This post is going to highlight some of the greatest things to come out of anime, books, and music this year. All of these things are held on very high pedestals in my brain, and they'll definitely be remembered for their excellence for years to come. We might as well get started, shall we?
Reading
Let's start things off with the book categories. Reading will always be considered my first love, so it feels right to start here.This year I finished a total of 62 novels, 7 nonfiction books, 43 graphic novels/manga volumes, and 1 play, which comes to a total of 113 books. I'm going to focus on the fiction side of things, as that's predominantly what I read. Let's kick things off with our first award.
Best Realistic Fiction Novel
Like I said back when I reviewed Fans of the Impossible Life, realistic fiction is the bulk of what I read. I gravitate towards it for an experience that can either hit close to home or offer a method of escape without there needing to be another world involved. This year's bunch of realistic books were absolutely great, and this makes the choice even harder.
Last year's winner, in my books, was without a doubt I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, which packed a hefty punch due to beautiful writing, intense emotional impact, and connecting of plot points that I absolutely loved. For this award, I'm looking for a novel that is either complex or simple in the realistic fiction novel that had great writing, characters that I could connect with, humor that had me rolling on the floor, and genuine emotions that didn't feel plastered on.
Without further ado, let's announce the best realistic fiction novel of the year.
*Drum roll*
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| Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway |
This book was an absolute stunner. The title makes it seem like a straightforward romance, but it's so much more than that. Family, friendship, and growing up and being who you want to be are given just as much (maybe even more) focus as the developing romance, which is refreshing in a genre overstuffed with romance. Plus, the book is funny as heck and also packs a lot of emotional punch,
Telling the story of a boy named Oliver after he returns home post a kidnapping by his own father, it focuses on his childhood best friend Emmy, who wonders if things can ever get back to normal between them and for the others he left behind. Things are awkward at first, but as the two eventually carry on, they both fight for greater independence and for the chance to just be themselves. As they try to reconnect while also trying to change their familial relationships, they can only hope things reach normalcy.
This is absolutely recommended if you love to laugh, love summery settings (this book takes place in California), or if you're looking for relatable characters that you can connect to in more ways than one.
Before we move on, let me just give Robin Benway something.
Alright, it's time to move on to the next category!
Best Science Fiction Novel
This award's going to be harder to give out, because I didn't have as many loved sci-fi books that stood by themselves under my belt. However, I did finish a series that earns this title, even if it isn't exactly one individual novel. It's time to bring in probably the biggest selection winning.
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| The Shatter Me Trilogy by Tahereh Mafi |
I finally finished this series this year after almost at least a year and a half after reading the first book (with the old and not as pretty cover), and when I picked up Unravel Me, I realized that waiting was a big mistake. This series has absolutely gorgeous writing and great characters that have wonderful development throughout the three books. By the time Ignite Me was over, I was absolutely blown away by what this trilogy had offered.
This trilogy focuses on a girl named Juliette who has the curse of killing everyone she touches. Because of this, she has been locked up in an asylum so she doesn't interact with anyone. One day, a boy joins her in the cell, and she eventually recognizes him from her childhood. Things get tricky when the government that controls the asylum and the world, The Reestablishment, thinks Juliette could be used as the perfect weapon against people who would challenge them, and Juliette doesn't want that.
All the cliches of the YA dystopian novel are here, from a love triangle (which becomes more apparent in the second book) to a wishy-washy main character that I should hate. However, there's so much growth with Juliette throughout the series and the writing style absolutely sucked me in, which really leaves me with little to actually complain about. Well done, Tahereh Mafi.
Best Fantasy Novel
This should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone, particularly since I'm a huge Maggie Stiefvater fan.
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| Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater |
I'm pretty sure most of you are surprised with this choice, as I could have easily chosen The Dream Thieves or Blue Lily, Lily Blue from The Raven Cycle. Despite both of those books being incredible (you should get on The Raven Cycle train if you haven't yet because OH MY GOD), this took the cake and shoved it into its mouth whole.
A spin-off of The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy (which I absolutely loved; I incredibly recommend Shiver), this focuses on the two other characters that had POVs in both Linger and Forever: Cole and Isabel. It picks up from the events of the final book and mainly focuses on the rebuilding of the two's relationship. They are both incredibly flawed in the best ways possible, the writing is achingly beautiful, and I just connected with everything that was going on. Stiefvater perfectly pulls you into the world of her characters, and her oddball humor peppers the serious moments with a much-needed laugh right before you get sucker-punched.
