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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'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

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!