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The 10 Best Books Of 2016 Faced Tough Topics Head On

By Maureen Corrigan

Published December 8, 2016 at 8:30 AM PST

<strong><a href="http://apps.npr.org/best-books-2016/" target="_blank">Looking for great reads? NPR's 2016 Book Concierge is here to help >></a></strong> — **Looking for great reads? NPR's 2016 Book Concierge is here to help >>**

I hesitate to say it, but the one word that characterizes my best books of 2016 list is "serious." These books aren't grim and they're certainly not dull, but collectively they're serious about tackling big, sometimes difficult subjects — and they're also distinguished by seriously good writing. Here are 10 that you shouldn't miss.

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Maureen Corrigan

Maureen Corrigan, book critic for NPR's Fresh Air, is The Nicky and Jamie Grant Distinguished Professor of the Practice in Literary Criticism at Georgetown University. She is an associate editor of and contributor to Mystery and Suspense Writers (Scribner) and the winner of the 1999 Edgar Award for Criticism, presented by the Mystery Writers of America. In 2019, Corrigan was awarded the Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing by the National Book Critics Circle.

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