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Bestselling books 2021: The most purchased books we covered

This year, Select readers read poetry, picture books and novels by authors like Amanda Gorman and Michelle Obama.
In 2021, Select readers bought books from authors like Amanda Gorman, Michelle Obama and more.
In 2021, Select readers bought books from authors like Amanda Gorman, Michelle Obama and more.Penguin Random House ; MacMillian
By Zoe Malin

Books keep us company at home, at the beach, on vacation and more. They transport us to worlds unlike our own, as well as teach us, inspire us and entertain us. We’ve covered all sorts of books this year, like Amanda Gorman’s recent release “Call Us What We Carry,” which she published after reading her poem “The Hill We Climb” at President Joe Biden’s inauguration. We also rounded up books recommended by Goodreads members, books on climate change, books by Black and Asian American authors and books that cover queer history. And of course, we put together a list of gift ideas for the book lover in your life this holiday season.

If you’re looking to pick up a new book — whether it’s on your e-reader, an audiobook or a paperback — check out the books that Select readers purchased most this year.

1. ‘The Hill We Climb’ by Amanda Gorman

2. ‘Change Sings: A Children's Anthem’ by Amanda Gorman

3. ‘We Begin at the End’ by Chris Whitaker

4. ‘The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race’ by Walter Isaacson

5. ‘Malibu Rising’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid

6. ‘The Four Winds’ by Kristin Hannah

7. ‘Becoming’ by Michelle Obama

8. ‘Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It’ by Ethan Kross

9. ‘Klara and the Sun’ by Kazuo Ishiguro

10. ‘The Plot’ by Jean Hanff Korelitz

11. ‘Great Circle' by Maggie Shipstead

12. ‘The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine’ by Janice P. Nimura

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