Top Ten of Twenty Sixteen

Welcome Twenty Seventeen!

This year, I read 55 books. That's actually quite a bit less than I read last year, so I'm taking some time to reflect on what worked (and what didn't) as I plan my reading resolutions for 2017. You can read more about those on the blog next week!

As always, these are some of my most highly-rated books, and come to you in no particular order. 

I'd love to hear some of your top picks from 2016 in the comments if you'd like to share!

The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell

You know a book is good when you cannot stop talking about it. I've raved about The Year of Living Danishly to anyone willing to listen, and even talked a few of my coworkers into reading it too. Now we all gush about the Danish way of life. I am the type of person who thinks a lot about quality of life and how to improve my own, and this book actually gave me a few great ideas for finding that balance between work and personal life (spoiler: teachers rarely find that balance). Not to mention, I'd jump at the chance to relocate to Denmark, where quality of life is the driving focus for the entire population. You can read more of my thoughts here.

The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny

If you like mysteries and have not yet started Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache novels, then all I have to say to you is "What are you waiting for?!?"

The Beautiful Mystery is the eighth in the series and I think it's the best of them all, though I want to be clear in saying that this is the best mystery series I have ever (ever) read, so all of the books are great in their own right. I started this series over the summer and have been raving about it since. Even if you aren't a mystery lover, I would still recommend it to you. Worth a try, I promise.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

I didn't read many classics this year (oops), but this 1938 gothic novel was one of the best books I read and continue to think about. I'm sure there are other reviewers who could put it into words better than I can, but it's haunting and mysterious and the character of Mrs. Danvers is unforgettable.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I have yet to speak with a reader who read Outlander and didn't love it. The only intimidation of it is the size of each book in the series. I flew through this first one in just a few days over the summer (when reading for five hours at the beach was possible) and went immediately to the bookstore to pick up the next two. These are books that you want to be fully immersed in, and I find the mix between historical fiction and fantasy to be perfectly captivating.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

I read this in two days with no interruptions, thanks to a seaside vacation. It was beautifully written. Definitely a reading experience that I highly recommend, if you're interested in more serious historical fiction or stories from WWII.

The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley

This is a new-to-me series that I fell in love with this year. The vibrant cover is what first caught my eye at the library, but the story inside was just as mesmerizing. I'm looking forward to reading the second in the series in 2017.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

How interesting is it that I have been a reader for twenty years and had not yet read Anne of Green Gables until this year? Looking back on it, I'm sad for all of those years I spent without the influence of Anne Shirley. I love this book so much that I read it twice just this year (once in paperback, once through audible -- I highly recommend the Rachel McAdams narration) and loved it equally both times. Tears were shed, giggles escaped, and I can't help but dream of my own little Green Gables.

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Though I read this in childhood, I rediscovered it this year in an effort to read more children's classics. This is another one that I both read and listened to through audible. I love the level of writing in it -- sophisticated, and with the best closing line in all of literature (well, maybe except for Ulysses) -- and my students loved Templeton's character ("He's so rude!"). We celebrated finishing the book by watching the 1973 animated film and I loved how closely the film stuck to the dialogue of the book. 

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

I don't read a lot of young adult literature (something I'm attempting to branch out in next year), but this was a really fascinating read that mixed mystery and sci-fi with a classic villain character. Highly recommended for those who enjoy Marvel-esque stories. I'm looking forward to reading more of Schwab's work in 2017.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

I'm doing something unprecedented here -- I'm adding a book to my top ten for the second year in a row. The Tale of Despereaux easily holds a spot in my top three books of all time, and I swear it doesn't feel like a children's book when I'm reading it. The theme of dark and light, or chiaroscuro, has stayed with me and has had a profound impact on the way that I both interpret characters by other authors and try to write my own. If you haven't read this yet, put it at the top of your list for 2017. 

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What made it to the top of your list in 2016?

You can find my top ten lists from past years here:

Twenty Thirteen

Twenty Fourteen

Twenty Fifteen

Currently Coveting {April}

Happy April Fool's Day!

