2010 review: books

The past year was such a great year for me reading wise: I discovered some great young adult fiction, found out what all the Twilight fuss was about, read some really great fiction and co-founded a feminist reading group. Interestingly, most of the books I fell in love with this year were Lainey recommendations.

Belle, being nosy

In January I discovered the Twilight series and am not ashamed to say I briefly become a bit of a Twihard. I can understand why people get so involved in the books and movies (although I've no idea why people become obsessed with Robsten). The character of Bella is basically blank, one that all of us who were teenage girls can relate to. She recalls the dreams of high school and the wish that the beautiful boy in high school had recognized how special we were. Breaking Dawn just fell apart though - ugh. It's weird how I agree with almost all of the critiques but really enjoy them at the same time. The movies are a whole separate discussion but I've heard some awesome spoilers from Lainey about the final two!!

And then I discovered Jessica Darling. Megan McCafferty She's a great character: funny and smart and special. So far I've only read Sloppy Firsts & Second Helpings and am waiting for for the rest of the series and can't wait to learn what happens with Marcus Flutie!

Continuing in the Young Adult vein, I read the Mockingjay series by Suzanne Collins. Now, I don't have a really good idea how popular these books are because no one I know seems to have heard of them. I will say that they are fantastic - the female character is strong and smart and makes choices for her life, unlike some other teen heroines we know (cough Bella Swann coughcough). I am so looking forward to seeing this series on screen! Hopefully there's a bigger budget than the Twilight movies ...

Oh! I also read some adult fiction. One Day by David Nicholls blew me out of the water. It's so good and well written, poignant and bittersweet. It's premise is so easy: a snapshot of 20 years of friendship in one day every year. But it's so much more that that. Reading it made me laugh and cry and left with a feeling of missing these characters as if they were friends I'd been catching up with and wishing I had a little more time with them. It gets extra points for being set so well in Edinburgh.

Finally, most recently I read Room by Emma Donoghue. I was a little leery starting out with this book because of the subject matter: a boy and his mother are being kept in a room by the man who kidnapped the mother. It sounds so grim but, told from the little boy's point of view, it turns into a real work of beauty. Amazing.

Of course I read other things but these were the books I fell in love with and am still thinking about at the end of the year. Any suggestions for what I should read next?