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
11,941 members
397 reviews
4.1
3
11,167 members
496 reviews
4
10 Members
zhejw, Cariola, lsh63, dudes22, beebeereads, Carmenere, lindapanzo, JSWBooks, jcwharton, honkingcronk
Explanations
JSWBooks: Powerful - the story and the writing!
4
7,147 members
320 reviews
½ 4.3
5
14,593 members
874 reviews
4.1
6
4,574 members
204 reviews
3.9
7
14,528 members
786 reviews
½ 4.3
8
4,322 members
321 reviews
½ 3.7
9
3,073 members
156 reviews
4.2
10
9,819 members
402 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
5,171 members
261 reviews
4
12
2,131 members
104 reviews
3.8
13
12,096 members
601 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
2,963 members
169 reviews
4
15
3,706 members
117 reviews
4.2
16
6,050 members
263 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
205 members
29 reviews
3.8
18
11,418 members
379 reviews
4.2
19
3,658 members
224 reviews
4.1
20
2,265 members
101 reviews
4
21
3,304 members
190 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.
22
13,427 members
526 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.
23
8,798 members
623 reviews
3.9
24
15,207 members
310 reviews
3.9
25
6,313 members
447 reviews
4
26
2,897 members
98 reviews
½ 4.3
27
5,230 members
306 reviews
3.8
28
1,174 members
46 reviews
4.2
29
39 members
4 reviews
3.8
30
22,439 members
1,354 reviews
4
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
7,806 members
440 reviews
4
33
89,712 members
1,557 reviews
½ 4.4
34
22,725 members
1,377 reviews
½ 4.3
35
10,568 members
565 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.
36
8,385 members
541 reviews
3.9
37
384 members
22 reviews
3.9
38
18,396 members
501 reviews
4
39
1,819 members
85 reviews
3.8
40
6,813 members
338 reviews
4.2
41
11,111 members
653 reviews
3.9
42
21,019 members
635 reviews
½ 3.3
43
1,522 members
58 reviews
4
44
2,130 members
80 reviews
4.2
45
7,874 members
316 reviews
4.2
46
5 members
1 review
5
47
20,286 members
613 reviews
4.2
2 Members
kgriffith, asyouth
48
4,998 members
245 reviews
4.2
2 Members
Micheller7, terran
49
4,183 members
221 reviews
½ 3.6
50
3,755 members
169 reviews
½ 4.5
2 Members
charl08, lorannen
51
3,601 members
194 reviews
4.2
52
1,028 members
95 reviews
3.9
53
334 members
11 reviews
3.8
2 Members
Dilara86, rplinke
54
10,431 members
285 reviews
½ 4.6
55
5,987 members
331 reviews
4.2
2 Members
ursula, krisa
56
4,633 members
159 reviews
3.9
57
2,188 members
82 reviews
4.2
58
786 members
21 reviews
4.2
59
358 members
20 reviews
4
2 Members
rarm, Jarandel
60
23,903 members
685 reviews
4.2
2 Members
rarm, ahef1963
61
6,929 members
322 reviews
½ 3.7
62
6,362 members
385 reviews
4.1
2 Members
jjwilson61, craso
63
3,356 members
154 reviews
4
64
3,116 members
53 reviews
½ 4.6
65
1,909 members
75 reviews
4
2 Members
avatiakh, soraki
66
1,671 members
29 reviews
3.9
2 Members
Kaffie, bethmariec
67
1,348 members
98 reviews
3.9
68
895 members
118 reviews
3.8
69
12 members
5
70
2,782 members
160 reviews
½ 3.7
71
1,101 members
51 reviews
½ 3.6
2 Members
okeres, lorannen
72
5,825 members
251 reviews
4
2 Members
chgstrom, JSWBooks
Explanations
JSWBooks: How kindness can change a community.
73
22,221 members
384 reviews
4
2 Members
hipdeep, AmourFou
74
22,148 members
1,385 reviews
4
2 Members
hipdeep, Cecrow
75
3,215 members
190 reviews
3.8
2 Members
fannyprice, flips
76
718 members
34 reviews
½ 3.7
77
4,431 members
300 reviews
4.1
2 Members
mahsdad, ahef1963
78
4,101 members
326 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.
79
57,935 members
1,372 reviews
4.2
80
15,392 members
214 reviews
½ 4.3
82
3,945 members
208 reviews
4
83
3,476 members
140 reviews
4
84
655 members
51 reviews
4
85
308 members
20 reviews
3.9
86
246 members
24 reviews
4.1
2 Members
lsh63, katiekrug
87
2,605 members
138 reviews
½ 4.3
2 Members
Jim53, lindapanzo
88
1,694 members
100 reviews
4.2
89
1,608 members
83 reviews
3.9
90
10,127 members
554 reviews
3.9
91
2,785 members
100 reviews
½ 3.5
2 Members
EfEh, Laura1124
92
1,866 members
97 reviews
3.9
93
16,299 members
653 reviews
3.8
94
2,667 members
240 reviews
4
2 Members
zhejw, njinthesun
95
1,340 members
82 reviews
½ 3.6
96
7,343 members
319 reviews
4.1
97
4,114 members
259 reviews
½ 3.5
2 Members
EfEh, katemcangus
98
2,406 members
119 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
1,586 members
65 reviews
3.9
100
18,234 members
867 reviews
3.9
2 Members
Minthe, gtimcqueen