2010 Book List

This post is (again) mainly for my own reference as I continue documenting the books I have read. I am going to try to format it a bit like an annotated bibliography. However, I am also going to try to provide a brief synopsis and rating of each book, so anyone else out there looking for a good read has my suggestions to consider! I'm going to link to this post on my sidebar and update it throughout the year.  Although I didn't do as good of a job keeping track as I wish I had, you can also check out my post from last year! :)

I'd also love suggestions! Let me know what the best book you've read recently is, so I can add it to my "To Read" list. :)

Niffenegger, Audrey. Her Fearful Symmetry. ★★★★✩

When their Aunt Elspeth, who was estranged from their mother, dies, twins Julia and Valentina inherit her estate; however, the inseparable pair must move to London and live in their aunt's flat for one year before they are allowed to sell it. Even though I had to set aside my disbelief while reading this ghost story, especially at the conclusion, I couldn't put it down.

 Gilbert, Elizabeth. Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage.  ★★★✩✩

Because I loved Eat, Pray, Love, I had high expectations for Gilbert's second book. While the insights about marriage in different cultures were interesting, I was left wishing for more of her story and feelings. At times, it felt like a documentary on marriage. An interesting read, but a bit boring at times.

Sparks, Nicholas. The Last Song.  ★★★★✩

When Ronnie is sent North Carolina to live with her dad for the summer, she is not exactly thrilled. But what unfolds that summer teaches her about falling in love and second chances.  Not usually a fan of his, but I really enjoyed this book. It's definitely a relatable love story with a bittersweet ending.

Rubin, Gretchen. The Happiness Project.  ★★★✩✩

Gretchen Rubin spent a year test driving all of the principles and methods she could find about how to be truly happy. The book is divided into topics covering almost every aspect of life. It was interesting, but read a little bit like a research project at times. Definitely interesting and insightful, though.

 Giffin, Emily. Something Borrowed. ★★★★★

On her 30th birthday, Rachel White makes a terrible mistake; she sleeps with Dex, her best friend Darcy's fiance. Things get even more complicated when Rachel and Dex realize they have genuine feelings for one another. I couldn't put this book down, or help rooting for Rachel's happiness despite her glaring mistakes.

Giffin, Emily. Something Blue. ★★★★★

After she finds out that her fiance has been cheating on her with her maid of honor, Darcy Rhone finds herself utterly alone...and pregnant. After trying to re-create her charmed life on a different continent, Darcy comes to realize the things that are really important. I loved how this was a continuation from her first book from a different perspective, and loved it just as much.

Michard, Jacquelyn. Cage of Stars. ★★★★★

Veronica Swan feels like a normal Mormon teenager until the day when her two younger sisters are murdered by a mentally-ill man. She is then, understandably, horrified when her parents want to forgive her sisters' killer. This story of her path to understanding and, eventually, forgiveness, covered such an array of emotions, and I couldn't put it down.

Richmond, Michelle. No One You Know. ★★★★★

Lila Enderlin is a top student at Stanford working on the proof that will win her a big award in the math community when she goes missing. Her body is found in the woods a couple days later, and it is clear she's been murdered. Her little sister, Ellie, runs into her sister's suspected killer 20 years later, which pushes her to find out the truth about what happened.

Richmond, Michelle. The Year of Fog. ★★★★✩

Abby Mason takes her fiance's 6-year-old daughter to the beach and, in one split second, makes a grievous error. While she is looking into her camera lens, Emma walks into the fog and is gone. This story about the horror and pain in the year that follows Emma's disappearance makes the feelings behind the stories you see on the news all the more real.