My Top 10 Books Read in 2010

As the year comes to a close, I thought it would be fun to reflect on the books I most enjoyed in 2010. These weren't necessarily published this year, but I read them all this year. I'm putting them in alphabetical order because I decided I can't really rank them from one to ten since they are such different genres and I liked them for different reasons.

So, without further adieu, here are my Top 10 Books Read in 2010, with links to my reviews:

1. A Hundred Feet Over Hell by Jim Hooper ~ an amazingly realistic novel told from the perspective of men in the throes of the Vietnam War
2. City of Dreams by William Martin ~ a fictional treasure hunt that spans the centuries from present day to colonial times
3. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson ~ the final book in a thrilling trilogy that, in my opinion, got better with each book
4. The Girls: A Novel by Lori Lansens ~ a unique story that is presented as a memoir of conjoined twins
5. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls ~ a true memoir of a woman who grew up in horrific conditions yet persevered
6. Insignificant Moments by Jeremy Asher ~ a novel about the effects of all those seemingly insignificant moments in our lives
7. The Last Christian by David Gregory ~ an intriguing novel about a future world in which Christianity is gone and technology rules human interaction
8. One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash ~ a murder mystery told from the perspective of several different characters, each adding a bit more information about what really happened
9. Patch by Mucheru Njaga ~ a novel based on real events about extreme bullying and one boy's determination to overcome it
10. This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper ~ a hysterically funny story of a dysfunctional family that is forced to spend an entire week together in their family home

I read an eclectic range of books, so I think there's probably something in my list for everyone, but most people wouldn't necessarily like all of them as much as I did. So take a look at my short descriptions, and then check out my reviews for the ones that interest you. If you decide to read any of these, I certainly hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

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Book Review: Blood of My Brother by James Lepore

Jay Cassio and Dan Del Colliano have been best friends since childhood, when they met while growing up in a tough neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey. Throughout their lives, Dan was there for Jay, protecting him from kids on the street, and supporting him when he lost his parents. But when Dan is murdered, and his death appears to be linked to the death of Jay's client and her husband, Jay is the one who has to step up and take the lead to bring the murderer to justice.

In Blood of My Brother, James LePore weaves a suspenseful tale that spans the U.S. and Mexico, bringing together corrupt businessmen and politicians from both countries. Jay finds he has been thrust into a situation that is much bigger than him and his childhood friend.

The story is told through several points of view, but is mostly focused on Jay and Isabel, the woman at the heart of the situation. LePore provides deep backgrounds on both of these characters, so we can clearly understand the circumstances of their youth and how that affected who they are today. There are many other characters involved, but LePore doesn't go into a great deal of depth about each of them. I actually found I had to look back occasionally to remind myself who some of them were; it got a bit confusing. But Blood of My Brother kept my interest throughout ~ there were plenty of twists and turns to entice me to turn the page and see what was going to happen next.

My Rating: 3/5

For more information about Blood of My Brother, visit James LePore's website.

Read an excerpt (pdf)

This review was written based on a copy of Blood of My Brother that I received from The Story Plant in exchange for an honest review.

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Good morning. For those of you who spent the weekend celebrating Christmas with your families, I hope you had a very Merry Christmas! We had a wonderful week with my dad visiting. The kids had a blast playing with Papa. But I didn't get any reading or blogging done! We have more guests arriving on Wednesday night so my goal is to finish the book I'm currently reading by the time they arrive.

I did sign up for two challenges last week: the 2011 E-Book Reading Challenge and the I Want More Reading Challenge. I'm trying to keep my challenges simple for next year since I didn't really finish some of the challenges I joined in 2010. Speaking of that, I also wrapped up the Fall in Reading Challenge last week.

Currently Reading
I'm currently reading Blood of My Brother by James Lepore, which I'll be reviewing sometime this week.

Up Next
I think I'll move on to another review book next: Blue by Lou Aronica. I'm also starting to load my new Nook with books, so I'm sure I'll be starting an ebook soon!

What are you reading this week? This meme is being hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, so hop over there if you'd like to see what others are reading too.

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