2010 Books

This post is purely for my own benefit down the road… I want to clean up my side bar and start a book list for 2011, so I’m posting this list in case I need to refer back to it.   As far as I have kept track, I’ve read 35 books this year (aside from the JF books I read with my kids…)  I’m sure I’ve missed a book or two, since I’m not super organized in keeping up with my sidebar list.  My goal for 2011 is to read 40 books.  I started reading “The Chase” by Clive Cussler last month, but didn’t finish it until this month, so I’ll put it on my 2011 list.   I need some suggestions to take to my Book Club planning session next week, so send all your book suggestions my way!

• Wicked Appetite - J. Evanovich  (B+, fun fantasy cross-over)
• Snowflower and the Secret Fan - L. See  (B, amazing story about Chinese women and their bound feet)
• Memoirs of a Geisha - A. Golden (A, best fictional memoir I have read in a long time… when I was done, I couldn’t believe the main character was made up) 
• ChiRunning - D. Dreyer (A, great tips on running technique, exercise)
• Secrets of a Lady - T. Grant (B, enjoyable mix of Sherlock Holmes and Jane Austen)
• The Chamber - J. Grisham (B+, well written, make-you-think book, despite the heavy and somewhat depressing subject matter)
• Mockingjay - S. Collins  (C-, total disappointment, didn’t like character development in this one)
• Artemis Fowl: The Altlantis Complex - E. Colfer  (C, disappointing, anti-climatic ending)
• Empire - O. Card (A, excellent political thriller that makes you think)
• The Double Comfort Safari Club - A. Smith (B, fun, easy Detective read)
• Rain of Gold - V. Villasenor  (didn’t finish… had a hard time sticking with the story)
• The Overton Window - G. Beck  (B, interesting political thriller)
• The Last Olympian (PJ#5) - R. Riordan  (A, great way to end the Percy Jackson series)
• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - A. Bradley  (B+, fun detective story about a brainiac girl in Britain)
• The Battle of the Labrinth (PJ#4) - R. Riordan  (B+, great story, despite the cliff-hanger ending)
• The Glass Castle - J. Walls  (A, best memoir that proves you can be a normal adult despite your upbringing)
• Prayers for Sale - S. Dallas (B, nice, easy read about women, relationships, and quilts) 
• Love Walked In - M. de los Santos  (B+, loved this story about finding happiness in the least expected places)
• Belong to Me - M. de los Santos (B+, sequel to Love Walked In, just as good as the first)
• The Help - K. Stockett  (A, amazing tale about women in Mississippi during the 1960’s)
• City of Glass - C. Clare (A-, 3rd book in the Mortal Instruments)
• Fablehaven:  The Grip of the Shadow Plague – B. Mull (B, good storytelling, even though it’s clearly a middle filler book)
• Dragon Rider - C. Funke  (A, great JF read about dragons, etc.)
• Specials - S. Westerfeld (C, disappointing 3rd book in the Uglies series)
• The Great Gatsby - S. Fitzgerald (A, classic and timeless story)
• The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson #3) - R. Riordan (B-, my least favorite of the PJ series)
• Bravo Valentina - A. Trigiani (B+, I love this series about Italians, food and shoes!) 
• City of Ashes - C. Clare (B+, second in MI series, love all the extra characters they pull in)
• Pretties - S. Westerfeld  (B, interesting sequel to Uglies, but clearly a filler book)
• City of Bones - C. Clare (A-, awesome new story about shadowhunters, vamps, werewolves, etc.)
• Uglies - S. Westerfeld  (A, amazing story about what would happen in society if everyone was drop dead gorgeous)
• The Actor and the Housewife - S. Hale (A, pushed every boundary of appropriate mormon-girl behavior, and kept me riveted throughout) 
• Very Valentine - A. Trigiani  (A-, great story about Italians, food, shoes and love)
• Shades of Grey - J. Fforde  (A-, interesting story about a futuristic utopian society where everyone is color coded)
• Breaking Dawn - S. Meyer (B+, the ending to the Twilight saga is better the second time around)