insights, bookish superlatives, reflections on reading habits, and the agony and joy of narrowing down favorites. The show's hallmark humor, warmth, and practical recommendations shine throughout.

Key Themes & Structure

• Personal Reflection: Looking back at how reading tastes and life have influenced their favorite books.
• Process Transparency: Both hosts discuss their methodology for whittling down the year’s contenders.
• Accessible Recommendations: Focus on books that are widely available and not just the buzziest new releases.
• Gentle Disagreement & Variety: Lists are unique, giving listeners a broad range of genres and styles.
• Special Segments ("Superlatives"): They intersperse their top 10 countdown with memorable extras, like their most surprising reads and their lowest-rated books.

Detailed Breakdown

Setting the Scene & How They Select Books

(00:11–09:53)

• Annual Tradition: Each year between Christmas and New Year's, they revisit past top 10 lists.
• Selection Process:
  • Kaytee: "Just a simple Text note on my phone... The very first thing I did was kind of an intuitive gut check.” (04:52)
  • Meredith: “Of those 120 [books], I had 19 that I had rated as a five star book. So that's where I started.” (05:53)
• Philosophy: The lists are “very personal,” highlighting books that lingered or surprised, not just crowd-pleasers.
• Reading Stats:
  • Kaytee: Reads nearly 300 books per year. "That's slightly less than I hit last year, which was a goal of mine for 2021.” (10:07)
  • Meredith: 120 books in 2021, up 3% from previous year. (10:02)
• Genre Reflection: Meredith, despite feeling she’d read less mystery/thriller, found nearly half her books in that category. (15:12)
• Memorable Quote:

  "Every one of them in one way, shape or form was a surprise to me. And that is really the theme of my reading for this year."—Meredith (07:41)

The Top 10 Reads of 2021 (with Timestamps)

#10 Picks

• Kaytee: Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (12:19)

  “This is a YA fantasy gem with Arthurian legend...”

• Meredith: A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus (15:13)

  “It’s a book about books. It’s got a great library, it’s got a great librarian, it’s got siblings that you just so badly want things to go well for.”

#9 Picks

• Kaytee: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (18:32)

  "Bookish friend Candace coined 'romance plus'... it also tackles women in academia in a really revealing and sensitive way."

• Meredith: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas (21:09)

  “I love this world. I love these characters, like, with my whole heart.”

#8 Picks

• Kaytee: The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede (23:36)

  “If you…are feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world... pick this one up and have your faith in humanity restored tenfold.”

• Meredith: Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May (24:56)

  “I felt like this book was speaking to the very center of me... her writing is very beautiful... this book just stuck with me.”

#7 Picks

• Kaytee: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (28:51)

  “This book takes you on a truly wonderful journey... We get to learn about the human capacity for resilience and fortitude and friendship in difficult times.”

• Meredith: State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny (31:30)

  “This book is excellent... a really great book about two middle-aged women who are best friends and they are just kicking every booty possible.”

First Intermission: Lowest-Rated Books of the Year (34:24–38:32)

• Kaytee: Roar by Cecilia Ahern; The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard

  “Every chapter I had bigger and bigger problems...”

• Meredith: Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay; Survive the Night by Riley Sager

  "A deal breaker for me in a book is when the lead character is just dumber than dirt..."

#6 Picks

• Kaytee: Love Lives Here by Amanda Jete Knox (38:32)

  “This memoir reminded me…that letting love be the guiding principle…will cover all manner of sins.”

• Meredith: Pony by R.J. Palacio (40:28)

  “This book absolutely stole my heart. It's an incredibly propulsive…really, really plot driven...so completely enraptured…”

#5 Picks

• Kaytee: The Guncle by Steven Rowley (42:56)

  “I love everything about it…This story is found family and loneliness and connection...”

• Meredith: The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino (44:26)

  “This book is so smart...the entire time I was trying to figure out the resolution and I did not have it.”

#4 Picks

• Kaytee: Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston (47:41)

  “This is the magical school middle grade fantasy we've all been craving without any of the problematic author in the background.”

