Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

I think I will try compiling our favorites again this year if anyone is "game". I am not going to nag anyone the way I do every year.....either participate or not. You can post your votes here or send me an e-mail.

Please vote for (up to) 10 fiction and (up to) 10 non-fiction, in no particular order.

So start thinking about this and start posting on January 1. This topic will be closed until then.

Since I cut and paste the lists (separately for fiction and non-fiction) and then alphabetize the lists to get the number of votes ----- PLEASE POST THE BOOK TITLE - AND THEN THE AUTHOR'S NAME

These books' rank are based on how much I enjoyed them. Two (numbers 5 and 6) are even fiction!

1. Game Change Obama and the Clinton, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime, by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin (read 25 Feb 2010) (Book of the Year) "Covers in absorbing detail the 2008 election year...I could not stop reading..."

2. Colonel Roosevelt, by Edmund Morris (read 29 Nov 2010) "tells the fascinating story of TR's life from March 4,1909 till his death"


3. Masters and Commanders How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941-1945, by Andrew Roberts (read 3 Dec 2010) "extremely absorbing account of World War II meetings and decisions"


4. The Man Who Once Was Whizzer White A Portrait of Justice Byron R. White, by Dennis J. Hutchinson (read 23 May 2010) "unfailingly absorbing account of a Supreme Court Justice's life"

5. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett (read 7 Jan 2010) "best novel read this year... set in the early 1960's in Jackson, Mississippi"

6. The Day of the Jackal, by Frederick Forsyth (read 6 Feb 2010) "fiction re an attempt to assassinate General DeGaulle"

7. Pacific War Diary 1942-1945, by James J. Fahey (read 10 Jun 2010) "a fantastic book telling of a Navy enlisted man's war, from his secret diary"

8 Justice Brennan: Liberal Champion, by Seth Stern and Stephen Wermiel (read 30 Sep 2010) "an excellent biography of a great Justice"

9. The Tales of Hoffman Edited from the official transcript by Mark L. Levine George C. McNamee Daniel Greenberg (read 22 Jan 2010) "intensely interesting account of the 1969-1970 trial before Judge Hoffman in Chicago"

10. The Lost Painting, by Jonathan Harr (read 27 Feb 2010) "thoroughly enjoyable account of the making and finding of a an Italian painter's work "

11. The Battle for America 2008 The Story of an Extraordinary Election, by Dan Balz and Haynes Johnson (read 27 May 2010) "another great telling of the 2008 election year"

12. The Shattered Dream Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression, by Gene Smith (read 27 Apr 2010) "paints a vivid picture of the onset of the Great Depression"


13. The Great Decision Jefferson, Adams, Marshall, and the Battle for the Supreme Court, by Cliff Sloan and David McKean (read 13 Jun 2010) "extraordinarily well-done study of Marbury v. Madison"

14. The Death of American Virtue Clinton vs. Starr, by Ken Gormley (read 30 Jul 2010) "riveting account of Clinton's ordeal with Starr"

15. The Good Soldiers, by David Finkel (read 21 Nov 2010) "poignant account of the ordeal of men in the Iraq war"

I had no non-fiction favorites this year and only 5 fiction favorites:

Moloka'i-- Alan Brennert
The Help-- Kathryn Sackett
House Rules-- Jodi Picoult
Whistling in the Dark-- Lesley Kagan
The Kindness of Strangers-- Katrina Kittle

My 2010 top Fiction:
THE BLOOD DETECTIVE, Dan Waddell
BLOOD ATONEMENT, Dan Waddell
SLEEPYHEAD, Mark Billingham
THE DOME, Stephen King
THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, Steig Larsson
SCAREDY CAT, Mark Billingham
HOUSE RULES, Jodi Picoult
LAZY BONES, Mark Billingham
THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST, Steig Larsson
WHO IS CONRAD HIRST, Kevin Wignall

Non-Fiction:
LOOK ME IN THE EYE, John Robison

My top fiction for 2010












My one nonfiction read of the year was Night and received a top rating of 5

Meredith

Top Picks of 2009 66 voters

FICTION
#1 favorite: The Help by Kathryn Stockett - 19 votes

#2 (tie)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson -12
The Guernsey and Literary Potato Peel Pie Society - Shaffer and Barrows -12

#3 Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout - 10

#4 South of Broad by Pat Conroy - 8

#5 (tie)
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese - 7
Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery - 7
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay -7

#6 (tie)
Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah -5
Still Alice by Lisa Genova -5


Non-fiction

Tie for favorite

� A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes From My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg (6)
� Columbine by Dave Cullen (6)

#2 (tie)

� The Unlikely Disciple - Kevin Roose (3)
� The Worst Hard Times by Timothy Egan (3)

Please post title of book first, followed by author. I copy and paste the info and then alphabetize it, so doing it that way makes it so much easier on me.