My apologies for the lack of posts last week, March seemed to fly by this year and I had to work my tail off to meet some deadlines. Thankfully, the hardest part is over, and I'll be sharing more about my big project with you all at the end of this month.

I found this month's stack of books that I'm coveting through the Goodreads app on my iPhone. Do any of you use the app? I love it for on-the-go moments when I'm in a bookstore and see something I'm not quite ready to buy (or want to find for a better price); I simply scan the barcode on the book, and it automatically saves all of the information for me! Then I can shelve it and come back to it later. Usually that's the extent of my app use, but the other night I was using it to browse while laying in bed, and I found so many good books to put on my to-read list! I'm challenging myself to go a whole month without buying a single book (insert shock-face emoji here), so if any of these make it onto my nightstand this month, it'll have to be through the library. (Though I will make an exception for free books from Bookbub and the Kindle First monthly picks-- can't say no to free books, am I right??) 

Below you'll find my picks for the month of April:

Voluntary Madness by Norah Vincent // I've seen a lot of mixed reviews for this book, but I'm willing to give it a shot, based on my interest in psychology and mental illness. Norah Vincent is famous for her social experiment in which she lived disguised as a man for eighteen months. Because of that experiment, Vincent was experiencing severe depression, so her doctor recommended that she commit herself to a mental institution. Vincent was a patient for a year, and used that time to sculpt this book, which is an account of her year and her thoughts on her treatment. It's not objective in the sense that she didn't commit herself under false pretenses (she really did need the treatment), but I've read that she does a great job of detailing her experience while "in the bin."

French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano // This is a really old pick (as in, I remember watching an Oprah episode with my mom about it), but I recently added it to my to-read list. I'm a super healthy eater, but I've been trying to evaluate the way I approach food, and I'm interested in this concept of eating mindfully and really enjoying every bite. I think it speaks to the idea of everything in moderation, so I'm looking forward to putting it on my library list.

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce // If you saw this post, then you know that I was a fan of the first book in this series. I'm really looking forward to reading this next book, which details the same events but from the opposite perspective. (And it's gotten even better reviews than the first!) I'm debating whether I should reread The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry first, because I read it about two years ago and don't remember as much detail as I'd like. I'm also thinking this duo would make for great beach/vacation reads this summer. 

Why We Make Mistakes by Joseph T. Hallinan // For nonfiction and psychology fans! I am guilty of forgetting my password just about every time I try to log into an account, and I am certainly a big proponent of going with my "gut feeling" on exams. These are the everyday things that Hallinan discusses in his account of why we think the way that we do, and his arguments about human "design flaw" and how we are built for human error seem really interesting. I'm really fascinated by the brain (as you know), and the fact that our brains are just not built for optimum performance, and that we are designed to make mistakes, is comforting to me. I'd love to learn more about the science and psychology behind these everyday blunders.

Chateau of Secrets by Melanie Dobson // I'm drawn to very specific time periods in historical fiction, and WWII-era stories are one of my favorite subsections within the genre. Not only do I love the cover design, but I'm also hooked by the premise of the story, which is one of dual perspectives: two courageous women, one hiding french resistance fighters and an risking everything to protect an innocent child from the Nazi soldiers who have taken over her home, the other taking refuge from a shattered personal life in the same house decades later. Like many stories of this genre, the themes include family and sacrifice, and of course, the uncovering of old family secrets. Sounds like an excellent story to get lost in, if you ask me!

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Now that spring is starting to show itself, I feel like my energy has been renewed, and I can't wait to take advantage of the sunshine by parking myself on a bench outside and getting caught up in a good book! Will any of these make your to-read list this month? Any other reads that have caught your eye lately?

Happy reading!

Currently Coveting {June}

I have more than a few books already on my summer reading list, but really, it's so hard to resist peeking at Amazon online and popping into the bookstore (it's just down the street!) to see what other books I can admire and add to my wish list. Summer is a great time for new releases (it's akin to that time of the year when all of the Oscar-worthy movies come out) because people actually have a little extra time to devote to reading. If you're looking for some books to add to your want list for the summer months, I'm already coveting these books for June.

