Best Reads of 2010
The 2011 year is here. Looking back at 2010, there are days we may want to forget and days which will stay tucked away in that part of our memory reserved for the best moments in life. What stands out to me about the 2010 year was the amazingly diverse books that we read. This year, more than previous seemed to have a wide variety of books that were absolutely incredible. For you, we've compiled our favorites from 2010.
To begin with, I have to mention now astronomically popular Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series which the Library staff couldn't get enough of. If intellectual thrillers overflowing with conspiracy, murder, intrigue, and mystery are your type of novel, then we heartily recommend this series.
What else made our list?
The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobsen : a witty, funny, and challenging novel about three friends, a Jewish philosopher, a rabbi, and a radio producer who share their loves, losses, and life lessons with each other. This novel will make every reader take a closer look at how they see themselves and those around them. We must mention too that this book won the 2010 Man Booker Prize.
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Llosa Vargas : not a new book, but one which garnered international attention this year as Vargas was announced as the winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize for Literature. The novel is a comic story of a young Peruvian working at a radio station whose quirky Aunt and soap opera writing coworker make life interesting, to say the least.
The Autobiography of Mark Twain : a dauntingly large volume but don't let its size dissuade you. This book is brimming with Twain's cynicism, wit, and humor. A thoroughly enjoyable read as a whole or in small doses.
Parrot & Olivier in America by Peter Carey : a fictionalized story of Alexis de Tocqueville in a journey across 19th century America with his servant who is spying on him provides a wonderful picture of that period in American history.
The Big Short by Michael Lewis : a fascinating, character driven account of the stock market crash of 2008 and why we are still making the same mistakes.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot : the historical account of medicine and its issues of race, poverty, ethics, and blunders beginning in the “colored” ward at Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1950.
Just Kids by Patti Smith : This is a love letter to Smith’s dear friend Robert Mapplethorpe, paying tribute to their life together, art, writing, passion, and the tumultuous times they lived in.
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson : an absolutely moving and enthralling account of the movement of over 6 million blacks attempting to escape the Jim Crow laws of the South which follows the lives and stories of three individuals who survived the movement which transformed America.
Blueeyedboy by Joanne Harris : a disturbing tale of a beloved son who is a serial killer, told through blog posts and narrative. This unique style and structure of the novel serves Harris' ability to keep you guessing and enthralled from the first page very well.
To begin with, I have to mention now astronomically popular Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series which the Library staff couldn't get enough of. If intellectual thrillers overflowing with conspiracy, murder, intrigue, and mystery are your type of novel, then we heartily recommend this series.
What else made our list?
The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobsen : a witty, funny, and challenging novel about three friends, a Jewish philosopher, a rabbi, and a radio producer who share their loves, losses, and life lessons with each other. This novel will make every reader take a closer look at how they see themselves and those around them. We must mention too that this book won the 2010 Man Booker Prize.
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Llosa Vargas : not a new book, but one which garnered international attention this year as Vargas was announced as the winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize for Literature. The novel is a comic story of a young Peruvian working at a radio station whose quirky Aunt and soap opera writing coworker make life interesting, to say the least.
The Autobiography of Mark Twain : a dauntingly large volume but don't let its size dissuade you. This book is brimming with Twain's cynicism, wit, and humor. A thoroughly enjoyable read as a whole or in small doses.
Parrot & Olivier in America by Peter Carey : a fictionalized story of Alexis de Tocqueville in a journey across 19th century America with his servant who is spying on him provides a wonderful picture of that period in American history.
The Big Short by Michael Lewis : a fascinating, character driven account of the stock market crash of 2008 and why we are still making the same mistakes.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot : the historical account of medicine and its issues of race, poverty, ethics, and blunders beginning in the “colored” ward at Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1950.
Just Kids by Patti Smith : This is a love letter to Smith’s dear friend Robert Mapplethorpe, paying tribute to their life together, art, writing, passion, and the tumultuous times they lived in.
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson : an absolutely moving and enthralling account of the movement of over 6 million blacks attempting to escape the Jim Crow laws of the South which follows the lives and stories of three individuals who survived the movement which transformed America.
Blueeyedboy by Joanne Harris : a disturbing tale of a beloved son who is a serial killer, told through blog posts and narrative. This unique style and structure of the novel serves Harris' ability to keep you guessing and enthralled from the first page very well.
While these made it into our favorites list, there are a few more that are worthy of mention. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, The Library of the Dead by Glenn Cooper, Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks, Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon, Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, and Once on a Moonless Night by Daj Sijie.
Do you have a favorite not on our list? Let us know what it is.
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