The (unofficial) 2016 Book Awards!

Hello, Internet! Tons of people have been posting their favorite books of 2016 lately, and I will be doing that today, but I’m going to spice it up with a couple more things.

I feel like 2016 was a good year for me, in terms of books. I opened myself into some books that I was hesitant to read, and I’m really proud of myself for that. Other than that, it was garbage fire on wheels kind of year. I think it was like that for a lot of people too. But we’re not talking about the depressing twelve months that was 2016, we’re talking about books.

This year, I started reading more high fantasy books, which is a genre that I’m generally kind of intimidated by. Being thrust into a completely different world with unfamiliar terms was very unsettling to me, but I found that I really, really enjoyed it. I also started getting more into audiobooks. My thing with audiobooks is that I really only like to listen to them if I’ve physically read the book first. I just have this fear that if I fall asleep while listening to it, then I will have skipped half of the book. I really do enjoy audiobooks, so I want to work on listening to the books I haven’t read yet. I also want to start reading a more diverse range of books. I could’ve done a lot better at picking up books that I normally wouldn’t, so I’m going to try to be more diverse with the books I read.

Now for my top three books of 2016! After this bit, I’ll go on to the 2016 Book Awards, then onto my most anticipated books of 2017. I’m basing the dates off of Goodreads data, and some of you may know that Goodreads can be a little inaccurate with that sort of things (with mine especially), so I’m going to try to remember if I actually read these books in 2016. Fair warning, though, my memory isn’t the best, but I’ll try.

In third place this year is Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. Cassandra Clare is an amazing writer, and this book only proved it more. My old literature teacher was a Cassie Clare fan too, so naturally, we fangirled together about it. She said that she would like Cassandra to venture out of the Shadowhunter world, but I fully disagreed. This world is something that so many people love and adore, and it’s like home to them. It’s like home to me. As long as she keeps writing books in this world, I’m happy. And it’s not like she just keeps using the same plot and watering it down. Every spin-off series is something new, and a lot of authors wouldn’t be able to do that. Lady Midnight is just so amazing and funny. It made turning each page a treat.

In second place is The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee. I put off reading this book for a good while, even though it was sitting on my shelf, right in front of me. Then, one day I just thought “screw it” and started reading. It was a torrent of emotions that kept sucking me in. I genuinely couldn’t stop reading, which isn’t good, because I almost missed my bus one morning trying to finish a chapter. All the characters are so beautifully developed, and you think you’ve figured out which ones you like and which ones you don’t, but then something happens and your opinions totally change. I’m so excited for the next book to come out, because the ending just left me gasping and screaming.

In first place is A Court of Mist and Fury By Sarah J. Maas. I loved A Court of Thorns and Roses a lot, but ACoMaF was really the one that did it for me. It was so well written and the plot twists that came out of seemingly nowhere (and that actually fit in and made perfect sense) were perfection. Sarah J Maas has been impressing me from day one and I'm so glad that I started to read books from her. I know that this book is going to be on a lot of people’s favorite’s list this year, because it was just so genius and impactful.

And now, ladies and gentleman, it’s time for (drumroll please)...............THE 2016 BOOK AWARDS! The premise is simple: I will list categories and choose the book that fits best under that area.

Burn, Baby, Burn! (the worst book I read in 2016):

And the winner of this category is…….Splintered by A.G Howard. Everyone and their mother has heard me rant about this book and how much I disliked it. I’m open with my dislike about it, and it’s not something I want to hide. It’s not good. It really isn’t. The writing is sloppy, the characters are bad, and it glorifies mental health. I could go on. It’s not something I would every try to read again. Which sucks, because it has such a pretty cover.

Once Upon a Time (best retelling I read in 2016):

This one’s going to go to Heartless by Marissa Meyer! If you read my November Wrap Up, then you will know how much I love this book. It’s so sad, but so good! Marissa Meyer is such a talented writer, and she did great justice to the Queen of Hearts.

Cover Crush (prettiest cover):

And the winner is…….Madly by Amy Alward (or The Potion Diaries, depending on where you live) This was a very close call. It was between this and Firstlife by Gena Showalter, but Madly pulled through in the end. The moment I saw this cover, I knew it was true love. It’s so gorgeous and amazing and I want to marry it. It’s also a really fun, lighthearted book that I enjoyed immensely.

Out of This World (best sci-fi book I read in 2016):

I dub thee… a tie! A tie between These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner and Pivot Point by Kasie West. Both were such good books, and really refreshing, considering I don’t read a lot of sci-fi books. These Broken Stars is a part of a series, which I didn’t finish, because each book has a different plot and different characters, and I don't really like that concept. I decided to read TBS and leave it at that, because it was so good and I didn’t want to ruin that feeling of wonder. I might finish the series someday, but not today. As for Pivot Point, it’s very thrilling and keeps you on your toes and wondering what comes next.

All By Myself (best standalone I read in 2016):

The winner is…….The Loose Ends List by Carrie Firestone! This book was just the right mix of humor, lightheartedness, and sadness, a blend that doesn’t seem like it goes well together, but totally does. It can have a sort of dark sense of humor at times, but that’s what makes it so good. There’s quite a bit of depression in this book, which is practically essential for the plot, but it fits in so well and is definitely a tearjerker. It’s one of those books that stays with you for a long time. It’s an amazing book, and I really recommend it.

To Read, or Not to Read (the book I was hesitant to read):

And the award goes to…….Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard! I mentioned this in my October Wrap Up, but I was really hesitant to read this because of all the hype behind it. I was afraid of getting my hopes up for fear of being disappointed. Thankfully, I was not! Red Queen was so good! I loved it, loved it’s characters, loved the plot, everything!

Cry Baby (the most tear-inducing book I read in 2016):
This was such a difficult decision to make, because these two books were both so sad, but so good. Ultimately, the winner is We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. It was between We Were Liars and Heartless by Marissa Meyer, but E. Lockhart made me just a tad bit sadder than Marissa. Heartless was amazing, don't get me wrong, but they way E. pulled me in and shattered my every being was so intense. I'll probably do a review on this book soon.

That’s it for the 2016 Book Awards! Now onto my most anticipated books of 2016! These are going in no particular order, just the books I’m really excited for.

1. Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare (published May 23rd, 2017) The cliffhanger at the ending of Lady Midnight was not okay, and it made me mad, so I need to figure out what happens.
2. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas (published May 2nd, 2017) Once again, what happened was NOT OKAY AND I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!
3. Always and Forever, Laura Jean by Jenny Han (published May 2nd, 2017) I love this duology so, so much, and I freaked out when I hear she was writing a third book. Jenny Han is amazing, and I love her writing.
4. The untitled The Thousandth Floor sequel by Katharine McGee (published August 29, 2017) So many maddening endings… I need this book like I need air.
5. King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard (published February 7th, 2017) I need to know what happens to Mare and Maven and Cal, and it’s not fair because I have to wait two more months.
6. Untitled Throne of Glass #6 by Sarah J Maas (published September 2017) HOLY CRAP THE EMPIRE OF STORMS ENDING LIKE SERIOUSLY SARAH? ARE YOU KIDDING?
7. Zenith: The Androma Saga by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings (published fall 2017) I read part one, when they were still self-publishing, and I was really interested in it. I’m excited to see how the rest of the story plays out.

That is it for today guys! I hope you had an awesome holiday and have a great New Year! See you next year (see what I did there *nudge, nudge, wink, wink*)

Thanks for reading,
-Ari