Top 5 Books of 2016

top five books of 2016


I loved many of the 50 books I read in 2016 and liked even more. But I forced myself to pick my top five. Here they are in no particular order! (There are Amazon affiliate links in this post.)

WHEN BREATH BECOMES AIR by PAUL KALANITHI

When Breath Becomes Air is a beautifully written memoir about life, grief, and so much more. Deserving of every bit of praise. Have a box of tissues handy.

DEAR MR. YOU by MARY LOUISE PARKER

A book of essays in the form of letters to various men. I’m not doing the book justice with that description. It was astute and all around excellent. I skimmed some of the letters, but the ones I savored made this whole book worthwhile and definitely one of my favorites of the year. The whole concept was so original, which counts for a lot, too.

YOU’LL GROW OUT OF IT by JESSI KLEIN

Listened to this one and laughed out loud numerous times. I found Klein’s observations about life and specifically womanhood to be smart, original, and spot on.

THE BEAUTIFUL POSSIBLE by AMY GOTTLIEB

At Great New Books our team members each picked a favorite from 2016, and I picked Gottlieb’s fantastic novel. I’ve mentioned it numerous times this year in person and online.

A MAN CALLED OVE by FREDRIK BACKMAN

Great read with unexpected turns. Solid writing and a character I grew to love and have continued to keep thinking about months later. Have a box tissues handy for this one, too.

 

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Nina Badzin hosts the podcast Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship. She's been writing about friendship since 2014, co-leads the writing groups at ModernWell in Minneapolis, and reviews 30+ books a year on her website.

13 Responses

  1. I’ve already added The Beautiful Possible to my list after reading your recommendation at Great New Books. Can’t wait to get to that one.

    I just finished Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple (of Where’d You Go Bernadette fame). Another winner! I’d recommend reading it rather than listening due to illustrations.

  2. Thanks for the recommendations. I picked up “A Man Called Ove” at the bookstore the other day and was intrigued. I didn’t get it, but after reading your recommendations, I will add it to my TBR list.

  3. I could totally see Jessi Klein’s book being even better as an audiobook. I am currently listening to Aziz Ansari read Modern Romance, and I am LOVING the fact that I get to hear him reading it. I am for sure adding your other pics to my “to read” list, although I am almost certain A Man Called Ove is already there, per (I think?) your GRB review of it. Same with The Beautiful Possible. Read on, sister!

  4. You and I agree on many books, and not on others, but I always enjoy and appreciate reading your recommendations. I also loved You’ll Grow Out of It, and that will absolutely be on my top ten of the year. Liked “A Man Called Ove,” but did not love “Dear Mr. You.” I wanted to, but I jus had a tough time staying interested.

    Not sure I’m ready to read “When Breath Becomes Air,” but “The Beautiful Possible” is on my list for early 2017.

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Hi, I'm Nina

HI, I’M NINA BADZIN. I’m a writer fascinated by the dynamics of friendship, and I’ve been answering anonymous advice questions on the topic since 2014. I now also answer them on my podcast, Dear Nina! I’m a creative writing instructor at ModernWell in Minneapolis, a freelance writer and editor, and an avid reader who reviews 50 books a year. Welcome to my site! 

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Hi, I'm Nina

HI, I’M NINA BADZIN. I’m a writer fascinated by the dynamics of friendship, and I’ve been answering anonymous advice questions on the topic since 2014. I now also answer them on my podcast, Dear Nina! I’m a creative writing instructor at ModernWell in Minneapolis, a freelance writer and editor, and an avid reader who reviews 50 books a year. Welcome to my site! 

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I send an email once or twice a month with the latest friendship letters, podcast episodes, book reviews, recipes, and more.

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