At The Reading Agency we love a good book, as our name suggests; we are passionate readers because we know first-hand the difference that reading can make to our lives. 2016 has been a year of some brilliant new books, so as the year draws to a close, we’ve been looking back over last 12 months and picking out our favourites. The decision wasn’t easy, but we’ve come up with our definitive list for 2016, and wanted to share it with you.
The highlights
Here are a couple of examples of the books most beloved by the team:
Sharon’s pick – The Portable Veblen
“I loved this quirky, squirrelsome novel…It mixes humour with deep, philosophical insight about human relationships. I was especially intrigued about the two main characters, Veblen, a woman who is so eager to please and iron out any lumps in anyone’s life (except her own) that you almost despair. She loves squirrels. She can talk to squirrels. Her fiancé, Paul, is a desperately ambitious neurologist who hates squirrels and isn’t too keen on hippies. It’s light and funny and then suddenly profound. You will look at squirrels in a different light. And it will make you question your way of life, too.”
Rosie’s pick – The Sellout
“This book couldn’t be more perfect for the 2016 political climate. The cutting satire is something that few writers can achieve, let alone this well. It was both thought provoking and challenging and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.”
Genevieve’s pick – The Outrun
“It was a combination of searing honesty and wonderful observation about humanity and nature. The story takes you from remote landscape to inner-city life and back again as Amy describes her struggle with alcoholism and mental health in the hothouse atmosphere of London and how she rises above it in the wildness of the Orkneys.”
#booksof2016
Click through to any book to find our more or leave a review.
The Lonely City by Olivia Laing
What’s a Girl Gotta Do? by Holly Bourne
The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp
The Sellout by Paul Beatty
A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston
The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
Animal by Sara Pascoe
The New Odyssey by Patrick Kingsley
The Optician of Lampedusa by Emma-Jane Kirby
The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth McKenzie
My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
Augustown by Kei Miller
The Outrun by Amy Liptrot
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I loved 'the outrun' for its beautiful writing and the Essex serpent was really well written and gripping. I also love the a child of books
Sarah Davis - Greenwich Libraries