OK, this ended up being a little harder than I thought. I figured choosing five of my favorite books from this year would be super easy. I love to read, I read a lot, and I like talking about books. But then I Googled a few of my favorite books, and realized that many of the books I read this year were actually published a couple years ago.
So this list isn’t really my favorite books published in 2010, it’s my favorite books that I read in 2010.
1. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
The third and final book in the series, Mockingjay, was released this year and I began hearing about the trilogy a lot. I’d vaguely heard about the series before, but hadn’t paid much attention since it was YA. I’m glad I didn’t read the books earlier, though, because waiting meant I could purchase all three in a set and devour them in a weekend or two. The books are sharply written, have strong characters and intelligent themes and are definitely not meant to be just for kids or teens. I highly recommend you check them out before they start making the movie versions and the buzz grows ever more.
2. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay
This book was published in 2008, but I only discovered it this year. It’s a novel based on the Vél’ d’Hiv’ roundups in France during the Holocaust, and jumps back and forth between 1942 and the present day. Ever since I was a kid and read Lois Landry’s book “Number the Stars” I’ve been a fan of Holocaust-based novels, and although “Sarah’s Key” is an incredibly sad story I enjoyed reading it.
3. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
This memoir was published back in 2005, and Walls now has another book out which I’ve yet to read. This is the story of her childhood, growing up in a large family with parents who chose to be homeless or impoverished. It’s and infuriating and fascinating read.
4. Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
This book was actually published in March 2010, and I recently finished reading it. It’s a beautiful story of an Indian woman who is forced to secretly give up her daughter rather than see her infant killed. The novel then follows the woman’s life in India with her family, and her secret daughter’s life in America with her adoptive parents.
5. The Bishop’s Man by Linden MacIntyre
I particularly enjoyed this book because it’s set in Cape Breton (which is in Nova Scotia, my home province) but it’s also an excellent novel. It won the 2009 Giller Prize and even though it took me a few chapters to get into it, I was soon completely gripped. It’s a dark, rather gloomy story, so not for people who are in the mood for something uplifting or fun.
