BEST of 2016

What a stunning year in publishing, particularly for debut authors.  Not all these books are from 2016; many are, but this list encapsulates what I chose to read in this past year and what, in the words of my old teaching days, "knocked my socks off!" If you are like me, that 'to-be-read' list never goes away so we often have to dive back into previous years and may have missed some jewels.  And while ties may be a form of 'cheating,' it is also a recognition of the amazing literature that I rolled around in this past year.  Thanks for being part of my on-line book club and for reading my often-wordy but always heart-felt reviews...a literate world makes me hopeful for the future:)

Fiction:
The Clay Girl by Heather Tucker:  An inspirational story of a dysfunctional family in the 1960's and the young girl who survives and thrives, and so beautifully written your highlighter should be in hand
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara: A story of four friends and the decades of their friendship in New York City, a book I wept over and will be forever seared into my mind






Honorable Mention:

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens, The Heart by Maylis deKerangal, Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye, A House Without Windows by Nadia Hashimi, Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult, Faithful by Alice Hoffman

Historical Fiction:
Homegoing  by Yaa Gyasi: a debut novel written by a stunning new talent, Gyasi tells of each generation of two sisters over a span of 300 years, from slavery to rebellion to civil rights
Honorable Mention:
A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding by Jackie Copleton, The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson, The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore, Doc by Mary Doria Russell




Mystery/Thriller: 
The Trespasser (Dublin Murder Squad #6) by Tana French: the best of this mystery series by an accomplished Irish writer, two independent detectives search for answers in a vicious murder while they fight sexism and cronyism in their own squadroom
Honorable Mention:
The Good Goodbye by Carla Buckley, Darktown by Thomas Mullen, The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin, The Woman in Cabin 10 and In a Dark Dark Wood by Ruth Ware, Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris,










Fantasy/Science Fiction:
The Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo: the sequel and end to last year's fantasy winner, Six of Crows, the sly, dangerous, funny, and always entertaining crew of thieves is back to save their members and the magical world of the grishna, all while still trying to get rich off their numerous schemes
Honorable Mention:
Shadow and Bone triology by Leigh Bardugo, Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger, The Reader (Sea of Ink and Gold, #1) by Traci Chee, City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin, Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi, Scythe by Neal Shusterman, A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) by Sabaa Tahir, A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire #1) by Jessica Cluess







Memoir:
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi: The story of Paul's life and his subsequent early death from lunch cancer, this book will shred your heart and heal it, all at once (have a box of kleenex handy)
Becoming Nicole:  The Transformation of an American Family by Amy Ellis Nutt: the true story of a transgender teenager and how her family not only learns to understand the nuanced transition that Nicole must make, but also how to be the heroes in her life
Honorable Mention:
After the Wind by Lou Kasischke






Non-Fiction:
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance: the story of a young man in rural Ohio, raised by his Mamaw and Papaw from West Virginia, and the inner workings of the largest sub-culture in America today
Honorable Mention:
Some Writer:  The Story of E.B. White by Melissa Sweet, The Nine:  Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin, The Wright Brothers by David McCullough, So You've Been Publically Shamed by Jon Ronson, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond










Young Adult: 
Blood For Blood (Wolf by Wolf #2) by Ryan Gaudin: the end to Gaudin's first heralded book, where the Axis powers won and Hitler must be assassinated, this sequel follows the complex trio of teenagers in their continued attempts on Hitler's life and power
Honorable Mention:  Jackaby by William Ritter, If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo, Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk, When Friendship Followed Me Home by Paul Griffin











Middle Reader:
Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan: a sweeping story across decades of time where a small boy from the Holocaust, two brothers from the Great Depression, and a little girl in a Japanese internment camp are all tied together by a very special harmonica
Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley: the promise to a dying grandfather for a wish to be granted by the magical circus he once attended as a small boy sets two brave children off on an adventure that brings them answers to family secrets and a world they did not know exists
Honorable Mention:
Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes, One Half From the East by Nadia Hashimi, Pax by Sara Pennypacker, The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

