It’s the annual WHAT DID YOU READ LAST YEAR post!

Here is the post about the 2015 reading log if you wanna go back in time.

{Fun fact–it was my first post ever on this blog!}

These are pictures of some of my book piles from 2016 at the public library. I only keep track of the “chapter books” that I read, not cookbooks and craft books, etc. There is something so satisfying about a big stack of library books that are new to you ❤

Here is my actual list of books read in 2016:

39 books!

{beware of mild spoilers}

Stand Out books of 2016:

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Ya’ll, I LOVED this book. I love weird & creepy old photos and the plot had good twists and turns. I couldn’t put it down. That is that. Unfortunately see “Total Duds” section for commentary on the rest of the series.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I know I am like 10 years late to this book party but I can actually remember when these first came out. I was working in the processing department of DBRL at the time and the whole literary world was all aflutter over a book series with a dead author. How do you do a book tour like that? I did not read the series as it came out as I inevitably get disappointed when books are over-hyped. It may be worth mentioning that I listened to this series on audiobook. It was not easy to hear in some parts (graphic violence, sexual violence) but the books were extremely well written and very planned out–the stories wove seamlessly together. I enjoyed all three. It was sad to learn (in the biography that I later read and wasn’t so crazy about) that Larrson had plans for several more books. I have no doubt they would have been captivating as well.

Midnight in Broad Daylight. I posted the picture you see here on my instagram account. I invite you to click here to look at the people who “liked” the picture and even commented on it. This is a book that I think EVERYONE should take the time to read and think about.

The my overall favorite book of the year has to go to 84 Charing Cross Road which I found in a paperback copy at the dadgum buck-a-pound Goodwill. It’s a quick & easy read that is a true story, or rather, real letters that were sent between the SERIOUSLY FEISTY Helene Hanff and a bookseller in London. Pick up a copy and just eat it up. I am almost 100% sure you will not be disappointed.

Total Duds books of 2016:

THE REST OF THE MISS PEREGRINE SERIES. I’m not even going to link them here. I slogged through the 2nd book and couldn’t make it past the first chapter of the 3rd. And then I heard about the morphing/switch of the main female character for the movie and I was DONE. Gross. Total bummer. Life goes on.

Danny Champion of the World. When I was a kid, this was one of my MOST favorite of Roald Dahl’s books. Back then I loved that Danny and his dad lived in a “caravan” and ate food out of “tins”. Reading it this go round was totally effed up. This time it seemed like basically the dad was addicted to poaching, did nothing but kill birds in really messed up ways, and lived like paupers in a tiny camper. Oh the difference 25 years and being a vegetarian makes. Sadface.

Serafina and the Black Cloak. I’m bad about getting grumpy over books with lots of hype, and given that I live near the Biltmore House (where this book was set) I guess I was bound to be disappointed. This is another one with a weird father/child relationship and really distressing and seemingly misplaced violence. Not a fan and certainly didn’t read the second installation.

I guess maybe the moral of this story is to be careful rereading childhood favorites. I’m glad none of my ‘grown up’ books were so bad! I absolutely adored rereading the Little House books in 2015, but found I couldn’t get through my once beloved Dr. Doolittle books (the use of the N word made it impossible for me to recommend it to ANY ONE, and difficult to get past despite the historical context).

What did you read this year?

What was good? What was worth cautioning against?

Here’s to 2017 being full of wonderful literary delights…and trashy stuff, too!