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.
1
24,076 members
969 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 57.56
Added 2016-12-21, 07:52 PM
- 15 Members
- pmarshall, sipthereader, Jim53, mahsdad, pamur, sianpr, krazy4katz, Tess_W, Maryloo, AmourFou, jcwharton, Lauraborealis, Redheadlib, khouston205, Rorykins75
2
- 11 Members
- ursula, ablachly, dawnlovesbooks, mooingzelda, mdexter, njinthesun, winteralli, katemcangus, cooch45, Maryloo, khouston205
3
11,221 members
494 reviews
4
Score 36.82
Added 2016-12-22, 11:32 AM
- 10 Members
- zhejw, Cariola, lsh63, dudes22, beebeereads, Carmenere, lindapanzo, JSWBooks, jcwharton, honkingcronk
- Explanations
- JSWBooks: Powerful - the story and the writing!
4
- 10 Members
- susanna.fraser, dawnlovesbooks, lauralkeet, lsh63, asyouth, katiekrug, kjgormley, Sharon.Flesher, debann6354, ultrabookgeek
5
14,702 members
875 reviews
4.1
Score 29.79
Added 2016-12-20, 04:13 PM
- 9 Members
- tardis, ablachly, agjuba, krisa, kaixo, mjfisher, IrishSue, ultrabookgeek, Francisco_Javier
6
- 9 Members
- krisa, lauralkeet, Leida, IrishSue, Maryloo, Sharon.Flesher, jcwharton, honkingcronk, dianeham
7
14,430 members
790 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 28.01
Added 2016-12-20, 04:30 PM
- 9 Members
- dawnlovesbooks, RuMuse, kgriffith, beebeereads, IrishSue, niquetteb, jcwharton, honkingcronk, Redheadlib
8
4,551 members
320 reviews
½ 3.7
Score 24.87
Added 2016-12-21, 01:36 PM
- 7 Members
- lauralkeet, LoisCK, Ciruelo, Leida, marcejewels, Simone2, debann6354
9
10
9,882 members
402 reviews
½ 4.4
Score 22.74
Added 2016-12-22, 01:13 PM
- 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.
12
13
by Amor Towles
12,204 members
606 reviews
½ 4.4
Score 19.74
Added 2016-12-21, 03:01 PM
- 6 Members
- Bookmarque, Cariola, beebeereads, Romonko, edparks, AmourFou
- Explanations
- Romonko: I absolutely loved this book! It was so understated, but so well written.
15
3,735 members
119 reviews
4.2
Score 17.87
Added 2016-12-20, 05:12 PM
16
6,075 members
263 reviews
½ 4.6
Score 17.08
Added 2016-12-22, 01:12 PM
- 5 Members
- rosalita, Jim53, gypsysmom, honkingcronk, Papermoon4
- Explanations
- rosalita: A searing look at the racial biases in the American criminal justice system.
18
11,482 members
379 reviews
4.2
Score 15.1
Added 2016-12-20, 07:11 PM
- 5 Members
- Euryale, LoisCK, kristenl, bookwormelf, ClaudaJB
19
3,791 members
227 reviews
4.1
Score 14.08
Added 2016-12-20, 06:08 PM
- 4 Members
- rarm, bookwormelf, lottpoet, Familiar_Diversions
21
3,321 members
191 reviews
½ 3.6
Score 13.08
Added 2016-12-20, 08:01 PM
- 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
by Susan Cain
13,513 members
527 reviews
4
Score 12.91
Added 2016-12-20, 04:16 PM
- 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
by Blake Crouch
8,935 members
625 reviews
3.9
Score 12.87
Added 2016-12-21, 11:38 AM
- 4 Members
- mahsdad, avanders, seasonsoflove, RBeffa
25
by M. R. Carey
6,338 members
448 reviews
4
Score 12.38
Added 2016-12-20, 05:08 PM
- 4 Members
- tardis, claire.rivers, Ape, Francisco_Javier
26
2,923 members
98 reviews
½ 4.4
Score 11.91
Added 2016-12-22, 11:52 AM
- 4 Members
- hipdeep, rarm, kara.shamy, Francisco_Javier
27
29
