The 25 most-read and best-loved books first published in 2016, with the numbers behind each one.
The best books first published in 2016, ranked by what readers actually do: how many shelved them, how they rate them, and how many are reading them now. 2016 is complete, so this list updates only when reader numbers move meaningfully.
For the books readers love across all years see the Top 100. For the hottest brand-new releases see Rising.
← Best Books of 2015Best Books of 2017 →
Colleen Hoover · 2016
A young woman falls for a charming surgeon and must face a painful truth about love and cycles of harm. Emotional, gripping, and content-heavy.
Why it’s here: 44,429 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (1,055 ratings); 2,621 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers ready for an emotional, serious romance
Dav Pilkey · 2016
A graphic novel about a half-dog, half-policeman superhero, full of puns and slapstick. Kid-friendly and very popular.
Why it’s here: 2,207 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (137 ratings); 186 are reading it right now.
Best for: Ages six to ten, and graphic novel fans
Mark Manson · 2016
A profane, funny argument that a good life comes from choosing what to care about and accepting trade-offs. Direct, contrarian, and easy to read in a weekend.
Why it’s here: 34,626 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (721 ratings); 2,108 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers tired of relentless positivity
Chris Voss · 2016
Former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss distills techniques from his career, from Kansas City streets to international kidnapping cases, into practical negotiation principles. He shows how they apply to work, buying a car, raises, rent and family life.
Why it’s here: 1,606 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (73 ratings); 72 are reading it right now.
Best for: Professionals and everyday people who want to negotiate better at work and home
Rick Riordan · 2016
After angering Zeus, the god Apollo is punished by being turned into an ordinary teenage boy and dropped into New York City. Powerless and hunted by enemies, he turns to Camp Half-Blood, a haven for modern demigods.
Why it’s here: 982 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (61 ratings); 59 are reading it right now.
Best for: Fans of mythology-inspired adventure and humor with a god out of his depth
Trevor Noah · 2016
Trevor Noah recounts growing up in a world where his very existence was never meant to happen, guided by his fearless, devout mother. His funny, dramatic and honest stories trace a boy surviving poverty, danger and a damaged society.
Why it’s here: 957 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.6 out of 5 (65 ratings); 56 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who like witty, heartfelt memoirs about family, resilience and growing up
Héctor García · 2016
A gentle look at the Japanese idea of a reason for being, drawn from long-lived communities. Light, encouraging, and easy to read in one sitting.
Why it’s here: 5,238 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (116 ratings); 417 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers thinking about purpose and longevity
Penelope Douglas · 2016
Misha and Ryen spent seven years as pen pals, trading letters and arguments while keeping strict rules against photos, phone numbers or social media. When Misha finds a girl online who might be Ryen, he decides he must meet her.
Why it’s here: 2,465 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (63 ratings); 118 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who enjoy edgy contemporary romance with an enemies-or-more, pen pal twist
Paul Kalanithi · 2016
Neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi wrote this memoir about his life and his fight with stage IV metastatic lung cancer. It was published in January 2016, after his death.
Why it’s here: 1,057 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (42 ratings); 47 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers drawn to reflective memoirs about illness, mortality and a doctor's life
Cal Newport · 2016
Cal Newport argues that the ability to focus without distraction is becoming both rarer and more valuable in our always-connected economy. He offers practical strategies for building concentration habits so you can produce better work in less time.
Why it’s here: 4,369 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (191 ratings); 297 are reading it right now.
Best for: Knowledge workers, students and creators who want to protect time for focused work
Leigh Bardugo · 2016
This second book in the Six of Crows duology picks up days after the first novel's events. Set in a world loosely inspired by 19th-century Europe, it is told through the viewpoints of six different characters.
Why it’s here: 731 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (34 ratings); 37 are reading it right now.
Best for: Fantasy fans who have read Six of Crows and want the duology's conclusion
Neal Shusterman · 2016
In a world that has defeated hunger, disease, and even death, scythes alone may end lives to control population. Citra and Rowan are chosen as apprentices to the role, though neither wants it, and failure could cost them everything.
Why it’s here: 754 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (30 ratings); 38 are reading it right now.
Best for: Teen and adult readers who enjoy dystopian worlds with high moral stakes
Ryan Holiday · 2016
Ryan Holiday argues that our biggest obstacle to success is our own ego, which hinders learning, blinds us when we succeed and deepens the pain of failure. He illustrates this with stories of figures who conquered it.
Why it’s here: 1,610 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (51 ratings); 127 are reading it right now.
Best for: Ambitious people who want to tame pride and build humility for lasting success
Amber Smith · 2016
After a brutal assault by her brother's best friend, Eden hides what happened and buries her former self. Across four high school years, the novel follows her trauma, relationships, and gradual discovery of her own resilience.
Why it’s here: 1,433 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (30 ratings); 64 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers of serious teen fiction about trauma, survival, and healing, in the vein of Speak
Mercedes Ron · 2016
Seventeen-year-old Noah is uprooted from quiet Toronto to a glamorous, reckless life in L.A. when her mother marries a billionaire. She clashes with her arrogant stepbrother Nick, but a forbidden attraction pulls them together despite the dangers.
