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What Was Your Favorite Book Published in 2010?

December 15, 2010 by Nathan Bransford 135 Comments

It’s been a great year in books, whether you were reading pixels or ink, and it’s always fun to look back at the year that was.

Two books that were of great significance to me in my former life as an agent (and current life as major fan of my former clients) were released in 2010, Jennifer Hubbard’s The Secret Year and Lisa Brackmann’s Rock Paper Tiger, and both belong on every best-of year-end list ever anywhere as they’re quite thoroughly awesome.

If I had to choose a non-former-client book that was my favorite of 2010, well, I’d have to go with the overdog and cast my vote for Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom.

What about you?

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: book recommendations, You Tell Me

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathryn says

    December 15, 2010 at 5:51 pm

    "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" by Aimee Bender or "Sum: 40 Tales From The Afterlives" by David Eagleman. Also, "The Hunger Games" books.

    Reply
  2. Gryvon says

    December 15, 2010 at 6:04 pm

    Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
    Sandman Slim by Richard Kadry

    Reply
  3. literating says

    December 15, 2010 at 6:07 pm

    well, it's not a book, but it's the only 2010 publication I've purchased this year.

    This was the first year I subscribed to the new yorker.

    Reply
  4. Gretchen says

    December 15, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    I read Freedom based on your recommendation. I'm apparently just not a Johnathan Franzen fan. I do think he's a brilliant writer, but I can't say I enjoyed the book. I appreciated it from an intellectual standpoint, but not really in an "I love this book!" kind of way. I felt the same way about The Corrections.

    I think The Secret Year sounds more like my thing. I still need to read it!

    Reply
  5. kourtneyheintz says

    December 15, 2010 at 6:36 pm

    Paige Shelton's Farm Fresh Murder. Great mystery. Awesome writing.

    Reply
  6. kourtneyheintz says

    December 15, 2010 at 6:36 pm

    Paige Shelton's Farm Fresh Murder. Great mystery. Awesome writing.

    Reply
  7. reader says

    December 15, 2010 at 6:42 pm

    I just finished A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY, by Lauren Grodstein.

    Hands down, best I've read all year.

    Reply
  8. Pam Harris says

    December 15, 2010 at 6:44 pm

    Room by Emma Donoghue of The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff.

    Reply
  9. Wild Child says

    December 15, 2010 at 6:56 pm

    Quite honestly, I haven't read it yet, but it's set in a place I know well. OLD WORLD MURDER by Kathleen Ernst. I hope to read it soon. It's very cool that the setting is an actual real place I know every inch of.

    Reply
  10. Kathleen says

    December 15, 2010 at 7:15 pm

    yay! I love this Q – I always get such good recs.

    My fave this year was How To Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu

    totally awesome and brilliant. hilarious and heartbreaking.

    Reply
  11. K. M. Walton says

    December 15, 2010 at 7:16 pm

    Adult best: It's a tie
    ROOM by Emma Donoghue
    and
    THE MAGICIANS by Lev Grossman

    YA best: THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson.

    Reply
  12. Kathryn Packer Roberts says

    December 15, 2010 at 7:54 pm

    That's a tough one to answer. I have read so many great books this year. I guess I would say Mary E. Pearson's THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX. That was pretty great. But I love James Dashner's work as well.

    Reply
  13. Kimber Leszczuk. says

    December 15, 2010 at 7:58 pm

    Room by Emma Donghue

    Dust by Joan Francis Turner

    Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

    and Punk Minneapolis by Peter Joseph Swanson

    Reply
  14. Tim Riley says

    December 15, 2010 at 8:00 pm

    I have to agree with you Nathan-Freedom was the best book I read this year. I think it lived up to the hype and then some.

    Reply
  15. T. E. says

    December 15, 2010 at 8:10 pm

    I'm telling everyone I know about WHO FEARS DEATH by Nnedi Okorafor. A must-read for its compelling and strong female protagonist.

    Reply
  16. D.G. Hudson says

    December 15, 2010 at 8:27 pm

    I read several books this year but only one was published in 2010 – a writing book – Showing & Telling by Laurie Alberts. Scenes and summaries are discussed in detail in this informative book.

