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Eleventh Stack’s Best of 2016

Well, it’s been quite a year. Many of us have suffered great losses, from family members and friends to celebrity muses like David Bowie and Prince. But we’ve also been gifted with wonderful new art in the form of books, films and music. Here’s a brief roundup of the Eleventh Stack Team’s favorites from 2016.


Are You Ready to March?

John Lewis’ life and work (and the lives of many other Civil Rights activists) shines brightly in the words and illustrations of the March trilogy, inspiring, educating and empowering readers to make the world a better place.


Homegoing Might Be the Best Book of 2016 (According to Me)

Yaa Gyasi’s groundbreaking debut novel, Homegoing, begins in 18th century Ghana with two half-sisters who will never meet. Effia, of the Fante tribe, marries a British slaver and lives her life in relative luxury in the Cape Coast castle. Beneath her, captured tribes wait to be shipped to the Americas as slaves. Among them is Esi of the Asante, Effia’s half-sister.



Party in Your Car with an Audiobook!

I love listening to audiobooks in the car. Authors Amy Poehler and Neil Gaiman make me laugh, and help me enjoy my commutes through the city.


All Hail The Queen of the Tearling!

Tired of the same old story in fantasy novels? Check out Erika Johansen’s The Queen of the Tearling for a truly unique and exciting read!


Blue is the [Most Beautiful] Color

Illustration, yet another way books make you feel things. Big things like happiness, sadness, anger and hope. Julie Maroh’s graphic novel, Blue is the Warmest Color makes you feel all that and more.


A City Full of Mystery

Journey to the fictional city of Newford, full of magic and the unexplained. Award winning fantasy author Charles de Lint invites you to believe in the extraordinary.


Autobiography or Memoir?

What’s the difference between autobiographies and memoirs? Are they essentially the same genre? Check out my classifications on a few of these books and share your own favorites!


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