my BEST BOOKS of 2021: top 10 out of 103! 

I also believe John Green shines in nonfiction. "The Anthropocene Reviewed" was one of my best books of 2021 as well. It made me laugh it made me cry it was just amazing ❤

I cried so much over Under the Whispering Door, but I am a strong believer in ‘you cry over a book that tells you what you need to hear’… so Crying H Mart was what you needed, babe!

you make me feel so safe, your channel is literally my safe space ❤ thank you so much

I love love love that you subtly changed the background music for each book you talked about! Your videos are like little puzzle boxes of joy! Thank you for all the work you put into them - they come across as so effortless

I absolutely love the little touch of you changing the music behind you speaking about each book! It’s so cool that you crafted your video to give these books so much personality. Totally should keep doing that! Awesome video!

the hair! the sweater! the glasses! immaculate ally!

I read I Who Have Never Known Men on your recommendation and was blown away. I wouldn’t have picked it up myself but I’m so glad you did because it was such a unique book.

excuse me, princess hair is on point again.

I started watching your channel in 2021 and I read most books ever in one year. I'm usually not a reader but I'm glad to pick up on reading and your channel motivates me to read. One book I'm eyeing is Lonely Castle in the Mirror since you released your video. I plan to read it this year soon! Thank you and keep up with the amazing work. :D

Your hair, your necklace and your earrings *chef’s kiss*

Absolutely no one was surprised by the top 2! I cryed like a baby on Lonely Castle and been wanting to read crying in h mart but I might drown the book with tears 🤣🤣🤣🤣 also, all the hype for Ocean Vuong is deserved! I'm looking forward for his next book witch comes out around May I think. Awesome video, as always 😻

crying in h mart has gone straight on my tbr! i think i will continue to refer back to this video for more recommendation from you because there were definitely more books i want to consider reading!

"On earth we're briefly Gorgeous" and "I who have never known Men" are already on my bookshelf waiting for me. Right now I'm listening to "Will" NARRATED by the Fresh Prince himself, Will Smith. I love everything about it. Highly recommend if you were born in the late 80's, love hip-hop and saw Independence Day in an old sticky movie theater.

A lot of the books of this list are already on my TBR from your vlogs, but its so fun hearing you so excited about books! Hopefully 2022 brings you a lot of more good reads!

I literally picked up crying in H mart this afternoon as an audiobook narrated by Michelle herself. I’m gonna cry on my daily walks, I can assure you of that.

crying in h mart and lonely castle were also favorites of mine! so grateful to you for sharing lonely castle, it was the sweetest story. the Anthropocene reviewed is one of my next reads for sure!

Just found your channel and because of this video, a ton of new books to my TBR. You made each of these sound so delightful. Can't wait to watch more of your videos.

I got back into reading this past year after a multiyear disinterest/slump and have found some of the most wonderful books! Very happy to have them in my life. The Raven Cycle series, The Song of Achilles, and Call Me By Your Name are the ones that most stand out to me in my mind. Your recommendations are so intriguing, and I'm fully debating running to the library this week for Lonely Castle in the Mirror. Your videos are delightful! Happy reading and stay cozy, from a fellow Nerdfighter 😊

Everything is going to be on my tbr list....ahhh... i'm rooting for u Ally... u r my main character from a magical story ♥️

I who have never known man has been my favorite for the past four years!!! love it!

The sound of a wild snail eating is absolutely splendid 🤭

I'm super interested in "I who have never known men" from yours and Kirsty's videos! A monster calls is definitely a favourite, and I have On earth we're briefly gorgeous sitting on my shelf, I hope to read it soon! All of the books you mentioned sound amazing, in any case! One of my favourites this year that I feel like you might like was Snapdragon, a really cute graphic novel about a girl befriending her local witch... it's just a nice time, it's become one of my comfort books haha

"and after finishing it, i honestly felt homesick because I wanted to go back to this place where i felt loved and understood and nourished." This captures Watch Over Me so well. Months later, and I still miss the safety and warmth of it

this is my first time on your channel, and it was refreshing to see different books than the oft-repeated ones on other channels i have watched! i hadn't heard of a few of these before, and i added my dark vanessa and watch over me to my tbr! thank you for this video~

Recommendation for 2022: Natasha Pulley's Books. "The Watchmaker of Filigree Street" or "The Kingdoms" (love her light magic touch) ✨ Thanks for recommending A Monster Calls--it became one of my favourites for 2021!

