The Best of 2010 in Books

Hey guys,

I visited Jess's blog, Tangled Up in Blue the other day where she featured a survey which originated from The Perpetual Page Turner Blog and I thought it would be fun to give it a go...

1.   Best Book of 2010

If I had to pick one book from many fantastic books I have read this year, I would have to pick If You Could See Me Now by Cecelia Ahern.  This book just amazed me.  I picked it up thinking that it was just a normal chicklit book, which will give me a warm fuzzy feeling inside and leave me feeling happy.  This book was much more than that.  It was an amazing story of love and strength and many other things.  This book also surprised me like no book has ever done before..  I won't spoil it for those of you have not read it but the turning point in this book shone a new light to what the book was called.








2.   Worst Book of 2010

I would love it if I could come to this question and not be able to answer because all the books I read this year was brilliant but I have come across a few that I did not enjoy as much as the others.   But I have to choose and my choice is Land of the Living by Nicci French.  I do not normally like murder mystery, murder thriller type books and this was a 'step outside of the box' choice for me to see if I liked it.  Unfortunately, I didn't.  The built up I found was very long winded and there was no hook that sucked me into the story.  Maybe it was the story that I did not like but it could also be the fact that it was a genre that I was not invested in...


3.   Most Disappointing Book of 2010

For this, I would have to choose Impossible by Nancy Werlin.   I had heard and read some great reviews on this book and I loved the idea of it.   I had the impression when reading the back that it was some kind of supernatural romance but I was very wrong.  Although the concept of the story was very well thought of as there is no other book out there like this one at them moment (that I am aware of) but I just ended up being really frustrated by the main character and by the other characters around...










4.   Most surprising (in a good way) book of 2010?

Most definitely I would have to say the same book I answered at question 1 above, If You Could See Me Now by Cecelia Ahern...  Its a truly magical book.


5.  Book you recommend to people the most in 2010?

Although I most definitely would recommend If You Could See Me Now by Cecelia Ahern, the next book that I would recommend is Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.  This book really opened my eyes to so many things about life and love and certainly puts life into perspective.  This is a really good real life story of taking chances in life and I would highly recommend it..
 











6.   Best Series you Discovered in 2010?  

I would have to say that the best series I have discovered this year would have to be the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard.  I had heard this through a review and it sounded good so I thought I would give it a go and boy was I glad I did.  Here in the United Kingdom we had not yet had any of these books for sale so I had to have mine shipped from the USA (and I am glad I did because the covers that have come out here in are mainly the TV show covers, which I am not too fond of).  I started reading the first one and was immediately hooked.  One after another, I read each and every one and would have to say that I LOVED it all and especially LOVED the way it ended..







7.   Favourite New Authors You Discovered in 2010? 

To name only a few:

• Sara Shepard
• Maureen Johnson
• Stephenie Meyer
• Elizabeth Gilbert
• Lauren Kate
• Becca Fitzpatrick
• Rachel Hawkins
• James Patterson
• Jessica Verday
• Sarah Addison Allen
• Mike Gayle

OK, so some of these may have been around for a considerable amount of time before 2010 but these are the authors that I discovered I liked in 2010... 

8.  Most Hilarious Read of 2010

For this one, I would have to say The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella.  This one was hilarious from start to finish.  At the beginning of the story we see the main character as a business lady who makes a mistake, gets on a train, goes to somewhere she does not know and gets mistaken for an interviewee for a housekeeping job, which she is accepted for.  The only problem is that the main character does not know anything about housekeeping and certainly does not know how to cook and clean.  This book is so funny.










9.   Most thrilling unputdownable book of 2010.

I would have to say that the most thrilling book I read this year would have to be The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.  This was one of the longest books I have read this year and one that I could not put down.  I LOVED The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons and bought this one straight away as soon as it came out.  












10.   Books you most anticipated in 2010.

For this one I would have to say Pretty Little Liars series.  As I had to order them from the USA, I had to wait a while for them to be delivered.  They were well worth the wait!

11.   Favourite Cover of a Book You Read in 2010

That would have to be House Rules by Jodi Picoult.  I just love the colours in this book and the brightness and fullness of the colour of the person in the rug shows that this must be important to the story... 






























12.   Most memorable character of 2010?

I would have to say that this would be Samantha from The Undomestic Goddess.  This character's personality and the way she chooses her life journey in the book is just so funny.

13.   Most beautifully written book of 2010?

For this it has to be Save Haven by Nicholas Sparks.  As always, the way Nicholas Sparks writes his stories are so beautifully woven together the words seem to flow effortlessly, which must take a lot of skill to do.  This is truly a beautiful story and one that I will read time and time again.  












14.   Book that had the greatest impact of 2010.  

This would have to be Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert as this book was really inspirational.  Following the story of Elizabeth Gilbert as she changes her whole world and takes a chance on travelling and on her life definitely impacted on me.  Not that I have changed anything that major but I have definitely become more confident and actually doing what I set out to do and not putting it aside for another day... 

15.   Books you cannot believe you waited 2010 to finally read? 

There are so many but to list a few:

• The Hollow and the Haunted by Jessica Verday
• The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer
• Pretty Little Liars Series by Sara Shepard.

There have been so many books I could not believe I have waited for that I could keep going for quite a while.....  

What a great survey...  If any of you fancy having a go, please do and let me know.......

Best wishes

Debs