Sean Barrs 's Reviews > 2016 on Goodreads

2016 has been another great reading year!

I've read so much and my to read list has practically doubled. Every time I read a book I swear I find at least three I want to read. I will never finish my list; it perpetually grows, so all I can do is read as much as possible as I travel through life. But in the process I find even more niches I want to explore. Recently I’ve delved into Buddhism, though at the moment I have a stack of books on marathon running that need to be read. There’s just so much to read, and so little time. And that’s not even mentioning all the epic fantasy series’ I want to lose myself in……

So many thanks to those that like my reviews, follow me and leave me comments. You guys rock! Honestly, though, your support and encouragement keeps me writing. You guys are truly awesome.

Here are some of my 2016 highlights:

Sandman by Neil Gaiman- This completely blew me away. I’ve only read the first volume and The Overture, but I’m already in love with the series. I’m taking my time with it, and savouring it. Gaiman does something really special in these pages.



Stoner by John Williams- I love this book simply because it made me realise the true value of books. Stoner’s life is shit. When everyone he knows starts to die, when his marriage becomes a disaster, and when his carer turns into a catastrophe, he has one bastion; he has one refuge: books.



The Vegetarian by Hang Kang- This is a truly special book. It captures the attractiveness of freedom and the importance of being who you are in a world that dictates a sense of conformity. It’s a beautiful work.



Jane Austen- I read three Austen’s this year, and damn, that woman sure knows how to write. She is sarcastic, brutal and thoroughly brilliant.



And here are the bad ones

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child- This was nothing short of fan fiction. It is not Harry Potter.



Calamity by Brandon Sanderson- I didn’t think it was possible for Sanderson, but he truly fucked up here. This was the biggest disappointment of the year for me.



Truthwitch by Susan Dennard-This was dreadful. It is the epitome of everything that is wrong with modern fantasy.



Tess of the D'Urbervilles- I don’t believe in Tess. I can’t honestly believe that a character could be this weak and naïve. Hardy really wrote a shit storm of anti-feminist values in a supposedly feminist text.



What’s on the horizon in 2017?

So much. I have big reading plans. The Sandman series, for one, also everything written by Tad Williams and a bit more Terry Brooks and the Robert Jordan. I also want to delve into some Lovecraft. The Necronomicon has been sat on my shelf for years fairly untouched. Star Wars, the same as last year, is another thing I want to explore more of. But, I also have many texts on my university reading lists, so there’s going to be the usual random assortment of reviews appearing on my feed.

I’ve also starting writing for The Bookbag website, which means I have more access to ARCs. I can post my reviews here, but not until after three months of posting it over there. But it’ll be worth it to get those books nice and early!

And here's my full year: https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_i...

Happy New Year Everyone- I shall repost my review of my all-time favourite book of 2016; it’s going to be a hard choice though I have narrowed it down to two!

Carry on reading folks.