The Bests of 2010

I am unashamedly jumping on the bandwagon of besties of 2010 and thrills yet to come in 2011. Because even though I have not been reviewing here long, I have never met a book I did not yet like. Actually I met a few, but they were ones forced on me as a child when I was young and impressionable.

My Top Five Authors I already knew, loved and adored who had books come out in 2010…
(In depth reviews will come over the course of the next few months as I re-read them and wax lyrical for hours at anyone who’ll listen.)

Sarah Rees Brennan – The Demon’s Covenant (The Demon’s Lexicon Book 2)

I have been reading Sarah Rees Brennan since I was 14 and she was writing fan fiction, and now she is published and important, and instead of reading her writing on the internet, I can read it in a real live book with a pretty cover! Her writing is brilliant and funny and I want to steal all of her boys in the series  and run away with them. 

Holly Black – White Cat (Curse Breakers Book 1)
Holly Black continues to amaze and astound, and her new series is possibly her best yet. Set in a world where magic is bad, and you can curse someone by touching them, Cassel is doubly screwed by the fact that he comes from an old family of conmen who will do anything to come out on top.

Cassandra Clare – Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices Book 1)
I think I love Victorian shadow hunters even more than I love modern day shadow hunters. They are epic and more terrifying than ever – and love triangles galore! Sense the theme of Victorianism that appears to be pervading all of my reading… You know it’s good if I’m devoting so much of my time to it.

Maria V Snyder – Spy Glass (Opal Cowan Trilogy Book 3)
This is like Tamora Pierce but for grown ups. I still read Tamora Pierce, because I grew up on her and adores her – but Snyder fills in the big chunks that growing up and love and romance can leave in children’s fiction. I want to stay in this world forever, because it has castles and magic and romance and horses and chases and kidnappings and… I’ll review it properly later.

Julia Quinn – 10 Things I Love About You

Everyone has to have their fluff, and Julia Quinn is mine. Regency romance is something every girl should have in her arsenal after a stressful day at work. They got me through my A levels, my degree, and now work.I love them, and all their fluff filled ways.

Top Five New Discoveries of 2010 that I shall covet for years to come
And oh my word did 2010 throw some awesome stuff at me. Again, anything that has not yet been reviewed shall receive a review once I’ve got through the stack of new books by my bed.

Deanna Raybourn – Lady Julia Grey Series
As you may have already guessed from my review of Dark Road to Darjeeling below, I adore this series, and this author. I discovered them at a challenging point this year, and they have kept me company many times since.

 Gail Carriger – Parasol Protectorate Series

Oh my word I may faint from how delicious these books are. My first true foray into steampunk, and it was a fabulous one. Dirigibles, vampires, werewolves, tea, treacle tart? And a heroine who not only has a parasol but knows how to use it?! Oh my…

L J Smith – Vampire Diaries Series
Whilst the TV series is based on the books, it’s quite loosely based, so loving the tv show, did not diminish or hinder my love of the books. They are the first books to truly terrify me in a long time, and once I got over the fact that there are people who so do not exist in the tv show, and people missing entirely from the books, I realized to hell with it, these are two incredible pieces in their own right, and I’m completely hooked. Now if only what's happening on the cover could please happen in the show or the book, I would be a truly happy lady.

Ali McNamara – From Notting Hill with Love… Actually
I love it. I love it I love it I love it I love it. See review posted earlier this month. All I can say is her debut novel is fabulous, and I cannot wait for the next one. 

Belle De Jour – The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl
I have yet to find someone who has not loved these books. They are a dirty little secret that I love.  There is no fluffiness, no romance, no pretty little ties to all the threads of the story at the end. It’s real life, and it’s not pretty or neat – it’s downright sordid when you’re a call girl…

So what does 2011 hold for me? A lot of spending on books...

(The books I simply cannot wait to get my mitts on.)

Lauren Oliver – Delerium

Cat Clarke – Entangled

Jasper Fforde – One of Our Thursdays is Missing

Holly Black – Red Glove

Julia Quinn – Just Like Heaven

Cassandra Clare – City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments Book 4)

L. J. Smith – The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Midnight

Sarah Rees Brennan – The Demon’s Surrender

Gail Carriger – Heartless (Parasol Protectorate Book 4)

Deanna Raybourn – The Dark Enquiry (Lady Julia Grey Book 4)

Carrie Jones – Entice

Simon Van Booy – Everything Beautiful Began After

So what have your big reads of 2010 been? And what are you most excited about for 2011? Sound off in the comments below.