Best Reads of 2016
We finally made it to my 10 favorite reads of 2016. Not necessarily books that were published this year, but that found their way to me over the last twelve months. Their is material dating back from as far as 2009 in there. If you want to read all my reviews 2016 to see what the winners were up against, proceed here. If you want to see what books came JUST short of making this list, proceed here. I've read close to 150 books in 2016. Maybe there wasn't as much transcendent material, but the books that were really won me over.
I've left out Chuck Klosterman's But What if We're Wrong? Thinking About the Present as if it Were the Past on purpose because it was the only non-fiction book but it would've easily made this list and bumped another title down if I'd decided otherwise. It's a terrific, challenging and sometimes mind-bending book about historical perception, which I strongly encourage you to read. Klosterman is a very strong influence on this site and But What if We're Wrong is one of his most important books to date. It's also just a straight fun read.
And now...
Best Reads of 2016
Swift to Chase, by Laird Barron - Read the Review
A revolution of genre, style and content.
The Nightly Disease, by Max Booth III - Read the Review
A novel of unparalleled narrative and emotional range.
Kill 'em With Kindness, by C.S DeWildt - Read the Review
The rightful heir to Jim Thompson has claimed his throne.
Witch Hunt, by Juliet Escoria - Read the Review
A work of life-affirming anger and passion.
Last Days, by Brian Evenson - Read the Review
Reappropriates the detective novel to create something new and daring.
Stealing Propeller Hats from the Dead, by David James Keaton - Read the Review
A master class in purposeful provocation.
Hurt Hawks, by Mike Miner - Read the Review
Treats hackneyed tropes such as survivor's guilt and PTSD with the necessary nuance to give them a new life.
Benjamin, by Pedro Proença - Read the Review
A beautiful and stimulating avant-garde tale about the slippery nature of reality.
Drainland, by Iain Ryan - Read the Review
Iain Ryan simply is the meanest motherfucker in indie literature and should be celebrated as such. That's two-in-two for him with this book.
Paper Tigers, by Damien Angelica Walters - Read the Review
An eerie and heartbreaking portrait of survival that never delves into melodrama.
