Favorite Books 2016

Favorite Books of 2016!

Hello everyone!

I am finally coming to you with my favorite books of the year. I waited until the first of the year as I was still racing to complete the books I was reading before the end of the year, which I must say that I gladly did so. I was reading right up until 11:58PM on December 31st at which point I made my goal of reading 52 books in the year! 

I am so happy to have read so many wonderful books this year, however out of the 52 books that I read there are some that stand out to me as the best of the year and I feel that you all should pick them up in the New Year! Without further ado let us see what I thought was the best books I read in 2016!

The Books: 

• The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
  
• by: JRR Tolkien 
• This series is something that I did not expect to fall head over heels in love with but as many of you, I have succumbed to the spells that Tolkien wove in these books! I love all of the books in this trilogy for many reasons, though my most prominent reason for loving them is how realistic and endearing the characters are. These characters will be stuck with me long after I have stopped reading the books, Frodo, Sam, Mary, Pippin, Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn will always be my friends in the lands of Middle Earth! This is the first series that I have ever read where I immediately planned a reread of the books in the coming year! I cannot believe it has taken me so long to read these wonderful books, I cannot wait to explore more of Tolkien's work soon.
• Review Forthcoming!
• The Long Way to a Small angry Planet
  
• by: Becky Chambers
• This was the first book that I completed in 2016! I was reading it through the night on New Year's eve to complete it in hopes before the new year, however that did not actually happen. TO this day even 366 days later I am struck by the wonder of the characters and the mystifying little ship that they crew for. Kizzy, and Sissix are characters that I still think about even this far in the future, Kizzy's spunk and spice for life helped to kick off the new year right last year. I think I will dive into the sequel as my first book of 2017, A Closed and Common Orbit, I am coming for you!
• The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet Review
• Man Up: Surviving Modern Masculinity 
  
• by: Jack Urwin 
• This is probably my favorite non-fiction book of ALL TIME! I loved the dry British wit and sass that this book was laced with, along with its oftentimes outspoken message of men and their seemingly "manly ways". This book has set me on the course for reading more on gender norms and the way society shapes how we view people, though this book gave me hope and some happiness in the time after a major change happened to me, and for that I am thankful. Men can be masculine and still show emotional connections, this is the message that I want all to know. This book was just brilliant, something that everyone should read in the new year!
• Man Up Review
• HEX 
  
• by: Thomas Olde Heuvelt
• This book was my first ever horror book, and I was hooked from page one! This book creates an atmosphere to rival Sanderson and Oates that suspends the reader in a terrifying limbo of joy and fear. His characters are well rounded and full bodied allowing the reader to enjoy the story with friends and foes written on the page. my favorite thing that this book offered me was the Witch and her lore. Never have I ever seen a book capture the uneasy feeling of witches as I felt when I visited the Salem Witch trial sites many years ago. This book is a modern spin combining The Crucible and a dystopian novel, pure genius! And the icing on the cake for me happened to be that I got to meet Thomas and interview him and Paul Tremblay!
• HEX Review
• Swamplandia
  
• by: Karen Russell 
• This book has captivated me since its first page. The setting of this book allows for interesting perspectives on the Florida Everglade swamps and the creatures that live there. Russell has a way of writing that is richly imaginative and detailed yet easy to comprehend and enjoy, this is the sign of a masterful writer! Her characters of Ossie and Ava and the Bird Man will draw you into the depths of the Swamp, but be warned this heart-wrenching novel will not let you out of the swamps unchanged! Magical realism, great characters, and rich writing; what more could a reader want?
• Swamplandia Review
• Ghost Talkers
  
• by: Mary Robinnette Kowal
• This book is a mixture of fantasy and historical fiction that the world will never forget! The World War atmosphere that this book has shows the immense amount of tension of the war effort with a wildly imaginative twist, the spirits of the dead still help the war effort! Please pick this book up when you see it in a bookshop, you will not be disappointed. I am purposefully leaving this vague, but know that this book took my breath away and made me tear up with joy in parts.
• Ghost Talkers Review
• We Were the Mulvaneys
  
• by: Joyce Carol Oates
• This book, what to say... it broke me and tore every section of my heart, but it also gave me hope for the future and reverence for the past. This is a family saga set in New York on a large farm following the daily happenings of the Mulvaney family with all their struggles and misgivings shown with no topic being too big for Oates to tackle. This book deals with rape, foreclosure, loss and grief, moving away from home, and the importance of family in such a way that gave me solace in my future where I will need to move away from home and start my own life while also showing the importance of family communication. I do not care if you only read one book I ever recommend to you, this MUST be it!
• We Were the Mulvaneys Review

This reading year has been amazing! I have branched out this year to read literary fiction, horror, and of course my favorite genre Fantasy. Though this year in current world events or even my personal life has been rocked a little I must say that all of you who read my blog give me the hope and joy that got me through it all, thank you! But before I get even more emotional or philosophical I am going to urge you all to pick up one of these books in the new year and let me know your thoughts, they are all true gems! 

Happy Reading!

Check in tomorrow for my January TBR!