As a member of Goodreads I participate in their annual reading challenge, therefore I did not discuss books in my “Year in Review” post. Considering it was already quite lengthy I decided the books I read warrants a separate post. My initial goal for the 2016 Reading Challenge was a lofty 25 books, however around June or July I realized there was no way I was going to succeed. I reduced my challenge to 15 books but I ended the year having only read 12.
I am not a fast reader, nor am I a slow reader by any means. My “literary ineptitude”, as it were, is primarily the result of time and prioritization. I need to allocate more time to reading if I am to achieve my reading challenge goals. Be that as it may, I am going to take a look back at the books I read in 2016.
My 2016 Reading Challenge Read List
Below are the 12 books I read for the 2016 Reading Challenge. If I wrote a “Book Review” blog post, you will be able to click on the title of the book to read the review. If the author’s name is a link, it will take you to their website (in case you are interested in learning more).
- “Winter” by Marissa Meyer
- “Armada” by Ernest Cline
- “In Her Name: Empire” by Michael R. Hicks
- “Shadow of the Hegemon” by Orson Scott Card
- “Lady Midnight” by Cassandra Clare
- “Magic of Thieves” by C. Greenwood
- “Mistress of Masks” by C. Greenwood
- “War of the Ancients: Well of Eternity” by Richard A. Knaak
- “Kubrick’s Game” by Derek Taylor Kent
- “Betrayer of Blood” by C. Greenwood
- “War of the Ancients: The Demon Soul” by Richard A. Knaak
- “Star Wars: Aftermath“ by Chuck Wendig
My Choice for 2016 Best Read
As you can see I read several great books last year. Picking the best read for the year really comes down to two books: Armada and Kubrick’s Game. Ernest Cline is also the author of Ready Player One, a book that is now at the top of my list as one of my all time favorite books. As much as I enjoyed Armada I don’t think it invoked those nostalgic feelings like Ready Player One, and Kubrick’s Game.
Therefore Kubrick’s Game is my pick for the best book of the year for 2016! It is the perfect combination of movie nostalgia and puzzle mystery.
Folks that know the tale as to how I found out about Kubrick’s Game may be rolling their eyes. They might assume I picked that book because I was contacted by the author personally to read it and provide a review. I assure you that my feelings for the book are 100% genuine. My loyalties are not so easily bought and my endorsement is not so easily influenced. It is my honest-to-God feeling about the book.
What books did you read in 2016? Which one was your favorite?
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.
– Dr. Seuss