• Craft and Criticism
  • Fiction and Poetry
  • News and Culture
  • Lit Hub Radio
  • Reading Lists

best seller biography books 2021

  • Literary Criticism
  • Craft and Advice
  • In Conversation
  • On Translation
  • Short Story
  • From the Novel
  • Bookstores and Libraries
  • Film and TV
  • Art and Photography
  • Freeman’s
  • The Virtual Book Channel
  • The Lit Hub Podcast
  • The Critic and Her Publics
  • Fiction/Non/Fiction
  • I’m a Writer But
  • Windham-Campbell Prizes Podcast
  • Write-minded
  • First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing
  • Behind the Mic
  • Lit Century
  • Tor Presents: Voyage Into Genre
  • Beyond the Page
  • The Cosmic Library
  • Emergence Magazine
  • The History of Literature
  • The Best of the Decade
  • Best Reviewed Books
  • BookMarks Daily Giveaway
  • The Daily Thrill
  • CrimeReads Daily Giveaway

This Week on the Lit Hub Podcast: Celebrating 20 Years of n+1

Mark krotov and dayna tortorici in conversation with jonny diamond, good ghosts and bad fathers: the story of a haunting, a kidnapping, and an international incident, helen vogelsong-donahue finally escapes her bogeyman, exhuming dracula’s ancestors: what vampires reveal about our latent fears, ed simon explores the history and tradition of unearthing the long-buried past in eastern europe, a glass of water, a burning boy: fady joudah on images from gaza, “is the language of his killers not part of our life is there a death we have not cheapened”, the issues 2024: reproductive rights are truly on the ballot, because every american deserves the right to choose, nick hornby: the older you get, the less time you have for bad books, “reading a bad novel when you are approaching pensionable age is like taking the time left available to you and setting it on fire.”, indie booksellers and lying liars: this week on the lit hub podcast, featuring lefty booksellers, dodgy paperbacks, and some thoughts on fact-checking, the issues 2024: on america’s uniquely deadly gun problem, how do we redress the violent legacy of the second amendment, from torpedo bras to whale tails: a brief history of women’s underwear, nina edwards explores the popular reception of thongs, bras, boy shorts and other intimate items, “america’s literary giant.” on the legacy of edgar allan poe in vietnam, nguyễn bình explores the author’s influence on vietnamese literature, andré aciman on displacement, family and the struggle to find home in the eternal city, “what i felt was the persistent, undefinable numbness that eventually overtakes you and won’t let go.”, james ivory tells his 1940s queer coming-of-age story, looking back on an adolescence spent in sunny southern california, the issues 2024: the high costs of the for-profit american healthcare system, from the opioid crisis to the cost of insulin, what the bottom line has done to our lives, five essential books for understanding native american history, cundill prize finalist kathleen duval recommends david treuer, ned blackhawk, brenda j. child and more, the issues 2024: why the labor movement is so important to americans, the second in our series of in-depth looks at the everyday issues facing americans, “ariadne sends a message,” a poem by margaret atwood, from her new book “paper boat: new and selected poems 1961-2023”, a beastly love: chronicling the transformative experience of motherhood on the page and on the screen, director marielle heller and author rachel yoder discuss their creative collaboration on "nightbitch", from beowulf to foucault: on the literary influences of cormac mccarthy, michael lynn crews investigates the inspiration behind “blood meridian,” “suttree” and other novels, the issues 2024: going deep on the problem of income inequality, introducing the first in a series of in-depth looks at the everyday issues facing americans, “those folks never had their lights turned off.” on the literary importance of highlighting the haves and the have-nots, from barroom chats with raymond carver to the aperçus of thomas piketty, douglas unger explores class consciousness in american letters, on the remarkable legacy of lewis lapham, elias altman remembers his boss' advice on writing, editing, and when a deal's a deal, the literary film & tv you need to stream in october, spooky action (and comedy, and drama) at a distance, which big fall book should you read, (a back-to-school themed flowchart), the ultimate fall 2024 reading list, 78 books the critics think you should read this season, 17 novels you need to read this fall, reading recommendations from the lit hub staff, lit hub’s most anticipated books of 2024, part two, 193 books to read in the second half of the year, here’s your 2024 literary film & tv preview, 53 shows and movies to stream and see this year, lit hub’s most anticipated books of 2024, 230 books we’re looking forward to reading this year, we need your help: support lit hub, become a member, you get editors’ personalized book recs, an ad-free reading experience, and the joan didion tote bag, magical birds, small fortunes, and time loops: november’s best sci-fi and fantasy books.

