Heyy guys!!! Today we have something a little different... we have our TOP TEN BOOKS OF 2016!!!
So yes, it's not just me today, but... Kasey of the K&L Book Club will join us for this!!
Okay.
Now the fun can begin!
And yes, these are in a particular order... so. Our top ten starts with a tie for both of us...
1/1• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Kasey: I rarely give books a full five star rating, but ACOMAF definitely deserved it. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! It made me laugh and cry. It made me mad, frustrated, and happy. EMOTIONS, OKAY! I just felt so many emotions with this book.
When I started reading it, I thought I knew what I was getting into. And I was so wrong! I was so blind with the first book. Since the ACOTAR was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a mix of the Scottish fairies folktales, SJM mentioned that ACOMAF book was somewhat of a Persephone and Hades retelling. I love a great retelling. And it worked so well. SJM’s fantasy worlds are just perfect and I want to live in them. Exploring new parts of Prythian was great. The Night Court! I want to live there! The clothes. The magic. The fae. Every detail of everything imaginable that SJM put into this book was excellent. I fell in love with all of the new characters, especially Cassian (my fae bae bastard!). Seeing Rhys reveal who he truly was, to see that he wasn’t what we thought he was, to see him open up to Feyre… Ugh! He’s a perfect little cinnamon roll and needs to be protected.
There is so much I have to say about this book that I can’t properly convey what I want to say because of my immense love for it. Sometimes stories of faeries can become cliché and corny, but with SJM’s writing it is anything but that. I started reading and devouring all her books this year, and I was completely hooked. Her writing has a way of just easily pulling you into the story. This book has become so popular and loved. I’m surprised that there would be anyone who hasn’t read it. Not only is this book a must read, but all of SJM’s books are.
Laura: Okay, so let me just say that THIS IS A MUST READDDDDD.
Yes.
Read it.
The story takes you on this roller coaster that just leaves you depleted by the end, much like her other books, but this one? Oh no. This one just blew my mind by far, only because of how complex it was. The characters were fabulous, completely flawed, but I NEED TO HOLD THEM.
Except Tamlin.
The tool.
No one likes him.
NO ONE.
But on a serious note: the world in this is just absolutely stunning and completely original. She weaves this tapestry that just ends up being wonderful and snags you by the first page. I loved this book and it deserved all 5 stars that I have given it.
2• Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas
Laura: I know, I just finished it yesterday, but it NEEDED to be on this list because of how crazpy epic it was!!! As the fifth and second to last book in the series, I feel like it did every character justice as they try and race the coming war. When you have these amazing characters in this amazing world, it becomes hard to put down that book, and this was no different. I was hooked, my heart and emotions were tormented until the last word, and, honestly, I couldn't get enough. I waited so long to read this, and it was worth the wait.
So yes, I still stick with my rating of 5 stars, and this is a short post because, as I said above, my (quick but longer) review is up already.
2/3• And I Darken by Kiersten White
Kasey: Gender-swapped Vlad the Impaler! I bought this book, because it was a signed copy and I just couldn’t leave on the shelf. I didn’t expect to love it so much. And I didn’t know that I needed this book in my life. I love the main character, Lada (who would obviously be Vlad). I love her determination of proving that’s she can do what any man can do, and do it better. She has been added to my list of favorite female characters. This book started off slow. It started with Lada’s birth and childhood, which I didn’t really like. But it was needed. And then the rest of the book is the start of her teenage years. It’s basically how Vlad became the impaler. The religion and history in this book! You could just tell that the author did the research to make sure it was accurate as possible. At first glance, I thought this book was fantasy. I was wrong. It’s even better. The genre of And I Darken is a perfect mix of YA, Historical Fiction, and LBGTQ. I can’t stress how great this book is. I gave this book four-star rating.
Laura: Okay, so although this is actually third on my list, I'll keep this here. Know why? BECAUSE IT WAS WONDERFUL. Like, imagine an origin story for a female Dracula. But not the vampire. Like the original: Vlad the Impaler. That's right. Sounds awesome right?
Well it was. And when you dive into this world it was like being taken on an epic ride. There were things I didn't like, like the fact that I felt like it was a bit slow, and the fact that certain characters REALLY pissed me off, so unfortunately I could only give this book a 4 star rating, but it was worth it to read.
3• Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
Kasey: I am a huge fan of Cassandra Clare’s books. I waited what felt like forever to read Lady Midnight. When I finally read it, I thought I had the ending figured out. Oh boy. I was wrong again about this one too. It’s definitely lengthy, but that ending. Ugh! This book was definitely not disappointing. It was everything I thought it’s be, which is AMAZING! One thing I loved about this book was the titles of each chapter. THEY WERE LINES FROM EDGAR ALLEN POE’S ANNABEL LEE! And it worked into the story perfectly. If you’re a fan of the Shadowhunters Novels, than I don’t have to go into what the world is like, and Cassie’s writing. And with the movie and TV show, well yeah. But let’s address Emma and Julian for second. I shipped them. Shipped. I was all like “they’re in love! Let them love each other! So what if they’re parabatai!” Oh boy! When I found out the reason why, I stopped shipping. Even if they find a way, I don’t want them together. Let me just say, I have a theory regarding Emma’s sword! I will not say what it is because I don’t like to be wrong (but I think I’m right. Haha!). Lady Midnight is worth the read, but you can’t read it without reading all of Cassandra’s other books. Because spoilers. Four stars for this book. I can’t wait for the sequel.
4• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Kasey: Oh god! Where do I start with this amazing, fantastic, beautiful, and magnificent book? Four stars! The characters are everything! The story is great. The best thing about the book, besides the characters, is the humor. The comic relief is perfect considering that the characters are in a high-risk mission that might cost them their lives. If you follow our YouTube channel, and have seen the review for Six of Crows, then you know that Nina Zenik and Kaz Brekker are my favorites. A goddess and a demon. Nina is a beautiful, perfect, and witty creature, and Kaz is my deadly and intelligent baby. And they both should rule the world. The world is interesting. I did not read Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy, so I wasn’t familiar with the world. If you’re like me and are going into this book blind, don’t worry. It’s not that hard to figure out. Bardugo does a good job with giving enough info about the previous books in Six of Crows. This book made me laugh and cry. It is a must read!
4• Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Laura: Imagine a fantasy world, crippled like the one from the Hunger Games, but instead of teenagers pitted against one another there is a war. With the poor being led by a group called Silvers - the elites of society. Who are basically cooler X-Men.
"But Laura, there's no such thing..."
Yes. Yes there is. And it's all wrapped up in a beautiful book that is just this masterpiece. With strong characters who have PLENTY of faults, this book takes you on a ride that you won't want to get off of. Trust me. I read both books back to back and have been waiting FOREVER for 2017 to get my hands on book 3. But.
But.
There are still some flaws, however, I don't think that they were so bad that I couldn't keep reading. I gave this book a 4.5 Star rating, and only because I wish the world was expanded in this book. Luckily the sequel did its job in explaining the gaps and made up for it. But it is definitely an awesome read.
5• Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Kasey: I think by this point it is no secret that I love SJM’s books. I gave HoF four out of five stars. It has become my favorite Throne of Glass book, because of the introduction of so many new characters, a change in settings, the character growth, and because it made me cry my eyes out. ROWAN! Ugh! He was such an asshole, but he was such a likeable asshole. The connection that builds between him and Aelin was frustrating, amusing, and beautiful. He easily became a new favorite character of mine. I ended up loving everything about him. I choked up a lot while reading this book, but Chapters 33 and 34 are the reason for the enormous amount of tears and why this book is in my top five reads for 2016. That’s all I have to say. If you’ve read the book, you’ll understand. If you haven’t, then go pick up all the Throne of Glass books. NOW! You won’t regret reading this amazing fantasy series.
5• This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
Laura: This was definitely a super fun read. It was like reading Sin City if it was meshed with demons. Which I see as weird vampires. Not the I'll-drink-your-blood kind but the I'll-steal-your-soul kind. And it made for such an amazing book.
However, like the majority of books, it has its flaws. The characters were fine, but I wanted to know more. More about the world, more about what these things are, how they came to be. I'm pretty sure it says it in the book vaguely, but that's just it: it was vague and briefly mentioned and I can't even remember it. So it does get 4 Stars. But I'm praying that the sequel is just as good if not better, because this was such a fun and different read for me.
Well, that's our top ten (five each) books of 2016!!
Some honorable mentions are, of course:
- "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
- "Revenge and the Wild" by Michelle Modesto
- "The Young Elites" by Marie Lu
- "Madly" by Amy Alward.
