Favorite Reads | July-September 2016

Here are some of the books that were my favorite during the third quarter of 2016. I was able to get quite a lot of reading done and read some great books. I would love to know what your favorites were during this quarter.

Graphic novels can be difficult for me to read, including one adapted from the writing of Brandon Sanderson. There's a lot of sensory input and it often gives me headaches. Once I figured out what worked best for me while read, however, I was hooked. White Sand introduces a new magic system and a fascinating cast of characters into Sanderson's Cosmere universe. It lacks some of the development that his full novels have, but for a graphic novel I thought it was excellent.

Emery Lord and The Start of Me and You took me completely by surprise. I absolutely adored it. It has excellent familial relationships, stellar friendships, and the cutest slow burn romance. It's one of my absolute favorite books of the year thus far and I look forward to reading it again and again.

This follow up to Stay the Distance was excellent. It has all of the horsey goodness I've come to expect from Mara as well as complicated family dynamics, unsteady romances, and some solid friendships. All Heart has more of everything you love about Stay the Distance and leaves enough open for the next installment. If you like horse related books, Thoroughbred racing, or young adult contemporary/romances in general, this is a series for you.

S J Kincaid has been an author on my reading list for years now. And I can finally say that I have read one of her novels and it was great. The Diabolic was different than I expected, but in all the best ways. Nemesis was learning to feel and accept emotions that she never thought she could have. It's set in space. Tyrus was a genius. This is a fast-paced exciting young adult novel and I am exited to read more from Kincaid in the future.

This conclusion to Sanderson's middle grade series is fast-paced, humorous, and exciting. The Dark Talent is darker than the previous books in the series, but has a fair amount of humor as well. And what an ending. Have we seen the last of Alcatraz and company? Only time will tell.

 If you want an honest look at mental illness that doesn't sugar coat but also doesn't shove things in your face, Challenger Deep is the book for you. It's a stunning look at what mental illness looks like, how its treated, what happens when love and medicine aren't enough, and has a realistic ending that is often shied away from in young adult literature. This was an extremely powerful read and I know I will be adding it to my collection.

While not as powerful as Six of Crows, Crooked Kingdom was a solid follow up to that book. And also an excellent conclusion to the duology. There was further exploration of the characters, new developments in relationships, insane odds and impossible feats, and hints at what may still be to come in the Grishaverse. Leigh Bardugo has such a beautiful writing style and it comes alive through Kaz and his crew of misfit thieves.

This is a novel that I read after a recommendation from my mother. Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture deals with a mathematician who became obsessed with proving the conjecture mentioned in the title. The narrative style was so cleverly used and compelling. It blends these fictional characters in seamlessly with real mathematicians during their time among the greats.