Welcome to my first Giveaway Hop of 2017. It’s the Best of 2016, featuring the books that eventually emerged as my top five. Thank you, Mary at BookHounds, for running this hop, and many other top events throughout the year (and over many years). You truly are a star.
You may have seen me raving about my top books at the end of last year. I slid another one in just before Christmas; it came out last week and I reviewed it on Saturday. So the list has changed a little since I ran the Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway where I led with The Martian, and even, on reflection, from my Book of the Year list a couple of weeks back.
My final top five books I read in 2016 are:
- The Rosetta Man, by Claire McCague
- Brilliantly written, with fabulous descriptions of the communication methodology, and overall, seriously good. With aliens. Set partly on Samoa. With a man who talks to animals, rather than people. What’s not to like?
- Dear Amy, by Helen Callaghan
- A first-class psychological thriller that I really couldn’t put down. One of those books that leaves you wanting more, even though child abduction is at its heart. Not for people with personality disorders.
- The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers
- A wonderfully built universe where humans are anything but in the ascendent. Richly told adventure of a team of tunnellers awarded a contract that is nowhere near as simple as it sounds. Vividly imagined, and well worth a read.
- The Screaming Staircase, by Jonathan Stroud
- How can a team of teenagers overcome the supernatural beings that haunt the green and pleasant land? Because they’re ghost hunters, and they’re good – and so is the person that wants them taken down….
- The One Memory of Flora Banks, by Emily Barr
- Seventeen year old Flora thinks she’s ten, because that was when her memories stop. Every day she has to read her notes just to find out who she is. So how can she remember kissing a boy called Drake on the beach? And why has she got a note to herself that her parents are keeping a secret from her? A rollercoaster story that will keep you guessing, and then make your mind jump through hoops.
I hope there’s something in there that takes your fancy, since the winner of my giveaway will have a choice of one of them, in paperback or ebook as preferred (if available).
Entries are welcome from all parts of the world (if Book Depository doesn’t do free delivery to you, it’ll have to be an ebook if you win), and entries close at midnight (New York time) on 31st January. Just enter via the Rafflecopter, then go hopping round other people who have signed up to tell you the best of their 2016.
Now go hopping!
Holy carps, I’m meant to be on this hop – am I late or are you early??! And since I’m like 9 hours ahead of you, this doesn’t bode well. Eeeeeep!
You’ve got until about now, or maybe a little longer! It officially starts on the 19th. 🙂
For some reason I had written it on my calendar for the 9th of February. I blame Donald Trump.
Well, I always said I didn’t keep too good a track of what I’d read before 2017, so….
I never used to bother, but now I wish I had!
One of my most recent favorites of 2016 that comes to mind that I read towards the end of the year was The Haunting by Sandra Marton.
That sounds a little spooky for me! Thanks for visiting, Kim
Jemima! Hello from Okayama! I’m fascinated by every single ONE of these books and plan on reading them when I return home. As always, your lucid descriptions leave me wanting to know more and I’m excited to read about this hop! Each book features a different world and “The Rosetta Man” in particular, stirs the Boolean part of me that is so analytical! Thanks for sharing. I know I’m too late, but wanted to comment. Congratulations and the best to you, as always love! Mary
You’re never too late – and it’s lovely to hear from you! Hope you have a good year, Mary <3
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Ah – I have heard good things of that, thanks for the reminder
I have to read The Screaming Staircase this year.
I’ve just picked up book 4 from NetGalley. When am I going to fit in books 2 & 3? Well, I also ordered book 2 from the library…
Oh, boy. That’s a great-sounding collection, except the psychological thriller, which is a genre I just can’t touch.
And oops. Forgot I was supposed to say what my favorite book of the year was…not a question I am ever able to answer. Among kids’ books, I will put the “Mr Max” series by Cynthia Voight. Non-fiction goes to a book that I pick more for it’s heart than great writing, The Animal Keepers by Donn Behake. With a nod to Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King (thanks to Jemima for the tip-off to that one).
one of my favorite reads in 2016 was Where’d you go Bernedette by Maria Semple. Thank you
I suspect Im going to get far too many excellent recommendations here…
BURIAL RITES by Hannah Kent – I think it was a 2016 read. It stands out.
