Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books I Read In 2015

Whew, it's hard to believe the year is nearly over. I'm definitely looking forward to a new start in 2016, but today at The Broke and the Bookish, we are looking back to our favourite reads of the year, so without further ado....

1. Being Mortal by Dr. Atul Gawande: Dying is not a cheery subject, but this book challenged me on so many levels and I've recommended it to a lot of people. It's a great look at how we deal with dying in our culture. I highly recommend it.

2. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke: Honestly, I have no idea how it took me so long to read this book. It's about nerdy magicians, for goodness' sake!

3. The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman: I read this book for my graphic novels course and found it really moving and interesting and creative.

4. Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie: I am a sucker for Massie's biographies. For me, the high point was his Peter the Great book, which I read last summer, but Nicholas and Alexandra was great too and helped me see the doomed couple from another angle.

5. Oblomov by Goncharov: I had put this off for ages because I wanted to read it, but wondered if it would be slow moving. I ended up really having a soft spot for the lazy Oblomov and laughing at this Russian classic.

6. The Orenda by Joseph Boyden; Gee, how many times can I write about my love for Joseph Boyden on here? This book took an original and nuanced view of Canadian history, both of the French and the Native Peoples, and I couldn't put it down.

7. Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay: Intrigue! Ballerinas! Stalinism! Love stories! What's not to like? I really enjoyed this book in which a wealthy Russian ballet star looks back on her hidden past.

8. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: I've become a bit bored with the slew of popular dystopias on the market now, but Station Eleven was something totally different. It infused dystopia with art and mystery, and I really enjoyed it.

9. Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden: Boyden's look at two young Cree men and the Great War. It was fantastic, and my favourite of Boyden's thus far.

10. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel: As a self-proclaimed Tudor nerd, I can't believe it took me years to finally read Wolf Hall, but when I finally got around to it, I was completely drawn in and loved it.