Sadly, I didn't read as many books as I was hoping I would. I was going for 15 but hey, 12 ain't too bad (11 books, one book of poems, one short story/book).
There were some good books, some half finished books (not included in this list), and some very silly books, but all together it was a decent reading year.
Here are my 2016 reads:
This was byfar my favourite read of 2016, and it happened to be my first. It's a biography of a young woman's first job in a crematorium. It was so freaking interesting. You honestly have no idea what happens to peoples bodies before they get buried or cremated. I basically spent the entire time I was reading this book shouting out interesting facts to anyone who would listen.
The Grownup- Gillian Flynn
This is my short story/book. I am a huge Gillian Flynn book (specifically Gone Girl). I wasn't too in love with this short story. It was definitely interesting but the ending was a bit of a flop for me. It's a quick read if you'd like to find out for yourself though.
The Girls- Emma Cline
This book was definitely a close second for favourite book read this year. It's told from the perspective of a middle aged woman looking back on how she joined a murderous cult when she was a teenager in the 1970s. It has such amazing commentary on what it is to be a girl. I would highly recommend this to anyone!
Everything I Never Told You- Celeste Ng
Everything I Never Told You is the story of a chinese-american family in the 1970s. Their oldest daughter is found dead in the lake by their house and each family member goes through their memories and how they could have gotten to this moment. It's a super interesting read about how much you truly don't know about the people closest to you and a great commentary on how it feels to be part of a different race in America.
The Burn Journals- Brent Runyon
When Brent Runyon was 14 years old her put on a gasoline soaked robe in his bathroom and set himself on fire. He survived the suicide attempt and the novel is his story of recovery and the effect his actions had on his family and his life.
Where Did You Sleep Last Night?- Lynn Crosbie
Lynn Crosbie imagined what it would have been like if Kurt Cobain had been reincarnated. She tells the story of a young girls obsessed with Kurt Cobain who tries to kill herself. Both the girl and Cobain are reincarnated and fall in love, going back through a lot of Cobain's mistakes in his past life, from stardom, to a new tumultuous relationship, to another life of heroin use. It was definitely an interesting read for a Nirvana fan but Crosbie's writing style threw me off sometimes. I think it needs a second read to be fully appreciated.
On Writing- Stephen King
Weirdly enough, I've never read a Stephen King novel, but I picked this up and loved it. I love a good piece of advice from a successful writer. My preference would be Chuck Palahnkiuk but I think Stephen King did a great job. He also gave some interesting glimpses into his personal life as well.
Yes Please- Amy Poehler
As a big Parks and Rec fan this was a super fun read. I really liked her personal stories, I laughed out loud a few times and her message to girls was super empowering. Highly recommended.
I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends: Confessions of a Reality Show Villian- Courtney Robertson
In my life I have watched one season of The Bachelor and Courtney Robertson was the villian of the season. My sister and I were obsessed with that season and watched it together every week to see what Courtney would do. When she came out with a book we both had to read it. It was a really fun read and another great thing to share with my sister. If you watched this season/are a Bachelor fan you should read this. She holds no secrets back.
The Glass Castle- Jeannette Walls
This book is Jeannette Walls' memoir of growing up in her dysfunctional family. From the beautiful stories her father tells her, to growing up poor, and running across the country to flee bill collectors, it's a great read on dysfunctional family dynamics and how children eventually learn to take care of themselves. It's going to be a movie coming our in 2017 I believe so read quick!
Strong Looks Better Naked- Khloe Kardashian
This was a super mindless read that I more or less enjoyed. I would bring this to the gym with me and read it on the elliptical and it was pretty motivating to hear Khloe's fitness journey. She really doesn't share anything too groundbreaking though (duh) and the book is littered with "I believe" or "I think" followed by scientific facts...which I don't think you really get an opinion of FACTS but nonetheless it was a easy and fun read.
They Left Us Everything- Plum Johnson
Plum Johnson's mother lived until 93 in their monstorous house in Oakville. Plum had spent the last 20 years taking care of her parents before they died. Now she had the task of cleaning out their gigantic house. It's a great, local book that says a lot about family heritage and learning things you never knew about those closest to you.
This book was recommended to me and I would now like to recommend it to you. It's a book of poems and it's fa-reaking amazing. Rupi Kaur has the best social and internal commentary, especially about love and womanhood.
So Merry Christmas friends! I hope you get gifted a good book this year!
From the desk of:
Taylor Brown
Bibliophile
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