A HUGE thank you to everyone who contributed suggestions to my Favorite Books of 2016 Giveaway. I love getting help from you each year because it generates an eclectic list of titles. If we kept it to my ideas, sci fi and nonfiction would get neglected. I quoted comments that describe the books and why they were appealing; this post has many contributing authors. (Thank you every one!)
Speaking of comments, congratulations to the winner of this year’s Favorite Books Giveaway:
Megan Kinney
Megan, please email me the name of the book you would like to receive and where I should ship it.
Enjoy this list for gifting and personal pleasure:
Memoir
Driving Hungry by Layne Mosler “It’s a memoir that’s part travel writing, restaurant review, and cultural study, and love story. I enjoyed it all!”
Beginning French: Lessons from a Stone Farmhouse by Les Americans. “It’s about a California couple buying an old farmhouse in southern France and living there part of each year.”
Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes. “Ms Rhimes is an introvert (not surprising for a writer but surprising for her position in Hollywood), and she decided that she needed to make some changes in her life. I could relate to her fears and trepidation. It is written in a casual style that I found enjoyable.”
You’ll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein “Jessi Klein is a comedy writer, but her memoir proves she can pen much more than one liners. Each essay is honest and real, and covers everything from her tomboy childhood, her dating life, to her quest for the perfect wedding dress. It’s a relatable, honest, and very funny book.”
Historical Fiction
The Moon in the Palace & The Empress of Bright Moon by Weina Dai Randel
The Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer
Science Fiction
14 by Peter Clines “A delicious thriller of a science fiction novel. It features a very strange apartment building where every unit is unique, with strange asymmetrical cockroaches, cold spots, cryptic writing behind the wallpaper, and most intriguing of all, Unit 14 is padlocked shut.
Into the Dark by JA Sutherland. “Ships, captains, shipmates, sailing, naval adventures, pirates, enemies, New London, loved ones, action, drama, suspense, and a heroine – ALL SET IN DEEP SPACE. I thought it was brilliant, unique, and entertaining as the young heroine faces enemies from without and surprisingly from within.”
Fiction
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving “There is never a dull moment as it follows the two main characters from childhood to adulthood. It is funny, sad, touching, poignant, thought provoking, and thoroughly entertaining.”
Faithful by Alice Hoffman
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury “A stunning and haunting coming-of-age.”
The Overton Window by Glenn Beck (Political thriller) Seamlessly weaving together American history, frightening facts about America’s present condition, and a fast-placed plot, Glenn’s new thriller will educate, enlighten, and, most importantly, entertain his fans in a whole new way. [Goodreads]
A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas (YA fantasy) “A perfect blend of fantasy and romance, with some thrills and high stakes thrown in. The beautiful writing with flawless phrasing is what hooked me.”
The Walk by Richard Paul Evans (Christian fiction). A life-changing journey, both physical and spiritual, The Walk is the first of several books about one man’s search for hope. [Goodreads]
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (Thriller). “I liked the suspense. The main character had so many flaws and you just had to finish to see if what was happening was real and how it ended.”
Hurt by Tabitha Suzuma (YA contemporary). “It’s worth reading, well-written.”
The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty
Blue by Danielle Steel “Not deep, but a nice story.”
Nonfiction
Hamilton, the Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It tells the story of a revolution – the one that founded this story, but also how this brilliant story came to be.
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien This book tells the horrors, the friendship, the fear and the shame of the Vietnam war with brutal honesty.
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabelle Wilkerson
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain Non-fiction about, well, introversion and all that makes introverts tick. Highly recommended if you are an introvert or know/love one.
Becoming Grandmother by Lesley Stahl
Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer. “It’s a heavy book and it’s difficult to read, but it was very good and it shows different perspectives of situations these students had to deal with. … a thought-provoking read that brings up some important points that all women, but especially college-age girls like me, should think about.”
Kidlit
The Inquisitor’s Apprentice by Chris Moriarty Wonderful voice, great setting descriptions, and some deep questions.
For more reading suggestions, check out Goodreads Choice Award Winners for 2016. Winners include Liane Moriarty’s Truly, Madly, Guilty, Harry Potter, and Stephen King’s latest.
Do any of these books appeal to you? I’ve added several to my Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf while compiling this post. Thanks again, everyone!
The Things They Carried and A Prayer for Owen Meany – this will be the year I read them! Thanks for these awesome highlights.
So many good books to add to my list! This is such a great compilation from a variety of readers; thank you so much, Julia.
Happy to share!
I’d pick up The Things They Carried – and might if I can find one on CD. I took a college course called Vietnam Experience. A vet taught it. Incredible impact that stays with me to this day.
WOOOHOOO! Thanks Julia! I love that winning feeling, but would ask that you give the prize to someone who doesn’t have good access to quality books. I’m grateful to have a well-stocked library with several branches nearby and plenty of books on my personal shelves that I still need to read. I will definitely add some of these suggestions to my list, but hope that the extra book can be shared with someone who will really benefit from it.
Looking forward to more of your blog posts in 2017!
Megan, that is so thoughtful of you. Would you mind if I made a donation to my local library? I live in southwest Virginia, a poor, rural area. A donation to our library would be much appreciated, I’m sure.
Sounds perfect Julia!
I recently learned about Liberation Library too and while it’s not near me (they provide books to youth in Illinois prisons), it seems like a great organization.
The Things They Carried is not to be missed; it will stay with you for years.