Top Five Books of 2016
- Description
- What are your top five reads for 2016? These books DO NOT need to have been published in 2016. See the annual blog post for staff favorites: To add a book to your list, click the "Add work to list" button in the upper-right corner. This will take you to a search box, where you can search by title, author, keyword, etc. Clicking on the title will add the book to your list. You can reorder your list over on the right-hand side, by dragging and dropping titles in the "Your list" section.
1
18,785 members
886 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 57.56
Added 2016-12-21, 07:52 PM
- 15 Members
- pmarshall, sipthereader, Jim53, mahsdad, pamur, sianpr, krazy4katz, Tess_W, Maryloo, AmourFou, jcwharton, Lauraborealis, Redheadlib, khouston205, Rorykins75
2
- 11 Members
- ursula, ablachly, dawnlovesbooks, mooingzelda, mdexter, njinthesun, winteralli, katemcangus, cooch45, Maryloo, khouston205
3
8,974 members
454 reviews
4
Score 36.82
Added 2016-12-22, 11:32 AM
- 10 Members
- zhejw, Cariola, lsh63, dudes22, beebeereads, Carmenere, lindapanzo, JSWBooks, jcwharton, honkingcronk
- Explanations
- JSWBooks: Powerful - the story and the writing!
4
- 10 Members
- susanna.fraser, dawnlovesbooks, lauralkeet, lsh63, asyouth, katiekrug, kjgormley, Sharon.Flesher, debann6354, ultrabookgeek
5
11,760 members
780 reviews
4.1
Score 29.79
Added 2016-12-20, 04:13 PM
- 9 Members
- tardis, ablachly, agjuba, krisa, kaixo, mjfisher, IrishSue, ultrabookgeek, Francisco_Javier
6
- 9 Members
- krisa, lauralkeet, Leida, IrishSue, Maryloo, Sharon.Flesher, jcwharton, honkingcronk, dianeham
7
11,241 members
687 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 28.01
Added 2016-12-20, 04:30 PM
- 9 Members
- dawnlovesbooks, RuMuse, kgriffith, beebeereads, IrishSue, niquetteb, jcwharton, honkingcronk, Redheadlib
8
3,685 members
290 reviews
½ 3.7
Score 24.87
Added 2016-12-21, 01:36 PM
- 7 Members
- lauralkeet, LoisCK, Ciruelo, Leida, marcejewels, Simone2, debann6354
9
10
7,776 members
369 reviews
½ 4.4
Score 22.74
Added 2016-12-22, 01:13 PM
- 7 Members
- bookwoman84, rosalita, holly_golightly, greeneyed_ives, kara.shamy, jcwharton, aquariumministry
- Explanations
- rosalita: A contemporary black man's point of view about race relations in America. Some deeply uncomfortably truths for white Americans here, but so necessary to acknowledge and absorb.
12
13
by Amor Towles
9,167 members
520 reviews
½ 4.4
Score 19.74
Added 2016-12-21, 03:01 PM
- 6 Members
- Bookmarque, Cariola, beebeereads, Romonko, edparks, AmourFou
- Explanations
- Romonko: I absolutely loved this book! It was so understated, but so well written.
15
2,915 members
93 reviews
4.2
Score 17.87
Added 2016-12-20, 05:12 PM
16
4,714 members
243 reviews
½ 4.6
Score 17.08
Added 2016-12-22, 01:12 PM
- 5 Members
- rosalita, Jim53, gypsysmom, honkingcronk, Papermoon4
- Explanations
- rosalita: A searing look at the racial biases in the American criminal justice system.
18
8,512 members
322 reviews
4.2
Score 15.1
Added 2016-12-20, 07:11 PM
- 5 Members
- Euryale, LoisCK, kristenl, bookwormelf, ClaudaJB
19
2,939 members
197 reviews
4.1
Score 14.08
Added 2016-12-20, 06:08 PM
- 4 Members
- rarm, bookwormelf, lottpoet, Familiar_Diversions
20
2,876 members
178 reviews
½ 3.6
Score 13.08
Added 2016-12-20, 08:01 PM
- 4 Members
- lkmiller, norabelle414, flying_monkeys, wolfeyluvr
- Explanations
- flying_monkeys: Because it's a mash-up of sci-fi and fantasy, and it's the weirdest book I read in 2016. And I mean "weird" in the best possible way.
21
by Susan Cain
11,531 members
496 reviews
4
Score 12.91
Added 2016-12-20, 04:16 PM
- 4 Members
- ccatalfo, highlander6022, Redheadlib, Cynthia_Moses
- Explanations
- highlander6022: Oh, how I wish this book was available 40 years ago. The best adjective I can give it is "rich". Rich in discussion. Rich in research documentation. Rich in providing a wonderful insight into myself, a confirmed introvert but with some extrovert tendencies. Rich in discussion of interactions between intros and extros. Rich in providing guidance on how to raise, teach, encourage intro and extro children. Rich in how to succeed in a business world where extros seem to be the "chosen ones" to lead us to the promised land of success.
