Best Books of 2016

I read over 500 books in 2016. Here are some of my favorites:

Favorite board books:

1. Hair. Leslie Patricelli. 2017. Candlewick. 26 pages. [Source: Review copy; board book]
2. Cityblock. Christopher Franceschelli. 2016. Harry N. Abrams. 96 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
3. Hooray for Hat. Brian Won. 2016. HMH. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
4. Mustache Baby. Bridget Heos. 2016. HMH. 36 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Favorite Christmas books:

1. Stowaway in a Sleigh. C. Roger Mader. 2016. HMH. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
2. Letters From Father Christmas. J.R.R. Tolkien. 1976/1999. 160 pages. [Source: Library] 

Favorite poetry picture book: When Green Becomes Tomatoes. Julie Fogliano. Illustrated by Julie Morstad. 2016. Roaring Brook Press. 56 pages. [Source: Library]

Favorite picture books:

1. Barnacle is Bored. Jonathan Fenske. 2016. Scholastic. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
2. Strictly No Elephants. Lisa Mantchev. Illustrated by Taeeun Yoo. 2015. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
3. Louise Loves Art. Kelly Light. 2014. 40 pages. [Source: Library] 
4. Lucky Lazlo. Steve Light. 2016. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
5. I Am A Story. Dan Yaccarino. 2016. HarperCollins. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
6. Eat, Sleep, Poop. Alexandra Penfold. Illustrated by Jane Massey. 2016. Random House. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
7. Because of Thursday. Patricia Polacco. 2016. Simon & Schuster. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
8. If You Give A Mouse A Brownie. Laura Joffe Numeroff. Illustrated by Felicia Bond. 2016. HarperCollins. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
9. Absolutely One Thing. Lauren Child. 2016. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
10. Dog Loves Drawing. Louise Yates. 2012. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Favorite picture book biographies:

1. Fascinating: The Life of Leonard Nimoy. Richard Michelson. Illustrated by Edel Rodriguez. 2016. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
2. Miracle Man. John Hendrix. 2016. Harry N. Abrams. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
3. Hello, I'm Johnny Cash. G. Neri. Illustrated by A.G. Ford. 2014. Candlewick. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
4. Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn't Sit Still. Karlin Gray. Illustrated by Christine Davenier. 2016. HMH. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
5. Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed The Way You Talk. Jane Sutcliffe. Illustrated by John Shelley. 2016. Charlesbridge. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
6. Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear. Lindsay Mattick. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. 2015. Little, Brown. 56 pages. [Source: Library] [Picture book]

Favorite early readers and chapter books:

1. Ann Likes Red. Dorothy Z. Seymour. Illustrated by Nancy Meyeroff. 1965. 28 pages. [Source: Bought] [Childhood Favorite]
2. Posy the Puppy (Dr. Kitty Cat #1) Jane Clarke. 2016. Scholastic. 96 pages. [Source: Review copy] ANIMAL FANTASY
3. Duck, Duck, Porcupine! Salina Yoon. 2016. Bloomsbury. 64 pages. [Source: Library] 
4. The Princess in Black Takes a Vacation. Shannon Hale. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2016. Candlewick. 96 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
5. Mango & Bambang: The Not a Pig. Polly Faber. Illustrated by Clara Vulliamy. 2016. Candlewick. 144 pages. [Source: Review copy] 

Favorite Contemporary Fiction (Realistic/General), all ages:

1. Ghost. Jason Reynolds. 2016. 192 pages. [Source: Library]
2. Saving Red. Sonya Sones. 2016. HarperTeen. 448 pages. [Source: Library]  
3. Raymie Nightingale. Kate DiCamillo. 2016. Candlewick. 272 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
4. Falling Over Sideways. Jordan Sonnenblick. 2016. Scholastic. 272 pages. [Source: Library]
5. Applesauce Weather. Helen Frost. Illustrated by Amy June Bates. 2016. 112 pages. [Source: Review copy]
6. Ms. Bixby's Last Day. John David Anderson. 2016. 320 pages. [Source: Library] 
7. Weekends with Max and His Dad. Linda Urban. 2016. HMH. 160 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
8. Hour of the Bees. Lindsay Eagar. 2016. Candlewick. 360 pages. [Source: Review copy] [Slight fantasy, possible magical realism, definite coming-of-age]
9. Roller Girl. Victoria Jamieson. 2015. 240 pages. [Source: Library] GRAPHIC NOVEL, MG, YA
10. Prairie Evers. Ellen Airgood. 2012. 224 pages. [Source: Library] 

Favorite Speculative Fiction:

1. Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard. Jonathan Auxier. 2016. Harry N. Abrams. 464 pages. [Source: Library]  
2. The Seventh Wish. Kate Messner. 2016. Bloomsbury. 228 pages. [Source: Review copy]
3. The Toymaker's Apprentice. Sherri L. Smith. 2015. 400 pages. [Source: Library] [MG/YA Fantasy]
4. The Heart of Betrayal (Remnant Chronicles #2) Mary E. Pearson. 2015. Henry Holt. 470 pages. [Source: Library]  
5. The Beauty of Darkness (Remnant Chronicles #3) Mary E. Pearson. 2016. Henry Holt. 679 pages. [Source: Library] 
6. Time Cat. Lloyd Alexander. 1963. 206 pages. [Source: Bought]
7. The House on the Strand. Daphne du Maurier. 1968. 352 pages. [Source: Bought] 
8. Fantastic Mr. Fox. Roald Dahl. Illustrated by Quentin Blake. 1970. 96 pages. [Source: Library] 
9. Mio, My Son. Astrid Lindgren. 1954/2015. NYR Children's Collection. 184 pages. [Source: Library] FANTASY, MG, CLASSIC 
10. Alas, Babylon. Pat Frank. 1959/2005. Harper Perennial Modern Classics. 323 pages. [Source: Bought]APOCALYPTIC ADULT

Favorite Historical Fiction:

1. Five Children on the Western Front. Kate Saunders. 2014. 318 pages. [Source: Library]
2. The Beautiful Pretender. Melanie Dickerson. 2016. Thomas Nelson. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
3. Between Shades of Gray. Ruta Sepetys. 2011. Penguin. 352 pages. [Source: Library]  
4. Salt to the Sea. Ruta Sepetys. 2016. 391 pages. [Source: Library] 
5. Full of Beans. Jennifer L. Holm. 2016. Random House. 208 pages. [Source: Review copy]
6. Ruby Lee & Me. Shannon Hitchcock. 2016. Scholastic. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy] COMING OF AGE, MG, CIVIL RIGHTS
7. Happy Little Family. Rebecca Caudill. 1947. 107 pages. [Source: Bought] [Children's Classic, J/MG Historical Fiction]
8. By the Great Horn Spoon! Sid Fleischman. 1963. 224 pages. [Source: Bought] 
9. Emily's Runaway Imagination. Beverly Cleary. 1961. 288 pages. [Source: Bought] 
10. The Royal Nanny. Karen Harper. 2016. 384 pages. [Source: Library] 

Favorite Mysteries:

1. The Secrets of Wishtide. Kate Saunders. 2016. Bloomsbury. 352 pages. [Source: Library][Historical mystery series; adult] 
2. Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd. (Flavia de Luce #8) 2016. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
3. The Sins of the Wolf (William Monk #5). Anne Perry. 1995. 436 pages. [Source: Library] [historical mystery, series book] 
4. A Breach of Promise. (William Monk #9) Anne Perry. 1999. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]
5. Murder in the Museum. John Rowland. 1938. Poisoned Pen Press. 250 pages. [Source: Review copy]
6. Death on the Riviera. John Bude. 1952/2016. Poisoned Pen Press. 250 pages. [Source: Review copy] ADULT, CLASSIC, MYSTERY

Favorite classics:

1. Cyrano de Bergerac. Edmond Rostand. Translated by Lowell Blair. 1897. 240 pages. [Source: Library]  
2. The Matchmaker. Thornton Wilder. 1954. 120 pages. [Source: Library]
3. The Fellowship of the Ring. J.R.R. Tolkien. 1954/1965. Houghton Mifflin. 423 pages. [Source: Bought] [YA/Adult]
4. The Two Towers. J.R.R. Tolkien. 1954/1965. Houghton Mifflin. 352 pages. [Source: Bought] [YA/Adult]
5. Return of the King. J.R.R. Tolkien. 1955. 590 pages. [Source: Bought] 
6. The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar. Paul Laurence Dunbar. 290 pages. [Source: Library] [Adult] [Poetry]
7. Bleak House. Charles Dickens. 1852-1853. 912 pages.  [Source: Bought] 
8. Testament of Youth. Vera Brittain. 1933. 688 pages. [Source: Library]
9. Doctor Zhivago. Boris Pasternak. Translated by John Bayley. 1957. 592 pages. [Source: Library]
10. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain. 1884. 327 pages. [Source: Library] [MG/YA/Adult Coming-of-Age]

Favorite nonfiction:

1. Borden Murders. Sarah Miller. 2016. 304 pages. [Source: Library]
2. Ernie Pyle in England. Ernie Pyle. 1941. 215 pages. [Source: Bought] 
3. For the Glory: Eric Liddell's Journey From Olympic Champion to Modern Martyr. Duncan Hamilton. 2016. 400 pages. [Source: Library] 
4. Churchill: The Power of Words. Winston S. Churchill. Edited by Martin Gilbert. Da Capo Press. 536 pages. [Source: Library]
5. In Defense of Food. Michael Pollan. 2008. Penguin. 205 pages. [Source: Library] 
6. The Dorito Effect: The Surprising New Truth About Food and Flavor. Mark Schatzker. 2015. Simon & Schuster. 272 pages. [Source: Library] [Adult nonfiction] 
7. She Is Mine: A War Orphans' Incredible Journey of Survival by Stephanie Fast. 2015. Destiny Ministries. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy] ADULT, MEMOIR 
8. March: Book One. John Lewis, Andrew Aydin. Illustrated by Nate Powell. 2013. 128 pages. [Source: Library]  
9. March Book Two. John Lewis. Andrew Aydin. Illustrated by Nate Powell. 2015. 189 pages. [Source: Library]  
10. March Book Three. John Lewis and Andrew Aydin. Illustrated by Nate Powell. 2016. 246 pages. [Source: Library]

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews