Rummanah Aasi
  
 Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This feature is a great way to interact with other bloggers and add more books to your to be read piles. This week's topic is to list your ten favorite books from 2010. Since I read 230 books this year and started this lovely blog late March, I thought I would create two top ten favorite books Pre-Blog and Blogged About.

Top 10 Books Before I Started Blogging (listed in order of preference)

Afterschool Nightmare manga series by Setona Mizushiro- A fantastic manga that combines psychology, dreams, mystery, romance, and an examination of gender roles. Although I started the first two  volumes late 2009, I quickly finished this series in 2010 and wouldn't mind rereading it because I loved the characters and how everything came together in the final volume. This series is complete and consists of 10 volumes.

    The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd - I really enjoyed reading Nick Burd's debut novel. Dade, the main character, is trying to enjoy his last summer before college but his corrosive relationship with Pablo, his parent's marriage in rumbles, and being stuck in the closet in Iowa isn't helping until he meets the mysterious Alex Kincaid and everything changes. Although the premise of the book isn't original, I loved Burd's descriptions, Dade's self reflection, and the symbolism of a lost girl.  If you're a fan of David Levithan's writing, you'll definitely like this book. 

    Flash Burnout by LK Madigan - Flash Burnout tells the story of Blake and his relationships with his girlfriend, Shannon, and his girl friend Marissa. He's in love with Shannon, but Marissa needs his help when Blake makes an unexpected discovery with a picture he took for his photography class. During the book, Blake struggles balancing his relationships with the two girls. Blake's voice is perfect and I was floored to find out it was written by a female author. I found the story to be funny, sweet, and heartbreaking. It's a quick read thanks to the great cast of characters and I didn't have to worry too much about the technicalities of photography. A great book to pair up with Sara Zarr's Sweethearts and John Green's Paper Towns

    How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford-A wonderful, quirky, sweet, and heart breaking story of friendship and loss. Don't let the cover fool you into thinking this book is a cliched teen romance, it's very far from that. The author weaves the story and lives of Beatrice aka RobotGirl and Jonah aka Ghostboy, who share a unique bond through a late night radio station. Each character has a mystery to them, which ultimately brings them together. My favorite parts of the story was the transcript of the radio show. If you like quirky films like "Ghost World" or "Juno", then this book is for you.

      The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han- I loved Han's Shug and wanted to read another title by her. The Summer I Turned Pretty is a great blend of familly drama and romance. Isabel aka Belly lives for the summer, where she and her family goes to the beach just like every other summer of her life, but this summer is very different. Although Belly is at times self-centered, she does grow out of her shell as the story continues. You can tell that she does indeed care for others and is vulnerable, which I found appealing. This is the first book in a trilogy. I have yet to pick up the sequel.

    Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane- Since I had no one who would go and see the movie with me, I decided to read the book first. I was excited to find out that it was written by Lehane since I really enjoyed his other book Mystic River. Shutter Island is a psychological thriller and mystery. It starts off with two US Marshalls sent to an asylum to find a missing patient, but the mystery broadens when more information about the Island is revealed. I enjoyed reading this book. It has a very Poe-like atmosphere and definitely elements of a Kafka horror. The book had me guessing and questioning until the very end, which is a good sign of a mystery book. I did see the movie on DVD and liked seeing all the little details that I missed.

    Hold Still by Nina LaCour- A heartbreaking yet hopeful book about losing a loved one too early and recovering from that tragedy. This book reminded me a little of Laurie Halse Anderson's fantastic Speak in that it corporates an issue and the main character coming to terms with the issue by expressing it through art, which in the case of Hold Still is photography and constructing things.

    Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor- I generally do not read short stories, because for the most part because a) they don't hold my attention and b) they end abruptly. Lips Touch Three Times avoids both problems. The stories are thoroughly entertaining and interesting. My favorite story in the collection is the second story titled "Spicy Little Curses Such As These". The illustrations were beautiful and added depth to the stories.

