In 2016 I set myself a challenge to read more books. Though initially I aimed for a book a week, life got in the way. I knew that if I pushed myself more I would stop enjoying it and start feeling stressed out. That wasn't the aim. Less stress.
I really enjoyed reading so much and while I didn't enjoy all the books, they all helped me improve my own writing.
So here are my 5 favourite books of 2016.
#1 - A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Last year I discovered Maas and managed to read both of her series within the first few months. This one was so good I read it twice. I love the fantasy worlds and the characters she creates. A Court of Mist and Fury is the sequel to A Court of Thorns and Roses but the story is so much better (for those of you who are fans of the book - when you go back and read about The Tool do you cringe too?) The story follows Feyre who lives in a world where humans live in fear of faeries. I can't say much without giving away the first book but this one had so many twists and a whole lot of romance. I can't wait for the sequel in May!
#2 - Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
I think you know a book is good if you buy it twice. I loaned this book to my mother after I read it but after a few months I wanted to read it again. Since the book ended up half-read on her bathroom shelf (which says nothing about how good it is, she has so many books on the go) I bought it again on Kindle.
The story is a retelling of Beauty and The Beast. Nyx has grown up knowing she would one day be married to the evil ruler of her kingdom, and that she must kill him after the wedding. However, her husband is not what he seems and she soon finds killing him is easier said than done.
#3 - The Help by Kathryn Stocket
I listened to this on Audible and it kept my walks to school interesting. It's about a group of black maids in Mississippi in the 1960's who's lives are made hell by racism and segregation. Skeeter is a rich white girl and wannabe writer who interviews the women and writes a book about their lives. There were so many heart stopping moments but the best thing about the story was having it read in Southern accents. Unlike, the YA fantasy books I usually read, this wasn't only entertaining but I also learned a lot.
#4 - The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
I had never heard of Holly Black before picking up this book (now I am enlightened). I'm not usually a fan of Urban Fantasy, but Black does such a good job at keeping the setting mysterious and whimsical (she is the Queen of the Faeries after all). The story is about twins, Hazel and Ben, who dream of waking the faerie prince in the glass casket near their home. But beware, faeries are not gentle in Black's books and things are not what they appear.
#5 - A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
Science fiction perfection. Usually sci-fis are set in the future but this one had some historical settings. Marguerite is a teenager who's parents are famous physicists. They think they have created a device called a Firebird which allows the wearer to travel through dimensions. Some dimensions are further along in technology, others not so much. Bug shout out to the Russiaverse. Marguerite steals the Firebird to avenge her father. It's romantic, exciting and a bit geeky.
C x