I have had On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous on my TBR For a while now and I’m even more excited to read it after watching your video :)

absolutely everything about you and your channel, i love. you’re just the cutest mushroom fairy 🧚🏼✨

i just finished lonely castle in the mirror today and i cried so much ! i personally predicted the ending, but that actually made it love it more ! i was so happy that the pieces of the puzzle that i spotted earlier came together. such an important heartfelt book that very carefully portrays teenage anxiety and friendship. it handles everything so well, i think all ages can enjoy this book ! so beautiful. i definitely see myself reading this book again. side note, this is actually the first time i’ve watched your channel, but we seem to have similar tastes so i’m looking forward to reading your recommendations ! my favorite book of 2021 is either Tokyo Ueno Station, or Human Acts by han kang. they’re both much darker in tone compared to LCITM lol, but i loved reading them !

this is obviously just always part of your vid-making style and ummm the point of your reviews, but i love your ability to summarise a book in a few snappy sentences! you can always convince me to read anything u hype up 😎 i've been sitting on my copy of lonely castle in the mirror for a few months now because i wanted to carve out a time to really appreciate and absorb it thank u so much for existing btw, your vids make my week every week! 🐌🌿💚

half of your top ten has now made it onto my tbr! I feel like the way that you've explained these makes them really seem like they fit my reading interests, and that's a wonderful quote from Anthropocene Reviewed I cannot believe that was a random dog tag!

nah that review of i who have never known men was beautiful omg

this warmed me up like a big hug 💖 I cannot wait till I’ve read this entire list!!

Ahh loved the video! Also your hair is so pretty!

I love your energy 💛 it’s so calming and bubbly. You just make me want to read so much.

This video just makes me excited to read more books because there is nothing more admirable than people enthusiastically talking about their favorite books. Just added a bunch of books to my tbr and picked the John Green book as my botm add on :^)

I read: My dark Vanessa and Watch over Me because of you. And yes, they are now both on my favorite shelf! :) thank you! You have inspired me to read more!

i was expectantly waiting for this video and i can confidently say that it did not disappoint. i'll definitely be reading lonely castle in the mirror this year!!

Alexandra suggested your channel, and am soooo happy she did

You always make such lovely and comforting videos and I just wanted to say a huge thank you for that! I really adore this little corner on the internet that you have created

it's always a happy sunday when there's a new ally video 💕☀️

Lonely Castle in the Mirror is next on my TBR since you have raved so highly about it, I can't wait to start it!!

I just want to say, im so glad you still make videos. you are nostalgic for me and I love the person you've grown into ❤ much love from Ohio

Wasn't interested in The Anthropocene Reviewed until you read that QUOTE DAMN

I have had that snail book for 10 years but I never picked it up. I definitely will read it this year now that I've heard your review. Also I hate audiobooks because I hate how other people read out loud but A Monster Calls is SO GOOD - it's read by the guy who plays Draco's father and he does an amazing job.

the anthropocene reviewed, lonely castle in the mirror, and on earth we’re briefly gorgeous all also made it to my favorites of the year! i started crying in h mart but was not in the right headspace for it so hopefully i can get to it soon along with i who have never known men and how do you live ✨

You make me wanna read every book you talk about!! I always look forward for your videos! :)

The Anthropocene Reviewed is one of my favorite pieces of media, in podcast AND book form!

i just discovered your channel and memoirs arent my thing, but after hearing your excitement for crying in h mart, ill give it a chance!

Aahhh, I've only read Lonely castle in the mirror(5 star 🥰) and I cant wait to read the rest!!! 💞💞 Edit: my fav books are The haunting of Hill House, We have always lived in the castle (both are by Shirley Jackson), Bunny (Mona Awad), The price of salt (Patricia Highsmit), The Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern), Her body and other parties (C.M. Machado), Pew 😏, and the Slade house (David Mitchell)

Hopeful New Year, Ally! ~ Watching this video, I was struck again by the magic of finding a reading "twin" nearly 40 years my junior, who lives in ... Belgium?! ... and who reminds me of a combination of my two daughters (my only children). I have often thought of your mom, because I know how I would feel about not getting to hug my girls for that long. (Yes, they will always be my girls, if I live to be 100.) I can only *imagine* how "Crying in H-mart" must have hit for you. Because of you, I have either read or at least own every book on this list. Because of you, my older daughter received "Crying in H-mart" for the holidays, and my younger daughter received "They Never Learn." Because of you, I cried at the very start of watching this list because I was reminded that I have *finally* found someone I "know," who sees the intense beauty that is "The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating." (Sidenote: the background music for that segment only made me cry harder.). And finally: Because of you, I keep "Lonely Castle in the Mirror" on my nightstand, literally *and* figuratively close to my heart. Thank you for being such a positive influence in my life and for using your platform in such a loving, creative way. I don't have to wonder: I *know* your mom is crazy-proud of you. ❤

definitely put a few on my tbr and back on my tbr (: thank you!

Damn you , now i have to read all of these books , whyyyy , i always read your recommendations since my tast in books is very similar to yours , thanks for existing and doing what you do, this year I've read alot of beautiful books that I would never have found on my own , keep up the amazing work , i hope you have a great year , much love from jordan❤️

The Anthropocene Reviewed was hands down my #1 book of the year. I listened to the audio and it wrecked me. Googling people!! That chapter left me unwell!