23
by Blake Crouch
6,210 members
550 reviews
3.9
Score 12.87
Added 2016-12-21, 11:38 AM
- 4 Members
- mahsdad, avanders, seasonsoflove, RBeffa
25
by M. R. Carey
5,339 members
405 reviews
4
Score 12.38
Added 2016-12-20, 05:08 PM
- 4 Members
- tardis, claire.rivers, Ape, Francisco_Javier
26
2,351 members
78 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 11.91
Added 2016-12-22, 11:52 AM
- 4 Members
- hipdeep, rarm, kara.shamy, Francisco_Javier
27
30
18,519 members
1,265 reviews
4.1
Score 10.4
Added 2016-12-20, 08:02 PM
- 3 Members
- krisa, IrishSue, flying_monkeys
- Explanations
- flying_monkeys: Because I could see that magic, close my eyes and touch it. All my senses were fully engaged. It's a rare book that uses smells and sounds with such clarity and power.
31
5,511 members
360 reviews
4.1
Score 10.4
Added 2016-12-22, 05:56 AM
- 3 Members
- susanna.fraser, wandering_star, mooingzelda
32
336 members
19 reviews
4
Score 10.4
Added 2016-12-20, 07:31 PM
33
by Harper Lee
78,662 members
1,433 reviews
½ 4.4
Score 10.19
Added 2016-12-21, 11:51 AM
- 3 Members
- karenmarie, souloftherose, Cynthia_Moses
34
5,373 members
262 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 10.19
Added 2016-12-27, 05:28 PM
- 3 Members
- Jim53, beebeereads, This-n-That
35
36
9,545 members
537 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 10.08
Added 2016-12-21, 03:13 PM
37
7,318 members
508 reviews
3.9
Score 9.71
Added 2016-12-21, 08:55 AM
- 3 Members
- karenmarie, Andrew-theQM, Redheadlib
39
by Bill Bryson
16,904 members
475 reviews
4
Score 9.66
Added 2016-12-20, 04:34 PM
- 3 Members
- conceptDawg, LoisCK, hearshari
40
by Max Porter
1,455 members
78 reviews
3.8
Score 9.56
Added 2016-12-21, 02:53 PM
- 3 Members
- mahsdad, Capybara_99, Carmenere
41
5,639 members
313 reviews
4.2
Score 9.4
Added 2016-12-20, 05:54 PM
- 3 Members
- avanders, njinthesun, gypsysmom
43
15,936 members
566 reviews
½ 3.4
Score 9.02
Added 2016-12-22, 05:26 PM
- 3 Members
- Leida, wolfeyluvr, lowelibrary
44
1,288 members
54 reviews
4
Score 8.91
Added 2016-12-21, 06:01 PM
- 3 Members
- charl08, EfEh, ultrabookgeek
45
by Ken Liu
1,587 members
70 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 8.88
Added 2016-12-21, 11:50 AM
- 3 Members
- antao, bookwormelf, souloftherose
46
6,926 members
297 reviews
4.2
Score 8.71
Added 2016-12-20, 08:50 PM
- 3 Members
- LoisCK, mooingzelda, amerynth
47
4 members
1 review
5
Score 8.25
Added 2016-12-27, 10:05 AM
- 3 Members
- TeresaFrohock, DanKoboldt, Bishop_OConnell
48
13,143 members
512 reviews
4.2
Score 8
Added 2016-12-20, 04:18 PM
51
54
56
57
58
1,741 members
73 reviews
4.2
Score 7.36
Added 2016-12-20, 05:23 PM
- 2 Members
- waitingtoderail, artturnerjr
59
by Nick Lane
633 members
19 reviews
4.2
Score 7.36
Added 2017-01-04, 12:05 AM
- 2 Members
- jjwilson61, davesmind
60
61
66
68
by Bill Clegg
1,238 members
98 reviews
3.9
Score 7.04
Added 2016-12-20, 05:55 PM
- 2 Members
- njinthesun, vwinsloe
71
2,158 members
145 reviews
½ 3.7
Score 6.83
Added 2016-12-20, 06:18 PM
- 2 Members
- seasonsoflove, sturlington
72
73
4,499 members
227 reviews
4
Score 6.73
Added 2016-12-22, 08:11 PM
74
19,159 members
346 reviews
4
Score 6.68
Added 2016-12-22, 11:50 AM
75
79
3,386 members
293 reviews
3.8
Score 6.4
Added 2016-12-20, 08:04 PM
- 2 Members
- lkmiller, flying_monkeys
- Explanations
- flying_monkeys: Because it's beautiful, macabre, diverse. And it speaks to a secret, lifelong quest: to find my door.
86
88
by Lindy West
1,466 members
87 reviews
4.1
Score 6.08
Added 2016-12-20, 04:07 PM
- 2 Members
- k8_not_kate, katemcangus
90
8,723 members
517 reviews
3.9
Score 6.04
Added 2016-12-22, 06:51 PM
- 2 Members
- holly_golightly, hearshari
91
98
2,015 members
105 reviews
½ 3.7
Score 5.66
Added 2016-12-24, 07:10 AM
- 2 Members
- kaulsu, chgstrom
- Explanations
- kaulsu: I've not previously read anything by Allende. I am told each of her novels is unlike the last. It took me a minute to get into the flash backs, but (I work in a retirement community) I did enjoy it. There were some pieces that didn't ring true (FBI field agents have a mandatory retirement age of 57, for example), but Twain said we shouldn't allow a few facts to spoil a good story. Or something.
