Here’s my annual list of my ten favorite books read in the year. As always, this is merely the best books I read this year not books published in 2015. For previous years see 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006. You may also want to check out My Favorite Books of All Time or see Every Book I’ve Ever Read cataloged in Library Thing.
In alphabetical order (although the first book listed is also the very best book I read all year and the one I think everyone should read):
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Bunker Hill : a city, a siege, a revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick
- Cheesemonger : a life on the wedge by Gordon Edgar
- The Eye of Zoltar by Jasper Fforde
- Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America by Linda Tarado
- Lives in Ruins: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble by Marilyn Johnson
- The Myth of the Spoiled Child: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom about Children and Parenting by Alfie Kohn
- A People’s History of the New Boston by Jim Vrabel
- Rubbish!: The Archaeology of Garbage by William Rathje
- What If? by Randall Munroe
And the complete list of books read in 2015 (books published in 2015 are in bold).
January
- The Eye of Zoltar by Jasper Fforde – ****
- The Days of Anna Madrigal by Armistead Maupin (A) – ***1/2
- Grandma Gatewood’s walk : the inspiring story of the woman who saved the Appalachian Trail by Ben Montgomery (A) – ***1/2
- Cerebus by Dave Sim – **
- Dirigible Dreams: The Age of the Airship by C. Michael Hiam – **
- Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (A) **1/2
- Bunker Hill : a city, a siege, a revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick – ****
- The accidental highwayman : being the tale of Kit Bristol, his horse Midnight, a mysterious princess, and sundry magical persons besides by Ben Tripp (A) – ***1/2
February
- The Librarian (Book One: Little Boy Lost) by Eric Hobbs – ***
- The Librarian (Book Two: Unhappily Ever After) by Eric Hobbs – ***
- A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin (A) – ***
- The disappearing spoon : and other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements by Sam Kean (A) – ***
- The Bluffer’s Guide to Beer by Jonathan Goodall – **1/2
- The Journey That Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H.A. Rey by Louise W. Borden – **1/2
- A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (A) – ***
- The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (A) – ****
March
- Cheesemonger : a life on the wedge by Gordon Edgar – ****
- A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin (A) – ***
- Night of the Humans by David Llewellyn (A) – **
- Manhood for amateurs : the pleasures and regrets of a husband, father, and son by Michael Chabon (A) – **1/2
- The Walking Dead (Volume 21): All Out War Part Two by Robert Kirkman – **
- The Walking Dead (Volume 22): A New Beginning by Robert Kirkman
- Art of Mindful Living by Thích Nhất Hạnh (A) – ****
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin (A) – ***
- Fifteen minutes outside : 365 ways to get out of the house and connect with your kids by Rebecca P. Cohen – **
- Airman by Eoin Colfer (A) – ****
April
- Ninety percent of everything : inside shipping, the invisible industry that puts clothes on your back, gas in your car, and food on your plate by Rose George – ***
- Even This I Get to Experience by Norman Lear – ***1/2
- Who Could That Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket (A) – ***
- When Did You See Her Last? by Lemony Snicket (A) -***1/2
- Looking for Alaska by John Green (A) – **1/2
- Bottom of the 33rd by Dan Barry (A) – ****
- So, anyway… by John Cleese – ***1/2
- Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz (A) – ***1/2
May
- Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer (A) – ***1/2
- Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (A) – **1/2
- The New York nobody knows : walking 6,000 miles in the city by William B. Helmreich – ****
- Timewyrm: Exodus by Terrance Dicks – ***
- Adventures With the Wife in Space by Neil Perryman – ***
- From the Mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (A) – ***1/2
- When you reach me by Rebecca Stead (A) – ***
June
- Hang a Crooked Number by Matthew Callan – ***
- The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (A) – *****
- Shouldn’t You Be In School? by Lemony Snicket (A) – ***1/2
- It’s Game Time Somewhere: How One Year, 100 Events, and 50 Different Sports Changed My Life by Tim Forbes (A) – **1/2
- Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer (A) – ***
- Timewyrm: Revelation by Paul Cornell – ***1/2
- The Cold Song by Linn Ullmann – **1/2
July
- The Happiness of Kati by Ngarmpun (Jane) Vejjajiva – **1/2
- Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz (A) – ***1/2
- Q : a novel by Evan J. Mandery – **
- Love and War by Paul Cornell – ***
- Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer (A) – ***
- A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin (A) – **1/2
Our Kids by Robert D. Putnam
August
- The Left-Handed Hummingbird by Kate Orman – ***1/2
- In the Garden of the Beast by Erik Larson (A) – ***
- First Family by Joseph Ellis (A) – ***1/2
- Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis (A) – ***
- Assault on Paradise by Tatiana Lobo – **1/2
- What If? by Randall Munroe – ****
September
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates – ****1/2
- Out on the wire : the storytelling secrets of the new masters of radio by Jessica Abel – ***1/2
- Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving (A) – ***
- The Myth of the Spoiled Child: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom about Children and Parenting by Alfie Kohn (A) – ****
- How To Raise a Wild Child by Scott D. Sampson – ***1/2
The Last Lover by Can Xue- The Walking Dead Vol. 23: Whispers Into Screams by Robert Kirkman – **1/2
- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (A) – ***1/2
- You’re Never Weird on the Internet by Felicia Day (A) – ***
October
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (A)
- The Wright Brothers by David McCullough (A) – ***1/2
- Mysterious New England by Austin N. Stevens – **1/2
- Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights? by Lemony Snicket (A) – ***1/2
- Flight by Sherman Alexie (A) – ***
- Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (A) – **1/2
November
- Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson (A) – ***1/2
- Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America by Linda Tarado (A) – ****
- Rubbish!: The Archaeology of Garbage by William Rathje – ****
- Lives in Ruins: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble by Marilyn Johnson (A) – ****
- Through the Children’s Gate by Adam Gopnik (A) – **1/2
- The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame – ****
- Up : a mother and daughter’s peakbagging adventure by Patricia Ellis Herr – **1/22
December
- The Glorious Cause by Jeff Shaara (A) – ***
- Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (A) – ***
- Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard on You?: A Memoir by George Clinton – ***
- A People’s History of the New Boston by Jim Vrabel – ****
- The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin – **
Panorama of the Mountains 