December Book Post

Faithful by Alice Hoffman

Title Alert:  this book is NOT about religion or religious faith; it is about the faith in the human spirit to be strong, to withstand tragedy and change and heartbreak, to be able to accept and return love, to survive.  We meet Shelby at age 17, having survived a terrible car crash that left her best friend in a permanently vegetative state.  After months in a psychiatric ward where she is sexually assaulted, her mother rescues her and therein begins to road to recovery.  In order to assuage her guilt, Shelby shaves her head, turns her straight-A student persona into a drug-addicted, aimless, never-leaving-her-basement kind of girl.  Throughout the next ten years, we see Shelby as she tiptoes back into life, with a lot of help: her mother Sue, who sits in a loveless marriage and continues to prod her daughter towards love; Ben, the drug dealer who sees past the bald head and the potential inside both of them; Maravelle, the single mom of three children who shockingly decides Shelby is worth the effort of friendship; and the postcards that come anonymously throughout the years that remind her what life should be...do something, see something, believe something, dream something.  Throw in her adorable dogs that she rescues (okay, she actually steals them into a better life), and Hoffman has once again touched my heart.  Granted, she is one of my favorite authors, but occasionally our favs can let us down...but not this time.  This book is magic.

Hidden Figures by
The movie comes out on Christmas Day this year, so this is a fantastic book to get anyone in your family who loves space, flight, math, physics, and needs some women to admire and idolize.  My father used to hitch rides out to the local airfield just to stare at the planes, he flew bomber planes off of carriers in WWII, and worked on the first lunar orbiter during his time with Boeing; I grew up with stories about NASA, the moonshot, Sputnik, you name it, but I never heard about these courageous black women who changed the face of American engineering and enabled us to set foot on the moon. This book follows three amazing women from the 1930's through the 1960's:  Katherine Johnson, the first woman to have her name on a NASA research report; Dorothy Vaughn, the lead of the West section of computers at the early space and flight research center in Langley, Virginia; and Mary Jackson, who helped America catch up with Russia in the space race.  This book is filled with jaw-dropping stories of discrimination during the Jim Crow era, inspiring tales of women who respectfully, consistently, and strongly continued to demand their place at the table, and admiration for a group of people (politicians, astronauts, engineers, mathematicians, teachers, etc.) who looked past race and gender to create something bigger than humanity.  This book is just plain awesome.

The Magdalen Girls by V.S. Alexander
I received this book for free through Net Galley in exchange for an honest evaluation so here it is.  A debut novel for Alexander, this is a solid first outing.  The plot premise is of high-interest, focusing on the Magdalen laundries run by the Catholic nuns in England and Ireland.  Teenage girls who were considered 'loose,' or distractingly pretty, or 'wild,' or all other ridiculously sexist reasons, were signed over to these laundries by their parents and basically imprisoned for the rest of their lives.  Alexander places the story in 1962, with three young women who were residents of a laundry in Dublin:  Teagan (aka Theresa) who catches the eye of a priest so is hidden away lest the priest succumb to her 'wiles,'; Nora (aka Monica), a perfectly normal rebellious teenage girl with alcoholic parents who want perfection; and Lea, an orphaned girl with special gifts who accepts her fate.  This triumvirate form a surprising bond in their prison and scheme to escape the lives set out for them by not only their parents, but the rigid expectations of a very Catholic society.  I read voraciously, finishing in just one day, but was ultimately a tad disappointed.  While realizing the inherent sexism of the time, I felt as if the author also dealt with the characters in a rather stereotypical way; I would have liked to see more authorial courage to deal with grittier themes.  In addition, throwing in some ghosts and religious 'sightings' in the last one third of the book was awkward.  If surrealism is going to be a part of the story, then thread the motif throughout the book; by throwing it in near the end, it seemed a bit of a cop-out.  Ultimately, I think this author has real potential and I look forward to his/her next book.