We look forward to our top ten of 2017, but until then: HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
So yes, it's not just me today, but... Kasey of the K&L Book Club will join us for this!!
Okay.
Now the fun can begin!
And yes, these are in a particular order... so. Our top ten starts with a tie for both of us...
1/1• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Kasey: I rarely give books a full five star rating, but ACOMAF definitely deserved it. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! It made me laugh and cry. It made me mad, frustrated, and happy. EMOTIONS, OKAY! I just felt so many emotions with this book.
When I started reading it, I thought I knew what I was getting into. And I was so wrong! I was so blind with the first book. Since the ACOTAR was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a mix of the Scottish fairies folktales, SJM mentioned that ACOMAF book was somewhat of a Persephone and Hades retelling. I love a great retelling. And it worked so well. SJM’s fantasy worlds are just perfect and I want to live in them. Exploring new parts of Prythian was great. The Night Court! I want to live there! The clothes. The magic. The fae. Every detail of everything imaginable that SJM put into this book was excellent. I fell in love with all of the new characters, especially Cassian (my fae bae bastard!). Seeing Rhys reveal who he truly was, to see that he wasn’t what we thought he was, to see him open up to Feyre… Ugh! He’s a perfect little cinnamon roll and needs to be protected.
There is so much I have to say about this book that I can’t properly convey what I want to say because of my immense love for it. Sometimes stories of faeries can become cliché and corny, but with SJM’s writing it is anything but that. I started reading and devouring all her books this year, and I was completely hooked. Her writing has a way of just easily pulling you into the story. This book has become so popular and loved. I’m surprised that there would be anyone who hasn’t read it. Not only is this book a must read, but all of SJM’s books are.
Laura: Okay, so let me just say that THIS IS A MUST READDDDDD.
Yes.
Read it.
The story takes you on this roller coaster that just leaves you depleted by the end, much like her other books, but this one? Oh no. This one just blew my mind by far, only because of how complex it was. The characters were fabulous, completely flawed, but I NEED TO HOLD THEM.
Except Tamlin.
The tool.
No one likes him.
NO ONE.
But on a serious note: the world in this is just absolutely stunning and completely original. She weaves this tapestry that just ends up being wonderful and snags you by the first page. I loved this book and it deserved all 5 stars that I have given it.
2• Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas
Laura: I know, I just finished it yesterday, but it NEEDED to be on this list because of how crazpy epic it was!!! As the fifth and second to last book in the series, I feel like it did every character justice as they try and race the coming war. When you have these amazing characters in this amazing world, it becomes hard to put down that book, and this was no different. I was hooked, my heart and emotions were tormented until the last word, and, honestly, I couldn't get enough. I waited so long to read this, and it was worth the wait.
So yes, I still stick with my rating of 5 stars, and this is a short post because, as I said above, my (quick but longer) review is up already.
2/3• And I Darken by Kiersten White
Kasey: Gender-swapped Vlad the Impaler! I bought this book, because it was a signed copy and I just couldn’t leave on the shelf. I didn’t expect to love it so much. And I didn’t know that I needed this book in my life. I love the main character, Lada (who would obviously be Vlad). I love her determination of proving that’s she can do what any man can do, and do it better. She has been added to my list of favorite female characters. This book started off slow. It started with Lada’s birth and childhood, which I didn’t really like. But it was needed. And then the rest of the book is the start of her teenage years. It’s basically how Vlad became the impaler. The religion and history in this book! You could just tell that the author did the research to make sure it was accurate as possible. At first glance, I thought this book was fantasy. I was wrong. It’s even better. The genre of And I Darken is a perfect mix of YA, Historical Fiction, and LBGTQ. I can’t stress how great this book is. I gave this book four-star rating.
Laura: Okay, so although this is actually third on my list, I'll keep this here. Know why? BECAUSE IT WAS WONDERFUL. Like, imagine an origin story for a female Dracula. But not the vampire. Like the original: Vlad the Impaler. That's right. Sounds awesome right?
Well it was. And when you dive into this world it was like being taken on an epic ride. There were things I didn't like, like the fact that I felt like it was a bit slow, and the fact that certain characters REALLY pissed me off, so unfortunately I could only give this book a 4 star rating, but it was worth it to read.
3• Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
Kasey: I am a huge fan of Cassandra Clare’s books. I waited what felt like forever to read Lady Midnight. When I finally read it, I thought I had the ending figured out. Oh boy. I was wrong again about this one too. It’s definitely lengthy, but that ending. Ugh! This book was definitely not disappointing. It was everything I thought it’s be, which is AMAZING! One thing I loved about this book was the titles of each chapter. THEY WERE LINES FROM EDGAR ALLEN POE’S ANNABEL LEE! And it worked into the story perfectly. If you’re a fan of the Shadowhunters Novels, than I don’t have to go into what the world is like, and Cassie’s writing. And with the movie and TV show, well yeah. But let’s address Emma and Julian for second. I shipped them. Shipped. I was all like “they’re in love! Let them love each other! So what if they’re parabatai!” Oh boy! When I found out the reason why, I stopped shipping. Even if they find a way, I don’t want them together. Let me just say, I have a theory regarding Emma’s sword! I will not say what it is because I don’t like to be wrong (but I think I’m right. Haha!). Lady Midnight is worth the read, but you can’t read it without reading all of Cassandra’s other books. Because spoilers. Four stars for this book. I can’t wait for the sequel.
4• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Kasey: Oh god! Where do I start with this amazing, fantastic, beautiful, and magnificent book? Four stars! The characters are everything! The story is great. The best thing about the book, besides the characters, is the humor. The comic relief is perfect considering that the characters are in a high-risk mission that might cost them their lives. If you follow our YouTube channel, and have seen the review for Six of Crows, then you know that Nina Zenik and Kaz Brekker are my favorites. A goddess and a demon. Nina is a beautiful, perfect, and witty creature, and Kaz is my deadly and intelligent baby. And they both should rule the world. The world is interesting. I did not read Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy, so I wasn’t familiar with the world. If you’re like me and are going into this book blind, don’t worry. It’s not that hard to figure out. Bardugo does a good job with giving enough info about the previous books in Six of Crows. This book made me laugh and cry. It is a must read!
4• Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Laura: Imagine a fantasy world, crippled like the one from the Hunger Games, but instead of teenagers pitted against one another there is a war. With the poor being led by a group called Silvers - the elites of society. Who are basically cooler X-Men.
"But Laura, there's no such thing..."
Yes. Yes there is. And it's all wrapped up in a beautiful book that is just this masterpiece. With strong characters who have PLENTY of faults, this book takes you on a ride that you won't want to get off of. Trust me. I read both books back to back and have been waiting FOREVER for 2017 to get my hands on book 3. But.
But.
There are still some flaws, however, I don't think that they were so bad that I couldn't keep reading. I gave this book a 4.5 Star rating, and only because I wish the world was expanded in this book. Luckily the sequel did its job in explaining the gaps and made up for it. But it is definitely an awesome read.
5• Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Kasey: I think by this point it is no secret that I love SJM’s books. I gave HoF four out of five stars. It has become my favorite Throne of Glass book, because of the introduction of so many new characters, a change in settings, the character growth, and because it made me cry my eyes out. ROWAN! Ugh! He was such an asshole, but he was such a likeable asshole. The connection that builds between him and Aelin was frustrating, amusing, and beautiful. He easily became a new favorite character of mine. I ended up loving everything about him. I choked up a lot while reading this book, but Chapters 33 and 34 are the reason for the enormous amount of tears and why this book is in my top five reads for 2016. That’s all I have to say. If you’ve read the book, you’ll understand. If you haven’t, then go pick up all the Throne of Glass books. NOW! You won’t regret reading this amazing fantasy series.
5• This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
Laura: This was definitely a super fun read. It was like reading Sin City if it was meshed with demons. Which I see as weird vampires. Not the I'll-drink-your-blood kind but the I'll-steal-your-soul kind. And it made for such an amazing book.
However, like the majority of books, it has its flaws. The characters were fine, but I wanted to know more. More about the world, more about what these things are, how they came to be. I'm pretty sure it says it in the book vaguely, but that's just it: it was vague and briefly mentioned and I can't even remember it. So it does get 4 Stars. But I'm praying that the sequel is just as good if not better, because this was such a fun and different read for me.
Well, that's our top ten (five each) books of 2016!!
Some honorable mentions are, of course:
- "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
- "Revenge and the Wild" by Michelle Modesto
- "The Young Elites" by Marie Lu
- "Madly" by Amy Alward.
We look forward to our top ten of 2017, but until then: HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
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