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Books I Read in 2021
[Listen to an audio version of this blog here.]
A short, uncomprehensive list of the books I read this year, in no particular order
#1. If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood by Gregg Olsen
This year, I found myself interested in true stories: memoirs, true crime, nonfiction, etc. If You Tell caught my interest because it sounded extreme. A deranged, narcissistic mother, Shelly, continually abuses her three daughters, Nikki, Sami, and Tori. She welcomes friends into her home only to torment and abuse them, too. Shelly is responsible for the death of two of her friends, and If You Tell recounts the horrifying things she made her daughters do and suffer through. While the book was good, it was told from the third person perspective so it felt less personal than a first-person account. Maybe I’m numb to gross tragedy, or maybe the book wasn’t incredibly well written, I’m not sure. Either way, I didn’t love it. Don’t take my work for it though. If You Tell is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon Charts, USA Today, and Washington Post bestseller, as well as a 2021 Audie Award Nominee for Best Nonfiction Audiobook.
