After 113 books, 28,731 pages, and 30 trips to the movie theater for 26 films this past year, it is difficult to narrow down my favorites. But, after some careful consideration and introspection, I have pared the lists to my top 10 favorites in each category, and here they are! For the full list of books and films I consumed over the course of 2016, click HERE.
1.) Girl of Fire and Thorns Series – Rae Carson
I’ll admit, I initially figured that I’d be able to predict what happens in this series pretty easily, and ended up staying up til 2AM one night to finish the last book in this series because I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. Elisa was a different sort of heroine; I found her voice and experiences to be refreshing and enjoyed seeing her grow and change over the course of the novels. This series features a unique fantasy world, intriguing characters/relationships, a fair amount of action and surprises, and it presents interesting thoughts on faith/service/religion. All in all, I found it to be a solid trilogy.
2.) Rook – Sharon Cameron
The thing that stood out to me the most from this book was the unconventional setting/plot, largely for how unique/intriguing they were, but also due to how the story unfolded so naturally and smoothly without the use of excessive exposition and massive amounts of backstory in order to make sense of things. It provided a new type of “dystopian” future, so to speak. Plus, the characters were outstanding; Rene might be my favorite male lead of the year, and I appreciate finding a love triangle in YA that isn’t really a triangle in the typical sense, and avoids falling on overused tropes.
3.) Front Lines – Michael Grant
The idea of this novel – presenting an alternate reality where girls/women were drafted into WWII the same as boys/men – drew me in right from the beginning, and the cast of characters kept me engaged. I enjoyed all of the perspectives of the various characters, though Rainy’s might have been my favorite. Definitely a standout for a unique concept and compelling, interwoven stories. The sequel is coming out soon (this month, I believe,) and I look forward to seeing how the story continues to unfold.
4.) This Dark Endeavor – Kenneth Oppel
I mentioned this in a previous post, but I was a HUGE fan of Oppel’s Silverwing series when I was younger, and read through it several times, so when I stumbled across this title in the Nook shop, I decided to give it a go. And now, I have been charmed once more by his sort of spinoff to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which explores Victor’s teenage years and delves deeper into his personal history and mindset. I haven’t bought the sequel yet, but I look forward to reading it as well.
5.) Ruined – Amy Tintera
I have read a lot of fantasy, but this one stood out to me because although it uses familiar concepts that are somewhat “traditional” or common in the genre, this book does them well, and also adds in a lot of nuances and differences that make it stand out from the norm. It throws you into the action straight away, not relying on lots of exposition and narration to explain, and the characters reveal their personalities and motivations in a very organic way. I liked both Em and Cas’s perspectives, and look forward to seeing their adventures unfold in the following installments.
6.) Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes and The Last Little Blue Envelope – Maureen Johnson
As someone who spent a small portion of my late teens traveling throughout England, these two books really resonated with me. It was a realistic story that hit on a lot of touching and emotional notes, and I enjoyed following the lead character, Ginny, on her journey of self-discovery across Europe, inspired by a challenge delivered from her deceased aunt. The characters – mainly Ginny, but also the supporting cast – are so well-written to the point where they feel like real characters, and I think this is one of a handful of books/series I read this year where I enjoyed the sequel just a tad bit more than the first, as I loved seeing the characters grow and change across the two stories, or, in some cases, not change much at all.
7.) Life As We Knew It – Susan Beth Pfeffer
This is one of those books that caught me by surprise. The premise intrigued me – it’s told in a journal style, and follows the life and perspective of a girl named Miranda after the moon is struck by an asteroid and knocked closer to Earth, resulting in dramatic changes to the entire world. At first, it sounded absurd to me… but I found the writing enchanting and engaging and the characters felt very real, especially the protagonist. It’s certainly a bleak story, at times, but never really loses charm or sense of hope, even as the situations of the character(s) shift along with the condition of the world.
8.) The Scorpio Races – Maggie Stiefvater
While I was never a “Horse Girl” (I knew several, however) this book captivated me from start to finish. The novel follows a unique concept (about what is essentially a life-or-death annual horse race) and features an interesting cast… both human and equine. It’s a well-paced story and it’s easy to feel invested in the lives and actions of the characters, to the point where I didn’t even know who I wanted to win the race in the end.
9.) Confessions of Georgia Nicolson Series – Louise Rennison
This series was absolutely hilarious, with one of the most unique narrators/voices I’ve encountered in a long while. It took me about a book and a half to really get into this series, but they’re quick reads, and extremely entertaining. I think I plowed through the entire series in about a week. Georgia is a character/narrator who is easy to hate or get frustrated with at times, but it’s also pretty easy to relate to her and laugh at the antics of her and her friends. I mean, there’s viking hats, a cat the size of a Labrador, and consistent references to nunga-nungas… it’s definitely a wild ride.
