Top Five Books of 2016

Description
What are your top five reads for 2016? These books DO NOT need to have been published in 2016. See the annual blog post for staff favorites: To add a book to your list, click the "Add work to list" button in the upper-right corner. This will take you to a search box, where you can search by title, author, keyword, etc. Clicking on the title will add the book to your list. You can reorder your list over on the right-hand side, by dragging and dropping titles in the "Your list" section.
2
7,684 members
332 reviews
4.1
3
9,061 members
455 reviews
4
10 Members
zhejw, Cariola, lsh63, dudes22, beebeereads, Carmenere, lindapanzo, JSWBooks, jcwharton, honkingcronk
Explanations
JSWBooks: Powerful - the story and the writing!
4
5,661 members
280 reviews
½ 4.3
5
11,844 members
786 reviews
4.1
6
3,710 members
192 reviews
3.9
7
11,366 members
691 reviews
½ 4.3
8
3,696 members
292 reviews
½ 3.7
9
2,551 members
132 reviews
4.2
10
7,832 members
370 reviews
½ 4.4
7 Members
bookwoman84, rosalita, holly_golightly, greeneyed_ives, kara.shamy, jcwharton, aquariumministry
Explanations
rosalita: A contemporary black man's point of view about race relations in America. Some deeply uncomfortably truths for white Americans here, but so necessary to acknowledge and absorb.
11
4,439 members
240 reviews
4
12
1,825 members
95 reviews
3.8
13
9,238 members
522 reviews
½ 4.4
6 Members
Bookmarque, Cariola, beebeereads, Romonko, edparks, AmourFou
Explanations
Romonko: I absolutely loved this book! It was so understated, but so well written.
14
2,466 members
153 reviews
4
15
2,926 members
93 reviews
4.2
16
4,745 members
244 reviews
½ 4.6
5 Members
rosalita, Jim53, gypsysmom, honkingcronk, Papermoon4
Explanations
rosalita: A searing look at the racial biases in the American criminal justice system.
17
189 members
28 reviews
3.8
18
8,561 members
322 reviews
4.2
19
2,953 members
198 reviews
4.1
20
2,887 members
179 reviews
½ 3.6
4 Members
lkmiller, norabelle414, flying_monkeys, wolfeyluvr
Explanations
flying_monkeys: Because it's a mash-up of sci-fi and fantasy, and it's the weirdest book I read in 2016. And I mean "weird" in the best possible way.
21
11,590 members
499 reviews
4
4 Members
ccatalfo, highlander6022, Redheadlib, Cynthia_Moses
Explanations
highlander6022: Oh, how I wish this book was available 40 years ago. The best adjective I can give it is "rich". Rich in discussion. Rich in research documentation. Rich in providing a wonderful insight into myself, a confirmed introvert but with some extrovert tendencies. Rich in discussion of interactions between intros and extros. Rich in providing guidance on how to raise, teach, encourage intro and extro children. Rich in how to succeed in a business world where extros seem to be the "chosen ones" to lead us to the promised land of success.
22
1,911 members
93 reviews
4
23
6,293 members
552 reviews
3.9
24
13,679 members
287 reviews
3.9
25
5,380 members
406 reviews
4
26
2,356 members
80 reviews
½ 4.3
27
4,403 members
283 reviews
3.9
28
1,025 members
45 reviews
4.2
29
35 members
5 reviews
3.8
30
18,657 members
1,269 reviews
4.1
3 Members
krisa, IrishSue, flying_monkeys
Explanations
flying_monkeys: Because I could see that magic, close my eyes and touch it. All my senses were fully engaged. It's a rare book that uses smells and sounds with such clarity and power.
31
5,565 members
362 reviews
4.1
33
78,945 members
1,434 reviews
½ 4.4
35
18,318 members
1,252 reviews
½ 4.3
36
9,571 members
538 reviews
½ 4.3
3 Members
kaulsu, AmourFou, Laura1124
Explanations
kaulsu: I read little "good" fiction...and this was worth reading. I had it on my iphone for several years, but kept putting it off. Verghese is a marvel. More of his books in my future, I foresee.
