The 10 Best Books I Read For The First Time This Year
2016 was a great year for books (Or, at least, for me). My goal in 2016 was to read or reread 100 books by the end of the year. While I'm 7 books shy of meeting that goal, I have read some phenomenal books this year, many of them for the first time! Here are just a few of my favorites- in no particular order, of course
1. The Rose and The Dagger- Renee Ahdieh
I mentioned this book here. The Rose and The Dagger is the sequel to The Wrath and the Dawn, which is a retelling of One Thousand and One Nights. Shahrzad has been taken from Khalid, her husband and the monster king of Khorsan. While the first book in the series focuses on Shahrzad learning about Khalid and falling in love, this book focuses on Shahrzad learning more about herself, and the things she is capable of. Though I didn't love this as much as I loved The Wrath and the Dawn, I blew through it in less than a day, and was left feeling like the series ended perfectly.
2. Me Before You- JoJo Moyes
Another book I've mentioned before on this blog. Me Before You centers around Louisa Clark, a small town waitress who loses her job, and finds herself as a caretaker for a cruel, angry quadriplegic man. When she finds out that he has given his parents six months before he plans to take his own life, Louisa is determined to give him a reason to live. This book made me cry, more than once, and I finished it in two days. The diction took a while to get used to, since the book is set in Englad, but regardless, this book was fantastic.
3. Selection- Kiera Cass
Honesty hour, this is a series, not a book, However, the first 3 books, the only ones that I have read, were so great. This series is about the Selection, a way for the Royal Family to find a wife for their sons. 35 girls, regardless of caste, are welcomed into the castle and in the running to become the next queen. Among these girls is America Fletcher, who has no desire to be part of the Selection, and wants to go home and marry Aspen, a boy a caste below hers. However, when she meets Prince Maxon, she realizes that there is so much more to the Selection, the Royal Family, and even the caste system, than she had ever thought.
4. Gone Girl- Gillian Flynn
Nick Dunne wakes up on his 5th wedding anniversary to find that his wife had gone missing. A few hours later, police find her purse in the river behind the Dunne house, and after taking a peek into Amy's diary, they have reason to believe that Nick is behind Amy's disappearance, and possibly even her murder. However, what no one knows is that Amy is alive and well, and framing her husband for her death. This book was intense, and very suspenseful, and overall, a great read.
5. The Savage Garden- Mark Mills
Another mystery novel, about a student who is assigned to do a summer project on the mystery surrounding the Docci garden in Tuscany, dedicated to Lord Docci's young wife after her death. As Adam, the student, begins to study the garden, he believes that there are sinister secrets lurking in the garden, and also in the family that watches over it. This book had a Dan Brown-feel, and had me hooked from the beginning.
6. Rebel Queen-Michelle Moran
Sita is a girl from a small town in India during England's attempted colonization. As a young girl without money or power in her family, she has few options besides marrying and being a housewife, but her father has other plans: grooming her for a spot in the queen's personal army. When she wins the affection of the queen, she must prove her loyalty by defending her country against the British, and against traitors who are helping them. For Historical Fiction fans, I would highly recommend this, and any of Michelle Moran's other novels.
7. Royal Wedding- Meg Cabot
As many of you know, I am a HUGE fan of the Princess Diaries series. This is the final book in the series, and Meg Cabot wrote it as Adult Fiction, rather than a YA novel. Though it isn't as exciting, or hilarious, as the original series, it was still great. Princess Mia is all grown up and getting ready to marry her high school sweetheart, Michael. However, with her Grandmere still causing trouble, her dad making a fool of the royal family, AND finding out that she has a younger sister, it appears that not even Mia's wedding can bring her crazy family together.
8. The Romantics- Leah Konen
For fans of cliche love stories, this is DEFINITELY the book for you. Plus, it's written by Love, who reminds us that love isn't always what we think it is. After learning of his parents' seperation, Gael finds comfort in his friend Annika, who he falls head-over-heels for. But when their relationship crumbles, Love tries to intervene to help Gael find real love: a kind of love that may not last forever, but will change every part of Gael's future for the better. However, Love's plan is being jeopardized by The Rebound, and she'll have to break all of her rules to get Gael's life back on track.
9. The Star Touched Queen- Roshani Chokshi
Maya is scorned by her family and her kingdom when her horoscope predicts a marriage that will result in death and destruction. When her father, the Raja, arranges for her to marry to soothe tensions, Maya finds herself married to the handsome Amar, and queen of Akaran, and discovers that her horoscope may have been true, it isn't the worst thing to happen to the world. This was a completely original story, and was very entertaining to read. For lovers of fantasy novels, this is a great read.
10. An Ember in the Ashes- Sabaa Tahir
Laia and her family live quiet lives, as Scholars in the Martial Empire, When her brother is arrested for treason, accused of assisting in a rebellion against the Empire, and her grandparents are killed, it's up to Laia to find a way to break her brother out of prison. Elias is a solider, training to be one of the most Elite in the Empire, but is also secretly the most unwilling. When Elias and Laia meet, they decide to help each other, not realizing that their decisions will change the fate of the Empire itself. An Ember in the Ashes has a very historical feel (Tahir based it off of The Roman Empire), and includes a bit of fantasy. But if you can't take my word for it, keep in mind that this book was not only a best seller, but won THREE different awards. Trust me, its good.
