Alright, so this last in our “opinion series” was postponed by last week’s ice adventure. But it’s only mid-January so I’m still hoping that most of you still recall bits and pieces of the prior year.
Anyway, right to it then. What was your favorite book of 2010? Fiction, Non-Fiction, Kids Book, etc. Again, it doesn’t have to have been published in 2010, just read (or listened to) by you.
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Oh, I can do this one! I made a list of my *fifteen* favorite books that I read in 2010 and posted it to my blog:http://aplacetowritethings.blogspot.com/2010/12/list-week-fifteen-fabulous-books.html
(I finished The History of Love by Nicole Krauss after I wrote that list, though, so it’s missing but should’ve been on there.)
The Warmth of Other Suns is the recent book I keep thinking about. And I didn’t know until I was almost finished, the author lives in VA-HI.
I am so glad this question was asked! I have several books that I really enjoyed reading this year and would love to hear recommendations left by others.
If you are looking for very well written books that are more fun to read and discuss with a group try:
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
The Broom of the System by David Foster Wallace.
If you want an entertaining read that is a bit easier to get through check out :
Replay by Ken Grimwood
A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
Certainly not great literature, but I did enjoy Keith Richard’s autobio, Life.
The best part– it made me go back and listen to his early influences (blues mostly) and re-listen to the Stones’ early work.
He is such a great song writer- absolutley one of my favorites and always on my list of guests for my Ideal Dinner Party. Along a similar vein (and Token Republican’s below), I was encouraged to read Nikki Sixx’s “Diary of A Heroin Addict.” Was not/am not a Motley Crue fan, but it was an interesting look into a world I know nothing about- simply a crazy ride. Oh- and he is no dummy- the guy is actually very sharp and inciteful. My assumption otherwise is what made me refuse the suggestion.
I’m enjoying it too. You don’t have to be a musician or even a Stones groupie to enjoy it.
I happened to listen to the audiobook version of this. Johnny Depp reads as Keith and others. It sounds like Tom Waits as himself discussing Rain Dogs.
I refuse to answer this question on the grounds that I read dozens of books last year, and not one of them would be considered by the Decatur crowd as relevant or worthy.
But I loved them anyway.
A little insecure are we?
Nope. I’ll be happy to talk about the books I read with people I know. But this is the kind of post where people can brag about how bohemian, intelligent, well-read and worldly they are because of the books they read.
I read purely for pleasure and escapism, and the books I like don’t fit in with the books that people want to brag about.
I would like to know what books lit you on fire. Do tell.
oh I love a good book or two for pleasure and escapism.
Since you asked…
I really enjoy military science fiction, and there is a series called Warhammer 40,000 (entire universe at war 38,000 years from now). Several authors write stories in this arena, and my favorite is Dan Abnett. If you’re new to it, I recommend the Gaunt’s Ghosts series.
In the end, the Klingons defeat the Jedi. Oh crap, did I ruin it for anyone?
Yeah, your first instincts were right; you probably should have kept that to yourself…
If you want to take a stab at religious sci-fi, highly recommend The Sparrow and Children of God by Mary Doria Russell. So interesting and well thought out, they’ve both stayed in my mind for a long time.
Or A Canticle for Leibowitz.
The Children’s Hospital… great book, socio-science fiction… with religious content, which I didn’t “get” until angels appeared on the scene.
DTR states: “I read purely for pleasure and escapism, and the books I like don’t fit in with the books that people want to brag about.”
Well, I’m sure your voting record is purely for pleasure and escapism . . . let me guess . . . Sarah Palin for President 2012! Continue not responding and then responding. Comedy gold.
Not sure I understand your responding/not responding reference, but in my opinion, nothing is more damaging to the Republican party than Sarah Palin. So…no, I haven’t read anything she’s written. Sorry to pop a hole in your myopic, stereotypical view of Republicans.
@DTR: I don’t post too often on this site, but I do enjoy being a “looky-lou” and it seems you get a lot of crap from a lot of people on here!!!! Just sayin’….
