Hello 2017!
2016 was a fantastic bookish year for me, so 2017 has some big shoes to fill. Why was it so fantastic? Well you are just going to have to keep reading to find out…
*In this post I share my 2016 highlights, my 2016 reading stats, my favorite books of 2016, and my favorite blog posts of the year.
My 2016 highlights:
1.) I read 82 books, which I believe is the most I’ve ever read in a year. I can’t be sure though since 2016 was the first year I started actually tracking my reads…
2.) I started this blog! February 24th 2016 to be exact. Which reminds me that my one year blogiversary is fast approaching. How is that possible?
3.) I discovered the bookish community. Before 2016 I never knew this bookish community existed! I’ve met so many AMAZING bookish/blogger friends and stumbled upon lots of awesome book blogs, booktubers, and bookstagramers to follow.
4.) I attended book events where I got to meet authors like Stephen King (yes THE Stephen King), Christina Baker Kline (author of Orphan Train), Tiffany McDaniel (author of The Summer That Melted Everything), Maggie Stiefvater (author of The Raven Boys), Jenny Lawson (author of Furiously Happy), Mindy McGinnis (author of The Female of the Species), and many more… I had never attended a book event before 2016!
5.) My big goal for 2016 was to “expand my literary horizons,” and I am happy to report that I accomplished this goal. Before 2016, I mostly read adult historical fiction. On occasion I would read contemporary or literary fiction. I am so happy at how much I branched out into other genres in 2016. Not only did I branch out into other genres within adult literature, but I also read middle grade and young adult books too.
6.) The #WeNeedDiverseBooks Movement made me aware of the lack of diversity in the books I was reading. Towards the end of 2016, I made the decision that I needed to read more diversely. This is something that I will continue not just in 2017, but moving forward. I have learned so much in such a short time.
2016 Reading Stats:
*I would like to thank Goodreads for making this section super easy to draft since it did most of the work for me…
Books I Read in 2016:
Favorite Reads of 2016:
*Titles link to Goodreads
• Historical Fiction •
» Dollbaby by Laura Lane McNeal → Book Review: Dollbaby by Laura Lane McNeal
Honorable Mentions:
» The Gilded Hour by Sara Donati
» The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón → Book Review: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
» The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah → Book Review: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
» The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead → Book Review: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
• Literary Fiction •
» The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel → Book Review: The Summer that Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel
• Thriller •
» Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (Crime Thriller) → Book Review: Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
• Contemporary •
» Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Honorable Mentions:
» Me Before You by Jojo Moyes → Book Review: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
» Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn
• Fantasy •
» Stardust by Neil Gaiman → Book Review: Stardust by Neil Gaiman
» The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Honorable Mentions:
» A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab → Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
» Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne → Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne (J.K. Rowling & John Tiffany)
• Non-Fiction •
» Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson → Book Review: Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
• Young Adult •
» The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis → Book Review: The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
Honorable Mentions:
» The Lie Tree by Frances Hardringe → Book Review: The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
» Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3) by Maggie Stiefvater → Book Review: Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3) by Maggie Stiefvater
» A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness → Book Review: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
» The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
» And I Darken by Kiersten White
• Middle Grade •
» George by Alex Gino
Honorable Mentions:
» The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis → Kids’ Corner: Book Review of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia) by C.S. Lewis
» The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman → Book Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Favorite Posts of 2016:
» Bookish Babble: Bookworm Stereotypes
» Author Interview: Tiffany McDaniel, Author of The Summer That Melted Everything
» Kids’ Corner: How to Get Your Kids to Read More
» Kids’ Corner: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
» Book Event: Books by the Banks Book Festival
» Book Event: Stephen King’s End of Watch Book Tour
» Orphan Train Meet the Author Event – Christina Baker Kline
» Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons Why I Love Book Blogging
How was your 2016?
Did you meet your reading goal?
Which books were your favorites of the year?
Happy reading in 2017!
What a great year of reading you have had!! We have quite of the same books in our 2016 read “piles”. I am so jealous that you got to meet Stephen King still!!