I haven't read Watch Over Me but the premise reminded me a bit of All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater which I highly recommend! In it, you follow three cousins whose family performs miracles to manifest people's darkness. The pilgrims stay with the family until they can perform a second miracle to remove the darkness from themselves. There's a shy girl who can only repeat what other people say, twins corded together by a snake, a preacher witch a coyote for a head, a DJ whose struggle with fame led to the miracle of becoming a giant, a woman ashamed for abandoning her family and husband at the altar which has lead to her miracle of constant above her while butterflies cling to her wedding dress unable to move, among many others. It reads almost like a folktale and is a beautifully constructed story about facing our own darkness and finding connection.

I love how passionate you are about these books. Some of them are on my list 😉

Ahhhh your channels growing so fast🥰it feels like yesterday you had 11k😭

I put all of those on my reading list except from "A Monster Calls" because I own and read that already! Thank's for the video! I'm excited to see if I share your opinions on these reads :D

i read lonely castle on a crosscountry bus trip and booooyyyy did i publicly cry. i even kept on reading with my phone lights on when it was getting dark cause i didnt want to put it down before it was finished. and then i had this feeling of sadness what i always had as a kid when a story was finished and i realized that i had to go back to my own world.

loved the outfit (and the recs!!!) in this one

I finished 'i who have never known men' yesterday and i really liked it! i also liked that it was so ambiguous, but i am so intrigued!!! the world is so fascinating Also i started 'lonely castle in the mirror' today hehe

Great video! Have defs added a lot of these to my TBR! What was that book from a while back on Pain that John recommended on Dear Hank and John? I know you mentioned it at some point but haven't been able to find the video for the name of it, or the episode it was mentioned on! thank you :))

omg ally i legitimately tried kimchi days after finishing crying in h mart because of the imagery

that channel name got me for minute lol…so many great books!!!

ally i got my copy of lonely castle in the mirror FINALLY from the UK and I am shaking with excitment

house of the cerulean sea was the first book i read this year and was the coziest book. I wanna read lonely castle next because friendship! and magic!

everytime anyone reminds me of the first chapter of Crying In H Mart i start crying ( my eyes are sweating as i type this )

I loved the “Anthropocene Reviewed” and have also been a nerd fighter for many many years. The only reason that it didn’t get 5 stars from me was that multiple chapters were just repeats from the podcast of the same name, which I had been listening to since its inception. On the plus side, the review that was by far the most impactful to me was “Kauaʻi ʻōʻō” and it is accessible for free in most podcast networks! I cried just describing it to my Mom. Even if you aren’t interested in the book as a whole, it is definitely worth a listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, etc.

My TBR is now bigger by 10 books

Favorites of 2021 The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating and The Thursday Murder Club ( surprising amount of philosophy)

Wow this is the best surprise! Thank you for making videos :)

A new video already AND two Bo Burnham refs within the first minute?! Heck yes!

Where The Crawdads Sing made me cry! Such a good book. Just finished the Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** and I started Mark Mansons other book Everything is F***ed!

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is literally everything to me. ❤️I want to get a tattoo of a quote from this book

The Anthropocene Reviewed was definitely one of my favourite books - possibly THE favourite - of last year as well ❤ Also that Harry Potter music in the outro always punches me right in the heart with nostalgia. Where do you find the old HP and Sims music?

Just to suggest a very unique book that made me laugh and smile a lot, Little Weirds by Jenny Slate !! It was such a different read. I wish I could explain it better but it’s something you have to experience for yourself

Did i...miss the name change? :P And Yesss nerdfighteria :) Adding Crying in H mart and We who have never known men to by (growing somewhat out of control) tbr.

My dark Vanessa was one of my top book of the year too. But my number one was A monster calls , it broke me to pieces

it was a dangerous move watching this right before i go to barnes & noble send help. (also hi ally u r a joy, happy new year)

Was Watch Over Me a reread? I'm almost positive you read it in 2020 because I read it at the end of 2020 per you talking about it. Also I'm interested in what tattoo you'd get to represent I Who Have Never Known Men. I feel like there's so much symbolism.

And most importantly you have a cute black cat, sold me...

How did you like All the light we cannot see? I found this little gem in a small used bookstore while traveling new zealand and I remember the madame selling it to me so full of anticipation. It was my little travel companion that made me wonder and cry and I just love this book so much💛

John Green’s book will stay with me for a while. And then I’ll reread it.😊

I’m a bit late to the video 😂 but my favorite book of 2021 was the first book I read in 2021 and NOTHING topped it “The Pacifist” by John Boyne And to be honest, the timing of reading it during a pandemic while in my 20s, I- just read it

*sighs*……i need to read Lonely Castle in the Mirror don’t i??? i want to feel the MAGIC

how do you find the books you read??

I'm in the US and it looks like I can't get Lonely Castle in the Mirror until summer 😭

Did I buy all of these books because of you? Yes, yes I did.

My Dark Vanessa left me staring at a wall for 30 minutes and reevaluating my entire life

sims 1 music throwback

I spy with my little eye… A CROCODILE DENTIST 🐊

Came for the book content. Stayed for the book content and nostalgic game music

is crying at h mart number 1? I haven't finished the video yet

❤️❤️❤️