37
7,374 members
509 reviews
3.9
38
343 members
21 reviews
3.8
39
16,947 members
475 reviews
4
40
1,464 members
78 reviews
3.8
41
5,708 members
314 reviews
4.2
42
9,966 members
623 reviews
3.9
43
16,080 members
571 reviews
½ 3.4
44
1,296 members
54 reviews
4
45
1,599 members
71 reviews
½ 4.3
46
6,954 members
297 reviews
4.1
47
4 members
1 review
5
48
13,308 members
515 reviews
4.2
2 Members
kgriffith, asyouth
49
3,844 members
221 reviews
4.1
2 Members
Micheller7, terran
50
3,468 members
199 reviews
½ 3.6
51
2,960 members
160 reviews
½ 4.5
2 Members
charl08, lorannen
52
2,795 members
173 reviews
½ 4.3
53
965 members
90 reviews
3.9
54
284 members
10 reviews
3.8
2 Members
Dilara86, rplinke
55
8,376 members
239 reviews
½ 4.6
56
5,373 members
316 reviews
4.2
2 Members
ursula, krisa
57
3,529 members
141 reviews
3.9
58
1,755 members
74 reviews
4.2
59
634 members
19 reviews
4.2
60
301 members
18 reviews
4.1
2 Members
rarm, Jarandel
61
20,863 members
616 reviews
4.2
2 Members
rarm, ahef1963
62
6,250 members
304 reviews
½ 3.7
63
5,471 members
366 reviews
4.1
2 Members
jjwilson61, craso
64
2,975 members
146 reviews
4
65
2,648 members
45 reviews
½ 4.6
66
1,631 members
68 reviews
4
2 Members
avatiakh, soraki
67
1,525 members
26 reviews
3.9
2 Members
Kaffie, bethmariec
68
1,244 members
98 reviews
3.9
69
809 members
114 reviews
½ 3.7
70
7 members
5
71
2,185 members
146 reviews
3.8
72
938 members
44 reviews
½ 3.6
2 Members
okeres, lorannen
73
4,543 members
228 reviews
4
2 Members
chgstrom, JSWBooks
Explanations
JSWBooks: How kindness can change a community.
74
19,252 members
348 reviews
4
2 Members
hipdeep, AmourFou
75
18,587 members
1,284 reviews
4.1
2 Members
hipdeep, Cecrow
76
2,751 members
172 reviews
3.8
2 Members
fannyprice, flips
77
521 members
31 reviews
3.8
78
3,976 members
288 reviews
4.1
2 Members
mahsdad, ahef1963
79
3,404 members
293 reviews
3.8
2 Members
lkmiller, flying_monkeys
Explanations
flying_monkeys: Because it's beautiful, macabre, diverse. And it speaks to a secret, lifelong quest: to find my door.
80
53,023 members
1,300 reviews
4.2
81
13,826 members
200 reviews
½ 4.3
82
3,338 members
198 reviews
4
83
2,855 members
124 reviews
4
84
591 members
48 reviews
4
85
280 members
19 reviews
3.9
86
225 members
23 reviews
4.2
2 Members
lsh63, katiekrug
87
2,203 members
123 reviews
½ 4.3
2 Members
Jim53, lindapanzo
88
1,474 members
87 reviews
4.2
89
1,385 members
76 reviews
3.9
90
8,784 members
518 reviews
3.9
91
2,445 members
99 reviews
½ 3.5
2 Members
EfEh, Laura1124
92
1,619 members
85 reviews
3.9
93
14,654 members
609 reviews
3.8
94
2,359 members
227 reviews
4
2 Members
zhejw, njinthesun
95
1,162 members
72 reviews
½ 3.6
96
6,772 members
287 reviews
4.1
97
3,471 members
252 reviews
½ 3.5
2 Members
EfEh, katemcangus
98
2,027 members
106 reviews
½ 3.7
2 Members
kaulsu, chgstrom
Explanations
kaulsu: I've not previously read anything by Allende. I am told each of her novels is unlike the last. It took me a minute to get into the flash backs, but (I work in a retirement community) I did enjoy it. There were some pieces that didn't ring true (FBI field agents have a mandatory retirement age of 57, for example), but Twain said we shouldn't allow a few facts to spoil a good story. Or something.
99
1,484 members
65 reviews
3.9
100
15,051 members
804 reviews
3.9
2 Members
Minthe, gtimcqueen