Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Best Read Books 2015


Steph and Jana have asked us to share our favourite books that we read in 2015.  Looking at my goodreads account, I compiled an initial list.  There were 22 books on that list for "best read".  I didn't think I could keep you folks around long enough for a list of 22 books, so difficult cuts needed to be made.

Then, I read another book that was fantabulous.  Now, I needed to choose from 23 books.

Maybe if I group them by genre...........The following (historical fiction, mystery/crime/thrillers, contemporary fiction, and YA), plus non-fiction too.  I didn't have any superior stand-outs this year that were a "best read", so that genre got skipped.  Hopefully next year...

Seriously.  The title of this post should be I Loved So Many Books This Year I Just Can't Choose.


My Best Read Historical Fiction of 2015 included two books that were set during WWII.  If you read this genre, you are aware that this is a familiar setting.  Both The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (set in France during the German occupation) and Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (following a Lithuanian family sent to Serbia) examined different lives, experiences, and historical significance than other books I've previously read from this time period.  Both were heart-breaking and beautiful.  As was my third choice, Under a Dark Summer Sky by Vanessa Lafaye (also released as Summertime).  Set in the Florida Keys in the 1930s, this is a story about community, family, race, relationships, and more all set on the backdrop of an impending natural disaster.

(Because I can't control myself) Honorable mentions:  The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom, Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (which is actually a memoir, so not fiction, but hey...it works with this group), All That I Am by Anna Funder



My Best Read Mystery/Crime of 2015 consists of stories about a school shooting, an abduction, Stockholm Syndrome, and the dangerous, violent world of Mexican drug cartels.  None were necessarily fast-paced thrillers (hence, why I didn't use that description in the genre), but all were gripping, thought-provoking reads:  Stolen by Lucy Christopher, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult (my first book ever read by this uber-popular author), and The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow.

Honorable mentions:  Galveston by Nic Pizzolatto, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson



My Best Read Contemporary Fiction of 2015 all made me laugh, cry, and experience a variety of emotions.  I love books that make me feel and these did just that in enjoyable reads.  After starting, I did not want to put these books down:  The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (also released as The Collected Works of A.J. Fikry), I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak (also released as The Messenger), Still Alice by Lisa Genova.

Honorable mentions:  Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg, Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper

 

My Best Read YA books of 2015 were all very different books from each other...but all gave me lots of feels...all had lessons to learn packed in their pages...all dealt with meaningful relationships:  The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta, Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy, and The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay.

Honorable mentionsEverybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King, Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta, My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Varga

I know.  I should have cut and culled more.  But...but...but...I had a really great year of reading.  In 2014, I read 66 books.  I set the goal for 75 books in 2015.  I smashed that.  I read 90 books!!

I'm actually feeling guilty about the ones that did get culled and left off of this post, so I should stop now. 

Are you going to read any of these books?  Or have you read them already??

22 comments:

  1. I just finished reading the kind worth killing and I have admit it was SO good! If i wouldn't have discovered SJ Watson and his books it would have made my list as well. My heart and other black holes also made my list for young adult.

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  2. So many great books here... & so many I still need to add to my list!
    I need to make a bigger goal of more books in 2016 myself.

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  3. I like your breaking it down by genre idea! I have several of these on my TBR list, but you know how it goes - so many books, so little time. There's always next year, right?

    Have a wonderful New Year!

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  4. You're a reading machine! I wish I had your drive. 90 books?? Dang! I'm glad you didn't shrink your list any more than this- I like reading other people's opinions on books!

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  5. I'm ready for your book challenge to start so I can get to Under A Dark Summer Sky, historical fiction is one of my favorite genres!

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  6. wait 90 books? i think i finished 1. haha. i'm the WORST. :) but i love how you broke up this list into categories and such. way easy to digest and add more to my wishlist!

    xoxo cheshire kat

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  7. You make me feel like an underachiever! I just listed like my 5-6 favorites.
    But I read some of these and agree that they were great.
    Others are on my TBR list!

