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
7,363 members
326 reviews
4.1
3
8,850 members
451 reviews
4
10 Members
zhejw, Cariola, lsh63, dudes22, beebeereads, Carmenere, lindapanzo, JSWBooks, jcwharton, honkingcronk
Explanations
JSWBooks: Powerful - the story and the writing!
4
5,541 members
274 reviews
½ 4.3
5
11,568 members
775 reviews
4.1
6
3,605 members
188 reviews
3.9
7
11,027 members
679 reviews
½ 4.3
8
3,657 members
286 reviews
½ 3.7
9
2,504 members
131 reviews
4.2
10
7,698 members
367 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
4,377 members
238 reviews
4
12
1,797 members
94 reviews
3.8
13
8,973 members
509 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
2,432 members
152 reviews
4
15
2,876 members
91 reviews
4.2
16
4,658 members
243 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
187 members
28 reviews
3.8
18
8,448 members
321 reviews
4.2
19
2,933 members
196 reviews
4.1
20
2,852 members
178 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
11,506 members
495 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
1,881 members
92 reviews
4
23
6,183 members
540 reviews
3.9
24
13,551 members
284 reviews
3.9
25
5,301 members
399 reviews
4
26
2,316 members
78 reviews
½ 4.3
27
4,316 members
277 reviews
3.9
28
1,019 members
45 reviews
4.2
29
34 members
5 reviews
3.8
30
18,271 members
1,261 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
5,418 members
360 reviews
4.1
32
339 members
17 reviews
4
3 Members
sianpr, cbl_tn, Willoyd
33
78,151 members
1,431 reviews
½ 4.4
35
17,991 members
1,239 reviews
½ 4.3
36
9,481 members
537 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
7,290 members
506 reviews
3.9
38
339 members
21 reviews
3.8
39
16,808 members
473 reviews
4
40
1,430 members
77 reviews
3.8
41
5,537 members
312 reviews
4.2
42
9,868 members
616 reviews
3.9
43
15,687 members
566 reviews
½ 3.4
44
1,277 members
54 reviews
4
45
1,558 members
66 reviews
½ 4.3
46
6,908 members
294 reviews
4.2
47
4 members
1 review
5
48
12,818 members
501 reviews
4.2
2 Members
kgriffith, asyouth
49
3,742 members
220 reviews
4.1
2 Members
Micheller7, terran
50
3,393 members
197 reviews
½ 3.7
51
2,937 members
160 reviews
½ 4.5
2 Members
charl08, lorannen
52
2,766 members
168 reviews
½ 4.3
53
963 members
90 reviews
3.9
54
281 members
10 reviews
3.8
2 Members
Dilara86, rplinke
55
8,295 members
239 reviews
½ 4.5
56
5,311 members
315 reviews
4.2
2 Members
ursula, krisa
57
3,439 members
138 reviews
3.9
58
1,717 members
73 reviews
4.2
59
624 members
19 reviews
4.2
60
296 members
18 reviews
4.1
2 Members
rarm, Jarandel
61
20,606 members
608 reviews
4.2
2 Members
rarm, ahef1963
62
6,231 members
304 reviews
½ 3.7
63
5,415 members
359 reviews
4.1
2 Members
jjwilson61, craso
64
2,933 members
146 reviews
4
65
2,613 members
45 reviews
½ 4.6
66
1,607 members
68 reviews
4
2 Members
avatiakh, soraki
67
1,518 members
26 reviews
3.9
2 Members
Kaffie, bethmariec
68
1,229 members
98 reviews
4
69
791 members
113 reviews
½ 3.7
70
7 members
5
71
2,168 members
144 reviews
½ 3.7
72
928 members
44 reviews
½ 3.6
2 Members
okeres, lorannen
73
4,439 members
224 reviews
4
2 Members
chgstrom, JSWBooks
Explanations
JSWBooks: How kindness can change a community.
74
19,016 members
343 reviews
4
2 Members
hipdeep, AmourFou
75
18,375 members
1,270 reviews
4.1
2 Members
hipdeep, Cecrow
76
2,713 members
171 reviews
3.8
2 Members
fannyprice, flips
77
519 members
31 reviews
3.8
78
3,943 members
287 reviews
4.1
2 Members
mahsdad, ahef1963
79
3,340 members
290 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.
80
52,635 members
1,298 reviews
4.2
81
13,642 members
198 reviews
½ 4.3
82
3,305 members
198 reviews
4
83
2,787 members
124 reviews
4.1
84
581 members
48 reviews
4
85
272 members
19 reviews
3.9
86
223 members
22 reviews
4.2
2 Members
lsh63, katiekrug
87
2,155 members
123 reviews
½ 4.3
2 Members
Jim53, lindapanzo
88
1,451 members
87 reviews
4.2
89
1,364 members
74 reviews
3.9
90
8,646 members
517 reviews
3.9
91
2,427 members
98 reviews
½ 3.5
2 Members
EfEh, Laura1124
92
1,591 members
84 reviews
3.9
93
14,874 members
607 reviews
3.8
94
2,329 members
225 reviews
4
2 Members
zhejw, njinthesun
95
1,143 members
71 reviews
½ 3.6
96
6,731 members
287 reviews
4.1
97
3,402 members
251 reviews
½ 3.5
2 Members
EfEh, katemcangus
98
1,994 members
103 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
1,481 members
64 reviews
3.9
100
14,786 members
797 reviews
3.9
2 Members
Minthe, gtimcqueen