Quizzes

Which Book Should You Read First in 2021?

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Rachel Brittain

Contributing Editor

Rachel is a writer from Arkansas, most at home surrounded by forests and animals much like a Disney Princess. She spends most of her time writing stories and playing around in imaginary worlds. You can follow her writing at rachelbrittain.com. Twitter and Instagram: @rachelsbrittain

I think it’s safe to say most of us are ready to wave goodbye to 2020 in our rearview mirror. It’s been a ride and that’s about all you can say for it. Regardless of whether quarantine had you reading more books than ever or you had the reading slump of all reading slumps (for me, a bit of both TBH), it’s time to start thinking about your goals for reading in the new year. Maybe you want to read more this coming year, maybe you just want to find some joy in reading again. Either way, deciding which book you should read first in 2021 is your first step in kicking off the New Year with a bookish bang.

The first book of the year is kind of like a first day of school outfit—it can set the tone for things to come. My first read of 2020 was A Princess in Theory. An introduction to the prowess of Alyssa Cole with a smart and sexy romance was definitely a good way to go. And it opened up a whole series of Reluctant Royals for me to read throughout the year, as well as all her other books. Personally, I’m usually looking for something I think will be a 5-star read to start off the year. Something about starting off a year of reading with an excellent book just gets things off to the right start. But finding that book? There’s the trick.

But that’s where we come in! Sure, you could peruse some great lists of YA paperbacks coming out this winter or check out Book Riot’s most anticipated books of 2021 (and you should), but isn’t a quiz just a little more fun? Just answer some questions about your bookish (and non-bookish) hopes and goals for the New Year, and I’ll handpick your first read of 2021. That simple! With fantasy, science fiction, romance, YA, and lit fic options, you can’t go wrong. And, hey, if you don’t like your results, just refresh the page and try again. Your perfect book is out there, waiting just for you.

So what are you waiting for? Forget all about 2020 and dive on it! A whole new year of reading is just around the corner.


Now that you know which book you should read first in 2021, you might want to consider setting some reading goals for the New Year. Check out our 2021 Read Harder challenge to start strategizing. Kick off 2021 in high bookish fashion!