And here is the final 10 for 2010 list for this year, and the hardest one at that. There has just been too many good books in this year that it’s so hard to pick just ten. But I have to choose ten…but that doesn’t mean I can’t have runner ups and honorable mentions. ;) It’s my list, I can do anything I want to. :P
So, the last 10 for 2010, here are 10 of my Favorite Reads in no particular order…and then some. :)
1. Persuasion by Jane Austen – How much do I love this book? I am very glad that I chose this book as my first classic read for this year. I love Anne Elliot, and I want to be her. I don’t have much point of comparison over other Austen books, but this one is really, really good, even better than P&P. :) I cannot recommend this one enough. :)
2. Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews – I fell in love with the Kate Daniels series this year (thanks again to Chachic and Michelle for pushing!), but among the four books out in the series, Magic Strikes is the best one so far. It’s got action, tension and all the yummy hotness of Kate and Curran in all of it. Plus the ending had me all smiling and giggly and that is always very, very good. :)
2. Feed by Mira Grant – This book wasn’t the one that got me started on zombies this year, but it was the zombie book I loved the most. :) This book had me from the cover, and then with the story. I loved how geeky this book is and how emotional it is at the end. I loved the characters, and I loved the theme of the story…and I just really loved every bit of this book! This is one of the books that I got in Kindle, then got in print because I want to have my own copy. I gave a copy away, then I gave one as a gift, and now I’m (sort of) giving this away, too. I love this book that much.
3. Happyface by Stephen Emond – This is one of the impulse buys that I never regretted. I wasn’t a fan of hardcovers, but I am glad I got this one the moment I saw it because there are no copies of this one here. This is one of my favorite contemporary YA reads of the year. Happyface is such a darling character, and you just can’t help but fall in love with him. The plot is simple, but it’s very surprising and heartwarming at the end. I wish there were more copies of Happyface here so more people can read it…but that’s why I’m giving one away, right? ;) Oh, and I still think I look like Gretchen. ;)
4. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley – This was another impulse buy, but I’ve been seeing this one way before I got it. I am glad I got it, too, because it has such a beautiful story. The story may sound a bit cheesy with all the beauty talk, but it doesn’t only just talk about inner beauty and self-esteem, but also complications of a family and dreams that never came true. Terra’s transformation was very inspiring, and the ending left me feeling very good about myself, and very beautiful. :) Truly a gem.
6. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver – I wasn’t planning to read this, and I stopped reading the start for a couple of times, but after I finished the first chapter, I got hooked. Before I Fall is a surprisingly good and powerful novel about life, death, friendship and the choices we make and how they affect people. I finished this book with a wistful smile on my face and tears in my eyes, thankful that I finally gave in and read it.
7. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness – This is one of the book that I know I would love, only because the people whose book tastes I trust loved this one, too. After reeling from The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay, I needed more dystopia to keep the high going, so I finally read this one. And I loved every bit of it. I know it gets better with the next two books, and I am very excited to read them. :D Soon.
8. Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John – This book wouldn’t have made the list if I didn’t read it on time. If I read it in 2011, this would probably have made it in my 2011 list. :P I love the cover, and the story is just as good as the book. It’s not often you read a YA novel about a band, and it’s even rarer that you read a heroine who was deaf. It’s got diverse characters, a great story and a very rocking ending. :) A book that makes me reconsider my Top 10 is a book that deserves more attention. :D
9. Fairy Tale Fail by Mina V. Esguerra – You know you really love a book when you re-read it and it still gives you the same feeling it did on the first read. You know you love a book when you actually re-read it in the first place, and within the same year, to boot! I re-read Fairy Tale Fail after I finished reading The Maze Runner, and I really needed a pick-me-up after. It definitely picked me up, and it made me wish to have my own Lucas all over again. :)
10. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins – And like every Best of 2010 books out there, I must not forget about Anna and the French Kiss! This book was an absolutely fun read. After a series of not-so-stellar books, this one just kind of blew my mind. :) I realized a lot of things in this book, particularly: I still love contemporary YA the best, and you can tell a completely ordinary story in an extraordinary way. This is also one of the books that I got on Kindle first, then the hardcover when I found out it’s already available here. That much love, people. That much love. :)
Runners-Up:
- Paper Towns by John Green – I finished the John Green trifecta this year, and out of all books, I have decided that I liked Paper Towns best. While An Abundance of Katherines was the funniest and happiest, I thought Paper Towns had the better plot and would fare better for a re-read. :) Plus Radar + Ben and the road trip? Priceless.
