Best Books of 2016

Best Books of 2016

I’ve given up trying to challenge myself to choose one favorite book every year. Like last year, I’m treating this list like an Olympic swimming final (if 10 swimmers advanced to the finals, rather than 8). And being an Olympic year, this is fitting. The top 3 books are my medalists and the remaining 7 round out my “finalists.” And, I’ve brought back the high school yearbook-style “Superlatives” from previous years (2015, 2014).

2016 was the year of the debut for me, with 6 debuts making my overall list and taking 2 of my 3 medals! For more on debuts, check out my Best Debuts of 2016 list. And, 70% of my Best of 2016 authors are female!

The Medalists

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett (review)
Best Dysfunctional Family

Latest Addition to My Favorite Authors List
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Shelter by Jung Yun (review)
Most Nail-Biting First Chapter

Most Brutal
Best Balance Between Writing and Plot
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

The Mothers by Brit Bennett (review)
Most Gorgeous Writing
Best First Page
Caused My Most Recent Book Hangover
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

The Remaining Finalists

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (review)
Best Nonfiction of 2016

Most Relevant to Current Events
Best Female Heroine (Mamaw)
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout (review)
Quietest

Best Life Lessons
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Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Ed Tarkington (review)
Best Southern Coming of Age Novel

Most Recommended Book of the Year
Best Narrator’s Voice (Rocky)
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler (review)
Best Gritty Coming of Age

Best Food Writing
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Tender by Belinda McKeon (review)
Most Cringe-Worthy

Most Emotionally Intense
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin (review)
Most Thinly Veiled Nonfiction

Most Scandalous
Best Example of Wealthy People Behaving Badly
Biggest Surprise of the Year
Best Recovery Book
Biggest Rating Regret (I rated it 4 instead of 5 stars when I read it)
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
Most Likely to Emotionally Wreck You

Most Deserving of All the Hype
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

What were your favorite books of 2016?

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53 Comments

  1. I loved Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld–that tongue in cheek snarkiness is so up my alley! I also liked Before the Fall and Only Love Can Break Your Heart. But my favorite was Bull Mountain. Wow.

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I really enjoyed Before the Fall as well – didn’t make my top 10, but it did make my summer reading list. And Bull Mountain was so fantastic – one of my favorites from last year!

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  2. I read and loved five of these… there will certainly be some overlap between our lists! Guess I need to hurry up and read the rest 😉

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
  3. I love this way of doing your list! Your superlatives really help to characterize the books in a pithy way. I haven’t read any yet, but Hillbilly Elegy and When Breath Becomes Air are high on my priority list.

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Thank you and hope you get to them both!

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  4. I’ve been trying to narrow my list down and feel certain Swans will make my final cut too.

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Yay! I almost didn’t put it on, but realized the only reason I was hesitating was that it was a “light” book. And then I decided that was not a valid reason.

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  5. Great list of books! I liked Sweetbitter (probably would have liked it more in my 20s) and Commonwealth was my first Ann Patchett novel, but it definitely won’t be my last! Can’t wait to get my hands on When Breath Becomes Air, even though I know it’ll rip my heart out. Hope 2017 is filled with even more great reads!

    My Top Ten Tuesday

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I loved Patchett’s State of Wonder and also just read her essay collection, This is the Story of a Happy Marriage. Commonwealth got me excited to read her backlist and I think Patron Saint of Liars might be next!

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  6. Obviously, I thin k your medalists are perfect choices! Commonwealth and Shelter would be right up there on top for me, too. Bittersweet almost made my list. I love that you included nonfiction. I really need to read When Breath Becomes Air. (Next time I’m feeling too happy!) Wonderful list and a super fun delivery!

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Thank you 🙂 And, yes, make sure you’re not in a public place when you really dig into When Breath Becomes Air!

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  7. I love the way you characterized each of these books — and what a great list. Happy New Year!

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Thank you so much and you as well!

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  8. I finally got around to reading Hillbilly Elegy and loved it. Shelter wasn’t even on my radar but I’m definitely going to have to pick that one up soon!

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Oh yay! So glad to hear that – there’s a lot to chew on there. And I hope you get to Shelter – it’s brutal, but fabulous.

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  9. Andi wrote:

    So many books I want to read…namely, Hillbilly Elegy and The Mothers.

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Two fantastic ones! Hope you get to them.

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  10. Michelle wrote:

    Great list! I, sadly, have not read nearly enough of them on your list but really want to get to them soon!

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Thanks and hope you do 🙂

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  11. Catherine wrote:

    What a fabulous way to do this! And of course, they should be ranked like Olympians!

    I’m glad our choices are different enough that I get a new perspective on books I didn’t like as much as you did. It helps me see things I might have missed.

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I agree! I love how we 100% on the same page about some books and feel completely differently about others.

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  12. RK wrote:

    Excellent list and I loved the way you ranked them! I loved several of these as well.

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Thank you 🙂

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  13. Love the way you ranked these! I think The Mothers makes my top as well, although I don’t feel like I read as many knock out spectacular books this year, sadly.

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I agree and have heard similar things from lots of people. This is the first year I’ve included a single book I rated 4 stars in my top 10 list.

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  14. CurlyGeek wrote:

    The only one of these I’ve read is Lucy Barton, and that was a beautiful book! I hope to read many of the books on your list, especially Commonwealth.

