As per blog tradition, it’s my annual Reading List post!
Despite feeling like I never have time to read these days, I’m quite proud of myself for having crossed a grand total of 64 books off the TBR list in 2016. Of course, I have fabulous audiobooks to thank for that, and the fact that I’ve gotten past my aversion of reading on my phone which I always hated to do before, but you gotta do what you gotta do!
2016 was definitely the year of non-fiction… especially books on productivity and creativity. As my resolution at the start of the year had been to teach myself new habits for tackling my to-do list and the bajillion writing projects I had in the works or waiting on the back burner, and I simply couldn’t use our twin toddlers as an excuse anymore, I read as much as I could about time management and prioritization. And it’s really made a difference! I feel like 2017 might be my most writing-filled year yet, and I am super excited about it.
Breakdown by Genre:
Young Adult: 27
Productivity & Writing Guides: 16
Other Non-fiction: 6
Graphic Novels: 6
Middle Grade: 4
Other Fiction (Non-YA): 4
Poetry: 1
Total Books Read: 64
Top Recommendations
Usually I do a Top 10 Favorite Books post at the end of the year, but because this year was more segmented by genre than usual, I thought that I would instead highlight those that most stood out to me in their genre.
For Productivity and Writing Guides: I discovered so many fantastic new techniques from The Productivity Project by Chris Bailey, Getting Things Done by David Allen, and From 2K to 10K by Rachel Aaron.
In the Graphic Novel sector: I devoured both The Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld (releasing later in 2017) and Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke.
In Middle Grade: Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate made me cry in public, and I am in love with Lintang and the Pirate Queen by my long-time beta-reader Tamara Moss. (It’s coming out this summer from Penguin Random House Australia and OH I HOPE I HOPE it gets picked up soon in America, because it’s fantastic.)
And as for my beloved YA, there are a LOT of fantastic books on the below list, but the ones that have stuck with me the most are Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake, Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig, First & Then by Emma Mills, Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo.
The Complete List
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (audiobook)
The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey
How to Make a Living as a Writer by James Scott Bell
The Productivity Project by Chris Bailey
Now and Again by Jennifer Ellision
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (audiobook)
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Hatch! Brainstorming Secrets of a Theme Park Designer by C. McNair Wilson
Secrets from the Eating Lab: The Science of Weight Loss, the Myth of Willpower, and Why You Should Never Diet Again by Traci Mann
A Tyranny of Petticoats: 15 Stories of Belles, Bank Robbers, and Other Badass Girls, edited by Jessica Spotswood
I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time by Laura Vanderkam
How to Write a Novel by Nathan Bransford
Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Emma by Jane Austen (graphic novel adaptation by Po Tse and Crystal S. Chan)
Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus & Sharpen Your Creative Mind, edited by Jocelyn K. Glei
The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (audiobook)
The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher (audiobook)
Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card
Flawed by Cecelia Ahern
These Vicious Masks by by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
The Stark Naked 21-Day Metabolic Reset by Brad Davidson
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (audiobook)
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Valor, edited by Isabelle Melançon and Megan Lavey-Heaton (graphic novel)
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam
Nerve by Jeanne Ryan
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (audiobook)
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (audiobook)
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (audiobook)
The Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld (graphic novel)
Off Balance: Getting Beyond the Work-Life Balance Myth to Personal and Professional Satisfaction by Matthew Kelly
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig
This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills
You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero (audiobook)
2,000 to 10,000: How to Write Faster, Write Better, and Write More of What You Love by Rachel Aaron
The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia
The Now Habit by Neil Fiore, Ph.D. (audiobook)
Nemesis by Anna Banks
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
First & Then by Emma Mills
Joyride by Anna Banks
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
Poisoned Apples by Christine Heppermann
Ten Days in a Mad-House by Nellie Bly
Unsubscribe by Jocelyn K. Glei
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (audiobook)
Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate
Kiss Cam by Kiara London
I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest
Level Up by Gene Luen Yang and Thien Pham (graphic novel)
Battling Boy by Paul Pope (graphic novel)
Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke (graphic novel)
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (audiobook)
Lintang and the Pirate Queen by Tamara Moss