My Personal Excellent Reads, 2016

This year – aside from all the great books I read as a judge for the World Fantasy Awards, and specifically not including any of them, here is my 2016 list of wonderful books. (Alphabetical by author.)

1. Deep and subtle characterizations

2. Profound insights

3. Plot pacing and through line.

Everyone Brave is Forgiven, Chris Cleave

1. Evocation of WW2 London

2. Stakes

3. Deft and deep writing

1. Intensely evocative writing

2. Tender coming of age story

3. Characters and relationships

How It All Began, Penelope Lively

1. Wry and witty writing

2. Twists and turns of plot

3. Characters

1. Military SF with heart

2. Memorable near future milieu

3. Superb balance of action and characters

Unquiet Land, Sharon Shinn

1. Lovely ensemble casting

2. Smoothly flawless prose

3. Addictive 5th book in series

#Bestreadsof2016 #bookswithgreatcharacters #novelswithdepth