The Best Books I Read in 2016

As 2016 is coming to a close, I was looking back (on Goodreads) at the twenty-six total books I have read this year. Many were bleak and monotone, and others just plain terrible, but there were a few stories that became some of my favorites and will certainly remain with me beyond the page. Here are the best books I read in 2016!

The No. 6 Series by Atsuko Asano (2003-2011)

This series was unique, attention-grabbing, and moving. After watching the anime and thoroughly enjoying it, I discovered that it was based off of nine short novels and immediately began reading them. Despite already knowing the basics of the story, I found myself entranced by Asano’s writing—even through translation. This series and its two contrasting main characters offer intriguing philosophical viewpoints of which most other YA dystopian literature falls short. I recommend this series to any YA readers looking for something that somewhat resembles the work of Susanne Collins and Veronica Roth but is also remarkably unconventional.
Read the English translation

The Martian by Andy Weir (2011)

By now I’m sure almost everyone has seen the movie adaptation starring Matt Damon—and the book contains the same excitement, peril, and humor, but raised to a much higher level. Andy Weir makes all the confusing math and science involved with this story not tedious to read, but fascinating and engaging. I don’t read a lot of science fiction, but I do love a sarcastic narrator and a captivating, action-packed plot, and that’s what I believe makes this book accessible for just about any audience.
Buy it on Amazon

The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan (May 2016)

I couldn’t end this list without including a Rick Riordan book, of course. He wrote two this year—The Hidden Oracle, the first Trials of Apollo book, and The Hammer of Thor, the second in his Magnus Chase series. In deciding which one I should review, I realized that while HoT was fun and lovable, The Hidden Oracle was more well-written and laid a great foundation for the rest of the series. I loved reading from Apollo’s point of view—he was so different from all of Riordan’s other narrators—I loved the development we saw in him throughout the story, and I think his adventures will be a great way to tie up this huge Camp Half-Blood universe with a nice, neat bow. For now, of course. I was also dying to catch up with all of my favorites that we hadn’t seen since 2014—it was nice of Rick to give us a glimpse into their lives and let us know how they’re doing without making them the main characters of the story. Apollo and Meg and the other new characters were still at the forefront, and they’re all great additions to the PJO cast. To anyone out there who has kept up with all of Rick’s previous works but was let down by Blood of Olympus and is now scared to read this—I promise you, this book makes up for his mistakes.
Buy it on Amazon

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (October 2015)

I’m beginning to notice a trend, here—I’m describing all the books on this list as “different,” “unique,” and “unlike anything I’ve ever read before.” Well, Carry On fits right in. The background of the characters and setting was originally based heavily off of Harry Potter, almost to the point of being a fanfiction—but Rowell’s individual perspective on it gives it a personality of its own. At first, you will feel like you’re reading a silly spinoff. Once you reach around the sixty-page mark, however, you’ll become so immersed in the sharp but poetic writing style and the intriguing personalities of Simon, Baz, Penny, and Agatha that its true unique identity will be uncovered. This story, mostly due to the characters, was lovable, heartwarming, and moving. I’ve read it three times already since June. Any YA reader, whether they prefer realistic fiction or fantasy, will find something to enjoy in this.
Buy it on Amazon

Honorable Mentions:

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany (July 2016) - had a lot of potential and started off well, but was a bit disappointing

The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan (October 2016) - fun and hilarious but nothing special

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (January 2015) - enjoyable but felt a little immature

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (1999) - rather boring and repetitive until the end, but well-written and thought-provoking

What were the books YOU enjoyed the most this year? Any recommendations for 2017?