I have a copy of her stand-alone The Scorpio Races on standby, and I absolutely can't wait for The Raven King to finish off The Raven Cycle come April. I need to pick up another Maggie Stiefvater book soon, or else I'll end up dying by the time TRK comes out.
Best LGBT+ Novel
I'm a huge supporter of LGBT+ rights, and I'm currently planning on putting it in all of my future novels. As such, it only seems fair to put this category into this list.
I only read a couple of LGBT+ books this year, but I plan on picking up more titles from authors like David Levithan and Alex Sanchez in 2016. However, this debut is equally exceptional in its own right.
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| George by Alex Gino |
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera would have also been a great pick (go and read that if you haven't), but this book hit harder because it's a middle grade novel about a transgender kid. I can honestly say that I've never really read a book quite like it, and I think that's the point. It's simple yet moving, childish yet powerful, and it will definitely find an audience from kids to adults.
George is a boy, but she knows that's not how she wants to be. She wants to be a girl like her friend Kelly, and maybe by being Charlotte in the school play, she'll be able to show everyone her true desires. However, she doesn't get the part because she's a boy. This causes George and her best friend to cook up a plan that will put George into the spotlight as a female once and for all.
The writing style might not be for all readers, but this kind of book is very important for kids to read so they can be introduced to the topic of being transgender. It can also be used as a stepping stone for transgender youth who connect to George and feel the same way she does. It's also incredibly important seeing as the word of the year was crowned as identity by Dictionary.com. It's a better time than ever to spread the importance of the LGBT+ community to younger people.
Best Comedy Book
Our last award for the Reading category is for the book that had the smartest and funniest humor. I already talked about Emmy & Oliver above, but there were also some other hilarious gems this year. Only one, however, can win.
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| Beauty Queens by Libba Bray |
Beauty Queens is an absolutely hilarious novel from start to end, picking up on stereotypes of the pageant industry and offering themes of feminism, being confident in one's self, and the qualities hiding behind everyone's surface. The entire novel is focused on a plane crash that leaves 13 beauty pageant contestants stranded on an island with absolutely no contact with the outside world. As they try to survive, there turns out to be a conspiracy involving two governments fighting that could potentially leave the beauty queens dead.
The novel makes use of black humor and satire to poke holes into the supposed perfection of the pageant world, but it also includes gay, transgender, and racially diverse characters alongside people who would fit the bill of stereotypical beauty girls and those who subvert them. It's a powerful read that's written in an interesting way yet will have you screaming for girl power like you're a Spice Girls fan in the 90's. I will hopefully pick this up sometime soon just so I can flip through it and relive some of the magic.
It's time to move on from the books to another important category of my life.
Anime
This year, watching anime became an activity of prime sport, my brother devouring it in mass on his computer and us watching it together in our living room from DVDs and Netflix. All of it's been enough to prompt me to make a MyAnimeList account (or not, because I could probably use my brother's anime reviews as reference), but there's much more that I'm going to watch next year (message to myself: WATCH THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS SO YOU CAN FAWN OVER BAN!).
There are some great characters, voice actors, and shows that will be mentioned in this category, so why not get started?
Best Male Anime Character
This is probably one of the easiest awards to give out of the bunch. I've grown to appreciate my crushes on male anime characters, and this guy is absolutely no exception.
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| Ranmaru Kurosaki from Uta no Prince Sama |
Wait, was someone expecting Clavis from Death Parade? Sorry to disappoint anyone. He may be super cute, but I'm looking for developed characters out of the bunch I wanted. Clavis unfortunately doesn't fit that bill (WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR EYES, CLAVIS?).
Whenever this guy popped up on screen, a big dorky smile always popped onto my face. He's automatically introduced as the tsundere character who will say the harshest things that no one will receive well on screen that you snort at while watching. However, these characters also have soft hearts, and Ranmaru is no exception. Underneath his rough exterior is a guy that's still recovering from the breakup of the rock band he was once apart of, and as such, he's just built up rough armor to make sure he doesn't crack in the same way again.
Not only is Ranmaru entertaining due to his most of his remarks being exactly what his coworkers don't want to hear, it also has heartwarming moments as well. When he breaks up a confrontation between Haruka and HEAVENS before it gets too nasty or when he's being honest about his past, Ranmaru can be a really sweet guy. He just needs to wade through some of his own experiences before getting there, and the journey is great to watch.