by Dan Koboldt
40 members
4 reviews
3.8
Score 10.73
Added 2016-12-23, 09:30 AM
- 3 Members
- TeresaFrohock, DanKoboldt, Bishop_OConnell
30
22,571 members
1,358 reviews
4
Score 10.4
Added 2016-12-20, 08:02 PM
- 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
7,944 members
441 reviews
4
Score 10.4
Added 2016-12-22, 05:56 AM
- 3 Members
- susanna.fraser, wandering_star, mooingzelda
32
383 members
21 reviews
4
Score 10.4
Added 2016-12-20, 07:31 PM
33
by Harper Lee
90,195 members
1,559 reviews
½ 4.4
Score 10.19
Added 2016-12-21, 11:51 AM
- 3 Members
- karenmarie, souloftherose, Cynthia_Moses
34
35
10,597 members
567 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 10.08
Added 2016-12-21, 03:13 PM
36
8,348 members
542 reviews
3.9
Score 9.71
Added 2016-12-21, 08:55 AM
- 3 Members
- karenmarie, Andrew-theQM, Redheadlib
38
by Bill Bryson
18,455 members
502 reviews
4
Score 9.66
Added 2016-12-20, 04:34 PM
- 3 Members
- conceptDawg, LoisCK, hearshari
39
by Max Porter
1,841 members
85 reviews
3.8
Score 9.56
Added 2016-12-21, 02:53 PM
- 3 Members
- mahsdad, Capybara_99, Carmenere
40
6,847 members
339 reviews
4.2
Score 9.4
Added 2016-12-20, 05:54 PM
- 3 Members
- avanders, njinthesun, gypsysmom
41
11,228 members
657 reviews
3.9
Score 9.08
Added 2016-12-25, 05:20 AM
- 3 Members
- maritimer, winteralli, lmbix
42
21,287 members
639 reviews
½ 3.3
Score 9.02
Added 2016-12-22, 05:26 PM
- 3 Members
- Leida, wolfeyluvr, lowelibrary
43
1,534 members
59 reviews
4
Score 8.91
Added 2016-12-21, 06:01 PM
- 3 Members
- charl08, EfEh, ultrabookgeek
44
by Ken Liu
2,150 members
81 reviews
4.2
Score 8.88
Added 2016-12-21, 11:50 AM
- 3 Members
- antao, bookwormelf, souloftherose
45
7,922 members
317 reviews
4.2
Score 8.71
Added 2016-12-20, 08:50 PM
- 3 Members
- LoisCK, mooingzelda, amerynth
46
6 members
1 review
5
Score 8.25
Added 2016-12-27, 10:05 AM
- 3 Members
- TeresaFrohock, DanKoboldt, Bishop_OConnell
47
20,649 members
618 reviews
4.2
Score 8
Added 2016-12-20, 04:18 PM
50
53
55
56
57
2,204 members
82 reviews
4.1
Score 7.36
Added 2016-12-20, 05:23 PM
- 2 Members
- waitingtoderail, artturnerjr
58
by Nick Lane
799 members
21 reviews
4.2
Score 7.36
Added 2017-01-04, 12:05 AM
- 2 Members
- jjwilson61, davesmind
59
60
65
67
by Bill Clegg
1,352 members
98 reviews
3.9
Score 7.04
Added 2016-12-20, 05:55 PM
- 2 Members
- njinthesun, vwinsloe
70
2,821 members
160 reviews
½ 3.7
Score 6.83
Added 2016-12-20, 06:18 PM
- 2 Members
- seasonsoflove, sturlington
71
72
5,898 members
252 reviews
4
Score 6.73
Added 2016-12-22, 08:11 PM
73
22,389 members
389 reviews
4
Score 6.68
Added 2016-12-22, 11:50 AM
74
76
738 members
36 reviews
½ 3.7
Score 6.68
Added 2016-12-26, 10:21 AM
- 2 Members
- KimarieBee, alice_the_goon
78
4,307 members
329 reviews
3.8
Score 6.4
Added 2016-12-20, 08:04 PM
- 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.
86
88
by Lindy West
1,703 members
100 reviews
4.2
Score 6.08
Added 2016-12-20, 04:07 PM
- 2 Members
- k8_not_kate, katemcangus
90
10,189 members
555 reviews
3.9
Score 6.04
Added 2016-12-22, 06:51 PM
- 2 Members
- holly_golightly, hearshari
91
98
2,406 members
120 reviews
½ 3.7
Score 5.66
Added 2016-12-24, 07:10 AM
- 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.
