2010 is the best year I've ever had - I saw Wilco, tried cheesecake, posed for the Bookrageous calendar, and visited Brooklyn, just to name a few of the awesome things I did. And thanks to all the lovely Twitter-people who made book recommendations, it also turned out to be my best reading year, too! I enjoyed more of the books I read than any other year I can remember. Here are some highlights, er, a lot of highlights:
THE PASSAGE by Justin Cronin Virals are the new black.
MATTERHORN by Karl Marlantes The Center for Fiction's 2010 Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel winner.
BLOOD MERIDIAN by Cormac McCarthy The bleakest thing I've ever read. Loved it.
THE INFINITIES by John Banville I would take a bullet for John Banville.
FATHER OF THE RAIN by Lily King Never sobbed so much while reading - a fabulously cathartic experience.
SO LONG, SEE YOU TOMORROW by William Maxwell Beautiful 1982 National Book Award winner.
THE TIGER by John Vaillant Best nonfiction I've read in the last five years. RAWR!
ONE BLOODY THING AFTER ANOTHER by Joey Comeau Delightful disturbedness.
ANIMALS by Don LePan Soylent Green is people.
AWAIT YOUR REPLY by Dan Chaon Dark and lovely.
THE CANAL by Lee Rourke Doing nothing can prove to be chilling.
LONESOME DOVE by Larry McMurtry I didn't want this to end.
THE VAULTS by Toby Ball Delicious dystopia!
THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET by David Mitchell I am obsessed with David Mitchell.
TAROKO GORGE by Jacob Ritari "Picnic at Hanging Rock"-creepiness.
THE OTHER by Thomas Tryon Now I know where "The Wasp Factory" came from.
KINGS OF THE EARTH by Jon Clinch Unflinching brilliance.
MY NAME IS ASHER LEV by Chaim Potok Wish I had read this when I was little.
YOU WERE WRONG by Matthew Sharpe I am an unabashed Matthew Sharpe fangirl.
THE REAPERS ARE THE ANGELS by Alden Bell Zombie apocalypse, FTW!
NUMB by Sean Ferrell "And I don't feel a thing..." - Pedro the Lion, The Fleecing
BAD MARIE by Marcy Dermansky I want there to be a Marcy Dermansky Day.
AFTER CLAUDE by Iris Owens For anyone who ever wondered if they were the crazy one in the relationship.
SKIPPY DIES by Paul Murray I feel bad for parents of teenagers...
THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST, 1 & 2 by Rick Yancey Gooey, gory, scary, monsterlicious!
ELEGIES FOR THE BROKENHEARTED by Christie Hodgen Gorgeous - slipped under most radars.
THE REPORT by Jessica Kane Powerful account of a horrific tragedy.
THE ILLUMINATION by Kevin Brockmeier Brockmeier's writing swims in my blood.
PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ by A.S. King Being a teenager is hard - King makes reading about it easy.
UNBROKEN by Laura Hillenbrand "Seabiscuit" author astounds again.
A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY by Laura Grodstein It's like Richard from "The Secret History" grew up and had a son.
BOUND by Antonia Nelson Are we still allowed to call books haunting? Well, it is.
THE ORANGE EATS CREEPS by Grace Krilanovich One of the year's 5 under 35 - she's *amazing*.
TRUE GRIT by Charles Portis Simply wonderful - love it.
There are 10 more days in December - I'll update this list if I read anything else I loved.