10.) Remembrance – Meg Cabot
I read the entirety of Cabot’s Mediator series last year because I was late to the Meg Cabot party, so I had much less time to wait for her final installment than those who read the books at their original publication. Of all of Meg Cabot’s series/books, I might like this series the most, and I think this book was a solid conclusion to the story of Suze and Jesse and their friends/family. It’s definitely more mature than the other installments plot-wise, but not distressingly so… the characters feel as though they’ve grown and changed naturally from teens to adults (or, in Jesse’s case, ghost to human) and the story reflects that. Despite a few differences, they’re the same voices and characters and retain the same charm and quirks from the previous novels. I am so glad Cabot decided to add this story to the series.
Films
1.) Kubo and the Two Strings
This film better be nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars; it might be the best animated film I’ve seen in the last couple of years. I loved Laika’s previous work on ParaNorman, but felt that Kubo took their style and film-making to new heights. The character designs were stellar, the voice cast was great, the stop-motion and puppetry was superb, and it told an engaging, unique story, laced with touching themes about love and family with elements of Japanese mythology/folklore. I almost enjoyed watching behind-the-scenes videos as much as the film itself, and definitely recommend that anyone who is interested in these movies to take a look at how much work and effort goes into these projects, because it is truly mind-blowing.
2.) Hello, My Name is Doris
My tiny Pennsylvania town occasionally gets limited release films at one of our two local theaters, so luckily, my mom and I were able to see this movie early in the year. Sally Field was brilliant in her role as quirky office-worker Doris, who fantasizes about a relationship with a younger coworker and attempts to completely alter her lifestyle in order to win him over. It’s a small, intimate film, and I found myself really feeling for and sympathizing with Doris, even though I found some of her actions frustrating; a testament to a well-written and well-acted protagonist. The supporting cast is excellent, as well.
3.) Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
HEAR ME OUT, OKAY? I in no way believe this to be a great film. But for all it’s flaws, it’s still visually stunning, the action was fantastic, Batfleck was BRILLIANT, and it was an overall intense experience, especially in IMAX. I also personally like Cavill/Snyder’s interpretation of Superman, which I know is a contentious point for some… though for a movie that is technically about him, he should have had more screen-time. The introduction of Wonder Woman was handled well and her scenes stole the show, along with Bruce Wayne/Batman. The plot was definitely bloated; it felt like they were cramming a 4 hour movie into 2.5 hours. However, I also don’t think it was as awful as several critics claimed it was. The Ultimate Edition of the film is significantly better, but I don’t think the theatrical edition should be crucified. I had a good time, and I’ll be watching it again.
4.) Doctor Strange
…That said, I think both Marvel offerings from this year were superior superhero films. I enjoyed Doctor Strange far more than I thought I would, since I was mostly unfamiliar with the material beforehand. This film manages to stay true to the MCU, adhering to familiar tropes, humor, and plot, but there are some significant differences, especially in the climax of the film, which I thought was a very unique and dynamic change. Also, the visual effects were unlike anything I’ve seen from Marvel thus far. The cast was wonderful, and it was nice to see a non-hero female lead (Rachel McAdams) who isn’t completely dependent on the hero saving her life, and I’m also predicting a Best Supporting Actor nod for the brilliant performance of the Cloak of Levitation. I easily consider this one of my favorite installments in the MCU thus far, and I look forward to seeing the snark of Steven Strange in future films. If he meets the Avengers, as it seems he will, his interactions with Iron Man should be very, very interesting.
5.) Captain America: Civil War
I won’t drone on about what I loved in this film, but for the record, I certainly could. For a movie that easily could have been an absolute mess, with so many characters/personalities and an intricate plot, the execution was stellar. It’s a standard Marvel film, but it also breaks new ground because it is adding more and more without losing the qualities that fans come to expect of these movies, which are growing bigger and bigger by the year. Even though it’s meant to be a primarily Captain America film, I think the highlights for me were the introduction of Black Panther, Ant-Man meeting the crew, Falcon and Bucky’s hostile bromance, and the amazing airport fight sequence. Now that “phase 3” of the MCU has begun, the upcoming films have a strong legacy to continue and to live up to.
6.) The Lady in the Van
Maggie Smith is one of those actresses who, in my eyes, can do (almost) no wrong. This movie is worth seeing just for her, to be honest, but it fires on all cylinders. The film, based on the true story of Mary Shepherd, a woman who spent a considerable amount of time “living” in a van on the property of writer Alan Bennet, is charming and touching, with excellent characters and writing. Bennet’s narration, provided by actor Alex Jennings, is the heart of the film. It’s hilarious one second and deeply emotional the next, but with seamless transitions and a natural flow. One of the last scenes in the film is so strange and unexpected that I burst out laughing at the absurdity, and yet, it still seemed to fit.
7.) The Jungle Book
The animated version is not one of my favorites (though I love the music) but I thoroughly enjoyed the live-action version. The visuals were astounding, and I thought it built well on the original Disney-fied story; staying somewhat true to the animated version while still making changes. I loved hearing snippets of “The Bear Necessities” and Christopher Walken’s version of “I Wanna Be Like You,” and thought the voices were done extremely well. In particular, Ben Kingsley absolutely killed it as Bagheera and Bill Murray was a wonderful Baloo. Newcomer Neel Sethi was also the perfect Mowgli – I can’t imagine having to act against so much green/blue screen and CGI as the only “real” character in the film, and still manage to give a convincing performance.