A Cornucopia of New Books From Carrie Vaughn, Tasha Suri, Haruki Murakami, and More

best seller biography books 2021

5 Book Reviews You Need to Read This Week

“There are, of course, literary pleasures to be had in a sociopathic protagonist.”

best seller biography books 2021

From Ghostly Forests to “Zombie Vomit Mad Libs.” Seven Poetry Books to Read in November

Rebecca Morgan Franks Recommends Albert Abonado, Kimiko Hahn, Duy Đoàn, and More

best seller biography books 2021

Reading Aloud and Together: Ten New Children’s Books To Read Now

Caroline Carlson Highlights New Books for the End of the Year

best seller biography books 2021

AudioFile’s Best Audiobooks of November

The Month to Come in Literary Listening

best seller biography books 2021

Leonard Cassuto on Taking Care of Your Reader

“As Simone Weil put it: ‘Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.’”

best seller biography books 2021

October 31, 2024

fire!!

  • Revisiting Fire!! , the Harlem Renaissance literary magazine
  • Where has Scott Hawkins been since The Library at Mount Char ?
  • Justin Taylor gets lost (and found) in the Bob Dylan archives

to the Lithub Daily

Support lit hub..

best seller biography books 2021

Lit hub Radio

best seller biography books 2021

News, Notes, Talk

best seller biography books 2021

Daily Fiction

best seller biography books 2021

From Masquerade

best seller biography books 2021

Call It Horses

From call it horses.

best seller biography books 2021

Sister Deborah

From sister deborah.

Flag 0

Why Horror Needs Humor

best seller biography books 2021

“It Will Be One of the Most Ghastly Short Stories Ever Written.” When Dylan Thomas Tried to Get Spooky

The literary film & tv you need to stream in november.

From “Say Nothing” to “Interior Chinatown”

The Literary Film & TV You Need to Stream in November

October’s Best Reviewed Fiction

best seller biography books 2021

October’s Best Reviewed Nonfiction

best seller biography books 2021

The Best Reviewed Books of the Month

best seller biography books 2021

The Best Reviewed Books of the Week

best seller biography books 2021

“Elsbeth” Takes it Cues from Cozy Mysteries 

best seller biography books 2021

Paula Hawkins Talks Art, Feminism, and the Evolution of Her Thrillers

  • RSS - Posts

Literary Hub

Created by Grove Atlantic and Electric Literature

Sign Up For Our Newsletters

How to Pitch Lit Hub

Advertisers: Contact Us

Privacy Policy

Support Lit Hub - Become A Member

Book Scrolling

Best Book Lists, Award Aggregation, & Book Data

best seller biography books 2021

The Best Books of 2023 – Science Fiction And Fantasy (A Year-End List Aggregation)

best seller biography books 2021

The Best Books of 2023 – Graphic Novels And Comics (A Year-End List Aggregation)

best seller biography books 2021

The Best Books of 2023 – Science And Nature (A Year-End List Aggregation)

The Best Books of 2023 – Science Fiction And Fantasy (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best Science Fiction And Fantasy books released in 2023?” We looked at 362 of the top Science Fiction And Fantasy books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 45 books, all … Continue Reading

The Best Books of 2023 – Graphic Novels And Comics (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best Graphic Novels And Comics books released in 2023?” We looked at 263 of the top Graphic Novels And Comics books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 24 books, all … Continue Reading

The Best Books of 2023 – Science And Nature (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best Science And Nature books released in 2023?” We looked at 278 of the top Science And Nature books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 26 books, all appearing on … Continue Reading

The Best Books of 2023 – Mystery, Horror, and Thriller (A Year-End List Aggregation)

The Best Books of 2023 – Mystery, Horror, and Thriller (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best Mystery, Horror, and Thriller books released in 2023?” We looked at 709 of the top Mystery, Horror, and Thriller books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 31 books, all … Continue Reading

The Best Books of 2023 – Nonfiction (A Year-End List Aggregation)

The Best Books of 2023 – Nonfiction (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best Nonfiction books released in 2023?” We looked at 428 of the top Nonfiction books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 51 books, all appearing on 3 or more “Best … Continue Reading

The Best Books of 2023 – Fiction & Literature (A Year-End List Aggregation)

The Best Books of 2023 – Fiction & Literature (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best Fiction & Literature books released in 2023?” We looked at 448 of the top Fiction & Literature books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 54 books, all appearing on … Continue Reading

The Best Books of 2023 – Cookbooks (A Year-End List Aggregation)

The Best Books of 2023 – Cookbooks (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best Cookbooks books released in 2023?” We looked at 264 of the top Cookbooks books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The Best Books of 2023 – All Genres (A Year-End List Aggregation)

The Best Books of 2023 – All Genres (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best All Genres of books released in 2023?” We looked at 1262 of the top books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 48 books, all appearing on 5 or more … Continue Reading

