I realize I’m almost a week behind at this point, but I really wanted to do this Top Ten Tuesday topic and list my 10 favorite books of 2016. My list is not exclusively 2016 releases; any book I read this year is fair game. Here’s the list, in no particular order:
1. Helen Simonson, The Summer Before the War — A lovely, character-driven novel about romance and politics in an English village in the months leading up to World War I. My mini-review is here.
2. Alice Tilton, Beginning with a Bash — A Golden Age mystery that feels like a screwball comedy, complete with fast-talking dames and gangsters galore. My mini-review is here.
3. Lucy Parker, Act Like It — An utterly charming contemporary romance that has me impatiently awaiting Lucy Parker’s next novel (which fortunately comes out in February!). My review is here.
4. Maggie Stiefvater, The Raven King — A fitting conclusion to the wonderful and unique Raven Cycle, which contains a surprising number of Owen Glendower references for a young adult series. My mini-review is here.
5. V.E. Schwab, A Darker Shade of Magic — A compelling fantasy novel with a fascinating premise (parallel universes with varying degrees of magic) and well-fleshed-out main characters. I can’t wait to read the sequels! My mini-review is here.
6. Genevieve Cogman, The Invisible Library — Another great fantasy premise: there are an infinite number of universes whose only point of connection is an invisible central library that collects and preserves the literature from each world. My review is here.
7. Jacques Philippe, Interior Freedom — A short but powerful work about letting go of anxiety and trusting in God. This was the book that most deeply affected me this year. My review is here.
8. Georgette Heyer, Envious Casca — One of Heyer’s best mysteries, combining her trademark wit and character development with a top-notch murder mystery. My mini-review is here.
9. Emma Mills, This Adventure Ends — An excellent YA contemporary that’s all about friendship, with a bonus adorable romance. My mini-review is here.
10. David D. Levine, Arabella of Mars — Jane Austen meets Horatio Hornblower in space! My mini-review is here.
You Book Me All Night Long 
Sounds like you had a great year for reading with all of these lovely books!
I’m so anxious about reading The Raven King! I’ve been putting it off since the book was released because, although I want to know what happens, I also don’t want to because then that means it’s over – if that makes any sense?? Mind you, I’m never all that logical when it comes to the Raven Boys.
Oo and I’m intrigued by your synopsis of Arabella of Mars – I used to watch the Horatio Hornblower TV serialisations with my granddad when I was young so I’d be intrigued to see something like that mixed with Jane Austen mixed with space! 😛
I totally know what you mean about putting off The Raven King. I do think it’s a satisfying ending to the series, if that helps! And you can always reread. 🙂
I also watched some of the Horatio Hornblower series as a kid! All the ship stuff in Arabella of Mars really reminds me of that series. I definitely recommend the book if the premise intrigues you!