After I was asked to make a top ten list of my favorite reads of 2010
I floundered a bit. I happily made my goal of reading 100 books in 2010. This also left me in a bind, knowing I had 100 books to choose from. I agree with Mindy, it is like asking who
is your favorite child or friend.
I also have a hard time with only picking 10 so I picked my top 12 and
Then continued with books that I would include in my top 20. I know, I am shamelessly changing the rules here.
These are my picks in no particular order.
1.The Healing Spell by Kimberley Griffiths Little.
To say that this book enchanted me, it is not just a play on words of the title. There truly was something magical about the way that Kimberley writes. I was pulled into the story from
the beginning and didn’t leave the bayou until the last
page. This book has stayed with me the past month since I
read it. I have remembered the colorful details and rich
characters. I borrowed this book from the library, but this
is one book I will be purchasing for my own collection.
2. Cross My Heart by Julie Wright
This book made me laugh so hard, I loved the main character and how many strange things happened to her.
(Sadly she reminded me of myself and how "things"
just seem to happen to me while around men.)
I loved her weird mother. The best part was the love
triangle, which was more like a square. This is such a
feel good book. I will be reading it again soon.
3. A Time To Die By Jeff Savage
I waited so long for this sequel in the Shandra Covington
series and I was not disappointed at all. I also feel like it
was the best book yet in the series. This was another book
that I picked up and could not put down. I really
loved the ending!I also loved the fact that
Bobby is not left in perilous circumstances
at the end of this book.
4. Seventh Earth By Richard Bradford
This is such an outstanding sci-fi/fantasy book.If you are a fan of this genre you MUST read it!
Richard is a great writer and I had a hard
time putting the book down. I can’t wait for
the sequel. It has a great storyline and it
is amazing that this is Richard's first book.
He writes like a Pro!
5. I Am Not A Serial Killer and Mr. Monster By Dan Wells
There is something about these books that areso compelling. You get sucked in and are hooked until the end.
I really love how you are kept guessing until the very end. In a
strange way, you are cheering for John even if he has a very
wacked out mind.
6. Hotel On The Corner of Bitter and Sweet By Jamie Ford
This book won the Whitney Award in the General
Fiction Category of this past year's Whitney Awards.
It is a story that takes place during WW2 in
California. The main character is a young Chinese
boy who befriends a young Japanese girl. It shows
the turmoil of that time. This story stays with you.
This is a good read for book clubs.
7. Courting Miss Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden
It seems like everyone has loved this book. It is such a sweet
romance that just makes you sigh. Sarah is one of the best
Regency romance writers today. Sarah's newest book was
recently released. It will definitely be on next years reading
list.
8. Becoming Kate By Dixie Owens
I was right in the middle of six other books when I
received this book. I picked it up to read the first
chapter and never put it down until I was done. This
book is so thought provoking. It deals with the idea
of a brain transplant and if feelings and memories
would survive from the donor. It brings up so many
questions in your own mind.
Dixie does a great job of showing one woman's story and
how resolution comes to this character.
9. Blink of An Eye By Gregg Luke
Gregg Luke's books keep me on the edge. This one
did not disappoint. Even though it was slightly
different from his others, he delved more into
his main character and his past. It has a great
mystery that you search for the answer right
along with the main character. I loved this
one a lot!
10. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society By Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
I just reviewed this book on my personal book review blog.
I explained there why it took so long for me to get this
book read. Once I got over the problem I had, I ended up
really liking this book. Other readers have told me they
had the same problem. They now are going to try reading
this again after I shared my secret. Let's
just say you will not be sorry for taking the time to read
this novel.
11. The Sapphire Flute By Karen Hoover
Excellent debut from first time author Karen Hoover. This
fantasy book has everything. The thing that female readers
will love, is that the main characters are female. But, this is
not just a book for females. There is so much action that
males readers will also like this book. This is
the first book in a long series. I have heard bits and pieces
about the next book and I can't wait to read it.
12. Divine Intervention:A Story of Faith and Miracles by Helen and Randy Hall
If you notice, this is the only non-fiction book that made my
top 10 (12) list. This personal account almost reads like a
novel.It leaves you on the edge of your seat. At the same
time, you left with such gratitude for life and the miracles
that can and do happen. I highly suggest that you read this
book. The Hall's story is one that should be read by everyone.
My Honrable Mentions, that are in my top 20 books:
-Band of Sisters by Annette Lyon
-Crossfire By Traci Hunter Abramson
-The Musician's Daughter By Susanne Dunlap
-Gregor and the Overlander 5 book series By Suzanne Collins
-Lucky Change By Susan Law Corpany
-Hometown Girl By Michelle Ashman Bell
-Heroes of the Fallen By David J. West
The book that I was most disappointed in was... 2010
Mockingjay By Suzanne Collins. I just did not like it. I hated the ending
And how Pres. Snow died.(Sadly I had a much more grisly end planned
for him in my mind) I was left feeling so unsatisfied and cheated by this
third book. What happened to Prim just made me hate the ending even more.
I just remember closing the book and shaking my head. I am doing it right now.
**sigh** Hunger Games is on my all time top 10 list, but Mockingjay
wasn’t even close.
After I read my fellow LDSWBR sisters lists, I realized that there were so
many of their favorites I wanted to read but didn't get to. Next year, you will
probably see some of their favorites on my top 10 list.
This is amazing. And will take "study" for hours. Since I've been writing so hard I have let the Mormon market pass through the fissures of my ignorance for years. But I am THRILLED to see so much good going on. I can die now. (Marilyn Brown)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment Marilyn. There truly are some great books out there now by LDS writers. This past year has been a great year for outstanding novels. Once you get a chance to read some of these books, let me know what you think of them.
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