Thanks.

Top Fiction Reads 2010


Blacklands - Belinda Bauer

Exile - Denise Mina

Bad Traffic - Simon Lewis

The Hours Before Dawn - Celia Fremlin

Starvation Lake - Bryan Gruley

Heart of the Hunter - Deon Meyer

Don't Look Back - Karin Fossum

Moonlight Downs - Adrian Hyland

Matterhorn - Karl Marlantes

Voices - Arnaldur Indrioason



Top Non-Fiction 2010

The Big Short - Michael Lewis

Cornflakes with John Lennon - Robert Hilburn

When March went Mad - Seth Davis

Game Change - John Heilemann and Mark Halperin

Bringing the Heat - Mark Bowden

I find I'm reading fewer and fewer books that I would consider favorites, so my list is very short.

Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
Saving Cee Cee Huneycutt by Beth Hoffman
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Considering that I read almost 70 books this year, that is pretty sad.

Kate

Top 10 Fiction

1.Who Fears Deathby Nnedi Okorafor (African post-apocalyptic fantasy)

2.Eye of the Whale: A Novelby Douglas Carlton Abrams (eco-thriller)

3. Naamah's Curseby Jacqueline Carey (alternate history fantasy)

4.The Coroner's Lunchby Colin Cotterill (Southeast Asian mystery)

5.The Gaslight Dogsby Karin Lowachee (fantasy)

6. Death Blowsby D. D. Barant (alternate universe urban fantasy)

7.Marcelo In The Real Worldby Francisco X. Stork (contemporary YA fantasy)

8.Woundedby Amy Lane (urban fantasy)

9.Sunflowersby Sheramy Budrick (historical fiction)

10. Messenger of Truthby Jacqueline Winspear (historical mystery)

Top 10 Non-Fiction

1.The Return of the Dead: Ghosts, Ancestors, and the Transparent Veil of the Pagan Mindby Claude Lecouteux (folklore)

2.Drawing Down the Spirits: The Traditions and Techniques of Spirit Possessionby Kenaz Filan and Raven Kaldera (alternative religion)

3.Designing for Interaction: Creating Smart Applications and Clever Devicesby Dan Saffer (web usability)

4.First They Killed My Fatherby Luong Ung (memoir)

5.The Grace of Great Things: Creativity and Innovationby Robert Grudin (philosophy/self help)

6.Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Greg Mortenson (memoir)

7.The Church of Cheese: Gypsy Ritual in the American Heydayby Carol Miller (anthropology)

8.Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern Indiaby William Dalrymple (spiritual biography)

9.Fragments of Bone: Neo-African Religions in a New Worldby Patrick Bellegarde-Smith (alternative religion essays)

10.Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug (web usability)

TOP 10 FICTION: (no particular order)

The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton

Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt - Beth Hoffman

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

The Wife's Tale - Lori Lansen

The Girl With Glass Feet - Ali Shaw

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake - Aimee Bender

Leaving The World - Douglas Kennedy

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

NON-FICTION:

The Ice Man: Confessions Of a Mafia Contract Killer by Philip Carlo

Oprah: A Biography by Kitty Kelly

Thanks for doing this, JoAnn!!

My top fiction book


Little Bee~~Chris Cleave

Ethan Frome~~Edith Wharton

Freedom~~Jonathan Franzen

My favorite Non Fiction

Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin~~Kathy Griffin

Sterling Biographies: Marie Curie: Mother of Modern Physics~~ Janice Borzendowski This is a YA book

