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Paste Best Books of the Year 2016

Paste Magazine's Paste Best Books of the Year 2016 names 55 books across 2 categories. 25 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Fiction

  1. 1The Underground Railroad by Colson Whiteheadsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. 2Swing Time by Zadie Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. 3Homegoing by Yaa Gyasisource (opens in a new tab)
  4. 4Mothering Sunday by Graham Swiftsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. 5Everybody’s Fool by Richard Russosource (opens in a new tab)
  6. 6Moonglow by Michael Chabonsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. 7Sudden Death by Álvaro Enriguesource (opens in a new tab)
  8. 8The Girls by Emma Clinesource (opens in a new tab)
  9. 9Seeing Red by Lina Meruanesource (opens in a new tab)
  10. 10A Doubter’s Almanac by Ethan Caninsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. 11My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Stroutsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. 12Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleavesource (opens in a new tab)
  13. 13The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBridesource (opens in a new tab)
  14. 14A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towlessource (opens in a new tab)
  15. 15Morning Star by Pierce Brownsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. 16Among Strange Victims by Daniel Saldaña Paríssource (opens in a new tab)
  17. 17Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Huntsource (opens in a new tab)
  18. 18A Gambler’s Anatomy by Jonathan Lethemsource (opens in a new tab)
  19. 19Before the Fall by Noah Hawleysource (opens in a new tab)
  20. 20The Regional Office Is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzalessource (opens in a new tab)
  21. 21Heroes of the Frontier by Dave Eggerssource (opens in a new tab)
  22. 22Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwoodsource (opens in a new tab)
  23. 23After Atlas by Emma Newmansource (opens in a new tab)
  24. 24The Yid by Paul Goldbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  25. 25The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeneysource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. 1Evicted by Matthew Desmondsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. 2When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithisource (opens in a new tab)
  3. 3How to Survive a Plague by David Francesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. 4I’m Just a Person by Tig Notarosource (opens in a new tab)
  5. 5Bobby Kennedy by Larry Tyesource (opens in a new tab)
  6. 6The Black Panthers by Bryan Shih and Yohuru Williamssource (opens in a new tab)
  7. 7Writing to Save a Life by John Edgar Widemansource (opens in a new tab)
  8. 8I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yongsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. 9Blood in the Water by Heather Ann Thompsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. 10Who Cooked Adam Smith’s Dinner? by Katrine Marçalsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. 11Frantumaglia by Elena Ferrantesource (opens in a new tab)
  12. 12Homeward Bound by Peter Ames Carlinsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. 13The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Wardsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. 14The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaimansource (opens in a new tab)
  15. 15The Six by Laura Thompsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. 16The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 1: 1920-1963 by Ed Wardsource (opens in a new tab)
  17. 17Uproot by Jace Claytonsource (opens in a new tab)
  18. 18Back from the Dead by Bill Waltonsource (opens in a new tab)
  19. 19Trouble Boys by Bob Mehrsource (opens in a new tab)
  20. 20The Land Shall Be Deluged In Blood by Patrick H. Breensource (opens in a new tab)
  21. 21Every Song Ever by Ben Ratliffsource (opens in a new tab)
  22. 22Blood Brothers by Randy Roberts and Johnny Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  23. 23Tranny by Laura Jane Gracesource (opens in a new tab)
  24. 24In Gratitude by Jenny Diskisource (opens in a new tab)
  25. 25The Lonely City by Olivia Laingsource (opens in a new tab)
  26. 26Cyberspies by Gordon Corerasource (opens in a new tab)
  27. 27But What If We’re Wrong? by Chuck Klostermansource (opens in a new tab)
  28. 28The Caped Crusade by Glen Weldonsource (opens in a new tab)
  29. 29Set the Boy Free by Johnny Marrsource (opens in a new tab)
  30. 30Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me by Steven Hydensource (opens in a new tab)

About the Paste Best Books of the Year

Paste's own year-end best-books lists, read directly from pastemagazine.com (robots.txt allows it; the site's AI Policy covers only Paste's own writing). 2011 and 2012 are one combined list each (Best Books): 2011 is books editor Charles McNair's ranked 11, 2012 is the unranked Our 10 Favorite Books of 2012, which includes a city guide, a music-records book and an illustrated reissue. 2013 has only a fiction list (The 17 Best Fiction Books of 2013). 2015-2019 have separate ranked Fiction and Nonfiction lists. 2022 and 2023 have an unranked novels list only; 2024 has unranked novels and nonfiction lists. No list for 2006, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2020, 2021 or 2025: Paste's sitemap and search show no year-end books list for those years, only 'so far' and monthly lists. 2007 and 2008 are left out because they are Signs of Life pieces where guest authors name the best book they read that year, often older titles. Also left out: 'so far' lists, monthly lists, and side lists for young adult, fantasy, horror, short stories, audiobooks, comics, book covers, music books, and decade lists. Fixes: the 2015 fiction page prints Sara Nović as 'Sara Novi?', so the name comes from Kirkus and Electric Literature; the 2022 heading prints 'Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow' and the title is taken from the same page's body text. Ranks are kept where Paste numbered the list (2011, 2013, 2015-2019).

Organization: Paste Magazine. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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