This year, I was able to read 70 books. Now whittling those down to pick my ten favorite was definitely a daunting task. But without further ado, here they are: my favorite ten books that I read during 2016! All images and synopses are via Goodreads.
#10
MADE YOU UP by Francesca Zappia: 8/10
Synopsis: Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.
Hannah's Review: I really enjoyed this one. It follows Alex, a paranoid schizophrenic, as she navigates high school, friendships, and a new relationship. But don't think that this book is anything but extraordinary: Alex is 100% unique, and so is her boyfriend, Miles. Both have quirks that make them unlikable to others, which is a refreshing twist. But both Alex and Miles have heartbreaking secrets that make their journey all the more captivating. This isn't a sunshine and rainbows kind of book, and I absolutely loved that it because of that very fact.
#9
SIX OF CROWS by Leigh Bardugo: 8/10
Synopsis: Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone... A convict with a thirst for revenge. A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager. A runaway with a privileged past. A spy known as the Wraith. A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.
Hannah's Review: I have no idea why it took me so long to pick this one up, but I am so glad that I did! SIX OF CROWS is exciting, innovative, and entertaining. The characters are fantastic—KAZ! INEJ! NINA! My faves!—and so is the writing. The plotting and pace of the novel are both really great as well. Definitely not what I was expecting going in, but really fantastic nonetheless.
#8
THE WRATH AND THE DAWN by Renée Ahdieh: 8.5/10
Synopsis: In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all. Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
Hannah's Review: I absolutely loved Shazi, the main character. When I first read the synopsis of this one, I thought it was just going to be your typical "girl out for vengeance falls in love with the bad guy" story, but this one was so much more. Shazi was strong and sure of herself and continued to question everything, even as she found herself falling for the "bad guy," Khalid. The writing was fantastic, and it was just really excellent overall.
#7
AND I DARKEN by Kiersten White: 9/10
Synopsis: No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets. Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion. But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.
Hannah's Review: I've been a fan of Kiersten White's for a while, and I've felt that with each book she's written, her writing and plotting have both gotten better. But even knowing that, AND I DARKEN completely blew me away. I was hooked from the moment I read the synopsis all the way until the end of the novel. Lada must face betrayal, heartbreak, and even her own family in this stunningly beautiful and richly imagined historical fiction novel. Perfect for fans of THRONE OF GLASS and THE YOUNG ELITES, White's latest novel is not only her best, but one of the genre's best.
#6
GLASS SWORD by Victoria Aveyard: 9/10
Synopsis: Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind. Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?
Hannah's Review: In a world that is divided by blood--the Reds on one side, while the Silvers, who have supernatural abilities, reside on the other--Mare Barrow has red blood but the abilities of a silver---making her as unique as she is dangerous. GLASS SWORD, Victoria Aveyard’s electric sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling RED QUEEN, follows Mare, the girl who has captivated an entire nation with her ability to control lightning. Now branded as a traitor to her country, Mare is on the run from the newly-crowned king Maven and his army. Alongside her stands Maven’s brother, Cal, Mare’s brother Shade, her best friend Kilorn, and Farley, the girl leading the rebellion against Maven---and Mare will have to decide if betraying them all is the price she must pay for her vengeance. With characters that blur the lines between good and evil at every turn and gorgeous, vivid writing, GLASS SWORD surpasses its predecessor by miles, leaving readers waiting not-so-patiently for the next installment.
#5
WHEN WE COLLIDED by Emery Lord: 9/10
Synopsis: Jonah never thought a girl like Vivi would come along. Vivi didn’t know Jonah would light up her world. Neither of them expected a summer like this…a summer that would rewrite their futures. In an unflinching story about new love, old wounds, and forces beyond our control, two teens find that when you collide with the right person at just the right time, it will change you forever.