Tatsuhisa Suzuki also provides the perfect voice for him, effortlessly combining a deeper tone with the brash annoyance one associates with tsunderes. It's absolutely wonderful <3.
Best Female Anime Character
This shouldn't be a huge surprise to most people, so let me just announce her already.
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| Shirayuki from Snow White with the Red Hair |
Shirayuki was a breath of fresh air in a world of ditzy and frustrating shojo heroines. I mean, Yona in Yona of the Dawn did mostly accomplish something similar, but since I haven't finished that show yet, I feel like Shirayuki is more deserving of this award. She's smart, thinks her way out of situations first before relying on someone else, and can actually hold her own against the people who work against her. Her relationship with Zen is also incredibly adorable and has a nice sense of progression throughout the series (it hasn't rushed or immediately stressed at the beginning).
I also really liked Saori Hayami's performance. Although it isn't really different in pitch from her other roles, she gives Shirayuki a gentleness and maturity that makes her much more graceful. Also, Saori is great at making Shirayuki's standing up for herself scenes strong but not too arrogant.
Best OTP
This decision is incredibly hard, so hard that I ultimately have a tie on the greatest couple in anime this year. I can't choose between the two of them guys, so DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE.
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| Shirayuki and Zen from Snow White with the Red Hair |
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| The Black-Haired Woman and Decim from Death Parade |
Both of these duos easily just took my heart and ran away with it. While Shirayuki and Zen's budding romance is one of the key focuses in Snow White with the Red Hair, The Black-Haired Woman (whose real name I won't reveal due to spoilers) and Decim's relationship isn't really about romance. It's a partnership of understanding, where The Black-Haired Woman can see how arbiters judge human souls in the Death Games and where Decim can have a human's opinion. Although they have no romantic interactions, their working together allows them to better understand the people around them and each other. Their friendship is really the empathetic core of the show, which is part of why Death Parade is awesome (more on that later).
Best Opening
For one minute and 30 seconds of an anime episode, the opening showcases a show's flashiest animation and has a track that you can get pumped up to, While the ending does the same thing (except at the very end), the opening can really be one of the driving factors back into watching a show. It introduces viewers into the world of the show, but it can also ironically be the complete opposite of a show. Case in point:
"Flyers" by BRADIO from Death Parade
This opening is incredibly fun to watch, mostly because it's the complete opposite in mood of the entire series. The gorgeous animation coupled with the happy song showcases our characters partying and living it up in the world Death Parade takes place in. While the actual show is dramatic and tense, this opening lets the anime take a breather and just have a good time before the real conflict begins. BRADIO also adds a super catchy song that will have you singing along and doing your own little dance.
Best Anime Series
Although I do watch a lot of anime and find it fun, I also really enjoy finding something, whether it be book or show, that sticks out to me as one of the first things I would recommend to somebody or reminisce about for long periods of time (that's Maggie Stiefvater for me after I finish one of her novels). This year definitely had a star, and coincidentally, it was at the very beginning of the year.
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| Death Parade |
Words can't even describe my love for this show, so I'll just give you some things. The story focusing on contestants playing games where they think their lives are on the line is absolutely heartstopping to watch, the characters are all beautifully designed and entertaining, the animation is absolutely stunning and will make your jaw drop, and the score is beautiful. There's not really much left to say except GO WATCH IT (and I mean now).
Music
It's time for our last big category of awards! Let's talk about some of my favorite things that happened this year and what I loved to listened to over and over again.
Best New Artist
Every year comes a new batch of talent that release albums, singles, and the like. Although this woman released her debut EP and single last year, she didn't really make a splash until this spring, when that single finally hit airwaves and her debut album came out in June.
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| Ryn Weaver |
Ryn Weaver embodies, in my mind, a super quirky and free-spirited pixie that lets every ounce of her creative spirit shine. It definitely shows: her debut album The Fool contained creative and witty lyrics that I haven't seen before, and everything rollicked and shimmered with glimmering keys and rollicking percussion courtesy of Michael Angelakos and Benny Blanco. Plus, she has a powerful voice, capable of going into vibrato effortlessly and confidently. It's almost magical to listen to an album that floats effortlessly from track to track with the aimless yet knowing nature Weaver carries with her.
There's no telling where this dizzy stargazer will go next, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited. I can't wait to see where Weaver goes next, because it's definitely gonna be awesome.
