This year, I decided that I really needed to read more. I had multiple reasons for doing this: getting to know more books (really helpful considering I work in a bookstore), being able to add to my book count (almost to 300), and because I just love to read and realized I needed to make more time for it. I made it a personal goal to read 50 books by the time January 1, 2017 hit, and so far I am ahead of schedule at 39 books finished with over four months to go. I thought I’d share with you all my favorite books out of the ones I have read so far and my experience with them.
Top five books of 2016 (so far).
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of this book is how much it destroyed me, but in a good way. I have never cried more while reading a book than I did when I finished this one. I read it alongside one of my coworkers, and she told me that she had already cried at certain parts, so I thought that since I hadn’t yet, I’d make it through the entire book without doing so. I was wrong. I hit the last couple pages and that was the end for me. But again, in a good way. This book really stuck out to me just because of how much it impacted me emotionally. When a book is able to do that to you, you know it is really well written and a lot of hard work went into it. This book followed the lives of four college friends up until about their 50s. As the reader, you were able to live their lives alongside them as they learned and grew up, allowing you to feel closer to them, as if you knew them personally. I think this is the main reason why the book impacted me so much. I got to know these characters, so whenever something happened to them, it felt personal. This is a must read for anyone who loves character development and can’t help but really get into the characters’ lives.
Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt.
This book is about a young girl whose best friend (and really only friend) is her uncle. After her uncle passes away, she gains an unlikely friend. I liked this book a lot because I identified with the quiet girl who really knew how to throw herself into one person that meant the world to her. I loved following her cope with the loss of her best friend and learned that all you really need to move on is someone to move on with. However, my favorite thing about this book is actually the title. This is my all time favorite title of a book and I can't even pinpoint why, just that I believe it is a very powerful title for this book. This is definitely a must read if you're looking for an easy, emotion packed book. It has humor, sadness, friendship, love, and many more.
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon.
I enjoyed this book right from the start. It usually takes me a couple chapters to get into a book, but right away I fell in love with the narrator and his story. It is presumed that the main character, Christopher, has Autism, and the book is treated as his journal while he tries to solve the murder of his neighbor's dog. I wasn't as impressed with the ending, which felt a little rushed to me, but I loved Haddon's writing style and the thoughts he put into Christopher's head, making it in my top five. The best thing about this book is how unique Christopher is, for example, he makes all of his chapter numbers prime numbers. His character definitely made the book for me, and you know it's going to be a pretty good book when you love the main character right away.
Slade House by David Mitchell.
This book was very different from the other books I have read so far this year. It follows five people and how they experience Slade House nine years apart from each other. The book borders on science fiction, and is a great option for someone looking for something a little different and a little creepy. I liked how I was able to read a chapter (equaling one character's story) and take a break if I wanted to (which I rarely did). The stories were all different, yet the same, which I think made the book really unique.
Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger.
I found this book to be both hilarious and sad at the same time. For me, that's how I know a book is good. This book was written in the form of letters, notes, newspaper articles, and other forms of correspondence. It was a very fast but enjoyable read. I loved the main characters, Joey, a sarcastic 12-year-old boy who is smarter than his age, and Charlie Banks, the third baseman for the New York Giants that can't seem to shake off this little boy. The two form a father-son bond that I found to be heartwarming and uplifting. My favorite thing about the book was how witty Joey was, and how Charlie didn't seem to know how to handle him at first. I was surprised by how much I liked this book and it is definitely one that will find its place in my all time favorite books.
I still have many more books to read, and hopefully by the end of the year I'll have more favorites to add to this list. Reading has, and will always be, one of my favorite hobbies, and I love finding a book that speaks to me and that I know will stick with me long after I've found a home for it on my shelf.
