This past year has been rough in a lot of ways, but the book industry has been a light in the darkness. Books have continued to serve as entertainment and a way to escape reality for a little while. With an increased focus on diversity and #OwnVoices stories, publishing is working to break down barriers and share incredibly important stories with the world.
Without further ado, here are our favorite books of 2016.
Gabrielle Bondi’s Top 10 Books of 2016
I may have spent the bulk of 2016 ignoring my ever-growing To Be Read pile in favor for comics and graphic novels, a medium I’m fairly new to and I found that I’m quite intrigued by. However, I still read a number of novels, although nowhere close to how many I have read in the past. Maas continues to be a tour-de-force in the Young Adult literature world with her series of novels. This year, I was completely enamored by her follow-up to A Court of Thorns and Roses. Ruta Sepetys and Amber Smith both delivered powerful but very different stories of young women navigating through unimaginable hardships. J.K. Rowling took us back to the Wizarding World, and it was just as magical as we could have hoped.
- A Court of Mist & Fury by Sarah J. Maas
- Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
- The Way I Used To Be by Amber Smith
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne
- Saga, Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
- The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
- Ms. Marvel, Vol. 5 Super Famous by G. Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa, Adrian Alphona, Nico Leon
- You Know Me Well by David Levithan & Nina LaCour
- The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid
- Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins
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To be honest, it’s been a fairly terrible year for me, filled with book slumps and many a dissatisfying read – I had a run of truly bland YA fantasies earlier in 2016! I also found myself reading a lot more outside of the YA genre this year to compensate, as evidenced by my list. But despite my bad bookish year, there were a couple of gems that really stood out for me. I thought Truthwitch was well worth the hype, and The Sidekicks was probably my absolutely favourite of the year – brilliantly heartbreaking and witty.
- Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
- The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis
- The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
- Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
- A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
- Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
- This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
- A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
- Kings Rising by CS Pacat
- Difference Class – Joanne Harris
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I’ve managed to read over 70 books this year, so picking my top 10 is really challenging. Ultimately, my list seems to have a little bit of everything. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys was the first book I read in 2016 and the heartbreaking story of hope, struggle, and survival has stuck with me long past the last page. Meredith Russo’s contemporary debut If I Was Your Girl tells the story of a transgender girl trying to find her place in a new school and new relationships, while The Unexpected Everything is a little lighter in content but just as enjoyable. These are some of the books that stood out to me in 2016:
- Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
- If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
- The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
- My Lady Jane by Jodi Meadows, Cynthia Hand, and Brodi Ashton
- This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills
- Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
- Heartless by Marissa Meyer
- The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
- Trouble Makes a Comeback by Stephanie Tromly
- Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Honorable mentions: Life, Animated by Ron Suskind (2014), Bad Blood by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Ally Carter, Replica by Lauren Oliver, Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
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Ahhhh, this year in books has just been absolutely wonderful! Sure, there have been a few books that I think have completely flopped *cough* *cough* The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee *cough* *cough* but the majority of novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading have had unforgettable characters, unique and fresh storylines and – fingers crossed – will have spectacular sequels. The books in this list are the ones that I’ve fawned over long after reading and which have been given prominence on my bookshelf.
- Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
- Flawed by Cecelia Ahern
- The Hawkweed Prophecy by Irena Brignull
- Local Girl Swept Away by Ellen Wittlinger
- Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
- Identity Crisis by Melissa Schorr
- Unlocked by Margo Kelly
- Dreamfever by Kit Alloway
- Breakfast with Neruda by Laura Moe
- My Kind of Crazy by Robin Reul
Looking back, I have to say that 2016 wasn’t an awesome year for me, reading-wise. Since I experienced a few reading slumps and tried to incorporate more adult books into my TBR pile, I ended up reading fewer books overall. I feel like I’m so behind on 2016 releases this list almost isn’t fair, but there are a few standouts from this year that deserve the recognition–some series starters, some series enders, and a surprising appearance by the new Archie bind-up.
- Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
- The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
- Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
- Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
- Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
- The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski
- Archie, Volume 1 by Mark Waid and Fiona Staples
- A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
- Heartless by Marissa Meyer
- Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
Honorable mentions not published this year: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, Vicious by V.E. Schwab, The Girl in the Well is Me by Karen Rivers
When I was putting together my list, I noticed that I didn’t read as many 2016 releases as I would have liked. In turn, it made me slightly depressed knowing that I didn’t keep up with my 2016 New Years resolution, which was to read more best sellers (to keep up with the times, ya know?) But nonetheless, the books noted below are ones that I absolutely adored this year. Each and every one of those books evoked a different sense of purpose and emotion that I needed during this time in my life. Whether it was to have a good cry, find a sense of direction or to just escape reality for a little bit, these books have been there for me in some shape or form. I hope that this list inspires readers out there to pick up their own copy and feel the same emotions I did when I was reading those words. Even though it wasn’t the bookish year that I initially planned for it was still filled with some unforgettable stories that I’ll treasure forever.
1. Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song by Sara Bareilles (2015)
2. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (2013)
3. Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley (2016)
4. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur (2016)
5. Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It: Life Journeys Inspired by the Bestselling Memoir by Various, Elizabeth Gilbert (2016)
6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (2011)
7. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (2014)
8. Leave Your Mark: Land Your Dream Job. Kill It in Your Career. Rock Social Media. by Aliza Licht (2015)
9. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert (2016)
10. Dear Emma by Katie Heaney (2016)
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