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Commonwealth is so fantastic – I hope you get to it (and aren’t on a library hold list – I heard they’re LONG).

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  15. Happily I’ve got a bunch of these ahead of me in 2017 – The Mothers, Swans, Commonwealth, Only Love. Also want to get Sweetbitter. I’ve only read one you’ve listed – Lucy Barton – thought it was fantastic as well.

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      You have so many good ones in your future! Save Swans for when you need a recovery book..it’s the perfect one!

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  16. Dawn H wrote:

    Sarah, I’ve been following and enjoying your blog for a while but have never posted. Our reading tastes are similar. I’ve read 7 of your 10 top choices, and Commonwealth is in my top 3 for the year as well! Hope 2017 is a good reading year for you!

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Awh – thanks and glad you posted! Since we have such similar tastes, I’d love to hear some of the books you’ve loved that I might not have read yet! Hope you have a great reading year as well!

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
      • Dawn H wrote:

        I really liked The Nix and The Flood Girls. Lots of others too, but those are at the top of my list!

        Posted 12.29.16 Reply
        • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

          I really should read The Nix…the length kind of turned me off.

          Posted 1.1.17 Reply
  17. Carmen wrote:

    It must have been difficult for you rounding the winners up to ten considering how much you read. Love your choices and the superlatives were a great touch!
    I hope 2017 is filled with many more great books.

    Posted 12.27.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Thank you! And – haha – I feel like I don’t read nearly as much as some other book bloggers!

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  18. Lindsay wrote:

    “When Breath Becomes Air” is on my list too… what a poignant, beautiful book it was, and one that I think should be read by everyone.

    I’m finally going to read “The Mothers”! I just got a notification that it’s in for me at the library. And I’m hoping to get to “Hillbilly Elegy” soon too.

    Love the superlatives!

    Posted 12.28.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Yay – so glad you’re starting The Mothers!

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  19. Toady wrote:

    When Breath Becomes Air was one of my favorites too. I am currently reading The Mothers, which I am very much enjoying at 27 percent. Most of the others are on my TBR. I love the way that you lined your picks up. Choosing just one favorite of the year is impossible really.

    Posted 12.28.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Thank you 🙂 And glad you’re loving The Mothers.

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  20. I love how you do this! Commonwealth was a favorite this year also and Swans a total surprise as to how much I enjoyed it. I didn’t love Tarkington’s as much as everyone else. Maybe I can squeeze one more in before the year ends.

    Posted 12.28.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Thank you! And I know of some others that didn’t love the Tarkington too…but the narrator’s voice really hit a chord with me. Hope you get that one more in!

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  21. Lauren wrote:

    I enjoy this much more than a “one favorite book” list. First of all, it gives me more to peruse and secondly, it’s difficult enough to pick one favorite in a genre, but to pit fiction against non-fiction in particular is so rough. Speaking of which, I read a tweet by a nameless someone (but a person in the book world) yesterday saying Hillbilly Elegy is his most hated book of the year. I really want to talk to him about it, but haven’t mustered the gumption. We have some overlap in our loves and some on your list I wasn’t thrilled about, which is the way I like it. Varied loves are the best. I have to say, Shelter has been on my list for a while, but the medal it won makes me want to pick it up all the more!

    Posted 12.28.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      It’s so hard to pit fiction against nonfiction..I hope one year I’ll have read enough nonfiction to do 2 separate lists. Alas, it wasn’t this year.

      And I found him on Twitter…he tweets a lot about Hillbilly Elegy!!

      Posted 12.28.16 Reply
  22. Tara wrote:

    I never did read My Name is Lucy Barton; I should add that to my library list! As always, I love seeing your lists every year; we did have several in common, which is so much fun. I hope you have a good reading year in 2017, as well!

    Posted 12.29.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      It’s a short one, so hopefully you can fit it in one weekend! And back atcha!

      Posted 1.1.17 Reply
  23. Barbara H. wrote:

    I came up with a top 16. Narrowing it down to one would be too hard, but high up there would be Not in the Heart by Chris Fabry. I keep seeing Hillbilly Elegy mentioned everywhere – I need to check it out.

    Posted 12.30.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Oh – no way could I get to one! Happy New Year!

      Posted 1.1.17 Reply
  24. I’ve had Shelter on my shelves about since it came out and I’ve been hearing good things about it the whole time. Hopefully I’ll actually get to it in 2017!

    Posted 1.1.17 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I might be misremembering, but did you tell me at some point that you don’t like the dark, brutal stuff? If so, I’ll warn you about Shelter. But, if that doesn’t bother you, then Shelter is fantastic!!

      Posted 1.1.17 Reply
      • You’re right, that’s not really my thing, so maybe I’ll keep passing on it after all! Thanks for the warning 🙂

        Posted 1.1.17 Reply
  25. And this is why I always read your reviews and recommendations. I read seven of your best of 2016, the only one I didn’t love was Lucy Barton. I got Sweetbitter for Christmas, so 8 out of 10 is not bad!

    Posted 1.3.17 Reply
  26. Naomi wrote:

    I can’t believe I haven’t read any of these yet! But they are all firmly on my to-read list. I have lots of good books to look forward to!

    Posted 1.3.17 Reply

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