Oh, boy… it had better join the others on my TBR, then 🙂
It was probably A Court of Mist and Fury. I was so utterly absorbed in it when I was reading it.
Absorbing – not like the one I’ve just finished, then!
All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
another great recommendation 🙂
My top read of 2016 was Inferno by Dan Brown – which I am non-so-coincidentally giving away on my own blog 🙂 TY for the giveaway!
I’ll be over to see what you thought of it!
Commonwealth BY ANN PATCHETT
Evicted Poverty and Profit in the American City BY MATTHEW DESMOND
The Gene An Intimate History BY SIDDHARTHA MUKHERJEE
News of the World BY PAULETTE JILES
Crikey – too many to choose, from, eh, Mai?
My favorite read was The abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie.
That sounds very thought-provoking
I really enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. I really enjoy her books, looking forward to reading the next one!!
Judy Cox
Yes, I like the sound of that!
I loved “The unexpected everything” by morgan matson.
Another for me to check out 🙂
Three dark crowns was my favourite
Interesting 🙂
The sun is also a star
Rafflecopter username: Joana Bento
That looks like it’s getting a good press…
When We Collided by Emery Lord
That’s an intriguing title!
Last Girl Before Freeway by Leslie Bennett
Another interesting choice 🙂
“Monkey Business” by Landon Crutcher was a very good book.
Another one to check out 🙂
My top book of 2016 was Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty.
That’s a great title!
I liked Going Postal
“Words are important. And when there is a critical mass of them, they change the nature of the universe.”
Profound… Must look this one up!
I really enjoyed The Girl with All the Gifts.
Sounds good
I loved Behind Closed. Doors by B. A. Paris!
That could be dangerous – or upsetting!
I loved Crooked Kingdom b Leigh Bardugo but my absolute favorite was The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson 🙂
Ooh, more new ones to me!
Sworn to Rise series by Terah Edun
I really ought to try this one out this year 🙂
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood.
I think that’s on my list – thanks for the recommendation!
I loved NOWHERE WITH YOU, Josh O’Kane’s biography of the very cool Canadian musician Joel Plaskett!
Ah… okay!
My favorite book of 2016 is A court of thorns and roses…
I think I’ve had that mentioned already 🙂
no fav, didn’t read many
Really? I hope everything is okay with you – just busy, I hope.
My top book of 2016 was Truthwitch by Susan Dennard.
I must check that one out.
My Maker’s Keeper by Tiffany Current was my favorite book from 2016.
What a great title!
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent ! 🙂
That’s on my list 🙂
My favorite book from 2016 is Someone to Love by Mary Balogh.
Sounds interesting. Thanks, Jeanna.
The Firey Cross – who doesn’t love Jamie & Claire!
Er… as you say 😉
Top book of 2016 was THE GIRL WITH THE LOWER BACK TATTOO By Amy Schumer. Super fun read 😉
The Magician’s Nephew was good.
Ah, yes… but is that the same one I’m thinking of?
It Ends With Us! I loved it! ♥
Great recommendation 🙂
The Beast by J.R. Ward was my favorite book of 2016.
That sounds like it might be scary…
My top reads from 2016 were Lies we tell ourselves by Robin Talley, Firefight by Brandon Sanderson and Living dead girl by Elizabeth Scott.
Those all sound good
Mine was Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas.
I think I saw that listed somewhere this week… unless you recommended it on another blog!
I really liked Nameless and Clanless.
Sounds interesting, Penny!
One of my favorites was It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
I’ve never read any Colleen Hoover, but I know she’s popular 🙂
I loved Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire.
maybe Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Those look like lovely books!
I read a lot of amazing books in 2016. There were 3 that just blew me away and I can’t pick just one. The best reads of 2016 were A Court of Mist and Fury and Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas, as well as Hunt The Dawn by Abbie Roads.
I love Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare.
The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr sounds really interesting!
“The Wise Man’s Fear” was my favorite book that I read last year. I ship Patrick Rothfuss now.
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
End of Watch is my favorite
Small Great Things was my favorite.
While I haven’t finished it yet (it was released late in the year, and I have a library copy), I think that Zadie Smith’s “Swing Time” will be my #1 for 2016.