Best Revisited Album
Sometimes throughout the year, if I'm in the mood to do so, I'll go back and listen to albums I haven't really had the chance to experience in a while. This year, I did it for Yuna's Nocturnal, Metric's Synthetica, and Jewel's 0304, just to name a few. However, there's one that's going to stick with me for forever, and from the constant love I've poured into this artist and album, this shouldn't be any surprise.
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| Glorious by Foxes |
Words cannot describe how amazing this album is. I first listened to it in the summer of 2014 after it was finally released in the US and thought it was good. However, when "Body Talk", the first single from her rapidly approaching sophomore album All I Need, came out, I knew I had to re-listen to Glorious to see where she had come from. I was completely blown away by how much I loved every single song, how I would sing along to the lyrics, and how I would become completely immersed in a world that her music transported me to. Every single time I listened to Glorious since June 2015 has been a fantastic experience, and it has easily become one of my favorite albums of all time.
Foxes' writing is the right blend of mystical and realistic, capturing the fragility of youth and love with a graceful hand. Her singing is powerful and full of emotion, and I couldn't help but feel everything her songs wanted me to feel. Although her writing for her new singles has definitely been more realistic, some of the magic still leaks through, and her voice remains potent as always. February 5th will definitely be one of the best days of 2016.
Best Music Video
I've lost touch with music videos ever since my mornings spent curled up and watching VH1 when I was younger. However, I still occasionally search them up, particularly if they're from an artist I like. This had me eager in anticipation, and I wasn't disappointed.
"Focus" by Ariana Grande
The tabloids have all called Ariana Grande varying forms of a diva, most of them not compliments. I'm pretty sure she has some of that rumored sass in her, though, because this song is full of fire. Most of the lyrical content revolves around her letting people know that she'll just let the haters "talk [their] talk", and if she does react to it, then that makes her as bad as them. The entire song is more about her commitment to be true to herself and see the light in other people than judge from external appearances.
Although the music video puts her at the center of attention, it's an absolutely stunning clip. Courtesy of direction from Hannah Lux Davis and crew, "Focus"'s music video pops with futuristic and shimmery colors as Grande hangs out in shapes and sings "I know what I came to do, and that ain't gonna change". It's an empowering message, and you can't help but snap your fingers along and gawk at how beautiful the video is.
When I first saw it, it was on the day of release at around 5:35 AM. I listened to it at least 3 times, and then I played it again and again. It's stuck with me ever since.
Best Song
We're on our second to last category, and it's time to recount the single best song/single that was released this year. If I have a favorite song, I will play it over and over for a undisclosed period of time. This song just happened to be played over and over again for a solid month (and I'm still listening to it in preparation for her new album), and there's a perfectly good reason why: it's great.
"Better Love" by Foxes
Yes, this song could be considered underwritten. Yes, it's simple in terms of construction and song layout. But do you really wanna know why it works? Foxes herself. She's a powerful vocalist who not only has power but emotion, and I bought into this song in a heartbeat because of that. In "Better Love", Foxes pleads with her lover to repair the cracks in their relationship, even as it crumbles apart around them with only a few moments of repair to make sure everything is okay.
The song's instrumental is also why it works as well as it does. With pounding drums, orchestration that pops up throughout the track, and beautiful keyboard lines, there's an anchor for Foxes' soaring vocals to stick onto. It adds to the atmosphere of a sad and potent story about a relationship that is at the last fork in the road with only two ways to go: staying together or breaking up. That's why I love it so much, and that's why it was one of my most played songs of 2015.
Best Album
This is the last award of the list and definitely the one that I had the hardest time deciding. There were a lot of great albums this year that surprised me and that I love, but one of them was better than all the rest.
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| Every Open Eye by CHVRCHES |
This record blew me away due to just how consistent it is. From the skittering synths at the beginning of "Never Ending Circles" to the lonely haze of "Afterglow", this album produces a consistent set of beautiful songs. Lauren Mayberry's vocals have this crystalline and delicate beauty to them that is showcased on the 10 tracks where she sings, and Martin Doherty's vocals are also nice, even if he's only on one song. The songwriting has lyrics that perfectly capture fractured relationships barely clinging and emotions that are fraught and complex. The instrumentals are layered with synths upon synths upon synths that are tenacious and gleaming with the pristine energy of the 80's. Everything is tied together with a beautiful bow and presented effortlessly to easily become one of my favorite albums of the year period.
And that is everything that was insanely awesome in 2015. 2016 will definitely bring us some new classics, and I can't wait to see them in action or on paper. Until next time!
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