2015 has been a pretty darn good reading year for me. Not only that, but it’s been varied – I’ve read great books from a whole bunch of different genres and styles. I mean really, it doesn’t get better than that! There were way more than 10 that stood out for me, but here are the ones I think are top of the list.
M Train – Patti Smith
Dietland – Sarai Walker
The Gold Eaters – Ronald Wright
Hyperbole and a Half – Allie Brosh
The Red Notebook – Antoine Laurain
A Little Life – Hanya Yanagihara
We Should All Be Feminists – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
If I Fall, If I Die – Michael Christie
Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda – Becky Albertalli
Book Scavenger – Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
So that’s my top ten! What about you guys? Which books made your best books of the year list? Were any of my picks on your list too? Share in the comments!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly link-up feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week TTT has a different topic, and everyone who links up has to create a link of ten items that fit that topic. To see past and upcoming topics, go here.
I LOVED Hyperbole and a Half! I suffer from depression also and I thought she had it spot on.
I love the variety in your list! I also enjoyed Hyperbole and a Half (it is rare for a book to make me laugh out loud), and A Little Life was just an overall powerful read!
I always feel really lucky that I have such eclectic taste in books – it definitely leads to some fantastic finds! Hyperbole and a Half was a great read. Funny, yet full of important topics and open sharing. I can’t wait for her next book (Solutions and Other Problems) which I think is coming out in 2016.
A Little Life had me in agony. I have rarely been so deeply and helplessly emotionally impacted by a book. Long, sure, but definitely worth it.
I’ve decided I’m going to read “A Little Life” in 2016. I was put off by the number of pages and the cover — which I think it awful — but I’ve heard so many good things about it. Time to finally bite the bullet and give it a try! I’d like to read “The Red Notebook” too — I remember your review of it and it sounds like the perfect light, fun read! (Maybe just the right thing to follow up “A Little Life,” which I’ve heard will wreck my emotions.)
A Little Life was one of those books that I suffered over, nearly abandoned and had to master all my willpower to finish = but was very glad I did. I was also glad I read it with a buddy, because without that extra push to make it to the end I don’t know if I would have. I don’t recommend reading too much in one sitting (my max was about 100 pages) because the emotional intensity can get dark side. But in manageable bites, it’s heartbreaking but beautiful in its own way.
You’re really onto a fantastic idea with The Red Notebook. I really enjoyed it, and it would be exactly the kind of book to read after A Little Life. I kind of wish I’d thought of that myself! I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts on both books – feel free to drop back and leave me a comment (or tweet me) when you’ve read either one!
I haven’t read any of these books, but I’ve heard good things about Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda, and Hyperbole & a Half. So I need to read those soon!
Great List!
My TTT! 😀
Oh, definitely both great books! And both pretty quick reads. I read Hyperbole in an afternoon, since it’s so full of pictures. Great ones for a bad week!
I read “Hyperbole and a Half” last year and loved it. She has a new one coming out but I don’t recall when. Nice list – looks like you read a lot of great books.
Yeah, Solutions and Other Problems. It was originally supposed to come out this fall, but I think now it’s set for next fall. And I CANNOT WAIT!
I love having varied reading years! 🙂 Simon made my list this week too. I really enjoyed that book!
Me too! I’ve been trying to consciously make my reading more diverse – it can feel like a challenge to step outside of my comfort zone, but once I’ve finished those challenging reads, I’m always glad I pushed myself. Simon was one that I went into with high expectations, then felt really let down, but kept going – and it bounced right back and won me over completely at the end. Plus, Oreos. Yum.
Great list! I’ve been eyeing A Little Life ever since it was longlisted for the Man Booker but I don’t think I’ll get around to reading it any time soon…Have to get through my TBR pile a bit first 😉
My TTT
A Little Life was one hell of a mouthful to chew, but it left a huge impression on me and I definitely felt proud of myself for getting through it. I recommend reading it in small chunks (100 pages max) at a time, and find someone who’s reading it or has read it to discuss it with when you get to particularly affecting bits. Oh, and stock up on tissues! Good luck!