Open: An Autobiography~~Andre Agassi

The Rise and Fall of Senator Joe McCarthy~~ James Cross Giblin this is a YA book

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks~~Rebecca Skloot

Major Pettigrew Saves The Day - Helen Simonsen

The Passage - Justin Cronin

The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo - Steig Larsson

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt - Beth Hoffman

Every Last One - Anna Quindlan

The Book Of Joe - Jonathan Tropper

Noah's Compass - Anne Tyler

Look Again - Lise Scottoline

Homer and Langely - E. L. Doctorow

The Good Daughters - Joyce Maynard

Major Pettigrew was just a feel good book i just loved.. I recommended it to a few people at my church and they just loved it and then passed it on to more reader friends.
I really admired Justin Cronin's sociological,anthropological bent in his book. Although it has humans turned vampire as the main theme it is far from the usual horror tale.
Anna Quindlan''s book was wrenching but the writing was stellar. I usually avoid reading really sad books.
I read and finished The 1st Steig Larssen on our cruise. It was the only book I had with me. It took so long to get the story rolling IMHO that if I had been home I would have abandoned it. I probably won't read the other 2 in this trilogy until I go away,most likely on a long car trip!
The other books listed are not great favorites just stand out more than the other 25 books I read this year not listed!

RE: RNOCEAN's number 1 favorite fiction The Forgotten Garden by kate Morton....I was so glad to see this. I am on about page 200 and am really enjoying this thick,old fashioned saga of a book! I think its far better that The House At Riverton which seemed to me that she has spent her earlier life watching The Forsythe Saga and Upstairs/Downstairs and just tossed it back in the form of a book. I look forward to her newest book,The Distant Hours.

In no particular order except for the first one, these were my favorite fiction books for 2010:

Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese
The Alchemist, by Paolo Coelho
Transfer of Power, by Vince Flynn
The Second Perimeter, by Mike Lawson
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The God of War, by Marisa Silver
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Steig Larsson
Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte
Birds of a Feather, by Jacqueline Winspear
The Third Option, by Vince Flynn


Apparently I didn't read much non-fiction this year, and my favorite:

My Life in France, by Julia Child


For various reasons, I read fewer books this year than usual. I must take pains to read more non-fiction in 2011. Thanks for your work on this, JoAnn.

I have compiled the following data as to my 2010 reading;

Total Numer of Books read: 131
Fiction: 49
Nonfiction: 82

Favorite Fiction:



Favorite Non-Fiction:



Favorite Young Adult:

JoAnn, thanks for doing this. I have joined GOODREADS.

FICTION
South of Broad - Pat Conroy
House Rules - Jodi Picoult
Dear John - Nicholas Sparks
At the Sharpe Edge - Hugh Ashton
The Help - Kathryn Stockett

NON-FICTION
Promise Me- Nancy Brinker
God is Red - Vine Deloria
Infidel - Ali
The Politician - Andrew Young

Welcome to GoodReads, Karen !

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt Beth Hoffman
The First Rule Robert Crais
Nowhere to Run C. J. Box
The Virgin of the Small Plains Nancy Pinkard
Think Twice Lisa Scottoline
Split Image Robert B. Parker
The Bone Thief Jefferson Bass
The Eleventh Victim Nancy Grace
A Hopeful Heart Kim Vogel Sawyer
State Fair Earlene Fowler

Non fiction
In an Instant/A Family's Journey of Love & Healing
Lee Woodruff

Donna in Southern Maryland

Cutting for Stone/Abraham Verghese
The Namesake/Jhumpa Lahiri
A Reliable Wife/Robert Goolrick
The Help/Kathryn Stockett
Hunters Moon/Dana Stabenow

Thank you for the welcome!!! I so love reading and reading the lists of others.

I look forward to this each year! Thanks for this great tradition, Joann!

Fiction:
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
The Aloha Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
House Rules by Jodi Piccoult
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Sweeping Up Glass by Carolyn Wall
The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
The Screcrow by Michael Connelly (audio)
The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard (audio)

Non-Fiction:
Game Change--Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin
The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin (audio)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (audio)

Thank you for the work you are putting into this poll, JoAnn. You know we all enjoy the results & lists.

Favorite Nonfiction.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. This book is in a category by itself. I think it introduced people to the fascinating info about Lacks & her cells, as well as framing a healthy debate about the topic.

Survival of the Sickest: A Medical Maverick Discovers Why We Need Disease by Sharon Moalem.

Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture by Ellen Ruppel Shell.

The Battle of Salamis by Barry Strauss.

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann.

The Painter's Chair: George Washington and the Making of American Art by Hugh Howard.

American Realism by Edward Lucie-Smith.


Favorite Fiction.
The Bondwoman's Narrative written by Hannah Crafts "discovered, researched" and edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr..

