Pages

Tuesday 27 December 2016

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Ten best books of 2016

(Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and The Bookish!)

As the end of the year draws closer, it's time to start wrapping up 2016. My ten best albums list will be coming in a couple of days, but today it's time to talk about the best books that were released in 2016 - ones that I actually read, which means there are going to be some notable exclusions that I haven't had time to pick up just yet!
I rated 15 of this year's releases as 5 star reads, so I've had to trim a few out, but I think these are the best books of 2016.

10) 'Morning Star' by Pierce Brown
Image result for morning star pierce brown
I was equal parts nervous and excited for the final installment of Pierce Brown's Red Rising trilogy, and while it wasn't everything I'd been hoping, I really enjoyed it. I can't wait for 'Iron Gold' to be released in August - it's too far away!

9) 'Unrivalled' by Alyson Noel
Image result for unrivalled alyson noel
I hadn't read an Alyson Noel book since the second book in The Immortals series, so I was a little nervous picking this one up. I didn't expect to fall head over heels in love with it, and I'm desperate to read the second book, 'Blacklist', as soon as it comes out. It feels more like a NA release than a YA release, and that made it stand out head and shoulders above the  rest of my 2016 reads. 

8) 'Radio Silence' by Alice Oseman
Image result for radio silence oseman
I read 'Radio Silence' for the #SundayYA book club, and I couldn't understand why it had taken me so long to read it. I love Alice Oseman's writing style, and 'Solitaire' is one of my 2017 priority reads.

7) 'Ctrl Alt Delete: How I Grew Up Online' by Emma Gannon
Image result for ctrl alt delete emma gannon
I've been reading a lot of feminist books and memoirs this year, and 'Ctrl Alt Delete' is my favourite by far. I could relate to so many of Emma's hilarious anecdotes, and if you've been using the internet for a good portion of your life I'm sure you'll see yourself reflected in her stories too. 

6) 'Paper Butterflies' by Lisa Heathfield
Image result for paper butterflies heathfield
Another #SundayYA book club read, I cried reading 'Paper Butterflies', and I can't remember the last time I've gotten that emotional about a book. A frank look at racism and familial abuse, it's impossible not to get sucked into June's story. 

5) 'Our Chemical Hearts' by Krystal Sutherland
Image result for our chemical hearts krystal sutherland
I fell in love with 'Our Chemical Hearts', and even though some of the language describing Grace's disability left me feeling uncomfortable and concerned, the overall story redeemed the novel for me. If you are one of those people who wants to 'fix' others, you'll really relate to this book. 

4) 'Nothing Tastes As Good' by Claire Hennessy
Image result for nothing tastes as good
When I read 'Nothing Tastes As Good', it was the book I needed. I'd been struggling with my eating again, an ongoing fight that's been plaguing me for at least five years, and this gave me the kick up the bum that I needed to just pick up a goddamned sandwich. This was another #SundayYA book club read - we've read some awesome title in the last few months!

3) 'You Were Here' by Cori McCarthy
Image result for you were here cori mccarthy
A multiple POV exploration of how grief and loss affect everyone, not just the family of the deceased. I already want to reread 'You Were Here', because I feel as though it's one of those books that will get better every time. 

2) 'This Is Where It Ends' by Marieke Nijkamp
Image result for this is where it ends marieke nijkamp
'This Is Where It Ends' was the first book I finished in 2016, merely an hour into the New Year, in a pub with all of my friends. That's how amazing it was: it's impossible to put it down, even when you're not supposed to be reading! 

1) 'How Not To Disappear' by Clare Furniss
Image result for how not to disappear
The best book of 2016 for me was 'How Not To Disappear' by Clare Furniss. It was the last #SundayYA book club pick of the year (see what I mean about us reading awesome books?!) and I LOVED it. Hattie and Gloria's stories interweave so beautifully, and while it feels like adult fiction at points it just makes it that much more beautiful. I can't recommend this book enough.

I hope you enjoyed this Top Ten Tuesday, the last one of 2016. What would you choose as the best release of 2016?

See you next year!

6 comments:

  1. This is Where it Ends was AMAZING. Can you tell me more about the #SundayYA book club? Is it just specific to your library? I might be interested in participating.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. #SundayYA is a weekly chat on Twitter, hosted by Rachel (@_sectumsemprah). The book club chats happen once a month, and all of the books are voted by Twitter poll - there isn't a pick at the moment, but it'll be starting up again in the New Year.
      Hope to see you there!

      Delete
  2. Can't believe I haven't read any of these yet, especially as I was really excited for This is Where it Ends when I first heard about it. How to Disappear also sounds super intriguing so I may have to check it soon :)
    My TTT

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I highly recommend both of them, just make sure you keep a box of tissues nearby when you decide to pick them up!

      Delete
  3. Wow, many of the books you've listed sound really good. Happy reading to you in 2017!!

    Here's my TTT post for this week: http://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2016/12/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten-best-books-of.html

    ReplyDelete