Monthly Recommendations | What You Should Read in 2016

Monthly Recommendations is a goodreads group created by the booktubers Kayla Rayne and Trina (Between Chapters) that gets booktubers and bloggers together to recommend books to each other. There's a new topic every month, so visit the goodreads group to find out more.

Books to Read in 2016

 This month we're recommending books that we think others should add to their TBR piles for 2016 (great Christmas present ideas if you need to request any more). I could just spout out a gazillion books that I love and think everyone should read, but instead I'm going to recommend based on genre/category when possible, to try and give better recommendations for a variety of readers. 

Fantasy

My favorite genre, so obviously I have to give some recommendations here. 

The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson is my favorite novel and anyone who enjoys high fantasy should give it a read. It is around 1,000 pages though, so be sure to plan accordingly. 

The Rithmatist (Rithmatist #1) by Brandon Sanderson is a great introduction to Sanderson if you're not sure about jumping right into one of his high fantasy worlds. This one is geared toward the young adult crowd and is much shorter. Also a lot of fun. 

The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson. I promise they won't all be Brandon Sanderson novels, but this is another great start if you want to read Sanderson/fantasy. Shorter than WoK and a lot of fun. 

Six of Crows (The Dregs #1) by Leigh Bardugo. See, I told you! This was a great fantasy adventure that deals with an impossible heist. It's set in the same world as Leigh's Grisha trilogy (which I also highly recommend), so having read that might give you a better experience as far as world building goes but is not crucial to enjoying this novel on its own.

 The Spiders of Halros (The Arros Chronicles #1) by P D Kalnay is a fun adventure about six princesses fighting to save their father and their kingdom. There is a newer cover that I really like, but I think this is the only one currently on goodreads so that's why I used it. It's fast, easy to read, and just a lot of fun. I loved it. And the second one was even better. 

**This is free for kindle on Amazon!**

Classics

I love reading classic novels, particularly British classics. So I'm going to recommend you a few of my favorites. 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of my favorite novels ever. I've loved it since I was around 13 or 14, maybe younger. Any of Jane Austen's novels are worth reading, but this and Persuasion are probably my favorites. If you haven't read an Austen novel this would be a good one to add to your reading list. 

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. I'm sure you've heard of Charlotte and Emily Bronte (Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights), but have you heard of Anne? She was the youngest of the Bronte sisters and the lesser known of the three. I personally prefer her novels to those of her sisters. This one follows the story of a mysterious woman who has moved into an abandoned home with her young son. I really enjoyed it. 

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. A lot of people have probably already read this, but I hadn't until this year. It's set during the French Revolution and is a fascinating novel. I really enjoy Dickens and loved this book. 

Thriller/Mystery/Suspense

All Good Deeds (Lucy Kendall #1) by Stacy Green. This entire four book series was fascinating and really made me think about life and justice. There's mystery, suspense, and a lot of crazy going on. 

 Odd Thomas (Odd Thomas #1) by Dean Koontz is one of my favorite books ever. The entire seven book series is a favorite of mine. It's slower paced than a lot of novels in the genre, but funny, interesting, and very well written. And Odd is an amazing character. 

Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz was my first venture into his novels and I loved it. This book, while filled with some horrible things and situations, made me laugh so hard I cried on multiple occasions. I've yet to read another author who can infuse their work with humor like Koontz can. No matter what's happening, he can find a way to lighten your mind. 

Delia's Shadow (Delia Martin #1) by Jaime Lee Moyer can also be classified as historical. It's set in early 1900s California and follows Delia as she deals with a connection she has with the paranormal, typically manifest by her ghost visitors. 

Contemporary/YA Romance

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson was a book that I decided to read because it sounded fun. And I adored it. I was very pleasantly surprised. If you like stories about completing lists and finding yourself then this is a tale for you.

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen. This was my first novel by Dessen and I really loved it. There's a complicated family dynamic, love, hate, just everything. And it works. Definitely my favorite Dessen novel (so far). 

Dystopian

Unwind (Unwind #1) by Neal Shusterman is one of my favorite dystopian stories. His writing style is amazing, his stories equal amounts disturbing, relevant, and unique. This entire four book series is excellent. 

Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu is another favorite. It's beautifully written and crafted with excellent characters. The series definitely gets better as it goes. Champion is my favorite of the three and I love the ending of the series. 

The Roar (The Roar #1) by Emma Clayton is a middle grade duology about children with special abilities living in a torn world. I devoured these books when I first read them. So much fun. 

Steelheart (Reckoners #1) by Brandon Sanderson. When Calamity appears and ordinary people gain extraordinary abilities they become super villains, not heroes. This is David's story of learning to fight back. Even when they are supposedly immortal. 

Middle Grade

  The False Prince by Jennifer A Nielsen. I cannot believe it took me so long to finally read this book. I had it suggested to me but just kept putting it off. When I finally picked it up I could not put it down. I absolutely adore the main character, the writing is compulsively readable, and it's a lot of fun. 

Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl #1) by Eoin Colfer. I've been reading this series since I was around 11 or 12 and have loved every book. He's a 12 year old criminal mastermind who kidnaps a fairy, has an awesome body guard, and doesn't like to get messy. What's not to like?

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. This isn't my favorite cover, but I loved this book. It's set in a Puritan town in the Connecticut Colony where the orphan Kit must learn new ways of life when she comes to live with her aunt. She's even accused of witchcraft. 

Horses

Stay the Distance (Stay the Distance #1) by Mara Dabrishus is set in the world of Thoroughbred horse racing in New York. The novel deals with not only horse related issues, but growing up, dealing with family issues, falling in love, and so much more. I absolutely love it. 

 Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand. This is a non-fiction tale of the race horse that has stories, pictures, and newspaper accounts from his time on the track. Seabiscuit raced during the beginning of World War Two and was a national celebrity. I loved this book. 

Keeping Secrets (Timber Ridge Riders #1) by Maggie Dana. This is a middle grade series of horse books similar to Bonnie Bryant's Saddle Club, although I think these are better overall. If you're horse crazy or have horse crazy kids then you would probably enjoy this series. 

The Eighty-Dollar Horse by Elizabeth Letts. This is the story of Snowman, a "throwaway" horse who became a jumping champion and inspired millions. Another mostly non-fiction story. I absolutely loved it. 

There go my recommendations for now! Let me know if you've read any of these, if you're interested in any of them, or give me some recommendations in the comments!