Top 10 Reads of 2015

2015 was a big reading year for me, as I found a way to get some reading done in my spare time, whenever I was able to. I stumbled on quite a few new ones, but I also tried to knock a few outstanding books off of my To Read Shelf. Take a look on Goodreads to see more specific stats for my reading year. You’ll notice a hefty amount of Brandon Sanderson, who has quickly become one of my favorite authors of all time. I made it another one of my goals to try and finish all of his Cosmere novels this year–his YA offerings aren’t really to my taste, but I’ll try again. Also, not listed here are rereads of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.

So, I took on the difficult task of ranking the books I read this year. They did not have to be published this year–I was trying to check off books from my long To Read list. Here are my Top 10 Reads of 2015:

The Martian novel 1. The Martian by Andy Weir

This is probably the best book I’ve read this year. The Martian is thrilling, suspenseful, and hilarious. Mark Watney’s narrative voice is utterly readable and memorable–almost addictive. This is a fantastically compelling story of a man and all that he will do to keep on living.

2. Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

At the close of the Mistborn trilogy, Brandon Sanderson brings everything together with a heartfelt, satisfying (albeit surprising) ending. It took me awhile to finally pick this up after I finished Well of Ascension, and I regret not immediately continuing on to this epic finale.

3. Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

Another Brandon Sanderson, I know! Don’t worry, it’s not the end by any means. This hefty tome took a long, long time for me to finish: over a year. From March 7, 2014-March 12, 2015, I slowly waded through it, picking it up and putting it down, because I wanted to give it my full attention. I was rarely able to do so, which meant that each time I picked it up again I had to back up a bit. Eventually, I powered through and finished. I loved it, and it was a pleasure to work through.

4. Armada by Ernest Cline

It must be difficult to follow Ready Player One, which was such a unique smash hit a few years ago, but Cline did it. Armada is funny, thrilling, and packed to the gills with deep pop culture references. It’s Space Invaders meets Ender’s Game, but without the subterfuge (sort of). I read it in just about 24 hours–I could not stop.

5. The Magicians by Lev Grossman

This is one of those books I didn’t know I needed to read. People had mentioned it, but no one had really described it well, other than it’s “adult Harry Potter.” While that’s certainly true, it’s more like: Harry Potter goes to college and then goes to Narnia to defeat Edmund. This was engrossing (no pun inte
nded) and mind-bending at times. I totally loved it.

6. Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

I don’t think he’s the first to do this, but he’s the first I know of: while most fantasy novels are just medieval and stay there, age after age, Brandon Sanderson takes us beyond that level of culture and technology to the Victorian era. This isn’t steampunk–it’s still Scadrial, just naturally developing from where Hero of Ages left off. It’s a swashbuckling, shoot ’em up adventure, with wit and, as always, a great magic system.

7. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

This is another book that took me just a day or so to read. It’s The Fault in our Stars meets Perks of Being a Wallflower, with some of the wit of Paper Towns. It’s a great example of high school life and dealing with impending tragedy in different ways. The narrative style also varies throughout, from script to prose narration, which adds a unique flavor to this fun story of friendship.

8. Gray Mountain by John Grisham

This surprised me, I’ll be honest. Maybe that’s why it’s so high on my list. It had been a long time since there had been a really excellent Grisham novel: maybe not since 2007’s Playing for Pizza have I really loved a new Grisham. Gray Mountain dealt with current economic and environmental issues while keeping it close and personal. This could easily be optioned as a TV series, and it could be a cross between Justified and The Good Wife.

9. Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris

Do Hard Things impacted me personally this year, as I was working more closely with my students on trying to impact the world around them. We discussed the challenges offered by this book, which encourages teens to defy the low expectations that people have of them and to step up and be a part of the world they’ll soon inherit. I loved it.

10. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

I’m surprised I hadn’t read Invisible Man before this, but I picked it up on a friend’s recommendation and I blew through it on the flights back home for Christmas. It’s completely relatable, with an easy narrative voice, and it demonstrates the wide breadth of struggles that the African-American community has faced from Reconstruction to the 1950s.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):