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti
If I were to just scratch the surface, this is not my kind of book.  It has guns, and I mean a lot of guns; it begins with a child shooting a gun, chapters about each of the twelve bullet holes placed on Samuel Hawley's body, and minute description of his large gun collection.  However, below the surface, this is a powerful story of a wounded man, both physically and emotionally, loyalty to friends and family, and the unending search for love in this world.  I honestly did not think this book would be as deep as it became; I was figuring a bang-bang, shoot-em-up thriller, but I was so wrong.  The story swerves back and forth in time, spooling out the story of Hawley's life through each of his twelve wounds:  his beginning steps into the criminal world, the marriage and loss of his wife, his complicated relationship with his daughter and mother-in-law, and his search for heroism.  Tinti is a talented author, who uses the threads of Hercules and his twelve labors, the desire to be heroic when one is riddled with flaws, and the call of not only nature but the wisdom in the stars to show each character the way home, both literally and figuratively.  Do not put this book down, do not skim the surface and think it is a thriller - dive deep and swim through this rich and exciting book.  It is well worth your time.

Holiday Gift-Giving for Children/Teens

Buying books for young children through those teen years can be challenging at best.  So...here's some suggestions from my 2016 reading list that I would recommend:
TEENS
My Sister Rosa By Justine Larbalestier
Teenage boy with ten year old sociopathic sister - thriller, well-written, does have some profanity/sex, though not graphic details
A Shadow Bright and Burning By Jessica Cluess
If the child liked Harry Potter, here's the start of a new series for him/her - magicians in training, scary bad people, exciting plot, no sex/no profanity
An Ember in the Ashes (#1)/A Torch Against the Night (#2) By Sabaa Tahir
Great fantasy series with a trio of teens fighting some creepy spirits, female leads continue to get stronger as series goes on, great thrillers, no sex/no profanity
Six of Crows (#1)/Crooked Kingdom (#2) By Leigh Bardugo
Game of Throne (lite) meets Ocean's Eleven - favorite fantasy series for me, great mix of characters, exciting not scary, no sex/no profanity
Harry Potter and The Cursed Child By J.K. Rowling
Welcome back to the world of HP - well worth the trip!
Scythe(#1) By Neal Shusterman
Intense story of futuristic world for people who get to live multiple lives, yet some must be 'gleaned', new series, no sex, no profanity, lots of blood and violence but a real page-turner
Wolf By Wolf (#1)/Blood for Blood (#2) By Ryan Gaudin
Story of WWII is flipped with the Axis powers winning, powerful trio of teens as the lead, some fantasy in the idea of a skin-shifter, creative use of history, no profanity/minimal romance
Stealing Snow By Danielle Paige
Fantsy story of how the Snow Queen came to be, both exciting and humorous, no sex/no profanity
Heartless By Marissa Meyer
Author of the popular Lunar Chronicles, a new stand-alone about how the Queen of Hearts in Wonderland came to be so diabolical, fantastic fantasy, no sex/no profanity
The Reader (Sea of Ink and Gold, #1): By Traci Chee
Fabulous new fantasy series wherein books and literature have disappeared from the world, yet one young girl holds the key.  Exciting page turner, no profanity/no sex
A Tyranny of Petticoats: By Jessica Spotswood
For every girl out there who still has big dreams, this is a collection of short stories by well-known female authors, that showcases strong female characters, no sex/no profanity/nice mix of history
Girl in the Blue Coat: By Monica Hesse
Story of the Holocaust in 1940's Amsterdam, conflicted female lead who gets pulled into the Resistance, well-researched historical fiction, no sex/no profanity
The Lie Tree:  By Frances Hardings
Scary gothic tale of an evil tree that listens to secrets and a young teenage girl whose family becomes enmeshed in its darkness, no sex/no profanity
If I Was Your Girl: By Meredith Russo
Powerful fiction story of a trangender teen who attempts to fit in at a new high school after her gender re-assignment surgery, powerful story that shows life can indeed get better, references to sex for obvious reasons
Jackaby (#1):  By William Ritter
Detective series from the turn of the century where the lead detective can see and talk to the spirits, strong female side-kick, no sex/no profanity
Shadow and Bone(#1), Siege and Storm(#2), Ruin and Rising(#3):  By Leigh Bardugo
Powerful fantasy series with smart, strong female/male leads, very scary bad guy, incredible cast of supporting characters, exciting page-turner, some romance/no profanity, I read all three books in just five days (it's obsessively good!)
Seraphina(#1):  By Rachel Hartman
Thought provoking fantasy story of a world where dragons are discriminated against and must disguise themselves in human shape, yet what happens when there is a 'bi-racial' dragon/human? No sex, a little romance, no profanity
The Walled City:  By Ryan Gaudin
Powerful story of a city where the criminals rule, strong female/male leads, thriller, page-turner, some sex due to the issues of sex trafficking, no profanity
Belzhar:  By Meg Wolitzer
Fictional story of a boarding school for students with 'issues,' some magical realism with a journal that takes them back in time, some romance
Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family: By Amy Ellis Nutt
Incredible true story of a young transgender woman, who fought the Maine legislature for her rights, and a breathtaking transformation of her family and how they become Nicole's champions.  References to biological sex and gender identity, for obvious reasons / no profanity

