SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Inspired by the expression of discontent in the Cursed Child thread of its being up for an Goodreads award -- what were the best 2016 books you read?

Let's see. For picture books, Return by Aaron Becker (Though I did like Nobody Likes a Goblin by Ben Hatke)

Middle grade: Of Mice and Magic by Ursula Vernon

YA SF: Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

YA Fantasy: Changeling's Island by Dave Freer

Adult SF: Torchship Pilot by Karl K. Gallagher

Adult Fantasy: No Good Dragon Goes Unpunished by Rachel Aaron

Graphic Novel: The Sword of Mali Mani by Anne Szabla

Nonfiction: Style is the Rocket: and Other Essays on Writing by Tom Simon

The Goodreads Choice Awards include books published between November 16, 2015, and November 15, 2016, so I'll go with that.

Alas, most of the books I've read this year were published before then.

Fantasy: The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

Science Fiction: Death's End by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
Runner up: Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold

Fantasy: City of Blades
SF: Only one eligible SF book, not counting that.
Middle-grade fantasy: The Creeping Shadow
Non-fiction: The Geek Feminist Revolution

I tend not to read books in their publication year, but City of Blades is definitely the standout novel for me in 2016 books I've read.

I don't read a lot of horror, but I found a lot to like in Jeffrey Ford's collection, A Natural History of Hell: Stories.

Nonfiction: Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

I didn't read any recently published Sci Fi this year. I will have to fudge on that and say published within the last 3 years...

Fiction: Homegoing

Nonfiction: The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race

Science Fiction/Fantasy: The Fifth Season and The Golem and the Jinni

I only read a few books that were published in 2016 so I don't have many options.
Graphic novel: Saga, Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan.
Sci-fi: All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
Fantasy: Stiletto by Daniel O'Malley
Non-fiction: Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War by Mary Roach

Fantasy: The Last Mortal Bond by Brian Staveley.

Sci-fi: UNDERGROUND AIRLINES by Ben Winters. Only because I'm saving BABYLON'S ASHES for my January vacation.

Mystery: haven't read The trespasser by Tana French yet but I presume it will be my favorite.

My favourites for the year by far:-

The Bands of Mourning
City of Blades
Gemina

Sounds like it might be more fun to do the best of 2006. . . .

I would go with The Sudden Appearance of Hope. I also didn't read a lot of 2016 but I loved that one and After Atlas. They were both 5 star reads for me.

Fantasy: The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin and The Girl Wakes: Stories by Carmen Lau
Horror (this was shelved as horror for the Choice Awards, but for me it's more of a genrebender that's hard to categorize without spoilers): Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt
YA fantasy: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

The Pillars of the Earth
Words of Radiance
Gone with the Wind

Manju wrote: "The Pillars of the Earth
Words of Radiance
Gone with the Wind"

I don't believe any of those came out in 2016

Kim wrote: "Manju wrote: "The Pillars of the Earth
Words of Radiance
Gone with the Wind"

I don't believe any of those came out in 2016"

oops. I thought we're writing best books that we read in 2016. :(

Is there a way to add a column in our book list for Date Published?

I know there's a way to sort them that way, but it doesn't display the date, so you still have to guess which book is the cutoff and then click it to check.

Trike, when you go to "My Books" then select a particular shelf, you can click the option "Settings" on the upper right.

That has a box that drops down and the top of it has a "Visible Columns" section. You can look through and select "date pub" and it will show that column for that shelf.

Chris wrote: "Trike, when you go to "My Books" then select a particular shelf, you can click the option "Settings" on the upper right.

That has a box that drops down and the top of it has a "Visible Columns" se..."

Awesome, thanks. :)

My favorites published this year in order starting with the best. The last three I rated 4*'s but they were 4.9's and I don't round up when going to 5*.

The Mirror’s Truth
The Guns of Empire
A Torch Against the Night
Age of Myth
The Last Mortal Bond
Dark Matter
Edgedancer

Well, since I only read three other people's books published this year, I guess they're my favorite!

Fantasy: Goldenhand by Garth Nix. Seriously, the first third of this book was superlative. The second third was a leap. The end was a clumsy landing. But that first first third, though.

Romance anthologies: Of Mistling Magics. Cute short stories about side characters from the Once Upon A Romance series by Jessica Woodard.

Sci-fi: A friend, Keith, wrote hard military sci-fi short stories called Chronicles. It was very well thought out battles!

Thanks to Chris I can now see the publish date.

Looks like so far I only have two books published in 2016 which earned 4 stars, both graphic novels.

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 4: Last Days - this is the best book Marvel is publishing right now. It reminds me of the best classic Spider-man stories.

Doctor Strange, Vol. 1: The Way of the Weird - this is a lot of fun, and also a little gross at times.

Welcome, Trike :)

My favorites published this year have been

Age of Myth
The Fireman
End of Watch
We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
A Gathering of Shadows
Morning Star

and the graphic novels
Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Wild Card
White Sand

I had a really good year as a whole. Stuff that I gave 5 stars that was also published this year.

5 stars:
Going Rogue - Fantasy, Parody
던전 디펜스 #2 - Portal Fantasy
던전 디펜스 #3 - Portal Fantasy
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) - Science Fiction
Drysine Legacy - Military Sci-fi (okay it's dec 15th,2015 but ehh, close enough.

Notable 4 stars:(stuff that was close to a 5 rather than close to a 3 basically)
No Good Dragon Goes Unpunished - UF
The Outlaw & Black Sun - Sci-fi Lit-RPG
Dead Man's Debt - Military Sci-fi
Awaken Online: Catharsis - Lit-RPG
Burned - UF

I only read 6 published this year and I liked them all but will only choose two favorites.

The Blood Mirror
Morning Star

My best from 2016 ( mainly fantasy)
The Waking Fire
This Savage Song
Dark Matter
Saint's Blood
Age of Myth
A Gathering of Shadows

Only read six books published in 2016 (eep, totally not with the times). Highest rated were Ninefox Gambit (military science fantasy) and Central Station (cyberpunk) at 4 stars.

1) Babylon's Ashes - 5 Stars - (My Review)
2) The Guns of Empire - 5 Stars - (My Review)
3) Morning Star - 5 Stars - (My Review)
4) Age of Myth - 5 Stars - (My Review)
5) City of Blades - 5 Stars - (My Review)
6) Rat Queens, Vol. 3: Demons - 5 Stars - (My Review)
7) The Spider's War - 4.5 Stars - (My Review)
8) The Bands of Mourning - 4.5 Stars - (My Review)

Of my twenty favorites books I read in 2016, these are the only ones from 2016 with science fictional/ fantasy elements:

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
LaRose by Louise Erdrich
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold

Julia wrote: "Of my twenty favorites books I read in 2016, these are the only ones from 2016 with science fictional/ fantasy elements:

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead..."

Is LaRose magical realism?

I would have said it was cultural folklore. It's a great book though! Well worth a read.

LaRose is able to do things, making it magical realism, as I understand it. I don't know how magical realism differs from cultural folklore. But I obviously agree with Phrynne that it's a great book and should be read by people who like to read.

I'm planning on reading that one this year. Magical realism is just when there are magical elements that aren't explained. People seem to find it a bit unsettling and they have difficulty shelving it. I know her book, The Antelope Wife was Magical Realism and it won the World Fantasy Award.