Favorite Books of 2016

I read a lot of books this year and I particularly read a lot of really good books this year. So narrowing down the 138 books down to my top favorites was a little challenging. Here are my favorite books of 2016, in no particular order:

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson - This is a coming of age story that follows Henry Denton, a boy who has frequently been abducted by aliens and they have given him the choice to save the world in 144 days by pressing a red button, which he has has no intentions of doing so. I was absolutely floored by everything about this book, especially the characters and the plot. The author wrote an incredibly moving story, that I will be revisiting for years to come. I know I said that this list is in no particular order, but this book has the highest honors.

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski - This is the first book in a trilogy that revolves around a well respected general's daughter, Kestrel, and the consequences of purchasing a slave. I absolutely loved this trilogy and the first installment was my favorite of the three. Rutkoski's writing is beautiful and I love how she crafted the mentally strong, Kestrel. I also loved the romance aspects of this book.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas - This is the second book in Maas' Beauty and the Beast retelling/Fae trilogy. This book was leagues better than the first book, and I was blown away by how much the world and story evolved in this installment. I love how Maas tackled the huge subject of emotional abuse in Feyre's character. I'm impatiently waiting for the next book to come out in May.

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas - This is the fifth book in the Throne of Glass series. The ToG series is one of my absolute favorite series (right behind Harry Potter), and this installment did not disapoint. I shed so many tears and experienced so many different emotions while reading this book, it was a lot like a rollercoaster. This book ended on a massive cliffhanger and that fact is emotional hurting me, especially since I have no idea when the last book will be out.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson - This book follows Andie, who has her whole summer planned out and then due to her father's political scandal her life is turned upside down and unexpected things happen to her. This book happens to be the only contemporary novel on my list. Lately I've realized that my tastes have shifted away from contemporary novels, but I will always read anything that Morgan Matson puts out. This book is fighting with Second Chance Summer as my favorite of her books. But in this one, I especially loved the friendship and family aspects (I'm very much in love with Clark), and there's also a ton of dogs in this book!

Air Awakens by Elise Kova - This is the first book in a series following Vhalla, a library apprentices, who discovers that she is the first person with air magic in a 150 years. I absolutely loved this book, especially the characters and the plot. Although there were some cliche elements, I was absolutely addicted to the story and finished this book in less than a day.

 The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan - This is the third book in The Heroes of Olympus series. I read A LOT of Rick Riordan books this year, 12 to be exact, and I loved all of them. I particularly loved the story of this novel and all the challenges the characters underwent.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo - This is the sequel to Six of Crows, which followed Kaz and his crew of criminals and misfits as they pull of an impossible heist. I enjoyed reading Six of Crows, but I felt that this book completely blew that one out of the water. I connected and understood the characters and their story so much better in this book. This book was also another emotional rollercoaster for me, so much happens in this story and I wish Leigh Bardugo would continue to write more books about these characters.

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare - This is the last book in The Infernal Devices trilogy. I finally read a Cassandra Clare book this year! I really loved this trilogy as a whole, especially the characters and their relationships with each other. Again, this was another emotional rollercoaster for me (the ending had me sobbing). I'm really happy I jumped on the Shadowhunter bandwagon this year.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne - This is a weird inclusion for me because I absolutely loved having new material from the Wizarding World, but I also recognize that this story has so many problems with it. I really loved being back in my favorite series, and I would love to see this preformed live one day. And I did write up a full review about this book here. 

And those are my favorite books that I read in 2016. One thing I'm particularly looking forward to in the New Year, is all the new books that  I'll get to read. - Jessica