Favorite Reads of 2010

The books have been good to me this year. I read around 85-90 new to me books. Counting in the rereads of old favorites, the total comes to somewhere between 100-110. I figure that's not bad considering how much of my day is unavailable for reading time. I read a lot of really great books this year and discovered some authors that I adore. I read very few books that I didn't like. It turned out, when I was looking back over my year of reading, that 12 books (13 really but two of them count as one story) stood out as my favorites. I can't knock two of them out and bring it down to the traditional top 10 list. This, obviously, averages out to one great book a month. The funny thing is that is pretty much how it happened. Nearly each month I read a book I really fell in love with. The exception was the month of April. I made up for it by reading two wonderful books in August. Only two of the books on this list were published in 2010, the rest were books I only just got around to reading.

My Favorites of 2010
January: Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy Sayers (my review)
I actually read this one twice this year, I liked it so much.

February: The Chestnut King by N.D. Wilson

I have adored this entire trilogy. It's conclusion was everything I anticipated and more. More because it was actually quite different from the first two volumes in a lot of ways. I will have to a post here on the whole trilogy so I can sing its praises appropriately. Wilson is an amazing writer. I really envy the gift he has with words and the power in how he uses them.

March: A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
This one I read three times because you can never read a Megan Whalen Turner book just once. They usually require immediate rereading the first time you finish one and this one was no different. Then I reread the entire series in July and read it then too.

May: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis (my review)
Connie Willis where have you been all my life? I am more happy than I can say that I am no longer ignorant of the existence of this wonderful author. This is another one that I read twice.

June: Enchantment by Orson Scott Card (my review)

July: Forest Born by Shannon Hale (my review)
Definitely my favorite one in the series.

August: The Runaway Princess and The Runaway Dragon by Kate Coombs (my reviews here and here)

September: Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (my review here)

October: The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones (my review here)
I really loved the whole Chrestomanci series but this was my favorite.

November: Blackout and All Clear by Connie WIlis (my review here)

December: Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta (my review here)

The Books I Didn't Like So Much
Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (my review here; warning: I got a little snarky in this one)

Fire by Kristen Cashore
I liked Cashore's first book, Graceling, okay but felt it didn't come close to the hype that surrounded it. This one I detested so much I have no intention of reading the third.

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
I can almost hear the gasps of horror as I type this. You don't find many people who have anything bad to so say about Robin McKinley's books, particularly fans of YA. I just really hated this book and it was the first McKinley I ever read (somehow she escaped my notice when I was younger) so I have been scared to try any of her others. Feel free to try and convince me otherwise.

I hope I can read even more books in 2011 as my TBR list is seriously out of control.

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