Wednesday, January 4, 2017

My Favorite Reads of 2016



Putting together a top 10 list of my favorite reads from the past year has been a difficult task.  There were so many books I read this year that I thoroughly enjoyed, but I decided I needed to cut it down to a list of 10.  Putting them in any sort of order may have been the most difficult task of all.  Honestly, after #1, I'm not sure that the order would be the same if I did it tomorrow.  Most of the novels on this list were new in 2016, but a few are books that I just hadn't read before but I am glad I found them.   If you click on each title, it will take you to my post and full review of each.  Hopefully this list will help you find something you may have missed in the last year.  Enjoy!


1. Kids of Appetite by David Arnold
    -I was just blown away by this book.  Arnold's follow up to the wonderful Mosquitoland did not disappoint!

2.  Still Life With Tornado by A.S. King
   -A.S. King gave us another wonderful and powerful novel this year.  What a great read!

3.  We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
    -This was the first I had read of Hutchinson, and I couldn't get enough.  This is an amazing book. 

4.  Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Saenz
   -This one was not new in 2016, but I am so glad it was suggested to me.  I talked to Benjamin Alire Saenz about this book and he said writing it almost killed him.  I told him that reading it almost did the same to me.  A really powerful book that will stick with you for a long time afterward.  

5.  Me and Marvin Gardens by Amy Sarig King  
   -Another book by A.S. King?  Of course!  This book doesn't actually come out for a couple more weeks, but I read it in 2016, so it makes my list.  And when a book makes you smile as much as this one did for me, it has to be included!

6.  This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijamp  
   -A book about a very difficult subject, a school shooting, but a book that is powerful and a book that is needed.  

7.  The Memory of Things  by Gae Polisner
   -With our teenagers now having basically no memory (some weren't even born yet) of 9/11, this book is important to give voice to a teenager at the time and help our kids have a better understanding of what it was like for someone like them.  

8.  The Crossover/Booked by Kwame Alexander  
   -This is kind of cheating to put two books in to one slot on the list, but I had to keep these two together.  Both are told in verse and are just beautiful stories.  

9.  Stick by Andrew Smith  
   -This is another book that came out before 2016, but I just read it this year.  And surprise, surprise!  Another book by Andrew Smith that I loved.  

10. My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier  
   -Such a fun and chilling read!  I was terrified of that little girl and muttered several four letter words as this story came to a close.  #10 seems way too low for this book.   

3 comments:

  1. I love this. More than you know. I hope we cross paths sometime soon and you can tell me about talking with Saenz. That must have been so awesome. I will work my way down this list.

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  2. I'm so glad Kyle's story resonated with you so much. Thank you for sharing my title with your students and blog readers. If you use the book in your classroom and ever want me to Skype in, let me know. g.polisner@gmail.com

    Kindest,

    Gae

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