MIDDLE READERS
(Notes on appropriateness is for both reading level/subject - all of these can be good read-alouds for struggling readers)
Echo: By Pam Munoz Ryan
Beautiful book with three story lines from the 1930-1940's, heroic, tough, smart children, and a magical harmonica that connects them all / thick book but big margins, appropriate for grades three and up
When Friendship Followed Me Home By Paul Griffin
Beautiful story of a friendship between a young boy with a tough life and a girl battling cancer, plus the coolest dog ever / appropriate for grades five and up
One Half From the East By Nadia Hashimi
Powerful story of Afghanistan and the tradition of dressing girls like boy, thoughtfully written but does bring up some tough topics, like the treatment of women and the privileges of the male gender, appropriate for grades four and up
Gertie's Leap to Greatness By Kate Beasley
Funny, heart-warming, sad, complicated - this is Gertie's life.  Fabulous read for grades three and up.
Circus Mirandus By Cassie Beasley
Beautiful fantasy story of a young boy who must save his grandfather by finding the magical circus who promised grandpa a miracle / female friend who helps the boy is strong, smart, and totally a boss, appropriate for grades three and up
Furthermore: By Tahereh Mafi
New fantasy book about a young girl whose magical skills are unclear, but who must save her father in the world he disappeared into long ago / pieces of many of the children's classics over the last hundred years, beautifully written, appropriate for grades four and up
Hour of the Bees: By Lindsay Eagar
Sad but powerful story of a family trying to help their grandfather move to assisted living after grandma dies, surrealism with the presence of bees and the magic that they bring, appropriate for grades three and up
Wolf Hollow: By Lauren Wolk
Rather dark story of friendship and bullies in the Appalachian mountains, critically acclaimed, appropriate for grades five and up
The War That Saved My Life: By Kimberly Bradly
Wonderful historical fiction about a young girl with a club foot who is moved to the countryside during the London Blitz / heartbreaking at times with a wicked mom but some beautiful heroic and human moments, appropriate for grades four and up
Some Writer:  By Melissa Sweet
Wonderful mix of graphics with letters, drawings, pictures, and words to tell the story of E.B. White and how his three children's books (Charlotte's Web, The Trumpet of the Swan, and Stuart Little) were born, appropriate for grades three and up and wonderful gift to give that elementary school teacher in your life
Pax:  By Sara Pennypacker
This book reminded me so much of Where the Red Fern Grows / heartbreaking story of a young boy and his fox, themes of war, appropriate for grades three and up
Towers Falling:  By Jewell Parker Rhodes
Fantastic story of how a fifth grade teacher in Brooklyn teaches his students about Sept. 11, 2001 / trio of smart, complex, multicultural lead characters who go on a trip of discovery, appropriate for grades three and up


