THE YEAR STARTED OFF WITH THE PROMISE OF VACCINES, THE WORLD REOPENING AND socializing in person once again, but the resurgence of COVID-19 with Delta, and now Omicron, variants makes the comfort of losing yourself in the pages of a book all the more appealing. Luckily, 2021 provided a plethora of intriguing options to pique any interest— from thrillers on this planet and in space to a Dustbowl family saga, or from the real-life promise of artificial intelligence to the heartbreak wrought by addiction and gun violence. Here are Newsweek’s picks for the best books of 2021, fiction and non-fiction treasures that helped us get through another challenging year.