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Library Journal Best Books 2016

Library Journal Best Books 2016 names 100 books across 19 categories. 23 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

African American Fiction

  1. A Sinful Calling: A Reverend Curtis Black Novel by Kimberla Lawson Robysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Diamonds and Pearl by K'wansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Murder with Macaroni and Cheese: A Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mystery by A.L. Herbertsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Power Couple by Allison Hobbssource (opens in a new tab)

Biography & Memoir

  1. Bandit: A Daughter’s Memoir by Molly Brodaksource (opens in a new tab)
  2. My Father Before Me by Chris Forhansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Nobody’s Son by Mark Sloukasource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Sex with Shakespeare: Here’s Much To Do with Pain, but More with Love by Jillian Keenansource (opens in a new tab)
  5. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithisource (opens in a new tab)

Business

  1. Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces That Shape Behavior by Jonah Bergersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Naked Money: A Revealing Look at What It Is and Why It Matters by Charles Wheelansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Industries of the Future by Alec Rosssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Man Who Knew: The Life and Times of Alan Greenspan by Sebastian Mallabysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Rise and Fall of Nations: Forces of Change in the Post-Crisis World by Ruchir Sharmasource (opens in a new tab)

Christian Fiction

  1. Claiming Noah by Amanda Ortleppsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Land of Silence by Tessa Afsharsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Feathered Bone by Julie Cantrellsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Long Journey to Jake Palmer by James L. Rubartsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Undoing of St. Silvanus by Beth Mooresource (opens in a new tab)

Cooking

  1. Art of the Pie: A Practical Guide to Homemade Crusts, Fillings, and Life by Kate McDermottsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Bowl: Vegetarian Recipes for Ramen, Pho, Bibimbap, Dumplings, and Other One-Dish Meals by Lukas Volgersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South by Vivian Howardsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Flavorwalla: Big Flavor. Bold Spices; A New Way To Cook the Foods You Love by Floyd Cardoz and Marah Stetssource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The London Cookbook: Recipes from the Restaurants, Cafes, and Hole-in-the-Wall Gems of a Modern City by Aleksandra Crapanzanosource (opens in a new tab)

Crafts & DIY

  1. Dream Home: The Property Brothers’ Ultimate Guide to Finding & Fixing Your Perfect House by Jonathan Scott and Drew Scottsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Lessons in Realistic Watercolor: A Contemporary Approach to Painting People and Places in the Classical Tradition by Mario Andres Robinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Complete Photo Guide to Cardmaking by Judi Watanabesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Vern Yip’s Design Wise: Your Smart Guide to a Beautiful Home by Vern Yipsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. You Can Knit That: Foolproof Instructions for Fabulous Sweaters by Amy Herzogsource (opens in a new tab)

E-Originals

  1. Documenting Light by EE Ottomansource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Final Flight by Beth Catosource (opens in a new tab)
  3. For Crown and Kingdom by Grace Draven and Jeffe Kennedysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Just Give Me a Reason by Rebecca Rogers Mahersource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Pets in Space by S.E. Smithsource (opens in a new tab)

Graphic Novels

  1. Irmina by Barbara Yelinsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. March: Book Three by John Lewis and Andrew Aydinsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Patience by Daniel Clowessource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Something New: Tales from a Makeshift Bride by Lucy Knisleysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Fade Out: The Deluxe Edition by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)

Health & Medicine

  1. A Series of Catastrophes and Miracles: A True Story of Love, Science, and Cancer by Mary Elizabeth Williamssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Gender Medicine: The Groundbreaking New Science of Sex-Related Diagnosis and Treatment by Marek Glezermansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. How To Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS by David Francesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Remaking the American Patient: How Madison Avenue and Modern Medicine Turned Patients into Consumers by Nancy Tomessource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Snowball in a Blizzard: A Physician’s Notes on Uncertainty in Medicine by Steven Hatchsource (opens in a new tab)

Historical Fiction

  1. Darktown by Thomas Mullensource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Grace by Natashia Deónsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasisource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kellysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Iveysource (opens in a new tab)

