Best Books of 2016
While 2016 has been a bad year for many reasons, the book world had a lot of bright spots over the year. There were a lot of really great books I enjoyed, and please jump over to our homepage to find many other reviews, but here are a few of the standouts of the year:
February 2016
A really inventive new series about a world of shapeshifters, this book stood out as a cool take on it that I’d not really seen before. Tchaikovsky writes characters that are easy to care about, and the next book in this series should be out early 2017. Can’t wait.
April 2016
A delightfully dark YA novella that gave us a world of strangers fitting in with each other when they felt rejected by the reality they came from.
One of the first books I’ve read with an Ace protagonist, and it’s the beginning of a series. Loved it.
May 2016
A self-contained city on an oil platform starts losing residents– and one resident is determined to find out why.
A compelling main character and great world building, this was definitely a favorite this year.
August 2016
Sequel to the Hugo Award winning The Fifth Season, we see the continuing saga of Essun, the woman with the power to destroy the world.
This one is a serious contender for next year’s Hugo awards. Powerful and heart wrenching, this series is one to follow.
August 2016
Wendig’s creepy crawly book about weaponized genetically engineered ants. This book had me itching for days after reading it, and it’s an excellent story.
I really wouldn’t be surprised if someone picks it up to make a movie.
August 2016
This book goes a long way to reviving portal fiction. It’s a great story about a girl who doesn’t feel like she fits in with this world finding a place by walking to other worlds.
It’s the start of a series I hope to see soon next year.
Best Books of 2016
September 2016
It’s so great to see more from the well beloved Peter S. Beagle. He has a deft hand with fairytales, and this one was a delight.
A retelling of an old mythical story with a modern update, I loved every page.
September 2016
It’s rare for a horror novel to really creep me out anymore, but this one did it. A spooky tale of the demolition of a haunted house that doesn’t want to go out on its own.
October 2016
A continuation of one of my favorite new series. The main character comes into his own, and cones to terms with being one of the monsters he hunts.
November 2016
This book accomplished the impossible: it presented a new take on zombies that surprised and grossed me out. Great book about a queer fat girl who’s not afraid to be comfortable in her own skin. Wonderful fiction debut, and the beginning of a new series.
By far, these weren’t the only books I enjoyed this year, but these are just a few of the ones that really stood out to me. Go grab ’em with those gift certificates you got for Christmas, you won’t regret it.
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JL Jamieson is a strange book nerd who writes technical documents by day, and book news, reviews, and other assorted opinions for you by night. She is working on her own fiction, and spends time making jewelry to sell at local conventions, as well as stalking the social media accounts of all your favorite writers.