As in previous years, I've divided my favourite books of 2010 into two blurry sub-categories. New(ish) ones and old(ish) ones. There may be a bit of crossover... but what do you really care?
(Click the links to read my full thoughts & reviews of each.)
My Top Ten Books Published In Other Years That I Finally Got Round To Reading This Year, Or That I Read Again
10. Stephen M. Irwin - The Darkening
9. LTC Rolt - Sleep No More
8. David Morrell - Black Evening
7. Robert L. Pike - Bullitt (Mute Witness)
6. Richard Blandford - Hound Dog
5. David J. Schwartz - Super Powers
4. Mark Sarvas - Harry, Revised
3. Lionel Shriver - The Post-Birthday World
2. David Mitchell - Ghostwritten
1. Stieg Larsson -
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo / The Girl Who Played With Fire / The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest
It was obviously the year of Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander for me. Gripping and intense crime / detective / procedurals from the late Swedish author whose trilogy dominated the bestseller lists all year, and rightfully so.
My Top Ten Books That Were Published In 2010 (maybe not first-published, but near enough to count as a "new" book for this list)
10. Leanne Shapton - Important Artifacts And Personal Property From The Collection Of Lenore Doolan And Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion And Jewellery
9. George Pelecanos - The Way Home
8. David Eagleman - Sum: Tales Of The Afterlives
7. Joanne Harris - blueyed boy
6. Kate Atkinson - When Will There Be Good News?
5. Audrey Niffenegger - Her Fearful Symmetry
4. Scarlett Thomas - Our Tragic Universe
3. Stephen King - Under The Dome
2. Nick Hornby - Juliet, Naked
1. David Nicholls - One Day
I thought Under The Dome would walk it and I'd have to fight my corner against the haters again... then I realised there were two books I enjoyed even more than Stephen King's latest blockbuster.
This is actually the first of two occasions where Nick Hornby comes second in one of my 2010 lists...
...David Nicholls, meanwhile, delivered the most unputdownable, emotionally compelling read of the year... I can only hope the movie does it justice (it won't).
