2016 was a great year for me with regard to books. During the year I discovered that I really enjoyed listening to Audio books and that helped me significantly in getting thru a lot of books (mostly during my commute).

I managed to read a varied genre of books in the last year, so the list below will probably not entirely suit everyone. If you are looking for recommendations on what to read next, hope you can find one of the below books to your liking.

Best books of 2016:

1. A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James – This Man Booker winner for 2015 has to be the best book I read in 2016.  Marlon James gives life to over 20 unforgettable characters who tell the story of Jamaica over the ages.  The book is unapologetically raw in its prose and is similar to nothing I have ever read before.  Pick it up if you want to read top quality writing.
   
2. Be Brilliant Every Day by Andy Cope, Andy Whittaker – This came recommended from a friend who swore by the humor in this non-fic book.  Few pages in and I was hooked not just to the smart and tongue in cheek humor but also to the premise of the book.  Be Brilliant Every Day talks about what it takes to be happy and why we sometimes have good days and bad days.
3. All the Light we cannot see by Anthony Doerr – This Pulitzer winning novel is probably my most memorable book of 2016.  The tale of a blind French girl and a smart German boy whose worlds come together in a french city under siege in World War 2, is both heart warming and gut wrenching.
4. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson – Kate Atkinson dives into the philosophical question of “What if you could live your life over and over again?” How would you make your choices? Ursula Todd the protagonist of Life After Life gets to do exactly that and we follow her multiple lives through the early and mid 20th century.  In her multiple lives she lives through the Second World War and even gets to assassinate Hitler.  Read it in this life time or the next but do read it :P
5. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion – This Rom Com of a book is possibly the funniest novel I have ever read.  Rosie Project is the story of Don Tilman, who is probably most accurately described as a clone of Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory, in the search of a wife.  The book told from the protagonist’s view point is hilarious from the word go.  While its hard to take a lot of the book seriously, it is still a great read.
6. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler – This Man Booker Shortlisted book for 2014 tells the story of Rosemary and her siblings.  A brother who is a fugitive and a sister who is unfairly prisoned.  We Are All… is an heart warming tale and an eye opener to the world of Animal cruelty & abuse.  Highly recommend this book about the bitter truth that has been hidden away from our eyes

So there we go, these were my favourite books of 2016.  Looking forward to another year with books in 2017 :)