One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern

First off: cover love. (Can you tell pretty covers are a weakness for me?)
I stumbled upon this book in an ad on Goodreads. It looks like a great beach read to me. This book belongs to a sub-genre called "women's fiction," the name of which irked me at first, though I guess it makes sense. There's a common theme within women's fiction of self-discovery, and as I get older (and think constantly about the next five years), I find myself drawn to it.

Euphoria by Lily King

This story features a trio anthropologists studying a "bloodthirsty" tribe in New Guinea in the 1930's. It's inspired by the life of Margaret Mead and reminds me of this book which I read a few years ago and absolutely loved. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for this novel at the library...though, wouldn't it be so pretty on my shelf? Kind of in love with the script and the colors.

Dark Aemilia by Sally O'Reilly

We all know that I love historical fiction books. I'd say a majority of the books that I read and then rave about are of this genre, and I'm especially drawn to ones that feature strong female characters. Aemilia is said to be the real name of Shakespeare's dark lady, his one true love and muse-- and also England's first published female poet. Definitely worth diving into for any fan of the bard. Not to be all about the book covers today, but this one is Poe-esque and has me intrigued.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

This book is being hailed as a masterful work of WWII historical fiction, but the reason it's received so much press is not because it's a good piece of writing, but because it was written by an American. This sub-genre has been dominated by British authors since...forever...but Doerr has apparently upped the game with this work. War, love, loss-- all of the classic elements are here. I can't wait to pick this one up. (P.S. If you like this type of story, read this book, it was amazing! And made it onto my top ten of 2013 list.)

Currently Coveting {February}

A Quick Note:

I apologize for the absence of posts here in the past week and a half, due to schoolwork I've unfortunately had less time to read and write! You can expect posts to be more regular as my semester progresses (perhaps with a few hiatuses during exam weeks), but I probably won't be posting several times a week again until summer arrives. With that in mind, I am always available via e-mail (topshelftext@gmail.com) to chat about books or offer recommendations. Don't feel to shy to contact me if you are in a rut and looking for your next great read!

Moving on from that, I still am trying to quell my habit of buying more books than I can fit on my shelves (more on that soon) but that doesn't keep me from adding to my already long wish list. Below are just a few of the books that have been on my mind lately. I'm hoping someone else will read them and give them glowing recommendations so that I can justify buying them move them to the top of my to-read list. 

The Devil's Highway: A True Story

This book was recommended to me a few years ago by a classmate. I put it on my to-read list and promptly forgot about it until more recently; I've searched for it at my local libraries but never found a copy, so this is one that I'd probably have to order through the local bookstore or buy on my kindle. It's the story of a group of men who cross the Mexican border in Arizona, and what happens to them as they traverse what is referred to as "The Devil's Highway." It looks really compelling; I'm drawn to it because I've been feeling a bit like I live in a bubble (college campuses will do that to you), and I could use a jarring perspective change. This one promises to be just that, and I'm interested to learn more about the things that take place at our nation's border.

American Gods

This book's description is so strange, yet the ratings for it on Goodreads are so high (a 4/5 average from 250,000 readers really speaks for itself) that I figure it just has to be as captivating as they say. Neil Gaiman, if you don't recognize that name, is the author of Coraline, which just happens to be one of my top three animated movie favorites and a revered children's book. It's hard for authors to master both children's literature and adult literature, so I'm looking forward to experiencing his style in the adult sphere.

The Lavender Garden

Two things that I love: Paris, and WWII-era stories. This looks to be in the same vein as The Postmistress and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which are two of my absolute favorites in general and in the WWII/historical-fiction genre. This book spans two generations and a whole lot of secrets; a breathtaking château, family relationships, Nazi danger, etc. So perfect when you need a book to keep you enthralled and transport you to a different time and place.

Which books are you currently coveting?

P.S. Looking for more? You can view my Amazon wish lists here and here.