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  8. Angela's Ashes is on my list to read and I think I'm going to have to save this post for reference. Actually I may have to share all the posts from the link up for future reference.

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  9. It's just so hard to pick a few that are your favorites! I loved how you broke them up into different categories, and I'm pretty sure that I added everything on your lists to my TBR list on Goodreads! You and Kristen both talked about how much you love The Nightingale, so I literally can't wait to read it for your challenge!

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  10. I had to add Under a Dark Summer Sky - loving these lists so I can pick up on something I missed the first time around!

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  11. The Nightingale made my list as well! Between Shades of Gray, Under a Dark Summer Sky and Side Effects May Vary were already on my to read list...probably from some of your previous posts! I've read so many of the books on your list and agree in their greatness!

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  12. Whoa, you really smashed your goal! I loved The Sea of Tranquility. The Girl on the Train and The kind Worth Killing were also solid, enjoyable reads for me this year. I'm so looking forward to participating in your reading challenge...got all my books selected and blogged about my list today. I think I even recruited a couple of real-life friends to participate too!

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  13. This post is why we're basically the same person. Many similarities, we both used honorable mentions and we picked the several of the same authors (even if it's different books). Obviously I love your choices. I Am the Messenger was on the long list for me but for brevity, I had to cut it. All the sads.

    Oh, and the ones I didn't read? Many are already on my TBR. #surprisesurprise

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  14. Nineteen Minutes is a mystery book? Awesome! Now I'm even more interested in reading that. I just finished Still Alice last week. What an amazing book. All the feels.

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  15. You read-aholics amaze me! 90 Books! I think I read 6, maybe. Still I'm getting there... slowly and surely. Now I have a big ol' list to choose from to keep going!

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  16. Love the way you formatted this post. Angela's Ashes is one book I love, love, love, and have read several times, but I need a few good years in between each reading. I might go for a reread in 2016. It's such a wonderful book.

    And OH! Nineteen Minutes! So beautifully told. I love Jodi Picoult and really will read anything by her, but Nineteen Minutes is a standout for sure. If you want to read more by her and were drawn especially to this one, I recommend The Storyteller next.

    AJ Fikry made my list too. I can't believe I waited so long to read it, it was wonderful! Did You Ever Have a Family and The Sea of Tranquility are on my list and waiting for me too.

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  17. damn you go girl! but seriously, i felt guilty over the ones i left out too. like, i still loved you or i didn't hate you, please don't be mad at me. i love the way you did this post, i might have to remember it for next year. all the books on your list that i've read, i loved as well. if i haven't read them, they are on my list! what is your goal for next year? 100 books? :)

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  18. It was an awesome year for reading but I have to say I see a lot on your list that I need to add to my To Read list!!!

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  19. Holy 90 books! Nineteen Minutes was my first Picoult book too (years and years ago!) so that's what drew me in. I've read most of her books. I also loved Still Alice and Girl on the Train. So many of these are on my to-read list though!!

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  20. I almost bought Shades of Gray the other day and didn't! I'm reading Everything I Never and I don't love it. I saw so many good things about it too but ehh. I'm hoping there's going to be some good plot twist. Still Alice was definitely a runner up for me.

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  21. 90 books? You go girl! That's awesome! It's also awesome that you read so many great books that you had such a hard time narrowing it down. I did like the category groupings, though!

    The Sea of Tranquility made my list (like it wouldn't!), and your honorable mention Everything I Never Told You did as well. I just loved both of those books so much.

    I'm also excited that most of your picks (and honorable mentions) are already on my "To Read" list, so it looks like I'll have a lot of great books to choose from in the upcoming months. I picked The Nightingale and Did You Ever Have a Family for your reading challenge, so those are at the top of my list (right after I desperately attempt to finish the Semi-Charmed challenge!).

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  22. Stolen is on my list to read soon. I loved A.J Fikry and Sea of Tranquility. So many good books to choose from, so hard to pick.

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