Unlike much of the rest of 2016, this was a good year in books. I feel like I read a lot of good books, more than just 10. In trying to make a decision about my top 10, there were actually 4-5 that came to mind right away as “the best;” but then when saying “this was a really good read for 2016,” I could probably have selected 25-30. Here’s my attempt to narrow it down:

• All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror (Stephen Kinzer)

• Between the World and Me (Ta-Nehisi Coates)

• The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level (Gay Hendricks)

• The Underground Railroad (Colson Whitehead)

• Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis (J. D. Vance)

• Seven Years in Tibet (Heinrich Harrer)

• When Breath Becomes Air (Paul Kalanithi)

• Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption (Bryan Stevenson)

• Where’d You Go, Bernadette (Maria Semple)

I’m afraid I’m going to have to create a tie between 2 books, for #10, which actually makes this 11 books. Of course. Who can limit a top 10 book list to just 10? 😉

• Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ (Andrew David Naselli, J.D. Crowley)

• Preemptive Love: Pursuing Peace One Heart at a Time (Jeremy Courtney)

2016 Reading Lists from Others:

(I’m always thrilled when I see overlap between my annual top book list and some of these!)

1. Amazon’s Best Books of 2016
2. Goodreads 2016 Choice Awards
3. Anne Bogel’s 2016 Top Books
4. Washington Post’s Best Book List 2016
5. NY Times: The 10 Best Books of 2016
6. NY Times: Bestsellers

My Countdown in Booklists

Since this wraps up my countdown to Christmas in book lists, here are the book lists I recently posted:

1. 85 Books I Read in 2016
2. 10 Books on Race That Every American Should Read
3. 10 Personal Development Books That Rocked My World
4. 10 Books My Kids Love to Read Over and Over Again
5. 10 Business Books That Grew My Mind and Business
6. 10 Books That Helped Grow My Faith