    The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Anne Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer- This book is more than a simple plot: an author on a search a new topic on her next book. The book is a celebration of the written word in a variety of formats- letters (which is mainly what the book is composed of), telegrams, and the deep, intimate connection between readers and books. I also learned a lot about the Channel Islands and the German Occupation, which I did not know before reading this book. 

    The Color of Earth series by Dong Hwa Kim- A fascinating trilogy about the lives and loves of a mother and daughter team in Korea. I learned a lot about the Korean culture and custom. Since there are strong themes of sexuality, I would recommend it to 16 yrs old and up.



Top 10 Books From Blogging (in order of preference)

     The Study series by Maria V. Snyder- My favorite discovery from 2010. I loved the world building, mystery, intrigue, romance, and most of all the characters. Yelena is definitely one of my favorite heroines who doesn't need a guy to bail her out of trouble. Series order: Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study.




    The Kate Daniel series by Ilona Andrews- What can I say about this series that I haven't already said before? Action packed, romance, awesome world building, mystery...this series has it all! Series order: Magic Bites, Magic Burns, Magic Strikes, Magic Bleeds, Magic Slays (due out late May 2011)


    The Age of Bronze series by Eric Shanower- A fabulous graphic novel retelling of the Trojan War. Currently there are three volumes in a ten volume series: A Thousand Ships, Sacrifice, and Betrayal. A must read for Greek mythology aficionados.



    Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan- A book made of pure awesomeness. Humorous, thought provoking, and fabulous characters. I heart Tiny Cooper and I know you will too!

     
     
    Linger by Maggie Stiefvater- Another beautiful, lyrical addition to the Wolves of Mercy series. I can't wait for the third and final book, Forever, to come out!

     
     
    Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan- A sophicated, quirky, teen romance that examines how we communicate with one another. A great book to read during the holidays!

     
    Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan- A spin off of the Percy Jackson series. A terrific combination of Greek and Roman Mythology into the 21st century. Fun and an educational read that I'm sure kids will love!






       
    Heist Society by Ally Carter- Looking to take a break from teen angst and a marathon of paranormal romances, Heist Society is exactly what you need! A fun, quick read that is made for the movie screens. It's a teen version of Ocean 11 and I'm thrilled that this will be a series! 

     
    The Great Wide Sea by M. H. Herlong- My favorite book from the Caudill list. Three brothers have to fight to stay alive on a boat after being abandoned by their father. You will be on the edge of your seat with the adventure and grabbing tissues as the family grapples with the loss of a family member.

     
    The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larrson- My favorite book from the Millennium Trilogy. Lisbeth's dark, mysterious past comes to haunt her and she's ready to get even for good. I would not want to meet Lisbeth in a dark alley or piss her off.
     
      These are my favorites from 2010, what are yours?
6 Responses
  1. Jenni Elyse Says:

    I love that you blogged about books that you read before you blogged and after you started blogging. I didn't realize Shutter Island was made from a book. I'll have to add it to my TBR list.


  2. Ohhh I loved Flash Burnout! I can't believe I forgot to add that to my list. That makes two books I forgot to add. Hmm...


  3. Daisy Says:

    I really enjoyed Shutter Island the movie, I've yet to read the book, but I'll get to it. Eventually.
    Glad you enjoyed the Study Series! Did you know there's another series set in the same world? It follows Opal, who helped Yelena in the last book.


  4. Daisy: Yes, it's called the Spy Glass series and I have it on my tbr pile.


  5. Jenny Says:

    Okay, I suck. I've read hardly any of those! The only one I've gotten to is Kate and Curran who I adore. I'm looking forward to Will Grayson, Will Grayson, it sounds amazing!


  6. You don't suck, Jenny! There's just soo many books out there that it's hard to read all of them. "WG, WG" is terrific. Hope you get to read it soon!


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