2010 Book List

I didn't do nearly as well as I did last year. On top of that - I read more fiction and guilty pleasure books this year too. Last year I was on a classics kick and will probably go back to that in 2011. But it is what it is.... my 2010 Book List, in order of being read.

Eaters of the Dead - Michael Crichton
This book was a literary adaption of the ancient story of Beowulf. It was a very literal translation for the first half, then a bit more liberal with the ending. It follows the journey of an Arabic man who is riding with a group of people we now call 'vikings.' There's some great bits of history and culture in there with a story most people already know subtly woven in.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson
Most people have seen the movie, or recognize the HST costume... I'm a big fan of the movie, and knew that I'd eventually need to read the book it was based on. It was definitely better than the movie (even though the movie does thankfully stay very very close to the book). However, those moments of literary genius are more common in the book. The movie just has that one scene after the worst binge where Thompson wakes up in the god-awful mess and then bangs out an enlightening monologue about why all these children from the 60s are so... empty now. There are several moments like this in the book, and that's exactly what I was hoping for. Its crazy to think this guy actually did that. He really was some kind of mad genius.

How Starbucks Changed My Life -
A big-wig guy from an ad firm gets laid off and forced to find a job with health insurance at 70 years old. He finds that and more at a Starbucks. Sounds ridiculous, but actually was an interesting read. The old guy has some good points to make.... as well as a few that should have been common sense.

Trinity - Leon Uris
Oof. This one was AWESOME. And heartbreaking. But its hard to tell a story set in Ireland any other way. It was a long read, but totally worth it. There's so much Irish history woven in to a fictional story that you're learning about Ireland's past without even knowing it. And if you're actually Irish - its hard to read this and not come out with an anti-English/Protestant feeling.

A Confession - Tolstoy
Popular Russian writer struggles with being intelligent at the same time as wanting to believe in God. He has trouble making the two mesh. Some good arguments in here. I think the purpose of the book is how to look at faith in a different way so as to reconcile faith in God with modern cynicism. However, I personally thought the arguments AGAINST it in the beginning were much better than those posed at the end. Essentially, that's what this book was about - questioning intelligently. He did eventually come to the conclusion that faith and intellectualism could co-exist... Too bad the Catholic church had kicked him out for even asking the question in the first place.

His Dark Materials (series) - Pullman
This series was the first 'new' sci-fi/fantasy books I'd tried in over a decade. I liked these 3 books - the premise was different than anything I'd read before. So many sci-fi series are just rehashed or re-imagined from some other series. This one felt new. It came out about the same time as Harry Potter, and ironically - Potter took most of the flak for being 'anti-christian' with all its witches and magic.... Spoiler alert: THIS BOOK KILLS GOD. Like, no joke. They friggen kill God. Well, they basically euthanize him, but let's not split hairs. Its supposed to be a good thing, and the way the book is laid out, it is.... but still. Yikes. Pullman owes JK Rowling big time for taking the heat on that one.

The Duma Key - Stephen King
Standard King. Construction worker loses arm, marriage, and moves to Florida. Rediscovers painting. And a mysterious presence on the island (key) finds him. If you've read any King, this isn't anything new. But still a fun read, like all King. One of his better endings though. It has one.

Brave New World - Huxley
I've read this before, but didn't really remember it. Now I remember why. Its terrible. Great premise, great idea... hard to read. Moral: Differences, emotions, pain, struggle - removing them from our lives also removes our identity and purpose. A life without them is meaningless.

World War Z - Brooks
Ever read the oral histories of a war? Its single person stories of their experiences during a time of upheaval. This is another oral history, only for a fictitious zombie apocalypse. Sound like an easily forgettable read? Think again. This book hits HARD. Even though the accounts of human decency and showcasing the amazing things our race can do when put to the test are fiction - the emotional weight is real. I'd highly recommend it.

The Road - McCarthy
A young boy and his father are wandering a post-apocalyptic wasteland looking for.... well, anything. Food mostly. This one is a heart wrencher. What do you tell your kids when you're pretty sure everything's NOT going to be alright? Do you keep your morals and humanity and die slowly? Or throw morality to the wind and survive?

Towers of Midnight - Jordan
The next-to-last book in a gigantic series. Its sci-fi/fantasy but the story is so complex and unique that I honestly can't wait to see how it ends. I'd go into a synopsis, but it'd just sound silly.