PICTURE BOOKS
(There are SO many, but these were my three favorite 'go-to' books)
A Dog Wearing Shoes by Sangmi Ko
Black and white illustrations that are SO cool, wonderful story of a girl 'adopting' a dog, some words but not overly much, appropriate for age 3 and up
School's First Day of School by Adam Rex, Christian Robinson
The first day of school as told by the school itself, deals thoughtfully with fears of schools and all the new things kids see there, appropriate and perfect for pre-school through second grade
Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio, Christian Robinson
My favorite picture book, a story of a French bulldog puppy who was accidentally switched and is being raised by a French poodle family, wonderful themes of family and who 'fits,' appropriate for ages two and up
Thunder Boy Junior by Sheman Alexie (yes, the author of many adult books and YA), Yuyi Morales
Heartwarming story of a young Native boy who needs and wants his own name for his own identity, embraces his Native heritage, wonderful big colorful illustrations, appropriate for ages two and up

November books

The Clay Girl by Heather Tucker
Rave review by bookseller in our small-town independent bookstore magazine, highly rated on on-line book sites, yet little press for this debut author...all this combined to make this a book I was curious to read.  Thank goodness I did, as it turned into one of my favorite books of 2016.  DO NOT MISS this one (and yes, the capitals are there for good reason).  The story begins in Toronto in the 1960's with eight year old Harriet (aka Ari) whose father has committed suicide, mom has lost it, and they need to farm out the six sisters.  Ari then journeys to her stay with her lesbian aunts up north in Cape Breton, where she discovers the all-encompassing love of two amazing women, and the freedom of true childhood.  However, Ari's epically dysfunctional family pulls her back to Toronto, and we the readers watch her youth unfold over the next eight years.  Ari is funny, brilliant, artistic, loyal, compassionate, and just all-around heroic, but without being Pollyanna-esque.  The adults in her life, mainly a few caring teachers, remind us what just one influential person can do to change the trajectory of a child's life. Besides the well-drawn plot line and characters, Heather Tucker can seriously write; I highlighted so many beautiful lines, yet she does not get caught up in her own writing merely for the sake of showing off; she uses her words to more deeply flush out her story.  I laughed, I cried, and I felt my heart tugged in every direction.  I cannot recommend this book strongly enough.

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Yep, I know...Jodi Picoult, the writer of great pop culture, page-turners, but is it literature? Yep, it sure is, and her latest brings the reader smack into the face of a hot, divisive, charged topic of today - racial bias and the divide that has roiled this country for centuries. The premise is charged with emotion:  a labor and delivery nurse is helping a pair of young parents with their newborn baby, and the father demands she not be allowed around his child due to her race.  When tragedy occurs with the newborn, legal action is set into motion.  Simple, right?  Yet Picoult attacks the idea not just of the insidious racial discrimination against blacks in our country, but the white nationalist movement, being a black teenage boy in America, discrimination in the workplace, and the reality of white privilege.  This is an explosive book that truly attempts to see all sides, as it is told through the eyes of not only the black nurse, but the Neo-Nazi father and the Ivy league-educated white lawyer. I highly recommend, particularly to book clubs who like provocative, meaty discussions.


And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Frederik Backman

Yes, one of my favorite authors is back, and this time it is a small novella he shares with the world.  The author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked You to Tell You She's Sorry, and Britt-Marie Was Here has now taken the heartfelt story of a grandfather, as he descends into Alzheimer's, and sees how the disease shapes his relationship with his young grandson.  As we look back into his past, we meet Ted, his son, and Noah, his wiser-than-his-years, sweet, loving, understanding grandson.  As Grandpa's world gets smaller, his memories get bigger, even as his confusion grows.  This is a lovely book to gift a friend or loved one who has dealt with dementia in their own family; it is a keeper.