BTW, I enjoy reading scifi as well and although this is not a book I read in 2010 one of my all-time faves is “The Disposessed” by Ursula LeGuin
Thanks, Arwen. I’ve added “The Dispossessed” to my list.
And you’re right…I do take my share of lip on this site, primarily due to my nom de guerre. I knew from the beginning when I chose it there would be certain element of irrational knee-jerk reaction to it. And I haven’t been disappointed.
And then there are people like Nelliebelle (see her comment just below). While we may be on opposite sides of the political spectrum, we respect each other’s views and comments. It’s the Nelliebelles that make this blog worth reading and commenting on (along with DM’s masterful management of it).
And now…back to the books. Someone here mentioned Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series. ALWAYS a great read.
I think it’s the “Token” part that gets people–after all there are some repubs in Decatur, liberals just assume they’re hiding under rocks.
That said, I just finished Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton, which is enlightening in many ways and frustrating in many ways–I think historians should write books about historical figures that they DON’T like…Also, one of my favorite authors, Stephen Wright (Going Native, M31, Meditations in Green (and not the comedian) apparently had a new book come out a couple of years ago, The Amalgamation Polka. A very interesting read–though it points toward Mr. Wright perhaps getting older–and more poetic, but nonetheless a good read. And anything by Denis Johnson and George Saunders.
The Amalgamation Polka sounds like an episode of “The Big Bang Theory.”
I read “Alexander Hamilton” also, and I enjoyed it. Years ago, I read Gore Vidal’s “Burr,” which was outstanding.
Not really fair or correct, MC Decatur. I believe Token’s politics probably align more closely to the mid-century Buckley/Goldwater version than the current brand of hate discourse.
Really? I mean, i’m not saying it isn’t happening, but the level of venom that emanated from the liberals towards Bush was unprecedented. My point being is that republicans/conservatives have certainly not cornered that market.
Sir-
I would point you to “Bobos in Paradise,” by David Brooks. It’s been out for several years and is light as a feather, but I think you’d enjoy it.
Thnks, Golazo. I have added it to my list.
Non-fiction: “The Big Short” by Michael Lewis.
Fiction: “Vanishing and Other Stories” by Deborah Willis
No doubt about it for me: Stieg Larsson’s trilogy giving us the extraordinary character, Lisbeth Salander.
I second that.
Cool. Stieg Larsson is probably my favorite captain on “Deadliest Catch.”
Ha!
“Super Sad True Love Story” by Gary Shteyngart
“Let The Great World Spin” by Colum Mccann
“The Passage” by Justin Cronin
“Brooklyn” by Colm Toibin
“War & Peace” new translation by Pevear & Volokhonsky
Currently enjoying the Keith Richards autobio and it’s having the same affect on me too. It’s been fun to go back and listen to all those old Stones albums after reading the stories behind them.
Living History by H R Clinton
Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Angrim
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Read tons more but those are some of the ones I read in the last quarter of 2010 and enjoyed.
I enjoy reading everything from Trash on up and am not bothered how others view that.
The two bios above are interesting in very different ways. The novels were fun. The giver which is a children’s book is actually very thought provoking as well.
C’mon Decatur’s Token Republican, let us judge you!
At the risk of Decatur’s Token Republican thinking that I am bragging, I recommend my favorite book this year: Shakespeare’s Lives, by Samuel Schoenbaum. It’s about all of the biographies of Shakespeare that have been written, going back to the seventeenth century. Full of tales about lies, frauds, literary deceptions, and scholarly ruination.
BTW, the most recent edition came out in 1993, I believe.
I can never remember all that I’ve read, never mind rank it, but here’s some good stuff I read in the last year
For the 3rd-5th grade level, especially girls: Savvy (new publication), Anne of Green Gables (I can’t believe how much I still love this book), Wizard of Oz, Huckleberry Finn. (For the latter three, it helps to read to or with your child so you can explain some of the antiquated customs and language).