Why it’s here: 957 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (32 ratings); 63 are reading it right now.
Best for: Fans of forbidden, bad-boy romance with plenty of drama and wealthy settings
Amor Towles · 2016
This 2016 novel is the second book from Amor Towles, arriving five years after his bestselling debut, Rules of Civility. The source offers little else about its story, so readers will want to discover it themselves.
Why it’s here: 1,020 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (71 ratings); 48 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who loved Rules of Civility and want Towles's next novel
Blake Crouch · 2016
Chicago physics professor Jason Dessen is abducted, drugged, and wakes in a life that is not his own, with a different wife and no son. He must fight to return to his family while facing a fearsome enemy.
Why it’s here: 811 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (91 ratings); 33 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who like fast, mind-bending thrillers about alternate realities and family
Tillie Cole · 2016
Rune returns from Norway to Georgia, desperate to learn why Poppy, his childhood friend and promised love, suddenly cut him off. The truth he uncovers brings even deeper heartache in this standalone tearjerker for teens.
Why it’s here: 1,188 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.5 out of 5 (26 ratings); 55 are reading it right now.
Best for: Teen readers, ages 14 and up, who want an emotional, tear-filled love story
Mark Wolynn · 2016
Mark Wolynn argues that anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and phobias may stem from traumas experienced by earlier generations. He presents his Core Language Approach, drawing on trauma research and offering self-inventories to help readers trace their own inherited patterns.
Why it’s here: 1,129 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.6 out of 5 (14 ratings); 52 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers seeking to understand family-inherited trauma and practical methods for healing it
Courtney Peppernell · 2016
This collection of poetry and prose explores heartbreak, love, and raw emotion. It is arranged in sections so readers can turn to whichever one fits their mood, ideally with a cup of tea nearby.
Why it’s here: 614 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (12 ratings); 22 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who want comforting, emotionally honest poetry to dip into during hard moments
Nicola Yoon · 2016
A single day in New York City brings together Natasha, who trusts science over fate, and Daniel, a dreamer under family pressure. With her family facing deportation within hours, a chance meeting raises the question of which future will unfold.
Why it’s here: 837 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (31 ratings); 46 are reading it right now.
Best for: Readers who enjoy love stories with shifting narrators and a ticking clock
Peter Brown · 2016
Roz, a robot, wakes up alone on a remote island with no memory of how she arrived. To survive, she must adapt and learn from the wary animals around her, but her mysterious past eventually catches up with her.
Why it’s here: 432 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.4 out of 5 (34 ratings); 20 are reading it right now.
Best for: Young readers who like survival adventures with animals and a robot hero
Kelly Regan Barnhill · 2016
A girl is raised by an unusual household made up of a witch, a swamp monster and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon. This epic fantasy follows her as she works to unlock the strong magic hidden inside her.
Why it’s here: 703 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (40 ratings); 51 are reading it right now.
Best for: Fantasy fans who enjoy quirky found families and a young heroine's magic
Angela Duckworth · 2016
Psychologist Angela Duckworth argues that lasting achievement depends less on natural talent than on a combination of passion and persistence, which she calls grit. Her ideas are aimed at anyone chasing success, from students to athletes.
Why it’s here: 661 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (43 ratings); 31 are reading it right now.
Best for: Parents, teachers, athletes and professionals wanting to understand what drives achievement
Sarah J. Maas · 2016
Aelin Galathynius is still far from the throne as alliances shift and magic users clash with those without it. Monsters from the past rise, and she must decide what and who to sacrifice to save Erilea.
Why it’s here: 404 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.7 out of 5 (34 ratings).
Best for: Fans of the Throne of Glass series ready for its fifth installment
← Best Books of 2015Best Books of 2017 →
Other years: 2025 · 2024 · 2023 · 2022 · 2021 · 2020 · 2019 · 2018 · 2017 · 2016 · 2015 · 2014 · 2013 · 2012 · 2011 · 2010 · 2009 · 2008 · 2007 · 2006 · 2005 · 2004 · 2003 · 2002 · 2001 · 2000 · 1999 · 1998 · 1997 · 1996 · 1995 · 1994 · 1993 · 1992 · 1991 · 1990 · All years
We start with every book first published in 2016 on Open Library, then keep the ones with real evidence behind them: at least 300 readers and at least 3 editions, with a cover, in English. 68 books cleared that bar for 2016, and the 25 below scored highest. No author appears more than twice. We publish a year only when at least 15 books clear the bar, so no list is thin.
| Signal | Weight | What it captures |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 55% | How many readers have shelved the book on Open Library (want to read, reading, or read). |
| Reader love | 25% | Average reader rating, adjusted so a handful of ratings cannot inflate it. |
| Being read right now | 20% | How many Open Library readers are in the middle of it. |
Each signal is scored from 0 to 100 against the other 2016 books and blended with the weights above. The “why it’s here” line on each book is built from its real numbers. Descriptions are paraphrased from real source text.
This list reflects reading interest on public data, not quality, sales or awards, and it can be affected by data gaps. Open Library counts grow over time, so older books have had longer to gather readers; every book on this page is compared only against books from the same year.
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