Push by Sapphire.

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates.

Too Loud a Solitude by Bohumil Hrabal.

The Stranger by Albert Camus.

Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark .

The Colonel's Family by Fredrika Bremer.

deborah

I'm so far behind on everything lately. Hope it's not too late to add my titles to the Best of list......

Best Fiction:

Every Man Dies Alone - Hans Fallada
The Best of Everything - Rona Jaffe
Brooklyn - Colm Toibin
One Day - David Nicholls
The Lonely Polygamist - Brady Udall

Best Nonfiction:

Nothing to Envy - Barbara Demick
Making Toast - Roger Rosenblatt
Devotion - Dani Shapiro
The Most They Ever Had- Rick Bragg

And, as always, thank you JoAnn for taking on this project!

My Top Fiction of 2010:

Left Neglected - Genova
The Widower’s Tale - Glass
The Reversal � Connelly
The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square - Lippi
Eleanor and Abel: A Romance -Sanford
The Scent of Rain and Lightning - Nancy Pickard
The Red Thread � Hood
Burning Bright � Ron Rash
Ford County Stories - John Grisham
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt � Hoffman

My Top Non Fiction for 2010

Beautiful Boy � Sheff
How to Eat: The Pleasures and Principles of Good Food � Nigella Lawson
On the Line � Eric Ripert
Home Cooking � Laurie Colwin
More Home Cooking � Laurie Colwin
Official Book-Club Selection � Kathy Griffin
In the Sanctuary of Outcasts � White
Summer at Tiffany - Hart

I always add your selections to my purse book list!

R. wrote: "I always add your selections to my purse book list!"

I am flattered!

Joann, I am anxious to hear your take on Kathy Griffin's book. I liked her up until I read her book. I thought she revealed herself to be extremely self-absorbed, a very catered to only child, and sometimes a hurtful, vindictive woman.

RNOCEAN wrote: "Joann, I am anxious to hear your take on Kathy Griffin's book. I liked her up until I read her book. I thought she revealed herself to be extremely self-absorbed, a very catered to only child, an..."

I really liked this book. BTW, she is one of 5 children, not an only child.

I think her humor is caustic, in person and in the book. I guess this type of humor can be perceived as vindictive, as she does "go after" celebrities....a lot! I also think all celebrities are self-absorbed, so that did not bother me.

All of my reviews are on my MY BOOKS page:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...

Here is what I wrote about this book:

I just finished listening to Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin and enjoyed it so much. Griffin's show is one of my guilty pleasures, and even my husband watches it.

The book is probably a memoir, but since I listened to it I did not have to deal with my bugaboo, which is when authors use quotation marks for conversations that could not possibly be exact quotes!

This was a funny and often-poignant look at Griffin's life with all of its ups and downs. She talks about her late brother (whom she suspects was a pedophile), her betrayal by her husband and their divorce, and her insecurities. You cannot help but be impressed by her work ethic, for which she credits her father.

Well worth reading.

I liked the book as well, just thought she tended to be vindictive when she didn't win prizes, etc. Also said very nasty things about people that didn't invite her on their show, etc. Sort of a sore loser, if you will. I have heard from different people that she can be 'very mean' if you cross her.

RNOCEAN wrote: " Also said very nasty things about people that didn't invite her on their show, etc. ..."

Yep, especially Oprah. I think she wants everyone to like her but sticks her foot in her mouth a lot.

I do love watching her with Anderson Cooper on New Year's Eve. They are such an "odd couple". He mentioned that Griffin has become good friends with his mother. There's another odd couple!

RNOCEAN wrote: "I liked the book as well, just thought she tended to be vindictive when she didn't win prizes, etc. Also said very nasty things about people that didn't invite her on their show, etc. Sort of a s..."
--------------

I think she is a love her or not type of entertainer.
No middle ground.

I love her. I put her book in my top books read in 2010. I also really enjoy her TV show and specials.

As I said before, I loved her as well, until I read her book. She is a good comedian with snappy wit, but as a person I don't care for her. I see her as selfish and mean spirited when she loses anything.

Now Joan Rivers, that's another story, I adore that woman as well as Paula Poundstone, Margaret Cho and Betty White.

RNOCEAN wrote: "As I said before, I loved her as well, until I read her book. ..."

funny thing is, I liked her more after reading her book!

