home •  y.a. series •  other books • bio •  events & reviews •  contact •   links & extras

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Best Reads of 2010

I read a lot of Young Adult books this year because: 1) I’m trying to get inspired to write the next book in my YA Gothic Revival trilogy; and 2) I’ve been enjoying YA more than adult literature lately. Only two of my favorite titles this year were adult fiction. The YA books I’ve loved have been plot-driven, romantic, emotional, and extremely well written. The line between adult and young adult literature has been blurring of late, and in my opinion, that’s a good thing! Here are my top 8 picks for 2010:

1. Matched by Allie Condie—great dystopian novel about a society in which adolescents are matched with their future spouses, and all life decisions are strictly controlled by “The Society” until one girl decides to question the life that’s been chosen for her. Beautifully written and compelling. The first in a trilogy.
2. Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron—quiet, introspective novel about a disaffected teen coming to terms with his depression; reminiscent of The Catcher in the Rye with wonderful writing and a smart, ironic sense of humor.
3. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver—YA novel about a young girl who gets into a car accident and must relive her last day over and over again until she figures out where she went wrong—the book was plugged as Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day, but that doesn’t do it justice. The writing is beautiful, and the storyline is an emotional roller coaster. The protagonist is unlikable at first, but she goes on a journey of self-discovery and takes the reader with her.
4. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins—I was hesitant to select this as one of my top reads in 2010, only because I was disappointed with some of the ways Collins wraps up the loose ends of this amazing series. While reading the book, I couldn’t do anything else; it has the same level of tension and suspense as the previous books, but I felt the characters regressed a bit in this one, and some rushed scenes toward the climax made me feel even more disconnected from the characters. Even though my emotional response wasn’t what I’d hoped it would be, the book was still a brilliant feat of storytelling.
5. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen—escapist women’s fiction about some broken souls in a small town who use a bit of magic to heal each other. Magical realism with a dash of romance. Sweet and ethereal, like cotton candy. (And isn't that cover gorgeous?)
6. Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey—a smart spoof on the vampire novel, but one that actually has strong writing and characterizations; Jessica is a sympathetic and plucky narrator, and the vampire hero, Lucius, is extremely funny and sexy. There is a free sequel of sorts on the author’s website: http://www.bethfantaskey.com/.
7. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand—an unexpected YA find about a girl who is part angel and must discover her purpose on earth, which puts her between two very appealing but different love interests. Beautiful descriptions of Wyoming scenery, a likeable heroine, and a fast-paced and romantic plot. The first in a trilogy. (I read this on NetGalley, but it officially comes out January 4. I think you’ll be hearing a lot more about this book in the near future.)
8. Little Bee by Chris Cleave—the most serious and literary of my choices; told in the dual perspectives of a young African refugee named Little Bee and the middle class woman whose life is forever changed by a chance encounter with Little Bee and her sister; a very surprising, disturbing, and emotional book. Great book club selection.

Happy New Year, everyone, and happy reading in 2011!

16 comments:

Nan said...

I'm halfway through Little Bee right now. What a great read!

Happy New Year!

Eve Morasco said...

Nan, I'm glad I didn't include any spoilers! Little Bee was a fantastic book, one that stayed with me long after I'd read it. Thanks for posting!

Cinnamon owl said...

I loved the Hunger Games series, although I was a bit disappointed in some areas as well.

I have read a book by Sarah Addison Allen before, and I loved it! I will have to give this one a try!

Eve Morasco said...

Erin, I liked The Girl Who Chased the Moon even better than Garden Spells. Thanks for reading and commenting on my post!

Unknown said...

I read The Sugar Queen and Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. I enjoyed The Sugar Queen a lot. I haven't yet read The Girl Who Chased the Moon, in fact I didn't know she had a new book. Thanks for the recommendation.

Eve Morasco said...

Jill, I haven't read The Sugar Queen yet, but it's on my GoodReads list. She has another book coming out in March called The Peach Keeper. Looks sweet! Thanks so much for posting!

Melissa said...

I've read a number of the books you selected here, and I really enjoyed them too. If you liked Matched, then I think you should check out Delirium if you haven't already, that is. :)

As for a Gothic novel revival, I would sooo read that. I studied Gothic literature in university, and love what some YA authors are doing with it.

Angela's Anxious Life said...

Hello! It's Angie from the YA Book Club! Thought I would stop by and check things out. I see that you have Matched on your list. :) That happens to be our book of the month for May.. it would be great if you stopped by and gave your opinions on the book! Happy Reading

Angie
XOXO Angela's Anxious Life

Eve Morasco said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog, Angie! I loved Matched and am anxiously awaiting Crossed. I'll try to stop by your YA Book Club discussion, and see what everyone's saying!

Angel said...

Nice information, valuable and excellent design, as share good stuff with good ideas and concepts, lots of great information and inspiration, both of which I need, Very good points you wrote here..Great stuff...I think you've made some truly interesting points.Keep up the good work.
car buyer launceston
cash for junk cars launceston

Krystal Nielson said...

I have read your excellent post. This is a great job. I have enjoyed reading your post first time. I want to say thanks for this post. Thank you.
cash for scrap cars caboolture

Abay Barho said...

Truly, this article is really one of the very best in the history of articles. I am a antique ’Article’ collector and I sometimes read some new articles if I find them interesting. And I found this one pretty fascinating and it should go into my collection. Very good work
Cash for Scrap Cars Gympie
Cash 4 Scrap Cars Gympie

Hashtag Car Removal said...

Thanks for sharing. Wow, that was strange. I just wrote a really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn't show up. Grrrr... well, I'm not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say fantastic blog!
accidental car removal sydney

Unknown said...

Fantastic goods from you, man. I've understand your stuff previous to and you are just extremely fantastic. I really like what you have acquired here, really like what you are stating and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still take care of to keep it sensitive. I can't wait to read far more from you. This is really a tremendous site. cash for scrap cars annerley

best cash for cars adelaide said...

You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something which I think I would never understand. Instant Cash, Quick Services & Free Car Removal – Cash for Cars Adelaide is All in One Company in SA! Get Your Car Sold Faster, Top Cash Payments Up To 9,999, Freecar removal adelaide,

Venue Hub said...

Simply want to say your article is as surprising. The clearness in your post is simply great and i could assume you are an expert on this subject. Well with your permission allow me to grab your feed to keep updated with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please continue the enjoyable work. Event Planner Lahore