Books Read, Top Picks & Short Reviews 2010

For those of you who are new to my little corner of the blogosphere, I have had the goal of reading 100 books in single year for a couple of years now. I haven't yet accomplished it, but I've been pretty close. The following is the list of books I read in 2010. Yes, I even keep track with a spreadsheet, I'm that level of dork. 

My rating system goes from 1-5, 5 being best, and I include a few-word review of the book. I have chosen my top 5 reads from 2010 and those are highlighted accordingly. If you're an Amazon addict like I am and you are looking for some new books to read, do me a solid and click the links on my page to order the titles from Amazon so I can earn my $0.20 and Be Validated as a Real Blogger. 


Some relevant notes as you scan through the list:


#1: I work in a children's literacy-related field, so there are some kids' books on the list. #2: I am obsessed with True Blood and therefore read the book series as well. #3: If "alright" is not enough of a review to satisfy you, please request via email or in the comments section and I will do a full review. #4: I read a lot of random shit.

Oh, and while you're at it, go ahead and click once on the Top Mommy Blogs banner to vote for me. I am currently ranked #688 and could seriously use some help. It can be your good deed for the day. 

Here's the list:

1. Tales From The Crib by Jennifer Coburn. 3 Cute, light

2. The Bitch In The House by Cathi Hanauer 3.5 Worth reading but not a lot of substance

3. The Birth Order Effect for Couples by Cliff Isaacson 3.5 Interesting

4. What Do You Do All Day by Amy Scheibe 4 amusing

5. Damaged by Cathy Glass 4.5 Very good but frustrating at times    ***TOP PICK***

6. The Yoga Mamas by Katherine Stewart    4 Cute

7. The Guy Not Taken  by Jennifer Weiner 3 Alright

8. Ruined by Paula Morris 4 Very interesting, not quite what I expected

9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 5 Excellent book ***TOP PICK***

10. Something Blue (2nd time)   by Emily Giffin   4 Favorite of mine

11. The Beach House by Jane Green 4 Pretty good

12. The Senator’s Wife    by Sue Miller    2 Hated the entire plot of senator’s wife, boring

13. Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica   4 Hilarious

14. The Necklace       by Cheryl Jarvis 2 Pointless waste of my time, better if it was fiction.

15. Slummy Mummy by Fiona Neill 2 Started strong, became pointless and boring.

16. Heading Home With Your Newborn   by Drs. Laura Jana & Jennifer Shu 4 Excellent guide, easy to follow and amusing at times.

17. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson 3 Overrated

18. The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester    4 Very cute story, X-Men & Heroes-type plot

19. Anxious Parents: A History of Childrearing in America by Peter Stearns 2 Boring conjecture, horribly edited, could have been much better.

20. Jane Eyre (4th time) by Charlotte Bronte     5 All-time favorite

21. We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver     5 Excellent, disturbing ***TOP PICK

22. Emotions Revealed by Paul Ekman 2 Not as much science or useful info as I had hoped

23. Cherry by Mary Karr 2 Started strong, became much less interesting

24. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris 4 Pretty good

25. The Tao of Poop by Vivian Elizabeth Glyck 4 amusing, could have been longer

26. Jemima J by Jane Green 4 Pretty good

27. Sleeping Arrangements by Madeline Wickham 3.5 Entertaining, but something missing.

28. The Gatecrasher by Madeline Wickham 3.5 Entertaining, but infuriating characters

29. The Things We Do For Love  by Kristin Hannah 4 Pretty good

30. Raising Cain: Protecting The Emotional Life of Boys by Dan Kindlon 3.5 Worth reading but could have gone much deeper

31. Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson 4 Pretty good

32. Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah 3.5 Worth reading but not as much substance as could have been

33. The Second Shift by Arlie Hoschild 2 Dated and overrated

34. The Crescent City Lynchings by Tom Smith 2 Disappointing

35. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain    5 Loved it  ***TOP PICK***

36. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 2 Well-written but too disturbing for my tastes

37. Becoming Attached by Robert Karen   3 Alright, more academic than anticipated

38. Bed Rest by Sarah Bilston  4 Pretty good

39. Mommy Tracked by Whitney Gaskell 3.5 Entertaining, but something missing.

40. As Hot As It Was You Ought To Thank Me by Nanci Kincaid 3 Alright

41. Watermelon by Marian Keyes 3 Writing style distracting, frustrating characters.

42. Dark Matter: The Private Life of Sir Isaac Newton   by Philip Kerr   2 Contrived and boring.

43. Thunderstruck by Erik Larson 2.5 More boring and drawn out than expected.

44. Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls 4.5 Very good  ***TOP PICK

45. Your Baby’s First Year by American Pediatric Association 4 Useful

46. The Girlfriends’ Guide To Surviving The 1st Year of Motherhood by Vicki Iovine 4.5 Very good  ***TOP PICK***

47. The Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin 3 Disappointing

48. The Second Nine Months by Vicki Glembocki 4 Would recommend to a mom-to-be

49. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See 3.5 Good, but hated the ending.

50. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry 3 Alright

51. The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner     4 Interesting

52. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 3 Overrated

53. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby 4.5 Very good, more unique than anticipated, almost exactly the same as the movie though

54. Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter 4 Pretty good

55. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 3 Alright

56. Diary of a Mad Mom-to-Be by Laura Wolf 4 Second time read

57. Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Ladvik 3.5 Much more depth than anticipated.

58. The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks     3 Overly ambitious

59. What To Expect The First Year by Heidi Murkoff 4 Useful

60. Baby 411 by Denise Fields   4 Useful

61. The Nursing Mother’s Companion by Kathleen Huggins 3 Disappointing

62. Me Of Little Faith by Lewis Black 3 Alright

63. Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner 3 Alright

64. From Dead To Worse by Charlaine Harris 4 Cute

65. F My Life by Maxine Valette et al      4 Hilarious

66. Scarlet Feather  by Maeve Binchy      2 Contrived and boring, too many characters.

67. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll 3 Alright

68. Eat, Pray, Love    by Elizabeth Gilbert 2.5 Overrated and mostly boring. 

69. Good Things I Wish You by A. Manette Ansay   2 Boring  

70. The Lacemakers of Glenmara  by Heather Barbieri 3.5 Worth reading but not a lot of substance

71. Look Again by Lisa Scottoline 4 Pretty good

72. The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison    3.5 Pretty good, not quite what I expected

What were YOUR top 5 books of 2010?