The Top 10 Books I Read in 2016!

These are not in order. I tried to include books from different genres. 

01

The Mortal Instruments (Shadowhunters) Series by Cassandra Clare

This is my all time favorite book series. Normally, I do not like reading series because I feel that they drag on for far too long and decrease in quality each book. However, this series surprised me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I got the books for Christmas for my father. At first I was not interested since fantasy has never been my preferred genre. These books have completely changed my mind. I recommend them to anyone over 13 as they can be a bit challenging to comprehend with such a complicated plot. There is also a TV series (which is not nearly as good) on Freeform.

 

02

"How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon

I read this book for the Virginia Reader's Choice club at my school and I thought that the book was eye opening. It made me more aware to some of the racial issues that are going on in our community. Also, I love how the POV (point of view) changes from person to person. I highly recommend this boo to everyone. However, I would especially recommend this book to African American males as they probably be able to identify with the main character most.

 

03

"The Little Prince"

This is a classic tale about what it means to be a child at heart. It teaches how to never lose sight of your childlike sense of wonder. This is something that I believe is fundamental and a very important lesson. The book is a short and easy read. And while it may seem confusing on the surface, there is actually a lot to be learned from it with further analysis. There is also a phenomenal movie that has just been done and can be found on Netflix. It is close in quality to the book. I highly recommend this book to those of you who need to get in touch with you inner child.

 

04

"Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

I read this book when I was in middle school after stumbling across it. It was one of the luckiest finds I have ever had and I am so glad to have had the pleasure of reading this fantastic book. It is groundbreaking. The story revolves around Charlie Gordon, a young man that is mentally delayed. However, a new scientific procedure designed to raise a person's IQ is done on Charlie as an experiment. The book is formatted in the layout of Charlie's progress reports as he changes. I highly recommend this book.

 

05

"Because You'll Never Meet Me" by Leah Thomas 

This is a book that I found at my public library and thoroughly enjoyed. It definitely deserves a 10/10 as far as creativity. I could not put this book down because I fell in love with the characters. They are some of the few characters I have ever read about that I wished I could meet in person. Their pain became mine and their joys became mine as well.  highly recommend this book. Also, I recently learned that there is also a second book! I will be looking for it and am super excited to read it.

 

06

"Made for You" by Melissa Marr

I received this book fro Christmas from my older brother. It was incredible and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It is the book that first got me hooked on mystery and romance books. I recommend to anyone that wants a good suspense/mystery.

 

07

"The Last Song" by Nicholas Sparks

Although this book may appear to be cliché, I do not think that it is. Yes, it is a summer romance, but it is so much more than that. The story is a lot deeper and has some life lessons to teach. I was able to connect with Ronnie, the main character, and thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is one of the few that has brought me to tears while reading. I would recommend this to anyone that it looking for a good romance novel, specifically teenage females.

 

08

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde

This book is considered one of the classics. It is about a young man at the age of 17, Dorian Gray, who gets a portrait done of himself by an artist. The portrait is magnificent. Dorian Gray is a kind an respectable young man at the start of the novel. However, Lord Henry, the antagonist of the novel, influences Dorian. He convinces Dorian that to age is a terrible and tragic event that must be put to a halt if possible. This is where things get interesting. I recommend this book to anyone that is a lover of the classics and that is at a high reading level since I found the vocabulary in this book to be a bit challenging.

 

09

"Girls Like Us" by Gail Giles

I would definitely give this book a 5/5. It is amazing and I bonded with the characters on a personal level. The book has an incredible writing style and is told from the points of view of both characters. The story is unique and well written. I would recommend this to everyone 15 and older. There are a few adult things in the book.

 

10

"Milk and Honey  by Rupi Kaur

This book is a collection of poetry done by Rupi Kaur. The poetry is deep and meaningful and evokes a plethora of emotions from the reader. It is a quick and easy read and is very soothing to read. I recommend this book to lovers of poetry and anyone that can truly say that they love words.