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Friday, January 8, 2016

Favorite Books I Read in 2015

Well, it's that time of year again. (Kind of. I'm late.) I read a total of 56 books in 2015, and while some disappointments are leading me to change what/how I read in 2016 (aka, less forcing things I'm not in the mood for and making sure I'm really interested in the synopsis/I have similar tastes to whoever recommended it), I read some great books that I'd like to share. Because they vary so much, I can't bear to rank them and instead I'm splitting them by market category.

Middle Grade
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness ("short thoughts" review): Aside from just being a gorgeous book, the story was so wonderful and important. It's about how children are capable of emotions that adults might not realize, and we should address that instead of making it seem like everything is okay. Bonus points for use of storytelling.


Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead (review): My anticipation for this book did not disappoint, further solidifying Rebecca Stead as one of my favorite writers (especially for middle grade fiction). The main character's experience with and curious but anxious thoughts about a first-time maybe-sorta-possible relationship reminded me of myself in middle school a lot. Additionally, the friends have this amazing support of each other, and it tackles some issues facing girls without painting them as black and white.

I also reread Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy (thoughts: 1, 2, 3, includes some spoilers), which I fell in love with when I was 11 and 12, but I never reread the third book and hadn't thought about it for a while until Jen Campbell posted a very interesting video and then hosted a readalong, which I joined in on. It left me with a lot to think about and I enjoyed noticing a lot of the symbolism I hadn't seen before. (Also, yes, I love the mulefa.)

Young Adult
 I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak (review): This was such a lovely ride. The meta ending, while a bit odd at first, I found to raise interesting questions.

I Crawl Through It by A.S. King (review): Another new release that didn't disappoint my expectations, though the surrealism isn't for everyone. However, I was engrossed and seemed to understand what was going on even if it was very weird, and I could relate to the overwhelming pressure of academics and having the "correct" answers.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (some sort of review/discussion forthcoming): I loved this for personal reasons I'm still not sure I want to talk about yet. Suffice to say, I enjoyed it much more than I was expecting and I think that the main character's choice at the end is one of the most important things, and I felt the same way as he did. The satire was also fun.

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera ("short thoughts" review): I loved the way this was crafted and it had a lot to say about memory, sexuality, homophobia, and so much more. It left me thinking.

Adult/Literary Fiction/Modern Classics
1984 by George Orwell: I could've done without the 30 pages of textbook stuck in the middle, but other than that I found this very engaging. Definitely one of the best dystopian worlds I've read (not everyone has to be indoctrinated, only the people who have power!), and it had plenty of interesting things to say. Plus, I'm a sucker for hopeless endings.


A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan: I enjoyed the different styles these stories were written in. They were both funny and sad, all centering around the passage of time, and seeing the characters woven throughout in different stories was really well done.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison: I thought this was a complex exploration of racism and very interesting; it focuses a lot on beauty, especially from a female perspective, and I love the exploration of the psychological impact a lack of representation has (relevant to today!). I also enjoyed the writing style as well.

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