How can it be possible to summarize an entire year in books? I have no idea how such a thing can be successfully done, so I am just going to stick to spontaneously collecting my own thoughts regarding this year (which is not even over yet - and still I am going to write this review now because I doubt that too much will change during the upcoming weeks, except that I may lose my motivation to write this). 
 2016 has been a pretty good year for me on many personal levels, but also in reference to books. Just a year ago, if anyone had asked me what I think about specific genres, I would have been at a loss of words to explain my reading interests. This year I explored the value of nonfiction books, discovered some new favorite authors (Tana French, Richard Russo and Oscar Wilde come to mind) and a lot of favorite books (in case you are interested to hear which books I am talking about, you'll find a list at the end of this review rambling). 
 As of today, nineteen days before the end of the year, I have read a total number of 115 books (and quite a number of short stories). If you look at my shelves, you may notice that almost all of these books have been read before the end of August and that since then there are huge gaps in my reading statistics. The explanation is just as simple: I have been reading too much. Following my attempt to catch up with all the books I thought I had missed to read in previous years proved to be the wrong idea; resulting in many weeks during which I hardly read anything at all. What I learned by this and can only recommend to others: You should never read just for the sake of reading as much as possible. Instead, in most cases you should read for the sake of enjoying what you're reading or learning something from these books. 
 When I wrote my review for 2015 on Goodreads about a year ago, my plans were to read more of George Orwell (I didn't), Edgar Allan Poe (I didn't) and Arthur Conan Doyle (surprise: I didn't), but also more of Stephen King (I ended up reading too much by him) and more classics (which I actually think worked out). My plans also included finishing the Harry Potter books (only the last book still stands between me and reaching this goal), reading Lord of the Rings (I didn't), finishing the Chronicles of Narnia (I didn't) and buying less books (instead I bought more). The lesson taught by this: I shouldn't attempt to plan my reading years anymore. And yet this didn't keep me from creating a list of books I intend to read next year, even though there are still about twenty unread books sitting on my shelf of books I want(ed) to read this year. My intention for next year is to focus my attention on some classics I started to read, actually really liked and yet ended up abandoning at some point of this year's August (Pride & Prejudice, The Secret Garden, East of Eden). 
 But that was enough about my personal year in books. Goodreads would be nothing without its users, and they are who I want to thank today because I met so many great friends on here. Thank you to everyone for being here and for making Goodreads a little bit richer with your presence. 
 And I almost forgot that I wanted to point out some of my favorite books of this year. If you are still interested, you may want to check out the following novels (links lead to my reviews): 
 1. 
 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: We Should All Be Feminists: 
 This is not even a recommendation, this is a must-read. Adichie's take on the subject of feminism should be widely regarded as something to live according to, or at least as a viewpoint which receives more appreciation from society. 
 2. 
 Jeff Zentner: The Serpent King: 
 Zentner's debut novel was easily one of the best surprises of the year for me personally, delivering a heartbreaking (and tremendously underrated) coming-of-age tale. 
 3. 
 John Williams: Butcher's Crossing: 
 After reading and loving Williams' Stoner in 2015 already, his second novel proved to be an equally excellent masterpiece. Just like "The Serpent King", this book deserves way more attention from readers all over the world, with its timeless story telling, emotionally touching themes and interesting characters. 
 4. 
 Leo Tolstoy: The Death of Ivan Ilych: 
 One of my first adventures inside the genre of Russian classic literature, Tolstoy's famous short story was capable of touching me on a very personal level, something I wouldn't have expected from a Russian classic. If you are like me and also try to shy away from the big Russian classics like Anna Karenina, War and Peace or Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, then maybe this short story would be perfect for you as well. 
 5. 
 Paul Kalanithi: When Breath Becomes Air: 
 One of 2016's most celebrated autobiographical novels, Kalanithi's memoir was capable of providing a lot of food for thought and a new viewpoint on the horrible subject of cancer. Everyone of you should read this one. 
 6. 
 S.E. Hinton: The Outsiders: 
 Hinton's classic novel, written at the age of 16, is as amazing as it is short. There is no need to lose any words about this one: you should read it. 
 I chose not to point out some other amazing books which basically everybody already knows about, for example Jane Eyre, Harry Potter, The Green Mile, Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray or Hamlet. But one book shouldn't be forgotten: Empire Falls by Richard Russo. I'm taking months to read this (don't ask, it's a weird combination of not wanting to finish it too soon and wanting to rush through it at the same time, resulting in me not even picking it up for weeks), but I can't recommend it highly enough. 
 And for everyone interested in my reading statistics according to the Goodreads feature: 
 So, to sum things up, I read about 10,000 pages more than I did last year, with my average rating remaining exactly the same. Today I also managed to surpass my goal which I set for my reading challenge (170 books) by finishing The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom. I'm looking forward to many books in 2017, but even more to many interesting exchanges and reviews here on Goodreads. Cheers to 2017!