Lynnie's Favorite Books of 2016

Another year of reading has passed and once again, it's time to look back and decide which books were my favorites.  With 2 weeks left to go in December I've read 43 books and once again I'm happy to say that I enjoyed the majority of them.  In fact, only 6 books were rated below 3 stars on Goodreads and there was only one book that I didn't finish this year (though there were a handful I wish I hadn't finished!). 

One book I won't include in this year's favorites list is Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling. I did give it 5 stars, but I've re-read it so many times that it wouldn't be fair to count it.  I plan to re-read the entire series within the next few years, but we'll have to see what other books get in the way of that. 

Here are the books I really enjoyed this year- in no particular order:

Favorite Books for Grown Ups:

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

Generally I don't love mysteries or thrillers, but this book held my attention right from the beginning because I was totally sucked in by the characters. The premise of this book is that the narrator, Tessa, is the only survivor of a serial killer. She helped convict a man for the crime, but now she has doubts about his guilt and, in fact, she's had doubts for a long time.  



 
How to Ruin Everything by George Watsky

I love Watsky's music and this short story collection really allows his gift for words and storytelling to come through.  This was a great journey through Watsky's adventures and mis-adventures and the lessons learned along the way. 




A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove is funny, charming, and remarkably moving as we get to watch as Ove rediscovers life, love, and community. A stubborn man, Ove is driven by his routine and his uncompromising ideas of the way the world should work.  Slowly, though, a new family in the neighborhood affects Ove and helps him learn to live again. 


 


American Housewife: Stories by Helen Ellis

Another short story collection, filled with unique stories & a menagerie of housewives. The characters in each story are at turns quirky, charming, disturbing & funny and yet each have something to offer. 



Favorite Young Adult Books: 

Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

The first book in this series (These Broken Stars) made my honorable mentions list last year.  I didn't love the second book in the series, but this final installment was really well done and exciting from beginning to end (other then when the action is interrupted by the "whispers" which I hated).  But I didn't hate the whispers enough to not love this book. A great conclusion to a fun series.



Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

This was a fascinating book. What do you believe when your narrator is paranoid & schizophrenic? Is anything real? Is it all a delusion? Those are the questions you must confront when reading Made You Up. Alex is a compelling character who is never sure if what she's seeing is real or in her head- which means you never know either and, to be sure, there are some gut punches along the way as delusions are confronted and reality is exposed.



Favorite Cookbook: 

Cooking for Jeffrey: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten 

I haven't published an official review of this book on the blog yet, but Ina's cookbooks continue to be filled with tasty recipes that can actually be recreated at home.  She's still my go to celebrity chef when I want a recipe that I know will work exactly the way I expect it to.




Looking for more great ideas? Here's an easy link to my favorite books from 2015 and 2014 as a bonus. Also, don't miss Amy's favorites from 2016!

Happy New Year!