Erin Reads

Yesterday and today I’m looking at my favorite books of 2010. I split them into four categories, two for each day. Yesterday: nonfiction and audiobooks; today: fiction and young adult/middle grade novels. Titles link to reviews, if I’ve written them, or GoodReads, if I haven’t.

Favorite Novels Read in 2010:

Runner Up: My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira

Set during the American Civil War, this novel follows one woman as she chases her dreams of becoming a doctor from Albany, New York, to Washington, D.C., to the front lines of the war. Through the setbacks and the horrors Mary experiences, her dream guides and sustains her. Mary Sutter is the sort of character I couldn’t help but get behind, and her story held me enthralled from beginning to end. A strong debut novel and a great choice for lovers of historical fiction and strong female characters.

#5: Half Life by Roopa Farooki

This is a beautifully written novel which tells, in alternating chapters, the stories of Aruna, Jazz, and Hassan, three people whose lives were once connected but have since drifted far apart.Over the course of a few days, the characters’ stories, both past and present, unfurl so that their lives lay open before the reader. The exquisite prose and fully developed characters made me want to savor this intimate, moving story.

#4: The Cailiffs of Baghdad, Georgia by Mary Helen Stefaniak

The Cailiffs of Baghdad, Georgia begins in August of 1938, when Miss Grace Spivey steps off the train in Threestep, Georgia, to take over the one-room schoolhouse there. With her Northern ideas and habits, Miss Spivey stands out in the tiny Southern town. The charming narrator, Gladys Cailiff, a student in Miss Spivey’s class, offers a unique perspective on the events as they unfold and is not easily forgotten. She was one of my favorite narrators of 2010.

#3: Something Missing by Matthew Dicks

The main character in this debut novel is Martin, a middle-aged OCD thief. He has spent years building up his “client” base and has developed a set of rules for ensuring his repeated entry of their homes remains undetected. But one day Martin breaks a rule and ends up far to deeply involved in one of his client’s lives. With clever writing, a creative plot, and an endearing main character you can’t help but love, Something Missing is an excellent novel I’d recommend to anyone.

#2: Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago

The premise of this unique novel: one day, no one dies. Little by little, the repercussions of this altered state of existence begin to affect society. Told in Saramago’s trademark style (few paragraphs, no quotation marks, delightful turns of phrase, wonderfully translated by Margaret Jull Costa), Death with Interruptions was probably the most fascinating novel I read this year. The lack of writing conventions may get to some, but if you don’t mind, it’s truly a wonderful book!

#1: One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

This novel opens in an unnamed American city, where nine people are going about their business in the city’s Indian Consulate. Suddenly, a massive earthquake strikes, trapping the nine strangers together beneath a mass of rubble. As people begin to panic and arguments break out, a young woman suggests they each tell a story from their lives. Initially resistant, the characters slowly open up to the idea, and the stories begin to flow. It’s not until the end that I realized how perfectly the title fit the book, leaving me a bit awestruck as the meaning reverberated through me. A slender but powerful novel, One Amazing Thing has stayed with me long after I read it.

Favorite Young Adult/Middle Grade Novels Read in 2010:

Runner Up: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

When two Will Graysons meet unexpectedly one night, both their lives are altered. Told in alternating chapters by the two Wills, this novel touches on a wide range of topics and features the excellent character Tiny Cooper, a huge gay football star who is writing a musical about his life.

#5: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak is the story of Melinda, a high school student whose world was forever changed by a traumatic incident we initially know little about. Melinda’s sharp wit and keen observations make her a real and likable narrator, and her story is not easily forgotten.

#4: Countdown by Deborah Wiles

Franny is a fifth-grader outside of Washington, D.C., dealing with normal kid stuff, when the Cuban Missile Crisis flares. Franny is lovable and the story is captivating. In addition, the format of the novel is quite interesting. Wiles calls it a documentary novel, which is fitting: the story chapters alternate with biographies of important people, song lyrics, photos, and news clips from the early 1960s. The result is a rich setting that extends beyond the scope of Franny’s tale.

#3: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

This childhood classic tells of Milo, a young boy who is so bored with everything that he decides to assemble the tollbooth that turns up in his room one day and head through it. He stumbles into a world of allegories and adventures. Juster plays with language in a way that must be described as delightful–there is no other word for it!

#2: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Miranda is 12 as the novel opens, and the year is 1979. Her life in New York City is ordinary, except that she keeps finding strange notes. This book is full of references to Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, but it’s extremely enjoyable whether or not you’ve read L’Engle’s classic. I spent the first three quarters of the book feeling unimpressed, but the ending was so spectacular–and so enhanced by the slow lead-up–that the novel won the #2 spot on my favorites list.