The Best Books of 2023 – Audiobooks (A Year-End List Aggregation)

The Best Books of 2023 – Audiobooks (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best Audiobooks books released in 2023?” We looked at 124 of the top Audiobooks books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 15 books, all appearing on 2 or more “Best … Continue Reading

The Best Books of 2023 – Poetry (A Year-End List Aggregation)

The Best Books of 2023 – Poetry (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best Poetry books released in 2023?” We looked at 92 of the top Poetry books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 17 books, all appearing on 2 or more “Best … Continue Reading

The Best Books of 2023 – Art, Photography, And Coffee Table (A Year-End List Aggregation)

The Best Books of 2023 – Art, Photography, And Coffee Table (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best Art, Photography, And Coffee Table books released in 2023?” We looked at 229 of the top Art, Photography, And Coffee Table books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 14 … Continue Reading

The Best Books of 2023 – Young Adult (A Year-End List Aggregation)

The Best Books of 2023 – Young Adult (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best Young Adult books released in 2023?” We looked at 225 of the top Young Adult books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 22 books, all appearing on 3 or … Continue Reading

The Best Books of 2023 – Kids, Children, and Youth (A Year-End List Aggregation)

The Best Books of 2023 – Kids, Children, and Youth (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best Kids, Children, and Youth books released in 2023?” We looked at 639 of the top Kids, Children, and Youth books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 29 books, all … Continue Reading

The Best Books of 2023 – Picture (A Year-End List Aggregation)

The Best Books of 2023 – Picture (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best Picture books released in 2023?” We looked at 235 of the top Picture books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 42 books, all appearing on 2 or more “Best … Continue Reading

The Best Books of 2023 – History (A Year-End List Aggregation)

The Best Books of 2023 – History (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best History books released in 2023?” We looked at 316 of the top History books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 19 books, all appearing on 3 or more “Best … Continue Reading

IMAGES

  1. The Best Biographies: the 2021 NBCC Shortlist

    best seller biography books 2021

  2. The Best Reviewed Books of 2021: Memoir and Biography

    best seller biography books 2021

  3. » The Best Books of 2021: BiographiesThe Booktopian

    best seller biography books 2021

  4. The 21 Best Biography Books of All Time

    best seller biography books 2021

  5. The 40 Best Biographies You May Not Have Read Yet in 2021

    best seller biography books 2021

  6. The Best Biography Book on Amazon 2021

    best seller biography books 2021

VIDEO

  1. The 12 Best Biographies Everyone Should Read

  2. Best Biography Books Which Will Change Your Life 🔥📚 || Must-Read Biographies

  3. Best Biography Books For Beginners That Can Change Your Life

  4. are the 10 most popular books of 2021 worth your time?

  5. Best Biography Books to Read

  6. Top 10 Autobiographies You Must Read

COMMENTS

  1. The Best Reviewed Memoirs and Biographies of 2021

    The Best Reviewed Memoirs and Biographies of 2021 Featuring Tom Stoppard, Michelle Zauner, Mike Nichols, D. H. Lawrence, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and more By Book Marks

  2. The Best Biography And Memoir Books of 2021 (A Year …

    The top 39 books, all appearing on 2 or more “Best Biography and Memoir” book lists, are ranked below by how many times they appear. The remaining 125+ titles, as well as the sources we used, are in alphabetical order …

  3. The Best Biographies: the 2021 NBCC Shortlist

    The best biographies—as shortlisted by the National Book Critics Circle in 2021, discussed by author and critic Elizabeth Taylor.

  4. New Biography

    The best new biographies, as selected by the Five Books editors: award-winning, critically acclaimed or otherwise significant life stories to read now.

  5. The Best Memoirs: The 2021 NBCC Autobiography …

    From fleeing the Liberian civil war to selling pot brownies in San Francisco, the finalists for the 2021 National Book Critics Circle award for the best autobiography offer five vivid life stories, told expertly.

  6. Best Biographies of 2021

    The Kirkus Star. One of the most coveted designations in the book industry, the Kirkus Star marks books of exceptional merit. The Kirkus Prize. The Kirkus Prize is among the …

  7. LIST: Our 10 Best Biographies of 2021

    LIST: Our 10 Best Biographies of 2021. 1. Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age by Debby Applegate (Doubleday) There were other madams in …

  8. The Best Books of 2021: Biographies

    The Best Books of 2021: Biographies. by Booktopia | December 2, 2021 Share: The recurring themes in 2021’s biographies were undeniably love, connection, vulnerability, and resilience. …

  9. The Best Books of 2021: Biography

    The Best Books of 2021: Biography. Posted on 3rd November 2021 by Mark Skinner. Whether it's drifting through postwar Britain in the urbane company of Gyles Brandreth, navigating the …