    For writing purposes, I was gathering data for a future novel while travelling this year. My fiction reading only included a few 2009 books, but I'm thinking of perhaps picking up Franzen's FREEDOM in the near future.

    I still have one Hemingway, one M. Atwood, and D. Galbaldon waiting to be read. Eventually, I'll catch up.

    Reply
  17. Laura says

    December 15, 2010 at 8:29 pm

    I'm kinda over the whole Franzen writing the best book ever thing. I tried the Corrections and hated it.

    I'd have to say Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver was brilliant and I'm surprised it hasn't shown up here yet. She's an amazing writer and her next book Delirium will totally put her in the top of her game.

    She's one to watch.

    Reply
  18. Rebecca Stroud says

    December 15, 2010 at 8:31 pm

    Don't know if it was published in 2010, but the best book I read this past year was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (and the two follow-ups). Fabulous author who is no longer with us…sad.

    Reply
  19. Jen Albin says

    December 15, 2010 at 8:45 pm

    Mockingjay !

    Reply
  20. robin says

    December 15, 2010 at 8:58 pm

    THE CANDIDATES, by Inara Scott (YA paranormal)

    I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU SOMEONE ELSE, by Erin McCahan (YA contemporary)

    THE VEIL OF NIGHT, by Linda Howard (confession: I only read a couple of adult books this year — adult romantic suspense)

    Reply
  21. Thad says

    December 15, 2010 at 8:59 pm

    Uh, did you read Freedom? Terrible book.

    Reply
  22. John says

    December 15, 2010 at 9:33 pm

    This year, the best read was Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey. It's become an all-time favorite.

    Other awesome books were Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr and Bloodroot by Amy Greene.

    Reply
  23. Gina says

    December 15, 2010 at 9:41 pm

    Linger by Maggie Steifvater. It's the second in her Wolves of Mercy Falls series, and they are the kind of books you run out and buy for anyone you think might read them, because you know they're missing out if they don't.

    Also, I read The Secret Year and thought it was phenomenal. It's a keeper.

    Reply
  24. twittertales says

    December 15, 2010 at 9:45 pm

    Scott Westerfeld's YA steampunk adventure trilogy book 2, "Behemoth" (the first is "Leviathan").

    Louise Curtis

    Reply
  25. Kate says

    December 15, 2010 at 9:55 pm

    Nic Pizzolatto's Galveston. Hands down.

    Reply
  26. Mira says

    December 15, 2010 at 9:57 pm

    I'm not done with Rock, Paper, Tiger yet, but it's wonderful. Wow.

    And I'm waiting for A Secret Year to come out on e-book format.

    I really enjoyed Terry Pratchett's Unseen Academicals. Supposedly it was published in 2009, but I read it in 2010, so that counts. I also re-read all of Jane Austen's books. They were pretty good too.

    Reply
  27. Kathleen B. says

    December 15, 2010 at 9:57 pm

    Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. No question. I've read that book four times since Amazon delivered it to my dorm the day it came out.

    Reply
  28. T. Anne says

    December 15, 2010 at 10:33 pm

    I agree THE SECRET YEAR by Jennifer Hubard was a great book! I can't wait for Jen's next book to come out.

    I enjoyed so many great novels this year I can honestly say it was a good year for books.

    Reply
  29. Ronnie says

    December 15, 2010 at 10:42 pm

    Kings of the Earth by Jon Clinch

    Reply
  30. E.Maree says

    December 15, 2010 at 11:16 pm

    "Mockingjay" wasn't the ending I was hoping for, but I read it as a whole with the other two books and the Hunger Games trilogy just blew me away. Definitely the books I've burned through fastest this year.

    Reply
  31. GhostFolk.com says

    December 15, 2010 at 11:31 pm

    SKIPPY DIES. Paul Murray.

    Reply
  32. aardvarkian.com says

    December 15, 2010 at 11:32 pm

    The Passage, by Justin Cronin. Enough said.

    Reply
  33. Porter Anderson says

    December 15, 2010 at 11:43 pm

    In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut, published in 2010 and a Booker finalist. Stunning first/third-person narrative, disturbing and unapologetically intelligent.

    Reply
  34. Jennifer R. Hubbard says

    December 15, 2010 at 11:49 pm

    I always have a hard time picking favorite books, especially over as long a time as a whole year. I read so many novels and nonfiction books.