#1: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

So many people wrote reviews of this, the final volume in the Hunger Games trilogy, that I didn’t bother. I’m one of a minority of people who was not disappointed by Mockingjay. On the contrary, I felt Collins took the story exactly where it needed to go, and I was quite satisfied with the ending. If you’ve not yet read this series, I cannot recommend it highly enough!

Your Turn!

What was your favorite novel of 2010? What about your favorite young adult or middle grade novel? Or, if you don’t really read young adult or middle grade fiction, is there one you’ve read about in 2010 that sounded really good?

Today and tomorrow I’m looking at my favorite books of 2010. I’ve split them into four categories, two for each day. Today: nonfiction and audiobooks; tomorrow: fiction and young adult/middle grade novels. Titles link to reviews, if I’ve written them, or GoodReads, if I haven’t.

Favorite Nonfiction Books Read in 2010:

Runner Up: Sweater Quest by Adrienne Martini

This entertaining memoir chronicles Martini’s attempt to knit an intricate multicolored sweater. It combines the history of knitting with contemporary knitting culture as Martini tells her often hilarious story. I’m not sure how much it would appeal to non-knitters, but for people who knit, it’s a great little book.

#5: My Life in France by Julia Child

Ebullient and delightful, Julia Child bubbles off the page in this story of the time she spent in France. Included are her beginnings in French cooking, her husband’s career (the reason they landed in France), her work on Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and–of course!–plenty of sensuous food! It was a light, quick read with an irresistible, irrepressible leading lady.

#4: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

In this book, Rubin tells of her year-long quest to test out every theory about happiness she could find. It had the potential to be cheesy, but Rubin’s no-nonsense, logical approach made it fascinating. With a theme for each month, supported by concrete actions, Rubin’s project resembled a science experiment more than a journey to self discovery. I appreciated her honesty and her curiosity.

#3: The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

In this graphic memoir, Satrapi illustrates her experience growing up in Iran. In stark black and white drawings, she takes readers on a journey through her childhood and young adulthood. Powerful, fascinating, and educational, The Complete Persepolis was one of my first graphic novels and would make a great introduction to someone interested in the genre.

#2: The Rights of the Reader by Daniel Pennac

This slim little volume, translated from French by Sarah Adams, takes a look at how a child develops a love of reading and how that love can be sustained and nurtured as the child grows. Pennac, an educator, has written a love letter to reading that readers everywhere will love and treasure. As a bonus, Quentin Blake did the illustrations, which lends Pennac’s words a Roald Dahl-esque whimsy.

#1: The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby

The first volume of Hornby’s essays for “Believer” magazine, this compilation reveals what books Hornby has purchased and read on a month-by-month basis. I haven’t read most of the books Hornby talks about, but that didn’t matter much. His humor, wit, and insight are evident and enjoyable without a familiarity with his chosen reading material. A completely different trip from Hornby’s fiction!

Favorite Audiobooks Listened to in 2010:

Runner Up: Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

This powerful coming-of-age novel tells of Kimberley Chang’s new life in America, where she must help her mother at work, act as her mother’s translator, learn English well enough to function at school, and find her way in a new country. Read by Grayce Wey, this audiobook combines an enthralling story, featuring a strong main character, with a skilled reader.

#5: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

This book was the funniest–in print or on audio–I’ve read this year! Packed with humor, bizarre situations, and clever characters, it kept me giggling and wondering what would happen as the zany, madcap plot unfolded. Thoroughly enjoyable!

#4: Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

This pair of novels from Margaret Atwood tell of a future not so far from our own where life, as we know it, has come to an end. As the characters adjust to the new landscape, the stories of what happened to them and what the society from which they came was like gradually come out. I especially loved how the two novels dovetailed with one another, locking together to create a wider picture of a shared world.

#3: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Read by Sissy Spacek, Harper Lee’s classic story of Scout Finch and Maycomb, Alabama, came vividly to life. I’d read the novel years ago in high school, but it was this recording that made me love it. If you’ve yet to experience this classic, or if you’d like to revisit it, I highly recommend giving this audiobook a try!

#2: City of Thieves by David Benioff

Set during the Siege of Leningrad, this audiobook is packed with drama and taught with tension. Lev and Kolya’s journey hooked me from the start, and I finished listening in a single day, unwilling to turn it off! Three of my family members have read the novel in print form and loved it as well. This is one of those unique novels that readers of a wide variety of tastes and backgrounds will enjoy.

#1: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

This audiobook might be the best pairing of reader and story I’ve ever encountered. Set on a Spokane Indian reservation, it’s told by Junior, a teenager caught between his family and friends and his desire to make something of himself. As Alexie himself narrates Junior’s story, it’s hard to tear yourself away.

Also…

This was a tough category for me to narrow down, even with a runner up, so I have to mention a few other great audiobooks that deserve recognition: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson were all spectacular as well!

Your Turn!

Which nonfiction title did you enjoy most in 2010? What was your favorite audiobook? Or if you’ve never listened to one, which that you’ve heard about most appeals to you?