Hannah's Review: WHEN WE COLLIDED follows Vivi, a teenage girl suffering from bipolar depression and a past that she can’t outrun, as she spends the summer with her mother in a small California town. There she meets Jonah, a boy trying to handle the death of his father, his mother’s own depression, and his rambunctious siblings. Emery Lord expertly portrays mental illness with brutal honesty, while still weaving a hopeful and empowering story. Fans of Lord and first-time readers alike will appreciate her trademark wit and contemporary feminism and will savor this one long after they’ve finished the last of Lord’s cutting edge, game-changing novel.
#4
THE ROSE AND THE DAGGER by Renée Ahdieh: 9.5/10
Synopsis: In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster—a merciless killer of wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain—but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead an extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever. Now she’s reunited with her family, who have found refuge in the desert, where a deadly force is gathering against Khalid—a force set on destroying his empire and commanded by Shazi’s spurned childhood sweetheart. Trapped between loyalties to those she loves, the only thing Shazi can do is act. Using the burgeoning magic within her as a guide, she strikes out on her own to end both this terrible curse and the brewing war once and for all. But to do it, she must evade enemies of her own to stay alive.
Hannah's Review: I read THE WRATH AND THE DAWN over this summer, and instantly fell in love with Shazi and her world, and THE ROSE AND THE DAGGER only made me love them more. The novel is one of the rare sequels that surpasses its predecessor; it has all of the things I loved about DAWN—the action, the romance, the lush descriptions, the fact that Shazi slays her own dragons—but ramped up even more. Renée Ahdieh is honestly one of the finest writers I’ve ever read, and I can’t wait for her next novel.
#3
THE RAVEN KING by Maggie Stiefvater: 10/10
Synopsis: All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.
Hannah's Review: This entire series has honestly been a masterpiece. Maggie Stiefvater is an artist; the way she writes is so beautiful and magical. She is able to transport the reader, seamlessly, to a fantasy world that is still very much grounded in the real world. All the while, she's still able to craft a magnificent plot, unforgettable characters, and completely shippable couples. Bravo, Maggie Stiefvater, bravo.
#2
CROOKED KINGDOM by Leigh Bardugo: 10/10
Synopsis: Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of magic in the Grisha world.
Hannah's Review: Wow. WOW. SIX OF CROWS was great, but CROOKED KINGDOM was honestly a masterpiece. Leigh Bardugo has the ability the write characters that you love down to their cores, and her world building is absolutely amazing. The plot was intricate and layered, with completely believable and exciting plot twists. And Kaz. Oh, Kaz. I just really want to give everyone in this book a hug, you know? Just thinking about this book gives me goosebumps, that’s how good it is.
#1
THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES by Mindy McGinnis: 10/10
Synopsis: Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it. When her older sister, Anna, was murdered three years ago and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best. The language of violence. While her crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people, even in her small hometown. She relegates herself to the shadows, a girl who goes unseen in plain sight, unremarkable in the high school hallways. But Jack Fisher sees her. He’s the guy all other guys want to be: the star athlete gunning for valedictorian with the prom queen on his arm. Guilt over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered hasn’t let him forget Alex over the years, and now her green eyes amid a constellation of freckles have his attention. He doesn’t want to only see Alex Craft; he wants to know her. So does Peekay, the preacher’s kid, a girl whose identity is entangled with her dad’s job, though that does not stop her from knowing the taste of beer or missing the touch of her ex-boyfriend. When Peekay and Alex start working together at the animal shelter, a friendship forms and Alex’s protective nature extends to more than just the dogs and cats they care for. Circumstances bring Alex, Jack, and Peekay together as their senior year unfolds. While partying one night, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting the teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.
Hannah's Review: This book...God, this book. I lack the words to sum up what this book is and how monumental it is. I've been a fan of Mindy's McGinnis's all the way back when NOT A DROP TO DRINK came out, and I loved A MADNESS SO DISCREET, but THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES is something else altogether. It's dark and twisted and horrifying and yet it's so perfect. All of the characters are so flawed and messy and they do the wrong things for the right reasons. But it was Alex who really stole the show. She was honest and raw and so incredibly haunting. There were so many lines in the book that just made me stop and think. There was so much perfection in this novel that I just...I don't have the words. My favorite book of the year, and one of my favorite of all time.