For me: Stylized: A Slightly Obsessive History of Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style; Cutting Through Stone (would be especially interesting for anyone with a medical background and/or interest in Ethiopia, but wonderful fiction for all);
For parents: Parenting Without Power Struggles: Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids While Staying Cool, Calm and Connected, Overcoming Dyslexia, Proust and the Squid,
I read The Corrections (2001) and Freedom (2010) both by Jonathan Franzen. Both good literary fiction but still accessable and realistic.
I liked the Franzen books okay. I wish I had the time I spent on Freedom back to spend on two other books though.
I enjoyed discovering Erik Larson this year–I read Isaac’s Storm, The Devil in the White City (love!), and Thunderstruck (LOVE!). But I am just finishing up The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and it’s far and away the most astonishing book I’ve ever read.
LOVE the Book Thief!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One of my favorite books!
Ah, see DTR, that wasn’t so bad and those Warhammer books actually sound pretty interesting to me. I love sci-fi. And you brought back some fun memories of playing Warhammer back in high school.
Loved The Book Thief! Great choice!
I got a kindle for my birthday this year, so I’ve been immersed in books ever since. I think I have a problem, actually. My father and stepmother recommended the Maisie Dobbs series, by Jacqueline Winspear, and it’s really wonderful. I also finally read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and couldn’t put it down. Another procrastinated book finally read this summer was The Grapes of Wrath. I occasionally read an actual classic and always wonder why I don’t read more, as there is a reason these books endure. And, of course, there was Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games trilogy is hands down the best thing I’ve read in a few years.
The Outside Boy by Susan Glaspel stayed on my mind. Beautiful piece of fiction, takes place in Ireland 50 years or so ago.
I have many leather-bound books, and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.
And Corinthian leather?
Did you go yogging today?
“incredibly loud & extremely close” by jonathan safran foer
“the art of racing in the rain” by garth stein
“cutting for stone” by abraham verghese
“let’s take the long way home” by gail caldwell
“have a little faith” by mitch albom
“i thought my father was god” (tales from npr’s national story project)
great post idea, dm. i’ve already gotten some ideas for my next couple of books..thanks!
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
This Body of Death by Elizabeth George
The Double-Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith
Two I read in 2010 stand out::
‘Finn” by Jon Clinch. A horrific & very well written back-story to the Huck Finn tale. I know it may be easy to climb up on the back of a literary behemoth like Twain’s masterpiece and hope for a free ride, but I don’t think Clinch does anything like that. Well written (I said that already), compelling and awful in where it goes, in setting forth the life of Huck’s father.
“Grapes Of Wrath” – a classic I somehow managed to pass over in a long life of reading. If you haven’t read it, maybe only saw the film, or haven’t read it since high school, I suggest giving it a go. If poetic means containing sentences, scenes, thoughts which you read over a few times and find new substance and beauty each time, then GOW is poetic.
The Accidental Billionaires – AKA the story of facebook.
The big short – Michael Lewis.
The white house chef mysteries by Julie Hyzy are really good cozies.
Please shre your lowbrow recommendations! I’m always looking for new reads.
I’ve got to recommend “A Dog’s Purpose”. If you hate dogs you won’t like it, but if you even like them a little you will find something in here that is worthy–it’s not just about a dog.
I also loved Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Avatar series. Delightful fantasy, with lots of politics and sex.
And Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. A hero for everyone.
I love the Jack Reacher character too. I’ve read all of Lee Child’s Reacher books except the most recent one (waiting for it to issue in paperback)…
World Without End (sequel to Pillars of the Earth) by Ken Follett
The Help by Katheryn Stockett
i second “the help”….sooooo good!!
I read and fell hard for One Day by David Nicholls. (Quick, go read it before the movie version comes out.)
I listened to a variety of audiobooks this year, but probably got the most pleasure out of listening to Great Expectations.
