Going back ten years to 2016, Sarah and Catherine Gilmore (@GilmoreGuide) dive into the annual Bookish Time Capsule episode and revisit the book world from that year. They cover big bookish highlights — from the buzziest books of the year to the award winners — along with what was happening in the wider world at the time. They also look back at their own reading from 2016, including their favorite releases, and share a quick round-up of listener-submitted favorites. This episode is overflowing with great backlist titles to add to your TBR! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Highlights The big news that was going on outside the book world Book stories and trends that dominated 2016 The 2016 books that have had staying power Big books and award winners for the year Reading in the blog years before the Rock Your Reading Tracker Sarah's and Catherine's personal 2016 reading stats Listener-submitted favorites from 2016 2016 Bookish Time Capsule [1:45] The World Beyond Books Bad Blood by John Carreyrou (2018)| Amazon | Bookshop.org [3:09] To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:59] My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (2011) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:11] Ferrante's true identity has never been confirmed, despite multiple attempts by journalists and various theories pointing to different people. Book Industry Sales and Trends Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:02] The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:10] Killing the Rising Sun by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:21] A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (2012) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:36] Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (2012) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:40] To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:45] All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (2014) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:57] The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo (2014) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:12] Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:16] StrengthsFinder 2.0 from Gallup (2007) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:20] When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:30] The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:33] After You by Jojo Moyes (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:49] The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:52] The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:59] Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter (2016)| Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:36] Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (2004) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:49] Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:04] Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:05] The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George (English Translation, 2015) | Amazon| Bookshop.org [13:32] My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman (English Translation, 2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:39] In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:51] Big Books of 2016 It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [15:47] A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, 2) by Sarah J. Maas (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [16:28] Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:25] Pines (Wayward Pines, 1) by Blake Crouch (2012) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:57] Recursion by Blake Crouch (2019) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [18:17] A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[18:34] Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (2011) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [18:58] The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [19:29] James by Percival Everett (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [20:42] Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [20:51] Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:10] When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:28] Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:46] Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [23:19] Award Winners of 2016 The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [23:54] The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:06] Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:35] The Sellout by Paul Beatty (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:51] Let Me Die In His Footsteps by Lori Roy (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [25:50] Before the Fall by Noah Hawley (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [25:56] All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [26:05] Catherine's Top Books Forty Rooms by Olga Grushin (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [27:46] A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[28:11] The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [28:35] The Windsor Affair by Melanie Benjamin (June 2, 2026) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:03] Before the Wind by Jim Lynch (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:57] Miller's Valley by Anna Quindlen (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:57] Miss Jane by Brad Watson (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:48] Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:57] Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist by Sunil Yapa (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:08] Adnan's Story by Rabia Chaudry (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:40] Sarah's Top Books Commonwealth by Ann Patchett (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:45] Shelter by Jung Yun (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:58] All the World Can Hold by Jung Yun (2026) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:06] The Mothers by Brit Bennett (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:16] My Name Is Lucy Barton (Amgash, 1) by Elizabeth Strout (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:22] Oh William! (Amgash, 3) by Elizabeth Strout (2021) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:38] Tell Me Everything (Amgash, 5) by Elizabeth Strout (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:47] Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Ed Tarkington (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:05] Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:30] Tender by Belinda McKeon (US Release, 2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:44] The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:03] When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[42:05] The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue (2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:31] Listeners' Top Books A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[44:14] The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:19] A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, 2) by Sarah J. Maas (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:35] Commonwealth by Ann Patchett (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:47] Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:01] Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:24] Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:30] Beartown by Fredrik Backman (English Translation, 2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:32] Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:40] The Unseen World by Liz Moore (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:45] Long Bright River by Liz Moore (2020) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:58] The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:00] The Mothers by Brit Bennett (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:16]

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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