I made this list based on all the books I read in 2016 that I gave 5 stars. I had a lot this year! You can check out my top books from 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
New Releases
Girl Against the Universe
by Paula Stokes
Why I liked it:
I found this story so relatable. This girl struggles with anxiety and goes to a therapist to help overcome it. It reflected my positive experience with therapy. It’s an empowering story about taking back your life and finding your own happiness.
Worlds of Ink and Shadow
by Lena Coakley
Why I liked it:
I loved how unique this story was as well. It’s about the Bronte sisters and their brother. They can actually travel to the imaginary worlds they created together but everything goes wrong when their stories start to take a life of their own. It was gothic and suspenseful and full of surprisingly accurate facts and history of the Bronte family.
Bloodline
by Claudia Gray
Why I liked it:
I am loving the new Star Wars novels that fill in the gaps between the movies. The stories are excellent and they tie in so well the prequels, the originals, and the new movies. This story shows Han and Leia happily married which makes me happy on the one hand but on the other hand raises a lot of questions about what could possibly have happened between this book and Episode VII. The politics felt so relevant to what is happening right now. The way Leia reacted to the politics was a stunning example of what to do about it and inspired me to be involved in politics in a meaningful way. Leia also has to deal with accepting her past and who her father was. I better stop raving or I’ll spoil it :)
Backlist
The Hiding Place
by Corrie Ten Boom
Why I liked it:
We read a lot of WWII books for book club this year, but I felt like this one was a little different. It was a story about hope and faith and gratitude. I found it very inspiring that this woman could find things like gratitude in the worst of circumstances.
Dracula
by Bram Stoker
Why I liked it:
I had so much fun reading this suspenseful classic. Even though this story feels tired from all the many movie adaptions and references, none of them come close to being exactly like the story which made it refreshing to read. I was glued to the pages. I was even a little shocked by turns in the story which made me wonder what in the world people thought when it came out.
Illuminae
by Amie Kaufman
Why I liked it:
I love how unique this book is. It’s told in emails, chats, and images. It had epic plot twists, zombies, and an insane artificial intelligence. The romance was unique too. It starts off with a teen couple that has just broken up. I couldn’t put it down and it made me cry at the end.
Harry Potter Page to Screen
by Bob McCabe
Why I liked it:
It was like reliving all the magic of the movies. There’s tons of illustrations, behind the scenes stuff and photos. The narrative talked about casting, the cultural influences of the movies and quotes from the actors. It’s a big, hefty book but I thought it was worth reading.
Steelheart
by Brandon Sanderson
Why I liked it:
Just when I thought there couldn’t be any more twists in the superhero genre, Brandon Sanderson came out with this. I described it to people as “All the superheroes are bad guys and the regular humans have to fight them.” I was addicted to the underdog trying to fight the superhuman with wit and knowledge.
The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
Why I liked it:
This story is about what it’s like to be a woman during war. The author says on her website that “In war, women’s stories are all too often forgotten or overlooked.” I had never thought about how true that really was until I read this book. You’ll love the writing in this book. It’s beautiful.
The Martian
by Andy Weir
Why I liked it:
Sarcasm + Education = The Martian. I highlighted half the book with funny quotes I liked. His voice in the writing is what makes this book worth reading no matter how many times you’ve seen the movie.
The Chronicles of Downton Abbey
by Jessica Fellowes
Why I liked it:
I should have read this when it was published after season 2. It was jarring to read about characters that weren’t there anymore. Still, I liked the focus on characters and more information about their backgrounds that we haven’t gotten to see on the show. It goes beyond character biographies and talks about what everyone’s daily life would have been like from the ladies maid to the duchess. I learned a lot. I loved the pictures of historic objects that the characters would have used. It’s full of gorgeous screenshots and beautiful photos. Awesome book.
Short Stories
All Creatures Great and Small (Star Wars eBook)
by Landry Q Walker.
Why I liked it:
There’s a whole series of ebooks in the Journey to the Force Awakens but this was my favorite. It’s a darling tall tale with adorable characters.
Goodnight Darth Vader & Vader’s Little Princess
by Jeffrey Brown
Why I liked it:
These cute comics are funny to read to kids or just by yourself. Some of the inside jokes went over my kid’s heads but I sure enjoyed them. My kids really liked the illustrations.
The Polar Express & How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Some Christmas classics that I read to my kids this year.
My name is Jessica. I love to read Young Adult and classic literature. I’ve been a book blogger for six years and I haven’t gotten tired of it yet. I’m a very curious reader. Writing about all the questions and thoughts I had while reading a book is the best hobby ever.
Girl Against the Universe looks great. I hadn’t heard about it. Thanks! I need to read Illuminae but at this point I think I’ll wait till all the books are out to get started. I hear they have quite the cliffhanger endings. I also think I’ll try Steelheart even though I hate Brandon Sanderson’s books.
Thanks for adding more books to my TBR. :) I’m excited to read Girl Against the Universe and Steelheart now!
I haven’t read a lot of those. I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about Illuminae, and I need to read it! Fun list!
I loved THE NIGHTINGALE when I read it. The Bronte book sounds really good. I hadn’t heard of it before, but now it’s on my Goodreads TBR list :) Thanks for the rec!
I loved Girl Against the Universe too. I also really, really liked Worlds of Ink and Shadow, and I don’t feel like it gets a lot of attention, so it’s exciting that it made your list.