So without further adieu, my top ten (with links to my reviews) -
After hearing amazing review after amazing review I figured I couldn't put off The Book Thief any longer, and am I glad I didn't! I absolutely loved every piece of this novel.
After seeing this on every best sellers list and in every story I picked it up at Costco, thinking I'd read a few pages and end up throwing it on my huge TBR pile but instead I fell in love with all of these characters. The Help really brought an era to life.
This year I've been really into all things Fairytale/Fable with a twist and Arcadia Falls played right into that. Set at an art centered boarding school it is the perfect blend of fairy tale, mystery and family history to keep me interested. It also lead me to a brief Carol Goodman marathon (by brief I mean, one other book but buying several). One of the best ARC's I've gotten all year.
Claude & Camille reminded me what I love about reading. It was completely transporting. Paris cafe's with the Impressionists never seemed to real, and Monet, whom I usually despise as an artist, is a romantic painter. Nothing at all what I expected when I got it in the mail but easily a top ten pick.
This is a case of first impressions being wrong. I only gave this a 3.5 out of 5 stars. However this was a book that has stayed with me in the two months since I've read it, and that, to me, says a lot more than a not brilliant review. I haven't gotten around to The Girl Who Plays with Fire yet, but I expect to in the second half of the year.
This is a case of me being a sucker for well written chick lit. It was a fun, lite read that left me feeling hopefully and in need of vintage clothes.
My roommate loved Craig, I thought he was funny but never gave him much thought. That was until I read his autobiography. Comedians tend to write the best, most honest life stories and I feel that is the case with American on Purpose. If you've ever watched the Late Late Show, or ever seen Craig in anything it's worth the read.
I read this a little more than a month before Salinger died. Maybe It's my overwhelming love for the Glass family but I loved these stories. I wrote all over my index page so I could remember what each story was about and which family member it was associated with. My favorites were Just Before the War with the Eskimos, For Esme - With Love and Squalor and De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period.
I'm a huge Chevalier fan, and while this wasn't my favorite of her works I did love it. I'm not really into fossils but Remarkable Creatures made fossil hunting cool and dangerous, two things I never thought I'd associate with dead fish sea things before. It probably helps that i was excavating a fossil for one of my classes as I was reading this, but none the less another hit from Chevalier.
If you've been following my blog you've probably noticed my Summer at Hogwarts read along. Goblet is one of my favorite of the series. It's equal parts mysterious, dangerous and funny and there is really nothing I'd change. Not even SPEW. Ok, maybe SPEW.
Well, that's 2010's top reads thus far.
5 comments:
I'm glad I saw this post! I have not heard of Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger before. I loved his novel, The Catcher in the Rye and never thought of looking up his other works. Nine Stories is definitely going onto my wishlist.
Ooh, I want to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo too since I read about the sudden death of the author, Stieg Larsson. Makes the book seem even more intriguing.
@Josette - Nine Stories was wonderful! If you haven't already I'd recommend checking out Franny and Zooey before tackling Nine Stories. It's not absolutely necessary to, but the Glass Family is better introduced in F&Z and they'll just seem like random characters otherwise.
Larsson's death really reminds me of Jonathan Larson's death right before the Broadway premier of Rent. Being the creator of something but missing it becoming a cultural phenomenon. It's just inconceivable to me.
I am so happy someone has discovered the beauty of The Book Thief. It is so incredibly well-written and has some of the best characters I've ever read about.
Glad to have you with us this week! :)
I plan to read both the Book Thief and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Here's my list: http://busymomswholovetoread.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-ten-meme-favorite-book-read-so-far.html
Nice eclectic mix of books--some I've read and loved (The Help, Remarkable Creatures), and some I want to read but haven't yet (Book Thief, Claude and Camille).
Happy reading for the second half of 2010.
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