I heard someone say (I don’t remember who) that 2016 was so bad a year overall that instead of best-of lists at the end, we should just be celebrating things that didn’t suck. So, in that spirit, I give you my reading year, which mostly didn’t suck.

By the numbers:

Middle Grade Fiction: 40
YA Fiction: 46
Graphic Novels: 16
Non-Fiction: 10
Adult Fiction: 22
Number of those that were sci-fi/fantasy books, not counting graphic novels:  40
Number of those that were by authors of color: 17
Number of those that had prominent characters of color: 23
Number of those that were audio books: 12
Number of those that were rereads: 7

Grand Total: 133 – that’s the lowest total I’ve had since I started keeping record!

Abandoned: Searching for John Hughes, Maestra, The Haters, The Magicians, Lone Survivor

And now this year’s awards:

Best Adult Fiction: Leave Me 
Best YA book: The Sun is Also a Star
Best Middle Grade book: Ms. Bixby’s Last Day
Best Fantasy: A Darker Shade of Magic
Best Sci-Fi/Distopian: Redshirts
Best Graphic Novel: Mighty Jack
Best Non-Fiction: Voracious
Best MG/YA Non-Fiction: Quiet Power
Best Romance: Love & Gelato
Best Mystery: I am Princess X
Best Audiobook: Today Will Be Different

And in other categories…

Cover love: 

I had a thing for black covers this year, I guess.

Don’t judge a book by its cover:

You can judge this book by its cover:

Best in-person book group book: The Buried Giant

Best on-line book group book: The Piper’s Son

Favorite reread: Jacob Have I Loved

The Best Reading Experience: Textbook

*Blush*: Maestra, The Bollywood Affair

I Love Food: Voracious, My Kitchen Year

Italy!: Love & Gelato, With Malice

Clones are the new Aliens: The Diabolic, Replica

Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic/Aliens isn’t quite overdone (yet): The Diabolic, Undertow, The Knife of Never Letting Go

Awesome Fantasy Heroines: Rebel of the Sands, Heartless, Caraval, Nimona, A Gathering of Shadows, The Blue Sword, Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom

Books I should have read AGES ago: Redshirts, The Piper’s Son

Awesome LGBT: Proxy, We Are Okay, If I Was Your Girl, Lumberjanes: A Terrible Plan, You Know Me Well

9/11: Towers Falling,  Nine, Ten, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

It’s a damn fine ending: The Raven King, The Shepherd’s Crown

Can’t Wait for You to Read it Too: Fish Girl, Short, Caraval

Loved it, but can’t seem to sell it: Heartless

Wanted to love it, but didn’t: Smoke

Best Middle Grade Book Group Discussions Ever: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG (overwhelmingly the favorite), The Witches, The Twits, Fantastic Mr. Fox

I’m Kind of Over It (though the Midnight Release Party was a blast): The Cursed Child

Author everyone else loves that I discovered I liked: Alex London

Sometimes the Hype is Right: Me Before You

“Best” Part of My Job (aka Author Events I Managed):

Jessica Day George, Maggie Stiefvater, Mac Barnett, Sarah Maas, Loren Long, Jennfier Mathieu, Leigh Bardugo, Ben Hatke, Brian Farrey & Kelly Barnhill,  Chris Grabenstein, Jake Parker, Daniel Miayres, and Kate DiCamillo.

Plus bonus James Kennedy, Alex London, and Amy King at KidlitCon

Best event I didn’t run but was super impressed by:

What are some of your bests this year?