Mindy's Top Picks of 2016

How many books did you read last year? I’ve just gone through my list and was surprised to see that it totals 102. (Higher than my usual of about 60-80. Good for me!) From those, I pulled together a list of the ones I enjoyed the most. Clearly, I’m no literary snob—note that my top ranked fiction is a YA novel that reads like a (much better) DaVinci code for teens—and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I will, however, mention that I do read plenty of “good” fiction as well, it’s just not my favorite. Literary is the green vegetable, but these 10 are the dessert. And if I’m being honest, I always like dessert more than vegetables!  

I also read a lot of great nonfiction last year as well, and it was especially tough to narrow those down to just 10 favorites. 

Thanks to eye issues, I only read via audiobooks, so I’d like to add an Honorable Mention for the BEST READER of the year: Humphrey Bower who narrated Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. Though the book didn’t make my top ten, Bower was by far the best reader I listened to all year. Considering my total, that’s saying a lot!

One last thing, please note that these weren't necessarily books that were released last year, they’re just books that I happened to read last year.

Anyway, for what it’s worth, here are my top ten picks for the most compelling fiction and nonfiction of 2016. Enjoy!

MINDY'S FAVORITE FICTION

1. The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

2. Bruno, Chief of Police: A Novel of the French Countryside by Martin Walker

3. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman

4. The Cold Cold Ground: A Detective Sean Duffy Novel by Adrian McGinty

5. The Girl You Left Behind: A Novel by Jojo Moyes

6. The Prayer Box (A Carolina Heirlooms Novel) by Lisa Wingate

7. I Am the Traitor (Unknown Assassin) by Allen Zadoff

8. Salvage the Bones: A Novel by Jesmyn Ward

9. If You Find Me: A Novel by Emily Murdoch

10. The Pecan Man by Cassie Dandridge Selleck

MINDY'S FAVORITE NONFICTION

1. American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers by Nancy Jo Sales

2. Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men by Leonard Sax

3. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

4. The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz

5. The Ghost in My Brain: How a Concussion Stole My Life and How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Helped Me Get It Back by Clark Elliott

6. A Long Way Home: A Memoir by Saroo Brierley 

7. Off Balance: A Memoir by Dominique Moceanu

8. The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built by Jack Viertel

9. The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business by Josh Kaufman

10. The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute by Zac Bissonnette


What books did you enjoy in 2016?