While it’s challenging (and subjective) to place one person’s creative output above another, these six titles stood out among the others as the year’s best reads.

Hopefully after reading this month’s book selection, those kinks will possibly start feeling less shameful… and who knows, maybe you’ll be inspired to try something new.

This is a last ditch 2021 effort to make progress on, and feel better about, hoarding so many unread books; get into it.

Mighty Real 2021 featured award-winning authors Robert Jones, Jr., Porsha Olayiwola, Sampson McCormick, Brontez Purnell, Randy James, and Morgan Rogers.