And on a whim several months ago I searched for and found the text of the very greatest book I read in fifth grade. It’s Like This, Cat by Emily Neville. Every bit as great as it was in 1966.
Those were probably the most pleasurable reading experiences for me this year. And check it out: three formats! (Little surge of satisfaction.)
Nonfiction: “No One Would Listen (A True Financial Thriller)”, Harry Markopolos (sp?); “Game Change: Obama & The Clintons, and McCain & Palin…”, Heileman & Halperin (Absolutely riveting!!!)
Fiction: “The Passage”, Justin Cronin; “Iguana Dreams”, various (I was rediscovering these short stories by Latino authors– finding comfort in the voices of my people)
If you love your dog, you should listen to the unabridged Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.
Fiction:
Olive Kitteridge (Elizabeth Strout 2009)
Underworld (Don Delillo, 1997) a flawed but frequently virtuosic epic that I finally got around to tackling–it’s a very long book.
The Sound and the Fury (actually was able to follow it and appreciate it this time)
Non-Fiction:
The Big Short ( I think it could have went further, but a good summary of a complicated disaster)
Hardhats, Rednecks, and Macho Men: Class in !970’s American Cinema (Derek Nystrom. The rare academic work that is a lively read. Superb analysis of Deliverance.)
This was the year of trilogies for me- after struggling to maintain interest/focus for the first 40 or so pages, I was addicted to the Steig Larsson books. I also really enjoyed the Kate Atkinson Case Histories trilogy (One Good Thing and When Will There Be Good News the 2nd and 3rd boods)- those are the unusual case where the latter books are better than the first. As mentioned aboveHunger Games trilogy and The Book Theif were also great. Barbara Kingsolver’s The Lacuna was also very interesting and enjoyable. On the trash side, one of the surprise hits of my book group this year was Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon- lots of convo and enthusiasm, even from some literary ladies. Several have gone on to read other books in the Outlander series.
Kate Atkinson is really good!
A great one-two punch in non-fiction was Beyond Katrina by Natasha Tretheway and Dave Eggers’ Zeitoun.On the fiction side I was deeply satisfied reading Roberto Bolano’s 2666, and Franzen’s Freedom was a terrific piece of work
Natasha Tretheway is is one of my favorite writers/poets. Looking forward to Beyond Katrina,and I’m glad someone put a Decatur writer on their list.
Just noticed that it is actually spelled Trethewey.
Very much at the risk of sounding pseudo-intellectual to DTR, my sister-in-law bought me the Best of Saki for the holidays last year, and I think “The Unbearable Bassington” is one of the best books I have ever read. (It’s actually a novella, I think.)
Fiction (some may have come out in 2009):
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Most Disappointing:
One Day by David Nicholls
Worst Book I’ve Read in a LONG Time:
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
I was disappointed by One Day too- such glowing reviews, really cool storyline concept, revving story for a while, then it just lost me/was too predictable (for the most part). Maybe the movie will pull it off better.
How sad. I loved “The Particular Sadness…” I even went on to read another book by Ms. Bender.
I just got the Lemon Cake book because I can’t resist lemon cake in any form. I hope I agree with Stu!! Because it’s about lemon cake, right? With cream cheese frosting?
LOL! You can tell you’re expecting, Nell– even your book choices sound like cravings!
I actually had the baby early, but am pretending I still have three weeks to go since I can’t button my pants.
Shut UP! Did you really?!? What flavor’d you get– girl or boy??? Congrats, chica!!!
She’s a girl. She’s tiny but doing well! And since I still have three weeks until my due date, get out of my way at the cupcake table!
Heh! You got it, mamacita– far be it from me to stand in the way of a sugar-deprived new mom!
Congrats! Take care of yourself! In some ways, baby #2 is easier because the whole birth/postpartum thing isn’t such a shock. On the other hand, the work is multiplicative, not additive, and you don’t always get as much attention and help the second time around.