    But poetry doesn't get as much attention, so I'll call out an outstanding poetry book and an excellent verse novel I read this year:

    BORROWED NAMES, by Jeannine Atkins
    THREE RIVERS RISING, by Jame Richards

    I agree about ROCK, PAPER, TIGER.

    And finally, thank you not only for mentioning THE SECRET YEAR, but for supporting it from the beginning. It's been a book of great significance in my life as well! And I so appreciate the kind words from the commenters on this thread.

    Reply
  35. Jen says

    December 15, 2010 at 11:49 pm

    Hmm, toss up between Mockingjay and Rick Riordan's The Red Pyramid.

    Reply
  36. Gina R. says

    December 15, 2010 at 11:52 pm

    PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ by A.S. King (YA fiction) was a huge hit both with my teenage son, his friends and me.

    Reply
  37. CindyLou says

    December 15, 2010 at 11:56 pm

    Changes by Jim Butcher. Harry & Mabs…nuff said.

    Reply
  38. lahn says

    December 16, 2010 at 12:04 am

    Emma Donoghue's ROOM — brilliant!

    Reply
  39. J. T. Shea says

    December 16, 2010 at 12:04 am

    We still have two weeks to go, Nathan! Who knows what might be published before New Year's Day?

    I can't make up my mind yet, but I agree with Susan Kaye Quinn and Twittertales that Scott Westerfeld's YA steampunk novel BEHEMOTH is excellent.

    Reply
  40. Lady Jane says

    December 16, 2010 at 12:06 am

    You know, I don't think I read a single book that was published this year. I had enough books to read simply by going through my 2009 list that more books wasn't an option.

    Reply
  41. Jil says

    December 16, 2010 at 12:07 am

    The Horse Dancer by Jojo Moyes and Cutting for Stone. I don't know when Stephenie Meyers' "The Host" came out but I just listened to it and, against expectations, really enjoyed the idea that the invaders were a better and kinder race than the humans.

    Reply
  42. Caroline Starr Rose says

    December 16, 2010 at 12:07 am

    LIVES LIKE LOADED GUNS: EMILY DICKINSON AND HER FAMILY'S FEUDS

    Reply
  43. Jil says

    December 16, 2010 at 12:10 am

    OOps, The Help was great!

    Reply
  44. LynnFC says

    December 16, 2010 at 12:10 am

    All the Girl Books…Tattoo, Fire through Hornet's Nest along with all three movies…

    Reply
  45. Bree D says

    December 16, 2010 at 12:18 am

    Loved The Poisoner's Handbook… by Deborah Blum and The Help. Didn't love Freedom.

    Reply
  46. Sally Jo says

    December 16, 2010 at 12:34 am

    Mockingjay.

    The first two books blew my mind–the third was disappointing, but it was still a great book and the most eagerly anticipated title for me in YEARS.

    Reply
  47. Bill Az says

    December 16, 2010 at 12:50 am

    Empire of the Summer Moon (NONfiction of course).

    Reply
  48. Merri Royce-Kadetsky says

    December 16, 2010 at 1:06 am

    I was disappointed in more than I liked (The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, Freedoms, Mockinjay was so-so and sorry Nathan but I think Rock,Tiger was good but not great). I'm reading Grisham's The Confession now & it's really good but I think the surprise was I found a fantastic indie (sorry again Nathan!) and it was so good I just bought 2 paperbacks for Christmas gifts for friends of mine in Chgo (I read it as an ebook) because it's set in Chgo (I used to live there so that was fun too) and I even pd extra for faster shipping. It's January Moon and it was really very good. My husband is reading it now and he agrees.

    Reply
  49. Anonymous says

    December 16, 2010 at 1:22 am

    Sorry, but I want to write about my non-favorite book. I know I am in the vast minority, but I think Freedom sucks, starting with the lame title. No question Franzen can write, but given how short and difficult life is, do I really need to spend countless hours reading about such uninspiring characters? The answer is no. We need writers who
    lift our spirits, not depress them.

    Reply
  50. sally apokedak says

    December 16, 2010 at 1:39 am

    The Charlatan's Boy, by Jonathan Rogers.

    MG frontier fantasy that is great for a the whole family as a read aloud.

    Reply
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