Books I Read During 2010

A Christmas Carol (AD Classic Library Edition)

by: Charles Dickens

Amazon Price: $16.95 (as of 02/16/2012)

Scrooge is totally transformed by the end of this novel. Short, descriptive, concise, and delightful! Read my review: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Becoming a Writer

by: Dorothea Brande

Amazon Price: $7.57 (as of 02/16/2012)

As it turned out, I appreciated this very unusual classic writing book more than I expected! Read my review: Becoming a Writer, by Dorothea Brande

The Cook's Family

by: Laurence Yep

Amazon Price: $117.11 (as of 02/16/2012)

Second in a series about a Chinese ballet student in San Francisco, and her troubled family. It was sad to read about a family arguing. The girl seemed more mature than most of the adults around her.

The Kitchen God's Wife

by: Amy Tan

Amazon Price: $6.18 (as of 02/16/2012)

I love Amy Tan's voice and enjoy her audiobooks. Great story - about a Chinese family. Mostly from the mother's POV about her young years in war-torn China.

The Crispin: Cross of Lead

by: Avi

Amazon Price: $3.30 (as of 02/16/2012)

This is the 2003 Newbery Medal winner. It's about a thirteen year old boy in medieval England. Read my review: Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Thirteen Reasons Why

by: Jay Asher

Amazon Price: $6.29 (as of 02/16/2012)

YA fiction... fascinating premise: a girl commits suicide, leaving a box of tapes for her acquaintances to listen to. Fantastic book. I'd recommend it to anyone over age 14 or so.

Burned

by: Ellen Hopkins

Amazon Price: $5.49 (as of 02/16/2012)

This novel is about an unhappy Mormon teenager. Read my review: Burned, by Ellen Hopkins.

The Trumpeter of Krakow

by: Eric P. Kelly

Amazon Price: $2.32 (as of 02/16/2012)

This book won the Newbery Medal in 1928 and shines a light on medieval Polish culture. Read my review: The Trumpeter of Krakow.

When You Reach Me (Stead, Rebecca)

by: Rebecca Stead

Amazon Price: $1.89 (as of 02/16/2012)

The 2010 Newbery Medal winner! A fascinating novel about a girl growing up in New York City..

If I Stay

by: Gayle Forman

Amazon Price: $4.20 (as of 02/16/2012)

A 2009 YA novel with a fascinating premise: a girl's consciousness is knocked out of her body during an accident..

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice (Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards))

by: Phillip M Hoose

Amazon Price: $9.56 (as of 02/16/2012)

I loved reading this non-fiction Newbery Honor Book for 2010. It is about racial tensions in Montgomery Alabama in the sixties. Quite an education!!

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

by: Eckhart Tolle

Amazon Price: $6.30 (as of 02/16/2012)

I purchased the audio download through Amazon/Audible - my first Audible purchase! I couldn't stop listening! I love Eckhart Tolle's soft and comforting voice. I respect his message. This is a transformative book... and I do believe I've been transformed. This is a book I'll no doubt return to often.

Uglies, The Collector's Set: Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras

by: Scott Westerfeld

Amazon Price: $36.51 (as of 02/16/2012)

Futuristic YA novel. I was kept enthralled though at first I was totally disoriented. Let's just say I liked it enough to put Pretties, the next in the series, in my TBR list.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

by: Grace Lin

Amazon Price: $9.25 (as of 02/16/2012)

Precious story of a Chinese child who runs away from home in search of a way to resolve her family's poverty problem. This is a 2010 Newbery Honor Book.

Pretties (Uglies Trilogy, Book 2)

by: Scott Westerfeld

Amazon Price: $2.98 (as of 02/16/2012)

Yes, I couldn't resist. The second book in the series was calling to me. There's one more...

Lost in the Fog: Memoir of a Bastard: A Belgian Recalls the War, the Nazis, Her Fractured Life

by: Rachel Van Meers

Amazon Price: $9.93 (as of 02/16/2012)

Fascinating autobiography of a woman raised by a Nazi mother! One of my critique group friends helped Mrs. Van Meer write this.

Just Breeze

by: Beverly Stowe McClure

Amazon Price: $9.94 (as of 02/16/2012)

Cute book for young teens; a girl who feels she doesn't fit in gets the attention of a very special boy! The author is another of my critique group friends.

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61)

by: Eckhart Tolle

Amazon Price: $4.89 (as of 02/16/2012)

I'm a Tolle fan. Are you? His philosophy is enlightening. I will keep listening to this over and over. My boyfriend does the same, and he recently bought the book. I listened to an audiobook version.

