Sheila's Top 10 or 20 List for 2010

All of the women at LDS Women's Book Review posted about our favorite books read in 2010. You must go and check them out. I always have people asking me for book suggestions. Head on over to the LDSWBR blog and you will have many great reading suggestions. You will also see the books that we all loved and included on our lists.

As you will see, I was way too lazy to type the whole post up again,

so I copied and pasted from the other blog.

Sheila's Top 10 or 20 List for 2010

Posted by Sheila

After I was asked to make a top ten list of my favorite reads of 2010

I floundered a bit. I happily made my goal of reading 100 books in 2010. This also left me in a bind, knowing I had 100 books to choose from. I agree with Mindy, it is like asking who

is your favorite child or friend.

I also have a hard time with only picking 10 so I picked my top 12 and

Then continued with books that I would include in my top 20. I know, I am shamelessly changing the rules here.

These are my picks in no particular order.

1.The Healing Spell by Kimberley Griffiths Little.

To say that this book enchanted me, it is not just a play on words of the title. There truly was something magical about the way

that Kimberley writes. I was pulled into the story from

the beginning and didn’t leave the bayou until the last

page. This book has stayed with me the past month since I

read it. I have remembered the colorful details and rich

characters. I borrowed this book from the library, but this

is one book I will be purchasing for my own collection.

2. Cross My Heart by Julie Wright

This book made me laugh so hard, I loved the main

character and how many strange things happened to her.

(Sadly she reminded me of myself and how "things"

just seem to happen to me while around men.)

I loved her weird mother. The best part was the love

triangle, which was more like a square. This is such a

feel good book. I will be reading it again soon.

3. A Time To Die By Jeff Savage

I waited so long for this sequel in the Shandra Covington

series and I was not disappointed at all. I also feel like it

was the best book yet in the series. This was another book

that I picked up and could not put down. I really

loved the ending!I also loved the fact that

Bobby is not left in perilous circumstances

at the end of this book.

4. Seventh Earth By Richard Bradford

This is such an outstanding sci-fi/fantasy book.

If you are a fan of this genre you MUST read it!

Richard is a great writer and I had a hard

time putting the book down. I can’t wait for

the sequel. It has a great storyline and it

is amazing that this is Richard's first book.

He writes like a Pro!

5. I Am Not A Serial Killer and Mr. Monster By Dan Wells

There is something about these books that are

so compelling. You get sucked in and are hooked until the end.

I really love how you are kept guessing until the very end. In a

strange way, you are cheering for John even if he has a very

wacked out mind.

6. Hotel On The Corner of Bitter and Sweet By Jamie Ford

This book won the Whitney Award in the General Fiction Category of this past year's Whitney Awards. It is a story that

takes place during WW2 in California. The main

character is a young Chinese boy who befriends a

young Japanese girl. It shows the turmoil of that time.

This story stays with you. This is a good read for book clubs.

7. Courting Miss Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden

It seems like everyone has loved this book. It is such a sweet

romance that just makes you sigh. Sarah is one of the best

Regency romance writers today. Sarah's newest book was

recently released. It will definitely be on next years reading

list.

8. Becoming Kate By Dixie Owens

I was right in the middle of six other books when I

received this book. I picked it up to read the first

chapter and never put it down until I was done. This

book is so thought provoking. It deals with the idea

of a brain transplant and if feelings and memories

would survive from the donor. It brings up so many

questions in your own mind.

Dixie does a great job of showing one woman's story and

how resolution comes to this character.

9. Blink of An Eye By Gregg Luke

Gregg Luke's books keep me on the edge. This one

did not disappoint. Even though it was slightly

different from his others, he delved more into

his main character and his past. It has a great

mystery that you search for the answer right

along with the main character. I loved this

one a lot!

10. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society By Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I just reviewed this book on my personal book review blog.

I explained there why it took so long for me to get this

book read. Once I got over the problem I had, I ended up

really liking this book. Other readers have told me they

had the same problem. They now are going to try reading

this again after I shared my secret. Let's

just say you will not be sorry for taking the time to read

this novel.

11. The Sapphire Flute By Karen Hoover

Excellent debut from first time author Karen Hoover. This

fantasy book has everything. The thing that female readers

will love, is that the main characters are female. But, this is

not just a book for females. There is so much action that

males readers will also like this book. This is

the first book in a long series. I have heard bits and pieces

about the next book and I can't wait to read it.

12. Divine Intervention:A Story of Faith and Miracles by Helen and Randy Hall

If you notice, this is the only non-fiction book that made my

top 10 (12) list. This personal account almost reads like a

novel.It leaves you on the edge of your seat. At the same

time, you left with such gratitude for life and the miracles

that can and do happen. I highly suggest that you read this

book. The Hall's story is one that should be read by everyone.

My Honrable Mentions, that are in my top 20 books:

-Band of Sisters by Annette Lyon

-Crossfire By Traci Hunter Abramson

-The Musician's Daughter By Susanne Dunlap

-Gregor and the Overlander 5 book series By Suzanne Collins

-Lucky Change By Susan Law Corpany

-Hometown Girl By Michelle Ashman Bell

-Heroes of the Fallen By David J. West

The book that I was most disappointed in was... 2010

Mockingjay By Suzanne Collins. I just did not like it. I hated the ending

And how Pres. Snow died.(Sadly I had a much more grisly end planned

for him in my mind) I was left feeling so unsatisfied and cheated by this

third book. What happened to Prim just made me hate the ending even more.

I just remember closing the book and shaking my head. I am doing it right now.

**sigh** Hunger Games is on my all time top 10 list, but Mockingjay

wasn’t even close.

After I read my fellow LDSWBR sisters lists, I realized that there were so

many of their favorites I wanted to read but didn't get to. Next year, you will

probably see some of their favorites on my top 10 list.