Tall Story by Candy Gourlay – I wouldn’t have heard of this one if not for Pao and Chachic, and I am glad I got this one. Tall Story is a charming story about siblings, Filipino folklore and magic. This is a very heartwarming story, and I am glad this book is available internationally so more people can read it. If you haven’t read it, do include it in your 2011 reading list. You won’t regret it. :)- Unwind by Neal Shusterman – I wouldn’t have picked this book up if I hadn’t heard good things about it from my Goodreads friends. Perhaps my reaction to this was a bit similar to The Knife of Never Letting Go – I plunged into it ready to love it, and I did. It’s not a very cheerful book being dystopia, but it’s very good and it has a lot of potential for a re-read. :)
Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr – I read two of Sara Zarr’s books last year and I loved them, so when I saw she had a new book, I knew I had to read it. Once Was Lost was just as beautiful as her other books, but I think I like this one more because it tackled faith. I loved how simple Zarr’s prose was, and how she tackled sensitive issues with grace. If I may quote my review: “Once Was Lost makes you think, makes you ask, and in the end, makes you believe that no matter what the tragedy is, no matter how hard things are, there will always, always be hope.“- Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan – I read this one fairly recently, and I really liked it. I don’t know if my moods influenced how much I liked it though…but like I said before: any book that has me smiling like an idiot at the last page deserves a recognition. :)
Honorable Mentions:
- Catch a Falling Star by Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo
- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
- A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- Grace by Elizabeth Scott
- If I Stay by Gayle Forman
- As You Wish by Jackson Pearce
- Fire by Kristin Cashore
See, I told you it was too hard. I’m sorry if I overwhelmed you with too many books in this list! It’s just very, very hard to choose. Maybe next year I’ll be more critical, but I’m glad I read so many good books this year. Looking forward to what 2011 had to offer. :)
Now it’s your turn. What’s your top reads in 2010? :)
Check out my other 10 for 2010 posts!
10 Favorite Male Characters
10 Favorite Female Characters
10 Favorite Couples
10 Favorite Authors
10 Most Anticipated for 2011
10 Blogging and Reading Highlights
I’m giving away some of my favorite books in 2010 in my Anniversary Giveaway! Get to know the awesomeness that is Feed by Mira Grant, the first book in the Newsflesh trilogy! Every comment you leave is one entry — the more comments you leave, the more entries you get! :) Click the image for the mechanics and the list of prizes!
How did you pick-up your favorites? It’s hard! I haven’t post mine yet but definitely, John Green and Suzanne Collins will be included!
Hay Tricia, it’s hard! That’s why I have so many runners up and honorable mentions. :P
You’re too awesome to me, Tina!
(OMG SQUEEE!)
But that is because you are awesome, too! :)
It’s really hard to pick which one to include! Kate Daniels series is awesome! I’m now reading Magic Burns! :)
Kate Daniels FTW. :P Wait for Magic Strikes, it’s my favorite book so far. :D
Great list! I’ve read Anna and the French Kiss, Paper Towns, Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares, Catching Fire, and Fire, and I really liked all of them. I also just bought The Knife of Never Letting Go, and I’m really excited to read it!
I hope you like Knife! :) It takes a while to get used to, but the story is awesome. :)
For 2010 my favorite reads are: The Graveyard book, Anansi Boys, American Gods all three by Nail Gaiman, The Hunger Games, and Catching Fire both by Suzanne Collins, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, Graceling by Kristine Cashore, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Susanna Clarke, Lost City of Z by David Grann, Beautiful Creatures by Garcia and Stohl.
Semi-favorites: Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman, Sabriel by Garth Nix, Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan.
Whew. Its hard choosing favorites. :P I love your favorites though, they are an interesting mix of different stories. I will be putting some of them on my wish list for 2011. :P
I hear When You Reach Me is very good. I have that on my wish list. :) And I still need to finish reading Percy Jackson. The paperback of the 5th book sure is taking its time to get here.
Happy new year, Tin! :)
I know! I have been waiting for the paperback too. I always ask for it when I go to bookstores, and they always say they don’t have it yet. Like I said before I am too much of a cheapskate to get the hardbound, so I usually end up just stroking the hardbound copy on the shelf. Hihi :P
Happy New Year too Tina! :)
I definitely need to read some of these books. Great list!:D
Thanks! Happy new year to you! :)
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Niiiiice list. I’m very excited for you to read the rest of the Ness books. And I second the When You Reach Me rec. Interesting, well-written, quick read.
I will read the Ness books soon, I promise! :)
Anna and the Frech Kiss…why haven’t I read this yet? Everyone is talking about it and what a cute book it is. Very unusual but good choice to put a classic novel on #1! Jane Austen rocks
Jane Austen totally deserved that. I’m excited to read another Austen this year. :)
Oh, read Anna and the French Kiss! It’s so cute and sweet and romantic that I wanted to fly to Paris just so I can visit the places Anna visited. :)
2010 was such an amazing year in terms of books, and we
have some favorites for the year in common, including Before I
Fall. I do want to check out the other books in your list, too,
like Anna and the French Kiss (which I’ve been looking for forever
but can’t seem to find :( ) and Happyface. This is the first time
I’ve heard of Happyface, but it sounds so endearing I immediately
added it to my wishlist!
I got my copy of Anna and the French Kiss in Fully Booked. :) I think everyone’s looking for that, so you can get yours reserved so they can call you once they have stocks again. :)