Books I Read in 2010

Every January I make a list of the books I read the previous year. Last year I posted my list here and I thought I'd do it again.




1. Under the Dome -- Stephen King

I have loved Stephen King for a very, very long time now.



2. Too Much Money -- Dominick Dunne

The world of the wealthy is so different from my world, but fun to visit in a book once in a while. Read an excerpt in Vanity Fair and that inspired me to buy the book.



3. The Politician -- Andrew Young

What a sleazy story, sleazy subject (John Edwards), and sleazy author. I couldn't put it down! I think this was the first political book I'd ever read.



4. Loose Girl -- Kerry Cohen

I'm not really sure why I read it, unless I was continuing the "sleaze" theme.



5. Game Change -- John Heilemann & Mark Halperin

This was sort of a continuation (for me) of The Politician, a broader, less sensational view of the 2008 presidential race. I seemed to have been interested in political books for a short time last year. I haven't read one since.



6. Deluxe -- Dana Thomas

I found this on the bargain book table. I'm inundated with ads for luxury goods in the magazines I read so it was fun to read the stories behind them.

7. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand -- Helen Simonson

Wonderful and delightful!

8. Mrs. Astor Regrets -- Meryl Gordon

I had been reading about Brooke Astor for quite some time in Vanity Fair. So of course I had to read this book.

9. Alice Waters & Chez Panisse -- Thomas McNamee

I read an excerpt of this in Vanity Fair a few years ago. I finally got around to reading the whole book. And this was a return to the "food" books I have enjoyed so much in the past. And yes, Vanity Fair does often influence my book choices.

10. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest -- Stieg Larsson

Fabulous trilogy--sorry to see it end!



11. The Passage -- Justin Cronin

Vampires! Unfortunately I have to wait about two years for the next book in this series.



12. Crazy Heart -- Thomas Cobb

I originally read this book over 20 years ago. The beginning takes place in my hometown of Pueblo, Colorado. After seeing the movie on DVD I wanted to reread it. I could not find my copy so I bought a new one. I read this on vacation, some while listening to the movie soundtrack in a cabin in the mountains. Good memories!



13. Forgotten Garden -- Kate Morton

Started this on vacation too. Enjoyable fiction with women as the main characters.



14. In the Kitchen -- Monica Ali

I really did not like this and felt nothing for the main character. I was disappointed because I loved her first book, Brick Lane.



15. Sweater Quest -- Adrienne Martini

I should not have bothered! A book about knitting a sweater--I thought I'd like it. But I found it to be awful. A knitter who is internet and Ravelry connected would not learn anything new here. And the story would not at all appeal to a non-knitter. At the time I finished this book, I was wrapping up a swap. I had originally thought I'd pass it on to my swap person. But I could not do that to her! Two bad books in a row really had me questioning my book-picking abilities.



16. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- J.K. Rowling

Why did I wait so long to read this? I've had the book since it came out but the release of the movie prompted me to read it. Loved it!



17. The Fall -- Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan

Vampires! This was the second book of the trilogy.



18. The Hero's Walk -- Anita Rau Badami

I was looking for a light (meaning weight, i.e. not a heavy hardback) book for my Christmas trip and I found this on my shelves. I enjoy reading about Indian families, the way generations live together in one house, and both the stresses and good times that come from that.

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I see that last year I read 22 books. This year I read only 18. Did I read thicker books this year than last year? I doubt it. I think I spent more of my free time knitting. There's only so much time to divide up among my hobbies.

I read 11 novels and 7 nonfiction books (italicized titles). Old favorites made the list, like Stephen King and J.K. Rowling. New favorites are Justin Cronin and Helen Simonson.

I got a Kindle for Christmas! I'm loving it! At the end of 2011 it will be interesting to see how many books I read on it vs. how many hard-copy books I read. I have a rather large stack of unread books so I suppose I won't completely be a Kindle reader for a few years.

I wish I had more time to read!