Favorite Fiction of 2010


The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

Remainder by Tom McCarthy

American Pastoral by Philip Roth

Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey

Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco

Enduring Love by Ian McEwan

Solar by Ian McEwan

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

C by Tom McCarthy

Three Days Before the Shooting: The Unfinished Second Novel by Ralph Ellison

(I also liked Juliet Naked by Nick Hornby, Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett, Once a Runner by John L. Parker, and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell.)


Favorite Nonfiction


The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century by Alex Ross

Hallelujah Junction: Composing an American Life by John Adams

Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays by Zadie Smith

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Chistopher McDougall

(I also read Lee Konitz: Conversations on the Improviser's Art by Andy Hamilton, Subversive Sounds: Race and the Birth of Jazz in New Orleans by Charles B. Hersch, and The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin.)

From 2010 reads

Favourite fiction (in no particular order)
Simple Genius: David Baldacci
Lost in Forest: Sue Miller
Web of Deceit: Glenn Meade

Favourite non fiction (in no particular order)
Expecting Adam (A true story of Birth, Rebirth and everyday Magic): Martha Beck
Seductive Poison -A Jonestown Survivor's Story of Life & Death in the People's Temple: Deborah Layton
The Day Diana Died: Christopher P. Andersen

RNOCEAN wrote: Now Joan Rivers, that's another story, I adore that woman a
-------------------

Have you seen the documentary about Joan Rivers? It came out last year. I've heard good things about it. In fact, someone just mentioned it to me yesterday.

Thanks for reminding me. I want to request it from my library.

The title is: Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

EDIT- yikes ! there are 71 holds ahead of me !

Yes, I saw and loved the documentary. She is one of the hardest working women in show business in my opinion. I have also seen Joan in person. When I did see her she had this gorgeous gray jersey turtleneck dress on that was very form fitting. She has the best figure for a woman of her maturity. She was funny, and profane at times, but I loved her. I get my movies through Netflix and highly recommend them. I pay about $10 per month and must view at least 8 to 10 movies, good price for that many.

Leo wrote: "From 2010 reads

Favourite fiction (in no particular order)
Simple Genius: David Baldacci
Lost in Forest: Sue Miller
Web of Deceit: Glenn Meade

Favourite non fiction (in no particular order..."

I read The Day Diana Died some time ago and loved it! I am now reading William and Harry by the same author.

Columbine by Dave Cullen (non-fiction)
Open by Andre Agassi (non-fiction)
Lucky by Alice Sebold (non-fiction)
Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Angrim
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steigg Larssen
The Glass Rainbow by James Lee Burke
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Room by Emma Donaghue
Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane
What is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman

Karla (KLouise61) wrote: "Columbine by Dave Cullen (non-fiction)
Open by Andre Agassi (non-fiction)

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

The Girl..."
------------------

Karla, Columbine and Open were two top rated books by me.

I just read your review of Unbroken on your page. I've put it on my TBR list.

I also "friended" you as we seem to have the same taste in books. :)

My fav 2010 reads...

ROSES Leila Meacham
THE HELP Kathryn Stockett
THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE Stieg Larson
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Stieg Larson
GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST Stieg Larson
BOTTICELLI SECRET Marina Fiorato

Non Fiction
LITTLE CHAPEL ON THE RIVER Gwendolyn Bounds

Cathey

VOTING WILL END SOON. Please vote NOW.

Out of 244 "members" of this group, only 31 people have voted for their 2010 favorites --- this includes several who voted by e-mail and never post here.

If this is the best we can do, I don't see that it will be much of a "consensus" nor is it worth my time to do this in the future. Just sayin'.......

I still have friends waiting for that list though, JoAnn. This group has a good reputation for reading interesting books.

Shannon wrote: "I still have friends waiting for that list though, JoAnn. This group has a good reputation for reading interesting books."

Me too.

JoAnn, I for one sure appreciate your compiling this list! I look forward every year to it!!

Thanks, Charotte and I enjoy doing it.

But I am not looking for praise, just for voters! This is depressing.

Ok, I know it's the last day of January, but that's how my month has gone. Here are favorite fiction for 2010:

Water for Elephants
The Thirteenth Tale
The 13th Hour
Just One Look
Never Tell a Lie
The Undaunted
The Good Thief
The Eight
The Third Heiress

Did I miss the results of the voting for the best books of 2010?