A boy and a girl? Perfect! Although, I warn you, after the first year of life, a girl is double the work of a boy! More verbal, complex, more drama, more clothes issues! But toilet-training and shoe-tying is easier.
I wanted to like it…but found it to be unbearable as did my entire book club.
However, I see that it is considered a ‘book of the year’ by many.
I am glad it is low in my pile. Sounds like I may be trading in my book swap!
Of all the titles I’ve read here, The Unbearable Bassington is, to me, the most intriguing.
And I just found it on Project Gutenberg! Goodnight, all. Thank you, DD in Decatur and DM.
ooo books!
1. Hunger Games Trilogy – don’t judge, they are awesome. I am personally responsible for the addiction of 4 people.
2. The Lonely Polygamist: A Novel
3. Never Let Me Go
4. One Day
5. Faithful Place: A Novel (seriously, just awesome)
6. Let the Great World Spin: A Novel
7. The Book Thief
8. Just Kids (hmmm, i read over holidays, does it count?)
The Lonely Polygamist made me cry and cry!
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
The Passage by Justin Cronin
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Millenium Trilogy books by Steig Larsson
The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning (low-brow and loving it! The last in the series came out today, can’t wait to crack it open this evening)
I loved the help, also.
I also enjoyed the 2010 Best Mystery Short Stories edited by Lee Child.
another series – The Fever Series??? Am looking up now!
Step away from the computer, Boo. No more series!
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, by David Mitchell. Incredible story telling, historical fiction. Hard to find, even though it was on a “best of 2010″ nyt list.
Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne was recommended by a neighbor and though not my usual taste surprised me by how much I enjoyed it.
I never read fiction but…. well, I guess I started. All mystery but not the traditional tripe. I read every Louise Penny book last year (only 4.) This woman is hyper smart and fab. Had to pay full price at Borders for the last one which was hyper irksome, 24.99 is too much. Anyhow enjoyed them all. You can get them all at the library except the last one which is checked out til the end of days
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
Decision Points by George W. Bush
I love to let books find me through the library & the thrift stores, so most of the ones I read last year were older titles. Newer ones that I really enjoyed:
Fiction: Olive Kitteridge, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Help,
A Reliable Wife, Mrs. Darcy and The Blue Eyed Stranger
Non Fiction: Committed, The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, Running The Books, A Peculiar Tribe of People
And childhood re-reads: The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories
Two on my all time list:
Walking With the Wind by John Lewis
The Professor and The Madman by Simon Winchester
I love Walking with the Wind too! I learned so much more about that period of time than I ever knew despite countless MLK work and school celebrations. This is an issue I have with how we celebrate our leaders and heroes. The same superficial story gets told over and over again in a way that trivializes the reality. It ends up doing a disservice to the motivation for having the holiday. A lot of folks in this country think MLK Day is just a token gesture because they have never been exposed to some of the incredible and fascinating stories behind the Civil Rights Movement and the thousands of people involved.
Karass, you’ve said it exactly. The soundbite ways we’re taught history really lessens it. I didn’t know what I didn’t know until I read this book. John Lewis simply tells the story of what all happened in his quiet way. He’s a remarkable man with a tremendous capacity for forgiveness, and he’s my hero.
Several fine non-fiction books — Daniel Okrent’s “Last Call,” a history of Prohibition; Pauline Maier’s “Ratification,” a history of the ratification of the Constitution; Shankar Vedantam’s “The Hidden Brain” was excellent about why we make decisions that our conscious mind would be appalled by; “Jung the Mystic,” a biography of Carl Jung focusing on his more New Age-y beliefs, and “Rebel Buddha,” a fine demystification of Buddhism by Dzogchen Ponlop . Fiction-wise, Armistead Maupin’s “Mary Ann in Autumn” was wonderful, and all the praise for “The Art of Racing in the Rain” is very accurate. Currently reading “American Veda,” a history of Hindu thought in America, and “The Devil in the White City,” which is great mix of architecture, U.S. history and true crime.