I blinked and it’s New Year’s Eve. 2016 has been a year of huge changes, both good and bad, and it has not been a fantastic reading year. However, it has been solid, so I thought I’d share some that I enjoyed.
If that isn’t an underwhelming introduction, I don’t know what is. Regardless of how sub-par this post begins (I’d rewrite it if I had more time, but I don’t), I really am recommending reading the following books.
In no particular order:
10. Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Ed Tarkington
09. Inherit the Bones by Emily Littlejohn
08. Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt (review).
07. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood (review).
06. The Guineveres by Sarah Domet (review).
05. The Girls by Emma Cline (review).
04. Marrow Island by Alexis Smith (review).
03. Goodnight Beautiful Women by Anna Noyes
02. Rush Oh! by Shirley Barret
01. Sweetgirl by Travis Mulhauser (review).
It’s worth noting, given my typical top ten lists, there are 8 female authors vs 2 male authors. Books worth mentioning that didn’t make the list: Jane Steele, Dog Run Moon, The Heavenly Table, and Hag-Seed.
Let’s all hope 2017 begins better than 2016 ended. Happy New Year!
flannel and folklore 
Happy New Year to you and your dear new bundle of joy, Rory! I know we’ve both struggled since November so I hope her presence (and that of your boys) will keep the positivity flowing. We’re going to need all the help we can get.
Not to put too much pressure on you, but I had Mr. Splitfoot in a bag to give away. Seeing it on your list has made me add it back to my shelves!
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I’m BUSTING to know what you thought of Rush Oh! but I know you have bigger fish (or rather a sweet little bub) to fry at the moment 🙂
I have Only Love Can Break Your Heart in the TBR stack – saving it for a time when I have a mediocre run of books.
Much like you, I didn’t feel like there were clear stand-out reads in 2016 however, once I looked back over what I’d read, it was a solid collection.
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Happy New Year to you and hope things are going well with your new little one! Thrilled to see Only Love on your list…it was on mine too, but I hadn’t seen it on any other lists (at least not that I remember).
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I got All the Ugly and Wonderful Things last week in e-book sales, so I am looking forward to it in 2017!
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I haven’t read any of these, but I’m waiting to get Inherit the Bones from the library (thanks for the rec!).
I hope 2017 turns out to be a much better reading year. Maybe aim for quality over quantity…
Happy New Year!
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I hope you and yours are doing well this new year. Marrow Island made my top as well (although the list will go unpublished, because I just can’t get it together), and I still really want to get to Rush Oh!
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Thanks for the short story rec. I devoured it during my ho-hum NYE spent in yoga pants. 🙂 I’m putting many others on your list on hold at the library.
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I was able to squeeze in All the Ugly and Wonderful Things last month and wow, that was quite a book. Also loved Sweet Girl… hoping to see something new from Mulhauser (although I’m still waiting for something more from Zupan – The Ploughmen).
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I feel like I just need to put all these on my reading list for next year – especially Mr. Splitfoot!
Tanya Patrice
Girlxoxo.com
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The Guiniveres was one of my favorites too. It was kind of a surprise. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did. I would really like to read Marrow Island this year.
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