Top 10 I read in 2016
Looking back on the books I read last year, there were some very memorable ones. Some of these stuck because they blew my mind, while others made me go on massive rants. With that, I decided to consolidate my favourites among the novels I read in 2016, ranked according to my ratings.
The way I rate books is to break things down according to different criteria, then average out for the overall ratings. My scale is from 0 to 5, 0 being the worst and 5 being the best. The criteria I used to rate fiction in 2016 are: prose, characterisation, plot, depth, originality, impact, voice (for first person points-of-view) and narration (for audiobooks). I use three decimal places, so I can differentiate the ratings and rank books I read more effectively. When it comes to my book reviews, I usually round to the nearest 0.5 for simplified star ratings.
1. The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati
Rating: 5.000
This book touched me and made me think a lot about mental illness and the difficulty of diagnosis. For reasons that elude me, I’ve not posted a review on the blog. I’ll probably re-read it this year, so I can write an accurate review.
Basically, The Weight of Zero is about a protagonist who has bipolar disorder. Readers follow her life and her treatments, the people around her, and her relationships with them. The portrayal of Catherine’s struggles were sensitive and captured the complexities very well.
2. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
Rating: 5.000
Book review on the blog
The conclusion to the Mistborn trilogy was such an amazing way to round up the series. I love books that involve intelligent discussions on religion, culture, politics, etc. Of course then, I appreciated how the aspects were detailed so well as part of the world building. Brandon Sanderson is a genius writer, and I look forward to reading more of his books this year.
3. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Rating: 5.000
Book review on the blog
Even though A Monster Calls is a fairly simply written book, it tackled the multiplicity of perspectives extremely well. Similar to fables, this book exposed my own prejudices and subverted my expectations in ways I didn’t expect.
4. The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
Rating: 4.917
Book review on the blog
I thought The Final Empire was utter brilliance. Little did I know that The Hero of Ages would surpass it. In any case, I really enjoyed the introduction of the magic system. It was laid out very scientifically, so that by the end of the book, I could predict the outcomes of each move. That was a lot of fun.
5. The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork
Rating: 4.857
Book review on the blog
The Memory of Light was a little difficult to read because you could tell that the experiences with mental illness were dear to the author. Much of the book was based on his own experiences, starting with the recovery process after an attempted suicide. What made this book stand out for me compared to other YA contemporary books dealing with mental illness is the emphasis on professional care. It also showed that mental illness exists on a spectrum and has varying severity.
6. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Rating: 4.833
Book review on the blog
Even though I’m not Mexican, nor do I live in the US, I related a lot to Aristotle’s musings on what it means to hold on to your ethnic roots while living abroad. Overall, it was a beautifully written book. While it had a very leisurely pace, the introspection more than made up for it. I also loved seeing the relationship between Aristotle and Dante unfold.
7. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
Rating: 4.833
Initial thoughts on Goodreads
This Savage Song was such a worthy tribute to Vicious. The exploration of being a monster versus being monstrous was fascinating. Coupled with music, I was swept away by yet another book from the amazing Victoria Schwab. As with her previous books, this one had dark and sinister undertones all while proving that things rarely exist in absolutes.
8. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
Rating: 4.750
Book review in the blog
Middle books in trilogies tend to suffer for being bridges. They need to sustain interest but shouldn’t eclipse epic climaxes in the last book. Sometimes that means that they read more like fillers than anything else. In the case of The Well of Ascension, there indeed was a lot of time spent waiting. That made some chapters feel rather long-drawn but balanced with more detailed world building and the introduction of new creatures, I continued to be fascinated.
9. Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Rating: 4.750
Book review on the blog
My most anticipated book of the year didn’t disappoint. I adored the way Marissa Meyer imagined the life of the Queen of Hearts before Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The descriptions of Wonderland were much lusher than in the original classics and I thought that a lot of potential was better realised in Heartless. The fact that Catherine loved to bake in this retelling obviously made me all the happier.
10. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Rating: 4.750
Book review on the blog
When I first read The Raven Boys early 2015, I didn’t like it quite as much. Yes, I enjoyed it but there were some things that were missing for me. My re-read, though, changed my outlook on the book as I came to recognise just how well crafted the entire series of The Raven Cycle is, particularly in terms of foreshadowing events. I will re-read the next two sequels this year, and then finally read The Raven King.
Bonus
Since all three books in the Mistborn trilogy made my top ten and The Raven Boys was a re-read, I decided to add the next three books to this list as well.
11. Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
Rating: 4.714
Initial thoughts on Goodreads
Moral ambiguity is difficult to tackle, and to successfully do so in a novel? Even tougher. In spite of that, Firsts turned out to be an excellent example of this. Major themes of the book are sex and virginity, which I thought were dealt with in a very poignant manner. Based on the synopsis, it’s clear that cheating happens in the book but don’t let that be a deterrent in the case of Firsts. Characters’ views towards sex ranged from liberal to conservative and were all presented well.
12. The Golem and the Djinni by Helene Wecker
Rating: 4.583
Initial thoughts on Goodreads
Another book that involved baking made the list! Hah. What most intrigued me was the intertwining of Muslim and Jewish beliefs and folklore. That a djinni and a golem should cross paths and that their lives should become so intertwined was reason enough to enjoy this book. Seeing them navigate their lives in the human world just made it all the more compelling.
13. Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales
Rating: 4.500
Book review on the blog
Leila Sales has a way of crafting relatable characters and moments. Tonight the Streets Are Ours was no exception. Despite some predictability, it still was a fun book that also grappled with deeper concerns regarding social media and online personas versus offline.
I really need to read the Mistborn series! It honestly sounds incredible, and it’s so awesome that all three books made your top ten list ;) I must say that I loved seeing A Monster Calls up there – it’s such a great book.
Yay, I love this list! This Savage Song was on my top ten list for 2016, and A Monster Calls and The Raven Boys are two of my favorites, of course. I’m so glad you liked them.
The Golem and the Djinni has been on my TBR for ages!
I recently read A Monster Calls and also gave it a solid 5/5 because it is such a fantastic book and absolutely everyone should read it!
Makes me so happy that 3 of my favorites actually got 5.0! (makes your TKoNLG rating easier to forget :P)
I must have missed you reading The Golem and the Djinni! I’ve had it on my TBR for ages. Might have read it sooner if I had known someone I know loved it, ha.