My Favorite Reads of 2016

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2016 wasn't my most productive year of reading, but I did manage to read 104 books, which averages out to two a week, and I'm pleased with that. I didn't review most of those, so this post is not full of linked reviews as in years past,  but I did rate eight of them 5 stars. 19 more were 4.5 star reads. The books I loved were incredibly diverse in genre, so this year, instead of ranking them, I offer my favorites by categories. Dig in! (Pictures take you to Amazon and linked titles take you to my reviews--if I actually wrote one.)

Best Comic (tie)


 Something New by Lucy Knisley & Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

 Best Nonfiction

All the Single Ladies by Rebecca Traister

 Best Short Story Collection

American Housewife by Helen Ellis

Runner Up: Almost Famous Women by Megan Mayhew Bergman

 Best Mystery (standalone)

Dodgers by Bill Beverly

Runner Up: The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

 Best New Mystery Series (tie)

Blood Defense by Marcia Clark (Samantha Brinkman series) & City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong (Casey Duncan series)

Best Audiobook

All Involved by Ryan Gattis

Runner Up: The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

Great New Novels by Authors I Already Loved


 At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Ex by Alafair Burke
The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close
Listen to Me by Hannah Pittard
Modern Lovers by Emma Straub

 Best Debut Novel 

 Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler

Runner Up: Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta

Honorable Mention: Tuesday Nights in 1980 by Molly Prentiss

 Best Novel


Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

Now tell me: what were your favorite reads of 2016?

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Comments

  1. ElizabethJanuary 1, 2017 at 3:01 PM

    Nice list.

    I know a few of them.

    Happy 2017 Reading!!

    Happy New Year!!

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Favorite Books of 2016

    ReplyDelete
  2. Melissa (Avid Reader)January 3, 2017 at 11:08 AM

    I loved Something New and just read American Housewife, so funny! Commonwealth was excellent. Patchett always is! Here's my list...

    http://avidreader25.blogspot.com/2016/12/2016-end-of-year-book-survey.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. AmyFebruary 3, 2017 at 11:32 AM

    Oooo American Housewife is on my nightstand now, so I'm glad to see it on your list! Sweetbitter I returned unread to the library because I ran out of time - sounds like I definitely need to rerequest it!

    ReplyDelete

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