Top Reads of 2016- Part One

Happy New Year! Can you believe we’ve already ended 2016? Of course you can; what a year! I’ve been struggling to cut down my list of favorite books from the past 366 days (OMG LEAP YEAR!); my final count for the year is 230 books read, so I feel it’s fair to have chosen 25 books to highlight, as it was impossibly difficult to narrow it down even that far. I’ve awarded the best in certain categories while also including a list of outstanding reads that I feel necessary for your TBR in 2017. I’ve also included the link to my original reviews for each book mentioned in case you’d like to go back and check out my original thoughts. I tried to keep it solely to books published 2016 or earlier, but I have included 3 books coming in 2017 because they were just that good. I’ll be doing the honorable mentions in this post and the individual, categorical winners in the next to keep things quick and easy to read. Drum roll please…

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

1) Lost- SJ Bolton (While her entire Lacey Flint series is fabulous, this one was my personal favorite due to the mind blowing twist. Unfortunately I didn’t write a formal review on this one, so you may just have to pick the series up for yourself and find out what the fuss is about.)
2) A Court of Mist and Fury- Sarah J. Maas (While I didn’t fall in love with ACOTAR until they made it under the mountain, I was fully engrossed in all 640 pages of book 2 in the series and am eagerly anticipating book 3 in May. Review found HERE.)
3) All the Missing Girls- Megan Miranda (This was an entirely unique read; I loved going backwards in solving a mystery and felt the author did a fantastic job writing this way. Review found HERE.)
4) Before the Fall- Noah Hawley (So pleased this was a choice for the She Reads Book Club this year as it turned out to be my favorite plane crash book of all time. Review found HERE.)
5) Don’t You Cry- Mary Kubica (Very impressed with this one as I felt this was Kubica’s best work to date. The ending was a complete surprise to me and this, along with a growing sense of dread, is what landed it a spot above many other psychological thrillers. Review found HERE.)
6) Burying the Honeysuckle Girls- Emily Carpenter (This is my favorite southern gothic novel of all time. Part historical fiction, part mystery, and completely enjoyable from beginning to end. Review found HERE.)
7) Into the Light- Aleatha Romig (This romantic suspense was so enjoyable that it ended up being a gateway book that allowed me to try new genres. The pacing was so fast and I found myself completely sucked up in the romance and cult thriller aspects. Review found HERE.)
8) All in Pieces- Suzanne Young (This YA contemporary held my heart captive for the few hours it took me to read it. I still think about this book and the feelings it gave me. Review found HERE.)
9) *Everything You Want Me To Be- Mindy Mejia (This is a 2017 release that I just had to include because it was so fantastic. I found myself lost in these characters that seemed so real and was completely shocked by the ending. Review found HERE.)
10) Everything We Keep- Kerry Lonsdale (Part mystery, part romance, this book was so delicious and perfect for a rainy day. I’m eagerly anticipating the sequel next year. Review found HERE.)
11) *Her Every Fear- Peter Swanson (Another 2017 book that I had to include. It was so well written and unique in it’s approach that I’ll likely still be thinking of it by this time next year. Review found HERE.)
12) The Bird Tribunal- Agnes Ravatn (This was my first book from Orenda publishing and wow, what a way to start! I devoured this itty bitty book in one sitting; the suspense literally almost killed me and I loved how much the author left to the reader to determine for themselves. Review found HERE.)
13) Crooked Kingdom- Leigh Bardugo (This is part 2 in the Six of Crows duology and ripped my heart out while simultaneously stomping on the little shredded pieces. You’ve been warned… Review found HERE.)

*Stay tuned for Part 2!