BEST BOOKS OF 2016

It is FINALLY time to talk about my favorite books of 2016 and let me tell you 2016 wasn't a super good reading year for me, I don't know why, I wish it was better but it wasn't. Let 2017 be a great reading year!

I have 5 books that stuck with me throughout the rest of the year, books that I continue to think about even months after I put them down. Please note, these books might not necessarily be published in 2016. So, without further ado here, in no particular order, are my picks for the best books I read in 2016:

ANGELA'S ASHES BY FRANK McCOURT:

This book is one of the most depressing books I've ever read. Seriously you have to be emotionally strong to read this.

It's essentially Frank's memoir of him growing up as a poor kid in Ireland. His alcoholic father who spent all his wages at the bar, and his mother desperate to feed the rest of her starving children. It's not a book you read in one sitting, I'd recommend taking your time with this one.

I was assigned to read this book when I was in college, but I didn't finish it. So,I decided to give it another shot and it was definitely worth it ! It's beautifully written, the way Frank opened up about his life is fascinating and heartbreaking. This book made me miserable and grateful at the same time.

FAVORITE QUOTE

“You might be poor, your shoes might be broken, but your mind is a palace.” ― Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes

THROUGH THE WOODS BY EMILY CARROLL :

This graphic novel has five creepy, chilling stories. A lot of these stories have twists at the end and it doesn't quite turn out the way you expect, each story had its own feel. The artwork is absolutely stunning, the colors and the illustrations add more to the spooky effects. I highly recommend this, whether or not you read graphic novels. I highly recommend this if you like horror folk tales. I highly recommend this if you just like good art.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“Oh, but you must travel through those woods again and again ... and you must be lucky to avoid the wolf every time ... But the wolf ... the wolf only needs enough luck to find you once.”― Emily Carroll, Through the Woods

IT ENDS WITH US BY COLLEEN HOOVER :

I did not expect this book to have such an emotional impact on me! It ripped my heart into little pieces and then stomped on it. It takes an awful lot to make me cry ,but this book DID make me cry. So maybe that says something.This book is sad and painful, but it's also very honest and it personally gave me a perspective I never previously had. I'm not going to go into details about what this book is about because a huge plot point of this book is kind of considered a spoiler. My advice is to go into this book blind ,don't watch or read any reviews , don't even read the synopsis if you haven't already. Going into this book knowing nothing at all is the best way to go about it.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“All humans make mistakes. What determine a person’s character aren’t the mistakes we make. It is how we take those mistakes and turn them into lessons rather than excuses.”― Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us

THE LOTTERY BY SHIRLEY JACKSON :

Ever since I read We Have Always Lived in the Castle and loved it I have been saying that I need to pick up more Shirley Jackson. So, I decided to pick up The Lottery. When I finished reading it , my first reaction was,"WTF did I just read !"

It started off like a nice happy story but then it took really an ugly turn. I just couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks. No matter how many times I read it - The Lottery remains one of the most disturbing short stories I have ever come across.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones.” ― Shirley Jackson, The Lottery

NIGHT FILM BY MARISHA PESSL:

It shouldn't be a surprise Night Film made it in my top 5 reads of 2016. I've raved about it in my November Favorites post. Please check it out if you haven't already :)

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“Mortal fear is as crucial a thing to our lives as love. It cuts to the core of our being and shows us what we are. Will you step back and cover your eyes? Or will you have the strength to walk to the precipice and look out?” ― Marisha Pessl, Night Film