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Thank you! I feel pretty good about it 🙂 Ahhh Stephen and I are pretty much best friends now. I’ll put in a good word for you the next time we meet up for coffee (haha)
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You had a brilliant year. Hope your 2017 is just as good.
Those Goodreads book cover displays are so good aren’t they.
Happy New Year to you.
Lynn 😀
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Thank you Lynn! I am a big fan of Goodreads making me life easier 🙂
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Holy cow you had a great reading year! I didn’t keep track of how many I read but this year I started a Goodreads challenge to keep up so I’m excited! I hope 2017 is even better for you!😊
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This was my first year tacking my reads! Participating in the GR challenge really motivated me to stay on target. I set it to 90 books this year. What is your goal? I know you are going to be busy with wedding plans…
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I only set mine to 50! I hope I can reach it 😊 I’m two down already! lol lots to go though. It’s kinda fun seeing it whenever I login in. I like it.
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A great year indeed ❤ And I'm so glad I found your blog! I hope to keep on reading your posts and recommendations!
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Thanks Annie! You have been such a great blogger friend to me. Cheers to a great 2017 for us both!
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Wow! 2016 was a great year for you and congrats on your blog anniversary when it comes around. You read some great books there. I’ll poke around for your reviews of them. 🙂
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Why thank you! Feel free to poke away. Some of the are pretty early on in my blogging career. You can see drastic change in my early reviews from my recent ones 🙂
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Congrats on such a delightful reading year, Amanda!! Omg, I can’t wait for the blog party for your blog anniversary!! This is sooo exciting *–* I hope you can accomplish even more goals in 2017 ❤ YOU ROCK!!!!
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Baaaahhhh thank you my friend! Cheers to a fabulous 2017!
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Cheeeeers!!! ❤ ❤ We'll book rule this year, Amanda dear!! *–*
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Wow – you’ve certainly read a lot this year, Amanda! here’s to another sucessful reading year in 2017! I also nominated you to take part in the Mystery Blogger Award tag https://booksandtealeavesblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/book-tag-the-mystery-blogger-award/ let me know if you do take part – I love to see your answers! xx
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Thank you so much for the nomination! I will head over and check out the tag 🙂
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Congrats on an amazing and successful 2016! I am super impressed at your success. Particularly with your goal to broaden your literary horizons. That’s not easy, and you did a great job. I also love the format of this post– it’s easy to process a ton of information. Something many bloggers (myself included!) struggle with.
Neil Gaiman is popping up all over the place here– this makes me so happy! I recently started to read American Gods. Yet one more to add to the list. 🙂 You read so many great books this year. I wonder what 2017 has in store for you? Great things, I know.
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Thank you so much Jackie! I tried to make it so that people could easily skim and skip around to the parts they were interested in, so I really appreciate you saying that. Oh man! I am so intimidated by American Gods… it is rather big right? I will anxiously await your thoughts!
Cheers to a fantastic 2017!
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I am reading the 10th Anniversary edition. It’s 541 pages. So far, it’s totally worth it, 35 pages in. 😉 I will be certain to post this review once I’m done reading it.
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Did you ever read the first Jenny Lawson book? You’re missing out! Also, my husband and I are doing Americans Gods by Neil Gaiman as our “bedtime book.” It’s almost 800 pages and some of the writing is just goofy. He can’t keep his British from getting mixed up with his Midwest. I wonder if his younger books are much better.
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I have not read the first one YET but I got a signed copy at that book festival I met her at, so it is just begging for me to read it 🙂 I have not read American Gods yet, but have read mixed reviews from Gaiman fans…
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American Gods is so long. I wouldn’t recommend it. Read Lawson’s first book! Her childhood and how she met Victor are hilarious.
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Great job this year! It looks like you read a lot of amazing books.
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Thank you so much! I definitely had a fantastic reading year full of new genres and new (to me) authors. I can’t wait to see what 2017 will bring me. Happy reading to you 🙂
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