• Meredith: The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard (49:14)

  “This book is absolute crime fiction perfection…it is just so meta...as he is realizing that she's closer and closer to finding out who he is…”

Second Intermission: Most Surprising Reads (53:05–58:42)

• Kaytee: The Black Count by Tom Reiss

  “I went into it like a teenager that has been asked to clean the bathroom...and guess what? It was absolutely delightful.”

• Meredith: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

  “It's not a fantasy novel. It's a murder mystery. It's a freaking straight up murder mystery and nobody bothered to tell us..."

#3 Picks

• Kaytee: How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith (59:32)

  “He takes us on a physical road trip type journey, while also allowing us into his very personal thoughts and feelings… precision to his language that cannot be denied.”

• Meredith: We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker (61:28)

  “This book is about a town and it is about these characters...Duchess T Radley…is probably my most unforgettable character of all the books I read in the entire year.”

#2 Picks

• Kaytee: Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby (64:40)

  “Unforgettable, violent, life changing, horrifying, incredible...if you can handle it, even with a little bit of skimming, then I hope you will give it a chance.”

• Meredith: Matrix by Lauren Groff (66:34)

  “You live a lifetime within these pages…Lauren Groff's writing is just razor sharp...unearthed so many things to me about what it is to be a woman, to be a woman in leadership, leading other women…”

#1 Picks

• Kaytee: All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle (71:07)

  “Hubert as a human is flawed and doesn't always make the best decisions. But he's also real. And the people that come into and leave his life are as fully drawn as he is. This story is found family and loneliness and connection and marriage and parenthood and loss and grief. And it will move even the hardest of hearts.”

• Meredith: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (73:46)

  “This is a book about a character you just have to love...everyone says this book is character driven and slow and quiet, and it's just not...I cried when it was over. Not because it ends in a sad way, but because I was so sad it was over.”

Host Reflections & Notable Quotes

• How the Lists Age:

  "All 10 of my 2021 favorites are still favorites of mine...the top five, I probably recommend each of those five books once a month to somebody." — Meredith (79:07)
  "I think it tells us so much about who we are as a reader, and it gives us that little snapshot that we see can change year by year..." — Kaytee (78:35)

• Superlative Segments:

  “A two star book… it doesn't have to be amazing and perfect for you to have a lot to unpack.” — Kaytee (34:59)

• On Taking Stock:

  “If you can make your top 10 list of the year, I think it's important because… it's really illuminating.” — Meredith (78:35)

• On Reading Surprises:

  "If you hadn't been taking stock on a yearly basis, maybe you wouldn't have been surprised this year because you wouldn't have known any different." — Kaytee (78:56)

Notable Moments & Tone

• Humor & Rapport: Running jokes about “leaving their husbands for their book boyfriends,” real-time list tweaking (Meredith swapping her #9 YA fantasy pick), and bants about round reading numbers.
• Emotional Honesty: Both tear up and openly discuss moments that moved them, on and off-air.
• Community Love: Consistent credit to “bookish friends” for recommendations and ongoing buddy-reads; reflections on how the podcast and its community have shaped their reading.
• Encouraging, Accessible, Warm: The tone throughout is inviting, transparent, and enthusiastic — powered by a love of books and connecting with other readers.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:11 – Mini-introductions, overview of yearly tradition
• 12:19 – Top 10 countdown begins
• 34:24 – Superlative: Lowest-rated books
• 38:32 – Countdown continues
• 53:05 – Superlative: Most Surprising Read
• 59:32 – Top 3 countdown
• 79:07 – Reflections on how the lists age

Conclusion

Meredith and Kaytee’s look back at 2021’s best reads is both a personal and communal celebration of the reading life. With a blend of nostalgia, sincerity, and characteristic wit, the hosts not only recommend an array of excellent (mostly backlist) books across genres, but also model thoughtful reflection on the evolution of one’s reading habits and taste. Whether you’re looking to add to your TBR, reassess your own reading, or simply enjoy two passionate readers trading favorites, this episode delivers.

For complete book lists, links, and further discussion, visit Currently Reading Podcast.