Top 5 of 2016

Hi Book-Sniffers and Librocubicularists,

The end of the year is nigh. Thus comes my yearly Top 5 reads. These could be brand new or ones I've recently discovered. A non-traditional way, for me, of looking at the best: these are 'heart-books', ones that are still speaking to me long after finishing them. They might not even have 5-stars on Goodreads. They have lingered in my heart-space.

This has been an odd reading year. I glance at my ratings on Goodreads. Many 4-star reads and yet I feel unsatisfied. All the good books I think up I read the year previous. Stay tuned for a Worst of 2016 and Biggest Disappointments of 2016. Those are aplenty.

For now… the best.




1. Rules for a Knight, by Ethan Hawke (yes, that Ethan Hawke)

The most I've ever enjoyed a 'self-improvement' book. Structured as a father writing, on the eve of battle, to his children with advice on being a knight (or a lady, the rules do not vary). He instructs on generosity, discipline, modesty, and various other virtues through straight-to-the-point advice or stories of his grandfather. I read this out loud to my best friend, reading two a week and musing on the advice during the week. We came to revelations, disagreed, and at the end, we bawled. This is truly a heart-book.


2. The Paper Magician, by Charlie N. Holmberg

Chapter 1, I was whisked into a magical world. Chapter 1, I fell in love. Though it is short, it is but fierce. Ceony is a wonderful main character and she goes through some incredibly difficult challenges. My new love, Magician Emery Thane, is gentle and burning with intelligence. This is a heart-book too (for many reasons… read it and find why). Books two and three, here I come!


3. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers

Think Firefly. This book satisfies that hole in your life. Wonderful crew, wonderful interpersonal connections, and really COOL science fiction. My favourite character, Sissix, is this awesome pilot with the most interesting culture and societal structure. Really, the core of the book is 'family' and how one forms connections to others.


4. The Chimes, by Anna Smaill

This book blew me away. The more I think on it and let it stew, the more I love it. It'll probably do well with a reread. It begins quite difficultly - as the world is based on the idea that every night the chimes ring, all short term memory is wiped. People have a sense of who they are, not really what they do day in and day out. It's weird. And wonderful. Imagine reading someone's mind that fuzzy, almost like being in a person who has dementia or Alzheimer's. I love this book more for its view on music and its structure. The characters are forgetful (ironically).


5. The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Don't know why this dug into my core. I've not ugly cried for a book in a long while. I began laughing through my tears at the end because I couldn't finish the book, my tears blocked all vision. It's a quiet story, beginning with truly unlikable situations and ending with pure delight. Recommended to all.

Honourable Mentions:

Nod, by Jonathan Barnes

Creepy. This story sunk its teeth in and wouldn't let go. The 'villain' is terrifying. The dystopian aspect is terrifying. What if one day, all at once, people stopped sleeping? Thankfully, our narrator is one that sleeps, so his story is told through the eyes of someone sane watching the world fall around him. Also, set in Vancouver.


The Fell Sword, by Miles Cameron

Second book in the Traitor Son Cycle. This series is ah-mazing. I rave on and on about it, but really, it's ruined all fantasy for me now. I expect the large cast epics to be as good as this. I have to remind myself: not everyone can write like Cameron. More badassery, more political manoeuvring, and enough intelligence by those in power.


~ Cheers to a better reading year! ~