How to Know God: The Soul's Journey Into the Mystery of Mysteries (Deepak Chopra)

by: Deepak Chopra

Amazon Price: $11.50 (as of 02/16/2012)

We've listened to the audiobook version twice in the van. He is full of deep wisdom; I especially like his suggestions at the end of the book.

Hillinger's California: Stories from All 58 Counties

by: Charles Hillinger

Amazon Price: $20.00 (as of 02/16/2012)

I own a California travel website, and loved this book - it is right up my alley and all about my state!

I purchased the Audible version of this book - very cool deal. You can get the link through Amazon. Download the audiobook, upload to the iPod (or in my case, the less-expensive SanDisk) and listen while you walk, exercise, garden, etc..

A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative

by: Roger von Oech

Amazon Price: $4.75 (as of 02/16/2012)

A classic creativity book. About half-way through I started calling it a "miracle book" because reading it, I had some great inspirations for my creative work!

The House of the Seven Gables (Enriched Classics)

by: Nathaniel Hawthorne

Amazon Price: $3.08 (as of 02/16/2012)

Nathaniel Hawthorne's literary art delves into the dark and musty far-reaches of the distressing lives of those living in and associated with the House of the Seven Gables. This is a glimpse into the social structures of the past.

I purchased the Audible version of this book - very cool deal. You can get the link through Amazon. Download the audiobook, upload to the iPod (or in my case, the less-expensive SanDisk) and listen while you walk, exercise, garden, etc..

It's Your Time: Activate Your Faith, Achieve Your Dreams, and Increase in God's Favor

by: Joel Osteen

Amazon Price: $3.33 (as of 02/16/2012)

I found this book through the Audible website (access through Amazon) ... and though I'm not a Christian or any other labeled faith, I was very inspired by his message. I listened to a few videos at his website and very much enjoyed and appreciated listening to the audiobook. His message of hope and faith was just what I needed to hear.

I read that some people think he's not "doctrinally correct" but my opinion is that if someone is able to deliver an uplifting message that gives people faith and joy, it doesn't matter whether all the dogma agrees with it. The proof is in the spirit. Apparently a lot of other people agree because his church is packed... and I mean, thousands of people, not just a few.

Saint Iggy

by: K. L. Going

Amazon Price: $3.23 (as of 02/16/2012)

This is a YA (young adult) book - a tearjerker - about a teenage boy who was born addicted to crack, whose mother, a meth addict, has now deserted him, whose father is an alcoholic. Definitely worth reading with a memorable, lovable main character, told in first person. Just remember to have tissues handy, if you're prone to weeping because you care so much about characters at times.

I purchased the Audible version of this book - very cool deal. You can get the link through Amazon. Download the audiobook, upload to the iPod (or in my case, the less-expensive SanDisk) and listen while you walk, exercise, garden, etc..

Water for Elephants: A Novel

by: Sara Gruen

Amazon Price: $4.94 (as of 02/16/2012)

Nothing like what I expected... but then, what did I expect? This excellent novel takes place in two time periods with young Jacob and old Jacob... I listened to the audiobook version which has different readers for the two time periods.

Jacob, a Polish veterinarian student, has his plans derailed when his parents die unexpectedly. He hops a train, which fortuitously turns out to be a circus train that changes his entire life.

Quite a stunning work of art. I can see why this book got such great reviews!

The Glass Castle, unabridged, 10 CD set

Amazon Price: $14.87 (as of 02/16/2012)

Amazing memoir of an unusual childhood. I listened to the audiobook version. This book really helps remind you that your childhood wasn't all that bad. (For most of us.)

The Sound and the Fury: The Corrected Text

by: William Faulkner

Amazon Price: $4.98 (as of 02/16/2012)

Mind-expanding stream-of-consciousness explores life from the POV (point of view) of three very different brothers; the first is retarded, the second a distressed Harvard scholar; the third, a scoundrel. Read my review: The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner.

Anthem

by: Ayn Rand

Amazon Price: $5.83 (as of 02/16/2012)

It takes place in the future. It is short. It is sweet. I recommend this book to everyone. The story is wonderful and the meaning is precious.

Room: A Novel

by: Emma Donoghue

Amazon Price: $6.46 (as of 02/16/2012)

Still working on the review.

The Higher Power of Lucky

by: Susan Patron

Amazon Price: $3.34 (as of 02/16/2012)

Still working on the review.

Leviathan

by: Scott Westerfeld

Amazon Price: $4.25 (as of 02/16/2012)

Still working on the review.