Blood at the Root:  A Racial Cleansing in America by Patrick Phillips

Did you know that Forsyth county in the state of Georgie remained all-white for almost 100 years? Yeah...me neither.  It is always amazing to me to read about our county's history that I never knew existed, especially in today's world of wikipedia and instant sources.  Back at the turn of the century, Forsyth county was similar to many other post-Civil War southern areas...an agrarian society, dependent upon the black farmers and house servants who kept the white economy rolling, and tied to the KKK and other white supremacist beliefs.  Both races lived in an uncertain wariness of the 'Other,' willing to divide towns and villages to live in relative peace with one another.  That is until a cry of rape and murder tore them apart.  As told by a man who was raised in Forsyth county from the 1980's on, this is the tale of how the blacks were not only expelled from this region, but kept out for decades.  It was as if time stood still in Forsyth for race relations, until dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century and knowledge of the civil rights movement smacked the residents in the face.  It is a provocative tale that reminds us of our not-so-distant past.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer
We all know about Alice and her adventures, but what about the famous Queen of Hearts in Wonderland?  How ever did she become the wicked woman who shouts “Off with her head!” with the slightest provocation? Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles) combines the wit of Lewis Carroll’s language, a young woman’s secret desire for independence, treachery and intrigue in a magical court, an unwanted suitor, and a love that will go beyond the bounds of reason to explain the genesis of this famous literary character.  Meyers knows her Alice story extremely well, using numerous allusions and secondary characters from the familiar story.  This would be a great gift for that teenage girl in your life, or just a great entertaining book for anyone who loves YA.

Blood for Blood by Ryan Gaudin
Finally...the sequel to Wolf by Wolf, Gaudin's head-spinner novel that took the idea of WWII and twisted it, with Hitler and the Nazis coming out the winner.  The complex, brave, heroic Yael is back in this book, continuing to use her skills of skin-shifting, after being experimented upon in the camps, as are the two young men she raced against in the previous book.  Luka, the former victor, provides Yael with frustration, sassiness, and a little love interest, while Felix, the brother of the kidnapped girl who Yael shifts into while she tries to assassinate Hitler, is forced to make a life-changing decision - does he report the rebels to save his family, or does he support the cause of freedom? This is an exciting, can't-put-downable book that is a worthy 'second' to her first hit.  And yes, if you haven't read Wolf by Wolf, do it - this is one of my very favorite 'duals' in YA with complex characters, strong writing, and cliffhangers galore.

Orphans of the Carnival by Carol Birch
The 'freak shows' of the 19th century were infamous: Barnum's Tom Thumb and his wife, the siamese twins of the London circus, and the famous 'Ape Woman,' Julia Pastrana, who was the toast of Europe. Carol Birch has been nominated twice for the Man Booker prize, and this book reminds us why.  As she explores the life of Julia Pastrana, Birch also seeks the answer to what makes us human.  We see how Julia is exploited by both managers and audiences, by the hangers-on who want to see how 'human' she really is, and by physicians who poke and prod her throughout the years.  Interspersed among Julia's story, is also the story of Rose, a British woman in 1983, who struggles with relationships, abject poverty, and mental illness.  This is a fascinating book about a long-forgotten abuse of an intriguing, and very human woman.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman
This is a compulsive read by an award-winning author, the first in a trilogy of a futuristic world where morality is a thing of the past, as is pain, disease, and torture.  The 'Cloud' has turned into the 'Thunderhead,' which takes care of everyone's needs and sets a person's clock back to any age desired, when one is feeling 'old.' (Not a bad program, right? Except in the wrong hands, of course!) However, there is one small hiccup...the need for population control.  Enter the Scythedom, a worldwide group of people, supposedly chosen for their intelligence, compassion, and honor, whose duty it is to glean a certain number of people every year to keep the numbers survivable.  Of course, rebellious, murder-loving Scythes unfortunately exist as well.  Twists and turns galore, bloody violence at times (yet with the ability to revive anyone who dies - kinda cool but painful), some amazing character development, and some deep philosophical thinking about immortality and death combines to make this a serious page-turner.