Mystery

  1. Apricot’s Revenge by Song Ying, translated by Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Li-Chun Linsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Close Call by Laura DiSilveriosource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Quick and the Dead: An Alex Quick Mystery by Susan Moodysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Red Dog: A Slim in Little Egypt Mystery by Jason Millersource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Written Off by E.J. Coppermansource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. House of Lords and Commons by Ishion Hutchinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Incidents of Travel in Poetry: New and Selected Poems by Frank Limasource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuongsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Olio by Tyehimba Jesssource (opens in a new tab)
  5. ShallCross by C.D. Wrightsource (opens in a new tab)

Religion & Spirituality

  1. Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living by Krista Tippettsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Christmas in the Crosshairs: Two Thousand Years of Denouncing and Defending the World’s Most Celebrated Holiday by Gerry Bowlersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Life’s Too Short To Pretend You’re Not Religious by David Darksource (opens in a new tab)
  4. On Augustine by Rowan Williamssource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Treyf: My Life as an Unorthodox Outlaw by Elissa Altmansource (opens in a new tab)

Romance

  1. Daughters of the Bride by Susan Mallerysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Dukes Prefer Blondes by Loretta Chasesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Shadow Rider by Christine Feehansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Someone To Love by Mary Baloghsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Danger of Desire by Sabrina Jeffriessource (opens in a new tab)

SF/Fantasy

  1. Behind the Throne by K.B. Wagerssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Borderline by Mishell Bakersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuiresource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogmansource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chamberssource (opens in a new tab)

Science & Technology

  1. Are We Smart Enough To Know How Smart Animals Are? by Frans de Waalsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Being a Dog: Following the Dog into a World of Smell by Alexandra Horowitzsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War by Mary Roachsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Dragon Behind the Glass: A True Story of Power, Obsession, and the World’s Most Coveted Fish by Emily Voigtsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World by Abigail Tuckersource (opens in a new tab)

Thrillers

  1. Fool Me Once by Harlan Cobensource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Say No More by Hank Phillippi Ryansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The One Man by Andrew Grosssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Second Life of Nick Mason by Steve Hamiltonsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Secret Language of Stones by M.J. Rosesource (opens in a new tab)

Top Ten

  1. All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation by Rebecca Traistersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes, and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffrey Toobinsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Blood at the Root: A Racial Cleansing in America by Patrick Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmondsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. In the Darkroom by Susan Faludisource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjeesource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Nix by Nathan Hillsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whiteheadsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Iveysource (opens in a new tab)
  10. While the City Slept: A Love Lost to Violence and a Young Man’s Descent into Madness by Eli Sanderssource (opens in a new tab)

Women's Fiction

  1. American Housewife by Helen Ellissource (opens in a new tab)
  2. In Twenty Years by Allison Winn Scotchsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Nine Women, One Dress by Jane L. Rosensource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Next by Stephanie Gangisource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jacksonsource (opens in a new tab)

About the Library Journal Best Books

Starts in 2010, the year LJ named its first Top Ten (its own announcement calls it the inaugural list); LJ's 2006-2009 Best Books lists are not online and no archived copy was found. Top Ten for 2010-2017; LJ dropped the Top Ten in 2018 and publishes only section lists after that. Category is LJ's section name, with spelling variants merged (Crime = Crime Fiction, Cookbooks = Cooking, Memoir = Biography & Memoir, Sci-Tech = Science & Technology). 2010 has the Top Ten only: the genre lists were not recovered. 2011-2015 come from reviews.libraryjournal.com and 2016-2017 from the lj.libraryjournal.com microsites, both read through the Wayback Machine because the originals are gone; some genre lists for those years were not archived (for example 2013 mystery, SF, and thrillers). SELF-e indie ebook picks (2016-2017), Best Media, and Best Reference are left out. 2025 has the Stellar Selections list (~790 titles); the 100 Editors' Picks are published only as prose and are left out. ISBNs are the ones LJ prints in each citation.

Organization: Library Journal. Official site (opens in a new tab)

The most recommended books of 2016