In Preparation for the Inevitable End of the Year List 2011, here's a look back to 2010

Here's the TFB "Best of..." list for 2010.  The list for 2011 is shaping up, but won't be as long as it has been in the past.

As with 2009's list, my reading for 2010 was hampered quite a few times by serious reading lulls. Some were caused by the distractions of everyday life and work, others were caused by an apparent lack of interest, on my part, in anything I picked up from the library. Book after book failed the 50-page test.

Then, when I finally did have long spells of greedy reading, when everything appealed to me, when the library just couldn't get books-on-hold to me quickly enough, then I was often too busy devouring books to write posts about them.

I'm feeling fortunate that there were, in the end, so many good books for me to add to this list. And I apologize profusely for the books listed here with an (NR) after them--NR referring to the dreaded "Not reviewed on this site" status of said book. NR should not be taken to mean anything other than I-truly-enjoyed-this-book-but-could-not-find-the-time-to-do-it-justice-in-a-review-and-I-highly-recommend-it-so-here's-a-review-from-elsewhere-to-make-up-for-my-lack-of-ambition.

Here we go!

Literary Nonfiction: I'm not exactly sure what genre Geoff Dyer's book fits into, so I'm calling it Literary Nonfiction.

But Beautiful: A Book About Jazz by Geoff Dyer

Memoirs: It is odd for me to have this listed as a category in and of itself, but suffice it to say that my usual lack of enthusiasm for this genre has been tested by some very fine examples of what this genre should be.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

Just Kids by Patti Smith

A Moveable Feast: The Restored Edition by Ernest Hemingway (NR)

Test Ride on the Sunnyland Bus: A Daughter's Civil Rights Journey (NR)

Literary Fiction: The short list in this category is indicative of my struggles to find novels that really pulled me in during 2010. Normally I'd have to be brutal in trimming the list to a manageable size.

Mink River by Brian Doyle

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barberry

Book of Clouds by Chloe Aridjis

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (NR)

• I intend to write a review of this one because it's a novel that people seem to either love or hate. I truly loved this novel and want to review it so the "haters" can see what I saw in it. A positive review may not change their minds, but maybe they'll at least be able to see ole Olive in a new light.

Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (NR)

Biography:

Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor by Brad Gooch

Young Adult Literature: Don't be fooled by the "Young Adult" here. This novel is terrific for adults, too.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Stopping By....

I'm still here, folks. It's been a busy, busy couple of months, but things will be calming down soon. Posts will be resuming...I hope in a matter of days. Fingers crossed, and all that.

Thanks for your patience.

Good Ole Tomes for Long Winter Nights

We've finally entered best season for getting locked into a long, heavy book with a captivating story. Here are a few of my favorite Good Ole Tomes, perfect for settling in with on a long winter's evening. Stories like these  are the best cure for cabin fever:

Ahab's Wife or, The Star Gazer by Sena Jeter Naslund (included in a post on several worthy novels)

Away by Amy Bloom
Cold Mountain by Charles Frasier
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer  (all three collectively reviewed here)

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susannah Clarke

The Known World by Edward P. Jones

The Little Book by Selden Edwards

These are a few contemporary Tomes that I've read over the past few years, but winter is also perfect for the Ole Classics: novels by Dickens, the Bronte Sisters, Jack London.... Maybe even a little Shakespeare thrown in for good measure.