top reads of 2016
Monday, December 28, 2015taking from other 'top reads of 2015' i've seen posted throughout the blogosphere, i decided why not do a top reads of 2016? very original i know ;)
this will be somewhat of a 2016 TBR of books i really want to get around to reading. this past year i've found myself scrolling through Goodreads multiple times, trying to find those books i've had more of an inclination to read. it gets rather difficult when you have a very long list and can't immediately find what you're looking for.
it's interesting to see how your reading tastes (and all other non-reading related likes) change over the years. looking back at my Goodreads reading challenge's are a good indicator of how i've evolved.
even though i only began to use the Goodreads platform in 2014, it's crazy how two years 1.) fly by and 2.) you change as a reader- and/or person as a whole.
1. Half of a Yellow Sun
surprise, surprise- another Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie book. i've heard from other readers (and Goodreads reviewers) how much they enjoyed Half of a Yellow Sun over the highly popularized Americanah. and while i bought Americanah on a whim and instantly read it, i'm a bit embarrassed to admit that i've checked out Half of a Yellow Sun twice and never even cracked it. it's a shame. but i'm hoping in 2016 i will finally get around to reading it!
2. Asking For It
i don't know too much about the premise of this book, only that it deals with some pretty heavy topics. i like plunging into stories like this- without too much background or foreknowledge. i discovered this through Rosianna's BookTube channel, where she briefly discussed it. she mentioned how wonderful it was and since then i've heard other various glowing reviews.
3. Between the World and Me
this is another book that i was exposed to through BookTube (sort of). John Green spoke about this on his vlogbrothers channel and the way it excited him, intrigued me. i'm not a TFIOS fanatic (even though i really really enjoyed it, or any other John Green novel for that matter) but lately i've been watching several of these vlogbrothers videos which switch off between him and his brother, Hank. i like the quick, choppy way they communicate historical and worldly events.
4. Uprooted
all i know about this book is that it's fantasy. i need more fantasy in my life. it seems to be one of those genres that i know i will automatically enjoy, but never seem to fully get to reading. maybe it's because many fantasy-related books are usually lengthy and i don't have too much time on my hands, but i need to shake this weariness. last time i went to my library i went with the intention of checking Uprooted out, but it wasn't on the shelf. hopefully, next time!
5. Selected Poems by E.E. Cummings
occasionally on Tumblr i get snippets of E.E. Cummings poetry and they all truly resonate with me. about a month ago i researched all of his work and shelved several of them on my TBR list. this one seemed like a good starting point. the only thing is that it's a bit difficult to find books of his poetry at my local libraries, and they are surprisingly quite pricey at the bookstore. i will have to keep trying for 2016.
6. Oryx and Crake
i loved The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood so for next year i want to pick up this other dystopian classic. this is another book that's been raved about and that many people seem to enjoy. this edition is specific is beautiful, so if i can't grab it at my library i might make a purchase and just buy it.
7. Gotham Academy Volume I
i saw the single issues of this when i was browsing through Housing Works Bookstore in NYC. they looked so cute and feisty! even though this has been on my TBR for a while, and i haven't heard too many people speak about it, i want to pick it up. in 2015 i read various graphic novels and i want to continue with my streak haha
8. When You Reach Me
ok, here's another one i basically have no idea about. i TBR'd this on Goodreads back in July and ever since then it promptly pops up on my feed every other month or so. it's a sign from the universe saying, "read this, read this." i'll take it. i know this is sci-fi related and also in the YA genre, all good things that highly interest me, so i have a feeling i will most definitely enjoy this!
9. Northanger Abbey
I'M SO EXCITED TO READ THIS and in this very same edition! my best friend and i did a gift exchange this month and one of the things i got (no matter the way or method) was this beauty. my very first Penguin Classics Hardcover edition. i love it so very much. a co-worker of mine back at university told me about this and how it was her favorite Jane Austen novel- one i had not read. well, it will be read and loved in the upcoming year, so wait for my review and comments!
10. Sweet Tooth Volume I
another graphic novel coming your way! this time around, i saw this highly praised by Lindsey over at LindseyRey's BookTube channel. i believe she's finished the entire series and has given it nothing but admiration and love. i've been to my local Barnes & Noble's but haven't seen this there yet, so i might have to stop by the comic book store near my house. the storyline for this sounds SO COOL, as if you needed further evidence by the front cover image...
11. Gilead
historical fiction is just not a genre i give enough attention to. i like history but i think i enjoy it more in a video content platform. boring high school textbooks just made me shun away from reading anything history related in that way. but, when i do get into a great historical fiction novel, i get into it. this one has been on my radar since July as well. i've seen other people have been picking it up lately and that makes me so happy, i want to hop onboard this train!
12. You
i was so close to buying this the other day when i saw it at the bookstore but i refrained. clearly, not because i do not want to read it but because i want to check it out from my library first and see if i end up loving it like so many other people have. this novel is along the lines of some crazy psychopath who becomes enamored by a girl he briefly meets and i believe is told in both perspective's- his and his victim's. sounds something like The Girl on the Train, which i really liked, so why not?
13. Runaways Volume I
i need to find this at one of my local libraries. i tried buying it online but sadly it's around $30. i can't justify paying that much for a graphic novel right now. i've read Saga Volume I by Vaughan and liked it, but have heard even more amazing things about The Runaways. hopefully, some way, somehow i will be able to find this and finally read it.
14. The Storied Life of A.J. Fickry
everyone that has picked up this book has loved it. for me, it's been one of those novels that has received so much hype, that i seem to disregard it. but i have a hunch that i might actually really end up loving this if i just give it a chance. again, i'm not too sure about what this is about, so i'm just going off of the title and front cover. i'm guessing there is someone named A.J. Fickry and it's about his (or her) life? great use of context clues, alex.
15. Kafka on the Shore
for 2016 i will pick up a Haruki Murakami book. i read The Strange Library this past year and it was definitely different...if it's not this one, Kafka on the Shore, then i want to read Norwegian Wood. i've heard that Murakami is not everyone's cup of tea, but so far what i've read has peaked my interest. his work might require a bit more of downtime though and quiet, so i will have to make room in my schedule for it.
16. Middlesex
i bought this lovely out of print edition of Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. i have Virgin Suicides tucked away in one of my many boxes that are accumulated in my garage from my move back from university, hence why i haven't been able to read that yet. when i saw this at The Strand bookstore in NYC, it called my name and somehow made it's way to the cashier. can't wait to finally read a Eugenides novel!
compared to 2 years ago, i would say my reading tendencies have changed. i think the majority of it has to do with graduating university and not having schoolwork reading double up with leisure time reading. instead of gravitating towards YA and romance books, i now want to explore more mature readings- something i surprisingly did more of in high school (aka how i read the majority of classics i have).
compared to 2 years ago, i would say my reading tendencies have changed. i think the majority of it has to do with graduating university and not having schoolwork reading double up with leisure time reading. instead of gravitating towards YA and romance books, i now want to explore more mature readings- something i surprisingly did more of in high school (aka how i read the majority of classics i have).
do you have a 2016 TBR or any specific book in mind you want to get around to in the new year?
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