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.
Members
230 participating members
2
6,029 members
297 reviews
4.1
3
8,017 members
429 reviews
4
10 Members
zhejw, Cariola, lsh63, dudes22, beebeereads, Carmenere, lindapanzo, JSWBooks, jcwharton, honkingcronk
Explanations
JSWBooks: Powerful - the story and the writing!
4
4,974 members
260 reviews
½ 4.3
5
10,338 members
743 reviews
4.1
6
3,321 members
184 reviews
3.9
7
9,695 members
627 reviews
½ 4.3
8
3,398 members
270 reviews
½ 3.7
9
2,261 members
124 reviews
4.2
10
7,102 members
343 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
4,028 members
228 reviews
4
12
1,679 members
92 reviews
3.8
13
7,871 members
476 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
2,237 members
145 reviews
4
15
2,635 members
86 reviews
4.2
16
4,094 members
233 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
183 members
28 reviews
3.8
18
7,900 members
307 reviews
4.2
19
2,564 members
181 reviews
4.1
20
2,625 members
166 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
10,615 members
478 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
1,726 members
90 reviews
4.1
23
5,269 members
506 reviews
4
24
12,986 members
279 reviews
3.9
25
4,827 members
379 reviews
4
26
2,114 members
71 reviews
½ 4.3
27
3,995 members
261 reviews
3.9
28
972 members
47 reviews
4.2
29
30 members
3 reviews
½ 4.5
30
16,728 members
1,218 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
4,600 members
322 reviews
4.1
32
304 members
17 reviews
4
3 Members
sianpr, cbl_tn, Willoyd
33
74,462 members
1,409 reviews
½ 4.4
35
16,294 members
1,184 reviews
½ 4.3
36
9,033 members
520 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
6,904 members
491 reviews
3.9
38
319 members
21 reviews
3.9
39
16,164 members
460 reviews
4
40
1,274 members
71 reviews
3.8
41
4,941 members
295 reviews
4.2
42
9,475 members
604 reviews
3.9
43
13,493 members
540 reviews
½ 3.4
44
1,177 members
52 reviews
4
45
1,379 members
64 reviews
½ 4.3
46
6,489 members
291 reviews
4.2
47
4 members
48
10,207 members
448 reviews
4.2
2 Members
kgriffith, asyouth
49
3,351 members
213 reviews
4.1
2 Members
Micheller7, terran
50
3,057 members
182 reviews
½ 3.7
51
2,691 members
158 reviews
½ 4.5
2 Members
charl08, lorannen
52
2,304 members
152 reviews
½ 4.3
53
941 members
90 reviews
3.8
54
280 members
11 reviews
3.8
2 Members
Dilara86, rplinke
55
7,903 members
238 reviews
½ 4.5
56
5,122 members
313 reviews
4.2
2 Members
ursula, krisa
57
3,024 members
133 reviews
3.9
58
1,558 members
65 reviews
4.1
59
564 members
18 reviews
½ 4.3
60
263 members
19 reviews
4.1
2 Members
rarm, Jarandel
61
19,343 members
576 reviews
4.2
2 Members
rarm, ahef1963
62
5,911 members
286 reviews
½ 3.7
63
5,015 members
340 reviews
4.1
2 Members
jjwilson61, craso
64
2,769 members
148 reviews
4
65
2,461 members
44 reviews
½ 4.6
66
1,447 members
26 reviews
3.9
2 Members
Kaffie, bethmariec
67
1,432 members
63 reviews
4
2 Members
avatiakh, soraki
68
1,202 members
96 reviews
4
69
781 members
113 reviews
½ 3.7
70
7 members
5
71
1,886 members
132 reviews
½ 3.7
72
850 members
41 reviews
½ 3.6
2 Members
okeres, lorannen
73
3,920 members
211 reviews
4
2 Members
chgstrom, JSWBooks
Explanations
JSWBooks: How kindness can change a community.
74
17,958 members
328 reviews
4
2 Members
hipdeep, AmourFou
75
16,807 members
1,217 reviews
4.1
2 Members
hipdeep, Cecrow
76
2,535 members
168 reviews
3.8
2 Members
fannyprice, flips
77
475 members
30 reviews
3.8
78
3,743 members
274 reviews
4.1
2 Members
mahsdad, ahef1963
79
2,968 members
270 reviews
3.9
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
50,224 members
1,275 reviews
4.2
81
12,996 members
190 reviews
½ 4.3
82
3,120 members
184 reviews
4
83
2,590 members
114 reviews
4.1
84
548 members
48 reviews
4
85
257 members
15 reviews
3.9
86
216 members
22 reviews
4.1
2 Members
lsh63, katiekrug
87
1,962 members
117 reviews
½ 4.3
2 Members
Jim53, lindapanzo
88
1,331 members
83 reviews
4.2
89
1,268 members
73 reviews
3.9
90
8,079 members
502 reviews
3.9
91
2,287 members
94 reviews
½ 3.5
2 Members
EfEh, Laura1124
92
1,492 members
83 reviews
3.9
93
13,891 members
584 reviews
3.8
94
2,207 members
219 reviews
4
2 Members
zhejw, njinthesun
95
1,080 members
69 reviews
½ 3.6
96
6,464 members
281 reviews
4.1
97
3,092 members
240 reviews
½ 3.5
2 Members
EfEh, katemcangus
98
1,844 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
1,452 members
61 reviews
4
100
13,640 members
764 reviews
3.9
2 Members
Minthe, gtimcqueen