Year in review: The best books of 2016

I've been slacking a bit this year, unfortunately ... according to Goodreads, my total amount of books read for 2016 was 66 books, nine shy of my goal of 75. That being said, most of the books I remember reading were very good this year. Here's a list of my top nine favorites.

The top 9 books I enjoyed this year, in no apparent order, are:

1. The Circle, by Dave Eggers. I believe this is the only book I gave 5/5 stars to this year. It's an older book, I believe from 2013, but the movie adaptation is coming out in 2017 (starring Emma Watson and Tom Hanks). VERY interesting book.

2. My Not So Perfect Life, by Sophie Kinsella. I'm a Kinsella fan from way back (loved her Shopaholic series) so it was unsurprising that I enjoyed this one as well. 4.5/5.
*publishing date: February 7, 2017

3. Small Great Things, by Jodi Picoult. Again, huge Picoult fan, and I was privileged to get to read this one super-early on Kindle, and then receive a hardcover copy of it. She researches her book topics thoroughly, too, and it definitely shows. 4.5/5.

4. The Last One, by Alexandra Oliva. I started reading this on Kindle while on a plane, and I could not put it down. Think Walking Dead meets Survivor, minus the zombies. 4.5/5.

5. In Twenty Years, by Allison Winn Scotch. This book followed a group of college classmates as they reunite on the anniversary of one of the classmate's death. Each of them has secrets, though, which will come to light that weekend. 4.5/5.
*currently free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers

6. One True Loves, by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Reid is one of my absolute favorite authors, so of course I have to include this on here. Have you ever wondered if destiny is a real thing, or if your life could have taken a different path? Then this book is for you. 4/5.

7. The Heart Goes Last, by Margaret Atwood. I'd admired Atwood's work since The Handmaid's Tale (soon to be a Hulu show, by the way) and this one definitely had an interesting premise as well. 3.5/5.

8. Flawed (Flawed series, #1), by Cecilia Ahern. I love dystopian books and this was a great one. Perfect, the second book in the series, will be released in 2017 sometime, as well.

9. Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice, by Curtis Sittenfeld. Prep, also by Sittenfeld, is one of my favorite books - however, I'm not a huge fan of the original P&P (Austen's books are hard for me to get through, so I much prefer the movie versions) so I was a little wary about this one. However, it ended up being hilarious, and is a must-read book. 4.5/5.


What were some of your favorite books that you read this year?