2016 was a great year for books – don’t you agree?
I thought I would share my 12 favorite reads from this past year. I’ll be posting these over on my Facebook Page throughout the month but in case you’d like to fill up your e-readers or want to buy some gifts for those reader friends of yours…I thought I’d not only list them here for you but also tell you why. If you’re wanting to read reviews or the blurb there is also a link to Amazon. Now…in no particular order…
- FIVE DAYS LEFT by Julie Lawson Timmer. This is my absolute favorite book ever. If you are looking for a book that will speak to your heart, make you rethink alot of misconceptions you have about life and death – this is it. I bawled like a baby and questioned what I would do as a mother, how I would react as a spouse and as a daughter. I love this book so much that I’ve gifted copies to readers and if you haven’t read it yet…buy it now!
- The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle. I’ve yet to read a novel by Kimberly Belle that I have not loved and this one is no different. Everyone has secrets and from the first sentence of this book to the last one, I was on the edge of my seat – in fact, I stayed up all night reading it!
- A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. I read this story on my flight to Paris and it’s one that I know I’ll re-read throughout the years. In fact, I loved it so much, I also bought a paper copy and downloaded the audio to listen to. Why do I love it so much? Ove. He’s everything you’d expect in a grumpy old man and yet he steals your heart and won’t let go. Be prepared to fall in love with him.
- Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris. This psychological thriller about the perfect marriage had me guessing all the way and the ending was absolutely perfect. I don’t want to say any more in case you haven’t read it…and if you haven’t, you want to.
- The Good Girl by Mary Kubica. I will admit to fan-girling over Mary when I met her at BEA this past year. Like Kimberly Belle, I love each novel Mary has written but The Good Girl is one of my favorites. I curled up in my chair one afternoon and read the novel from start to finish – I think I even ordered pizza that night for the family to eat. I’m sure many of you have read it – but if you haven’t…you should!
- The Passenger by Lisa Lutz. This one surprised me. There is a scene in this novel that I still think about, one that haunts me for one reason – I was so lost in the story that I felt like I was one of the characters. I won’t tell you which scene – but if you’ve read this book (or will read it) I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Trust me – if you like psychological suspense/thrillers – then this is one to add to your book list!
- The Kommandant’s Girl by Pam Jenoff. I love books set during WWII and dealing with the Holocaust. I read Pam’s book and loved where she took the storyline, but I recently shared about her book on my FB page after finding out she’d been attacked online about misconceptions regarding her novel. Pam handles the tragedy of the Holocaust with care and no matter what, I will now buy all of her books as a means of support.
- Edge of Obsession by Megan Crane. Viking Dystopian Romance. You need to try it – trust me on this. I love Megan Crane – she’s an amazing woman and amazing author. This is the first in a series that I literally devoured – this and each book in the series. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Even if you think you’re not into viking romances, once you read even a sample of this novel, you’ll be hooked. TRUST ME.
- The Progeny by Tosca Lee. Do you remember my review here? Do you remember the story of me emailing Tosca where I went crazy and begged her to let me write something with her and in this world? Yeah, I did that. I really did. One day I’m going to meet her and give her a big box of chocolates. She deserves it for putting up with me because I’m still fan-girling over here. Is that enough to get you to look at her novel at least? Go check it out…if you are a fan of anything to do with Elizabeth Bathory then you’ll really enjoy this novel.
- Feverborn by Karen Marie Moning. I’m adding this to my list because I am a HUGE Fever series fan and this is book 8 in the series. If you haven’t started this series, then you’ll want to start with book 1 – Darkfever. Not only do I own all of these books in ebooks (because I wanted them on my kindle for easy reading no matter where I am) but I also own all the hard copies and paper copies. The paper copies I loan out to friends. The hard copies I keep for my own reading.
- Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. By now most people have read this story. I did. I then bawled on the plane as I watched the movie. Twice. Yes, twice – I watched it on my own and then on the return flight the person ahead of me/across the aisle was watching it and of course I bawled again. BAWLED. As in ugly cry, stewardess had to bring me kleenex type bawling.
- The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I’d heard so much about this book and I tend to be the type that will wait to read a ‘hyped’ book because I’m stubborn but I’m glad I didn’t wait for this one. The paper copy and e-copy are literally the same price, so you can’t go wrong either way. I love dual storyline type books and I was hooked – which shouldn’t surprise you since I’ve already said I love holocaust books. Set in France and even with scenes in Paris, there’s a fondness for this story that I won’t let go any time soon.
So that’s it. My 12 favorite books that I read in 2016. Have you read any of these? What did you think? Are they on your top 12 lists? What did I miss you think should have been included?