Have any book reccommendations? Send them by way, either by commenting on this post, or via Facebook. Happy reading!
1. The Rose and The Dagger- Renee Ahdieh
I mentioned this book here. The Rose and The Dagger is the sequel to The Wrath and the Dawn, which is a retelling of One Thousand and One Nights. Shahrzad has been taken from Khalid, her husband and the monster king of Khorsan. While the first book in the series focuses on Shahrzad learning about Khalid and falling in love, this book focuses on Shahrzad learning more about herself, and the things she is capable of. Though I didn't love this as much as I loved The Wrath and the Dawn, I blew through it in less than a day, and was left feeling like the series ended perfectly.
2. Me Before You- JoJo Moyes
Another book I've mentioned before on this blog. Me Before You centers around Louisa Clark, a small town waitress who loses her job, and finds herself as a caretaker for a cruel, angry quadriplegic man. When she finds out that he has given his parents six months before he plans to take his own life, Louisa is determined to give him a reason to live. This book made me cry, more than once, and I finished it in two days. The diction took a while to get used to, since the book is set in Englad, but regardless, this book was fantastic.
3. Selection- Kiera Cass
Honesty hour, this is a series, not a book, However, the first 3 books, the only ones that I have read, were so great. This series is about the Selection, a way for the Royal Family to find a wife for their sons. 35 girls, regardless of caste, are welcomed into the castle and in the running to become the next queen. Among these girls is America Fletcher, who has no desire to be part of the Selection, and wants to go home and marry Aspen, a boy a caste below hers. However, when she meets Prince Maxon, she realizes that there is so much more to the Selection, the Royal Family, and even the caste system, than she had ever thought.
4. Gone Girl- Gillian Flynn
Nick Dunne wakes up on his 5th wedding anniversary to find that his wife had gone missing. A few hours later, police find her purse in the river behind the Dunne house, and after taking a peek into Amy's diary, they have reason to believe that Nick is behind Amy's disappearance, and possibly even her murder. However, what no one knows is that Amy is alive and well, and framing her husband for her death. This book was intense, and very suspenseful, and overall, a great read.
5. The Savage Garden- Mark Mills
Another mystery novel, about a student who is assigned to do a summer project on the mystery surrounding the Docci garden in Tuscany, dedicated to Lord Docci's young wife after her death. As Adam, the student, begins to study the garden, he believes that there are sinister secrets lurking in the garden, and also in the family that watches over it. This book had a Dan Brown-feel, and had me hooked from the beginning.
6. Rebel Queen-Michelle Moran
Sita is a girl from a small town in India during England's attempted colonization. As a young girl without money or power in her family, she has few options besides marrying and being a housewife, but her father has other plans: grooming her for a spot in the queen's personal army. When she wins the affection of the queen, she must prove her loyalty by defending her country against the British, and against traitors who are helping them. For Historical Fiction fans, I would highly recommend this, and any of Michelle Moran's other novels.
7. Royal Wedding- Meg Cabot
As many of you know, I am a HUGE fan of the Princess Diaries series. This is the final book in the series, and Meg Cabot wrote it as Adult Fiction, rather than a YA novel. Though it isn't as exciting, or hilarious, as the original series, it was still great. Princess Mia is all grown up and getting ready to marry her high school sweetheart, Michael. However, with her Grandmere still causing trouble, her dad making a fool of the royal family, AND finding out that she has a younger sister, it appears that not even Mia's wedding can bring her crazy family together.
8. The Romantics- Leah Konen
For fans of cliche love stories, this is DEFINITELY the book for you. Plus, it's written by Love, who reminds us that love isn't always what we think it is. After learning of his parents' seperation, Gael finds comfort in his friend Annika, who he falls head-over-heels for. But when their relationship crumbles, Love tries to intervene to help Gael find real love: a kind of love that may not last forever, but will change every part of Gael's future for the better. However, Love's plan is being jeopardized by The Rebound, and she'll have to break all of her rules to get Gael's life back on track.
9. The Star Touched Queen- Roshani Chokshi
Maya is scorned by her family and her kingdom when her horoscope predicts a marriage that will result in death and destruction. When her father, the Raja, arranges for her to marry to soothe tensions, Maya finds herself married to the handsome Amar, and queen of Akaran, and discovers that her horoscope may have been true, it isn't the worst thing to happen to the world. This was a completely original story, and was very entertaining to read. For lovers of fantasy novels, this is a great read.
10. An Ember in the Ashes- Sabaa Tahir
Laia and her family live quiet lives, as Scholars in the Martial Empire, When her brother is arrested for treason, accused of assisting in a rebellion against the Empire, and her grandparents are killed, it's up to Laia to find a way to break her brother out of prison. Elias is a solider, training to be one of the most Elite in the Empire, but is also secretly the most unwilling. When Elias and Laia meet, they decide to help each other, not realizing that their decisions will change the fate of the Empire itself. An Ember in the Ashes has a very historical feel (Tahir based it off of The Roman Empire), and includes a bit of fantasy. But if you can't take my word for it, keep in mind that this book was not only a best seller, but won THREE different awards. Trust me, its good.
Have any book reccommendations? Send them by way, either by commenting on this post, or via Facebook. Happy reading!
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