8.) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
I’m a Harry Potter fan through and through, having read all the original books and seen all the movies, but I must admit… I may have liked Fantastic Beasts more than I liked the Potter films. I fell off the Hogwarts Express before The Cursed Child, so I’m unfamiliar with some of the new material and books and such, but this film has made me excited for new installments in this side of the franchise. I liked seeing a new side of the Wizarding World, with fresh, interesting characters, a well thought-out story and a captivating new setting, and I can’t wait to see how it expands in the future.
9.) Manchester by the Sea
*cries forever* This movie is wrenching. Heart-wrenching, soul-wrenching, gut-wrenching. Brilliant cast, astounding cinematography, and beautiful writing. Definitely not a movie you want to see if you need a cheerful boost, or if you’re looking for something action-packed and fast-paced. It’s a movie that feels very, very real, and the emotions seem so raw. Throughout the entire thing I just wanted someone to give Casey Affleck a hug. Some might consider it a bit slow at times, but it certainly deserves the acclaim and recognition it’s been getting as the award season starts to pick up traction, and I hope to see it get some statues in the future.
10.) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Since I loved TFA enough to see it three times in theaters, I went into this film with high expectations, and even though I had some idea of what was going to happen (given the start and some of the content from A New Hope) I still anticipated some surprises from the first of these “standalone,” anthology films. Rogue One is easily the darkest and grittiest film in the franchise, but also features some of the best action/space fight scenes the films have offered thus far and a litany of unique settings and characters. It really puts the “war” in Star Wars, so to speak, and with no Jedi in the film (technically) it shows a new side of the rebellion that we’ve not really seen before. My main gripe is that the characters could have all been fleshed out more, including the two “leads,” but I only say that because I found them so intriguing and I loved what I did see of them, so it made me wish they had more depth than what we were given in the constraints of a 2+ hour film. The performances were all great, however – and I suppose the lack of “knowing” them contributes to their unsung hero quality. However, as far as characterization goes, a brilliant scene near the end of this film will reinforce the idea that one should be very, very afraid of Darth Vader. Absolutely badass. And, not to spoil anything, the film connects to A New Hope in a very poignant way – it was great to see how the two stories eventually collide to kick off the much beloved and lauded original trilogy. From now on, when things get tough, I will remember… I am one with the force, and the force is with me.
BONUS:
Top Shows of 2016:
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Westworld (HBO)
American Horror Story: Roanoke (FX)
*Minor Spoilers Ahead*
I’m not much of a TV watcher these days, but Game of Thrones is a consistent favorite of mine, and this past season was no exception. It’s been a long wait for the next book, but the show is so brilliant it makes the wait easier. Standout episodes were The Door (I CRIED LIKE AN INFANT), Battle of the Bastards, and The Winds of Winter, all of which received well-deserved Emmy nods. I still think Season 4 is the best thus far, but with the hype-meter climbing ever-higher with each season, the show continues to deliver episodes that pluck at your heartstrings while simultaneously making you feel like you’ve been stabbed in the gut. The cast is stellar, as always, with particularly amazing performances this year from Kristian Nairn (still crying, btw), Sophie Turner, Kit Harington, Maisie Williams, Lena Headey, Liam Cunningham, Natalie Dormer… the list goes on, and on. The Winds of Winter might be the best 69 minutes of television I’ve seen, so far. I look forward to the new season (even though it’s shorter AND delayed) and I can’t wait to go to the Game of Thrones Concert Experience in March!
It’s new sister show, Westworld, is also fantastic and had probably one of the best seasons I’ve ever seen for a freshman show. I started watching because the trailer snagged my attention and I needed something to make the wait for new Thrones easier, and I’m glad I gave it a go, because I was hooked from episode 1. When Dolores smacks the fly at the end of the first episode, I audibly gasped and said “Holy shit.” The entire season kept me guessing, but none of the twists and turns (and there are plenty) felt gimmicky or forced; proof of how well the show is written and all the intricate planning that must have gone into it. The cast was stellar, too – each character was distinct and there were way too many standout performances to list. I am sad that we have to wait for 2018 for the next season, but if that means they’re putting in their best efforts to deliver a new season that will live up to the first, then that’s fine by me.
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I enjoyed the latest season of American Horror Story. That said, I started watching in season 4 (loved it) and thought season 5 was lukewarm, so I can’t compare the latest installment, Roanoke, to the first three. In truth I think Roanoke really killed it during the ‘documentary’ style portion of the season, which lasted for the first 5-6 episodes, but the latter half of the season was a bit too gory. In fact, blood, violence, torture, and gore seemed to take the place of actual plot at some points, which made it drag a little. But still, I found the premise exciting and unique, the acting was great, and it made me look forward to next season to see what AHS has planned for the future.
Frostwritten 