Goodreads 2010: My Favorite Books

This Christmas, between the four of us, we added 33 new books to our overflowing bookshelves, and then returned from a short trip to Virginia on Thursday with 10 more new books!

One of my goals for 2010 was to read more books and review them — including ebooks and sampling new genres and authors — and even though I only managed to read 20 books and my to-read-pile is twice as large as it was last January (not counting a slew of public domain ebook classics), it was a pretty good year of reading for me.

While my preferences lean heavily towards genre fiction and graphic novels, I’m a pretty eclectic reader, open to trying just about anything as long as the hype isn’t too much to live up to (eg: it will be a long time before I read Freedom or The Passage.) I’m not a big bestseller, hardcover or literary fiction reader, though, and have only started to embrace ebooks recently, so most of what I read is unlikely to appear on any mainstream “Best of 2010” lists.

Of those 20 books, these five stand out as especially remarkable and highly recommended, listed in the order I read them:

You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto by Jaron Lanier

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

YOU ARE NOT A GADGET is the 21st Century’s AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH, shining a bright light on the dark side of Web 2.0, “open culture” and the dehumanizing effects of technology for technology’s sake. Jaron Lanier is a thought-provoking genius and his manifesto is a must-read, especially for my digitally minded publishing colleagues.

Finch by Jeff VanderMeer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A bizarre, brutal mix of noir and fantasy that hits all the right notes; leaves you breathless, wanting more.

I can’t really do FINCH justice, so read Hindmarch’s review which sums up my own thinking on it: http://wordstudio.net/thegist/?p=1668

The Black Minutes by Martin Solares

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Calling The Black Minutes, Martin Solares’ debut novel, a “quixotic adventure” is an understatement; it features a compelling cast of colorful characters and his loose, almost stream-of-consciousness style reminded me a bit of Richard Price’s excellent Lush Life. I’m not sure if it’s a real genre, but halfway through I began referring to it as Tropical Noir, though Solares’ emphasis on vivid characters and imagery over plot makes it all feel more literary than you’d typically expect from noir.

A great, if somewhat challenging read, and recommended for fans of literary detective novels.

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In ZEITOUN, Dave Eggers does an excellent job of weaving Abdulrahman and Kathy Zeitoun’s compelling backstories and Katrina experiences together, shaded by post-9/11 xenophobia, and delivers a powerful documentary of what will most likely be looked back upon by history as one of this country’s most tragic eras/errors.

In its final pages, I was most struck by the proverbial banality of evil and the limited resiliency of the human spirit. When I first heard about this book, I fully expected to be infuriated after reading it, but it simply left me feeling something more like a deep, hollow sadness.

Tumor by Joshua Hale Fialkov

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Joshua Fialkov delivers a solid noir with a Christopher Nolan meets Quentin Tarantino vibe, and as with their excellent Elk’s Run, Noel Tuazon nails the atmospheric tone with his sketchy, gritty visuals. Their lead, Frank Armstrong, is a sympathetic character put through the wringer, and the bittersweet ending satisfies.

The book itself is another great package by Archaia, from the ragged edges of the thick, off-white paper stock, to the multiple extras, including a tight short story that fleshes out one of the key sub-plots of the main story. Recommended!

View all my reviews at Goodreads.

What were some of your goodreads of last year?

Written by Guy LeCharles Gonzalez

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez is the Chief Content Officer for LibraryPass, and former publisher & marketing director for Writer’s Digest. Previously, he was also project lead for the Panorama Project; director, content strategy & audience development for Library Journal & School Library Journal; and founding director of programming & business development for the original Digital Book World.

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