End of Year Lists: Books Read

It’s been a busy summer, fall, and winter! As we gear into a season of hibernation (hello, hygge life), it’s fun to look back over the last year and compartmentalize every detail into an end-of-year list.

Maybe not every detail. But books, movies, food, drinks…things like that, yeah.

We’re no Obama, but here’s the list of books we (collectively…not as a sister book club, because who has time for that?) read this year:

(the books in bold are must-reads)

Literary Fiction:

• The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros – simply stunning! poetic and mesmerizing. 
• The Bees: A Novel by Laline Paull – a different perspective on bees, told in a sci-fi narrative
• Sing, Unburied, Sing: A Novel by Jesmyn Ward – ghost story, coming-of-age, travel, and drugs. Heavy for sure. But worth reading!
• Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi – An epic saga spanning hundreds of years, following each generation of a slave. So. Good.
• Kindred by Octavia Butler – sci-fi, slavery, feminism, page-turner. 
• Attachments: A Novel by Rainbow Rowell – so charming! so wonderful! 
• Where’d You Go, Bernadette: A Novel by Maria Semple – can’t wait for the film adaptation!

Graphic Novels:

• Spill Zone Book 1, Vol. 2 by Scott Westerfeldt
• My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf – haunting
• March (Trilogy Slipcase Set) by John Lewis – a must-read for everyone living today, especially who did not grow up during the Civil Rights movement
• Bitch Planet, Vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine: Kelly Sue DeConnick

Read Aloud with Kiddos:

• The Odyssey by Gillian Cross – a great re-telling with stunning visuals. Perfect for reading aloud and introducing Greek mythology.
• The Spell Thief: Little Legends by Tom Percival
• Bunnicula by James Howard – a classic gothic horror! Worth revisiting.
• Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling

 

Essays, Poetry, Nonfiction and Such

• Leave Me Alone with the Recipes by Cipe Pineless
• The Modern Witchcraft Grimoire: Skye Alexander
• Why Not Me? By Mindy Kaling – can we be her best friends?
• Ungrateful Mammals by Dave Eggers
• Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches by John Hodgman
• Literary Witches: A Celebration of Magical Women Writers
• Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly
• Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah – YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO IT.

Mysteries & Horror

• The Cat Who Could Read Backwards
• Celine by Peter Heller
• Bird Box: A Novel by Josh Malerman – read only if you don’t want to sleep or go outside for a few days…

 

Home Inspiration & Living Colorfully Books

• Novel Interiors: Living in Enchanted Rooms Inspired by Literature
• Kate Spade New York: Things We Love – Twenty Years of Inspiration, Intriguing Bits and Other Curiosities
• How They Decorated: Inspiration from Great Women of the Twentieth Century
• Liberty Book of Home Sewing
• Branches & Blooms: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Magical Centerpieces, Wreaths, Garlands, and Other Unexpected Arrangements
• Gardens of the High Line: Elevating the Nature of Modern Landscapes
• Selina Lake Winter Living: An inspirational guide to styling and decorating your home for winter by Selena Lake

Cookbooks

• • Full Moon Suppers at Salt Water Farm: Recipes from Land and Sea
  • The London Cookbook: Recipes from the Restaurants, Cafes, and Hole-in-the-Wall Gems of a Modern City
  • A Year of Picnics: Recipes for Dining Well in the Great Outdoors

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What did you read this year that stood out? Any books worth buying for your permanent collection? And if you’re in a bookclub, don’t forget to download Book Club Bingo. Use the code BOOKCLUB to get it for free!