This was a strange year for me in relation to reading - I found myself dissatisfied with a lot of the books I read. During the early part of the year nothing seemed to grab me. Then during the latter part of the year, I was too consumed with current events (US politics and global events) to pull myself out of the news in order to read a book. That said, there were a few very bright spots in terms of reading in 2016. Here is my top 10, which includes both fiction and non-fiction.

The Forgetting Time, Sharon Guskin: I simply could not put this book down. I loved both the premise and the writing. After reading it, I sent it to my grandmother and she felt the same way. I did chat with a friend at a New Year's Day party,and she told me that she did not care for it, so it's not going to be for everyone, but I just loved it.
A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles: The main character in this book is so lovable, that this book was a true pleasure to read. It take place over a series of years in a stately hotel in Moscow, and I really hope Wes Anderson will make the movie some day.
Commonwealth, Ann Patchett: I really enjoy Ann Patchett's writing so I expected to like this book. I enjoyed the entire book but there was one scene toward the end of the book that caught me by surprise and had me sobbing in my seat on an airplane.
Mischling, Affinity Konar: This book was not an easy one to read, but its message of resilience felt important to me.
Behold the Dreamers, Imbolo Mbue: I finished this book on November 10. It's about an immigrant couple, and it felt very poignant at that moment. I've always been proud that America represented the land of opportunity for so many, and I am sad and angry that this may change.
A Series of Catastrophes and Miracles, Mary Elizabeth Williams (non-fiction): I heard the author on an episode of the Dear Sugar podcast and was initially interested in reading about her relationship with her husband, whom she nearly divorced before they ultimately reconciled. This book does not really cover that much, but the true story of her experience with immuno therapy for melanoma is a real page turner.
Everyone Brave is Forgiven, Chris Cleve: At this point, a book that takes place during World War II has a relatively high bar to hurdle to grab me, but this one did. The writing is beautiful and paints a vivid picture of what it must have been like to live during that time.
Mothering Sunday: A Romance, Graham Swift: A friend recommended this to me and I put it on my library list without really even knowing what it was. I'm so glad I did. It's a really fast read but shows how the events of a single day can have life-long reverberations.
The Children, Ann Leary: This is probably the "lightest" book on this list, but I really like Leary's writing. It kept me interested and I really felt like I could picture the people and places described in the book.
Evicted, Matthew Desmond: This book is harrowing. Reading it, I was struck but the vicious cycle experienced by people who are unable to secure safe, affordable housing. Lack of credit or bad credit and a history of evictions makes it difficult to rent affordable housing from reputable landlords so people end up forced to rent from slumlords, at a tremendous premium. Because they are afraid to complain about problems with their rental they often live in unsafe conditions.

Here's the full list of what I read in 2016. I bolded the title of anything I really liked.

January

The Life We Bury, Allen Eskins
Second Life, S.J. Watson
Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, Tom Mueller

February

Summerlong: A Novel, Dean Bakopoulos
My Name Is Lucy Barton: A Novel, Elizabeth Stroud
The Guest Room: A Novel, Chris Bohjalian
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, Katarina Bivald

March

Days of Awe: A Novel, Lauren Fox
Outline, Rachel Cusk
When Breath Becomes Air, Paul Kalanithi

April

Girl Through Glass: A Novel, Sari Wilson
As Close to Us as Breathing: A Novel, Elizabeth Poliner
The Forgetting Time, Sharon Guskin
Wreck and Order, Hannah Tennant-Moore
After the Parade, Lori Ostlund

May

Modern Romance, Aziz Ansari
Everyone Brave is Forgiven, Chris Cleve

June

Elegible, Curtis Sittenfield
The Last Painting of Sara De Vos, Dominic Smith
Pandemic: Tracking Contagions from Cholera to Ebola, Sonia Shah

July

Dimestore: A Writer's Life, Lee Smith
Daughters of the Dragon, William Andrews
The Longest Night, Andria Williams
Mothering Sunday, Graham Swift
The Opposite of Everyone, Joshilyn Jackson
The Pearl That Broke its Shell, Nadia Hashimi
I Let You Go, Clare Macintosh

August

The Girls from Corona Del Mar, Rufi Thorpe
Drinking a Love Story, Caroline Knapp
The Light of Paris Eleanor Brown
Britt Marie Was Here, Fredrik Backman
Evicted, Matthew Desmond
The Book that Matters Most, Ann Hood

September

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Caitlin Doughty
The Mandibles, Lionel Shriver
The Children, Ann Leary
Underground Airlines, Ben Winters

October

All is Not Forgotten, Wendy Walker
Sweetbitter, Stephanie Danler
Love Warrior: A Memoir, Glennon Doyle Melton
The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy Schumer
Siracusa, Delia Ephron

November

Commonwealth, Ann Patchett
In the Sanctuary of Outcasts, Neil White
Behold the Dreamers, Imbolo Mbue
Mischling, Affinity Konar

December

A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles
A Series of Catastrophes and Miracles, Mary Elizabeth Williams
Thomas Murphy, Roger Rosenblatt
The Fate of the Tearling, Johana Erikson
Modern Lovers, Emma Straub