Favorite Books of 2010

2010 is coming to an end, and so is our first year of existence. We've read and reviewed 66 books over the course of the year, some amazing, some awful, some just average. I believe now is a good time to say which were the best reads of this year. Some were published this year, most were not. We just lay our hands on them during 2010. Without further ado, our top-5 reads of the year :

Aithen's favorite books of 2010

5.

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray

Wych-kin, similar to what we call demons, run all over London. It is up to Thaniel Fox to rid the city of them. On one of his hunting trips, he encounters a young woman, Alaizabel Cray. I especially loved the world created.

4.


The Alienist
Laszlo Kreisler investigates a series of gruesome murders, all committed on young prostitute boys. He explores the psychology of the murderer in search of clues. What I preferred in this one is the complexity of the plot - every page was more complicated than the last.

3.


Incarceron
Stuck in an alive prison, Finn tries to escape its grasp. Meanwhile, outside the prison, Claudia, the daughter of Incarceron's, the alive prison's, warden, is trying to escape a marriage to a boy she despises. Though at the time, I hadn't given it a very high rating, Incarceron marked me. I can't wait to read the sequel, I've already ordered it!

2.


Feed
People have a chip inside their head that constantly gives them the latest updates on everything - fashion, games, vacation locations. Titus, a normal teenager, meets Violet, a young girl who rather dislikes her feed and the capitalist society that comes with it. There was so much emotion in this book, it overflowed. The world was frightening, yet amazing.

1.

Unwind
In a world where troublesome children, orphans and tithes can be unwound (have all their organs removed and donated), three Unwinds, Connor, Lev and Risa are running from their fate. The horrifying scenes and terrifying world in this book were what made Unwind memorable for me - I still think of them sometimes and cringe.

Beryl's favorite books of 2010

5.

The Hunger Games

In Panem, every year, two children from twelve districts are chosen to compete against each other in an arena. The last person alive wins. The Hunger Games has a message, and this message is very clear. It is the perfect presentation of humans' cruelty and of how some people see many things as simple games that they watch from high above. It is the start of a good trilogy, but it's the best of all three books.

4.

Noughts and Crosses

In a world where the white are persecuted and the black rule the world, and where both races are not supposed to mingle, Callum and Sephy struggle to love each other. This book really brings in a fresh point of view and slaps discrimination in our faces. It is true and tragic, and I recommend it to all young adults.

3.

The Lovely Bones

Susie Salmon was murdered on December 6, 1973, after being raped. It's from her gazebo in heavens that she tells the story of how her family survives her loss and how life goes on. I had trouble putting this book down. It was filled with so many emotions it brought me to tears. It is a beautiful story that proves that after the greatest tragedy, not all is lost and that life keeps on going...

2.

The Book Thief

In Nazi Germany, Liesel Meminger, a little girl adopted by a foster family, starts an amazing love affair with books and words. I will always remember this book for its wonderful characters and truthfulness, and how Zusak succeeded in showing a side of Nazi Germany that I didn't know. Told by the point of view of Death and written in a very original way, this is a must read.

1.

The Garden of Everlasting Spring

One of the most beautiful and inspiring stories I ever read. It is the tale of the Laguna women who struggle against their curse of unhappy love throughout many generations. The characters are memorable and deep, and the writing is elegant and extremely rich. This book is for all who crave true love.

Happy New Year! And our best wishes for the upcoming year. May you read as much as you want!

The Graveyard Book

After his family was murdered, a little boy wanders into a graveyard, where the ghosts decide to let him live with them and protect him from the murderer still searching for hi. Raised by spirits, the boy, named Nobody, will stay with his adoptive parents and guardians until he reaches manhood.

I got a lot of money for Christmas (people never know what to get me, so they opt for gift cards for book shops), and The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, is the first book I bought with my new (and temporary) riches. Wonderful, wonderful book, in all aspects, and even if it's sometimes labelled as a children's book, it's much more than that.

First of all, I had never personally seen a story about a child being raised by ghosts, in a graveyard. Sure, there are lots of ghost stories out there, but this one struck me as truly unique, and was well enough executed to excuse any resemblances to other novels.

The characters are amazing. Bod, short for Nobody, is growing up in a graveyard. Obviously, he's different from the other children, and Gaiman really has the trick to make his characters believable. Bod really grows throughout the novel, and has an amazing depth I can only admire. The crew of ghosts and spirits that raises Bod is also very diversified, and though none of them are as well developed as Bod himself, they are all unique.

The way this story was written was in a series of short stories, memorable moments of Bod's childhood. Most of them don't have much of a link between them, but that doesn't really matter. The tales of Bod's life are all equally adorable and they all draw you into the story. What I really liked, though, was how even though each story could stand alone, there was an actual plot : Jack wants, needs, to kill Bod. It was introduced in the first chapter, and concluded in the last, each story bringing its own contribution to the evolution of the story.

The only thing this book lacked was explanation. The book raised many, many questions, and hardly any of them were actually answered. Who is the Honour Guard, what do they do, how did they come to be? Where do the Jacks of All Trades come from, what is their purpose, who prophesied their death? I wish the book had provided answers to all these questions and more.

Overall, even though many side stories and plots in the book were left hanging, I thought it was a wonderful book. I didn't stop reading for an instant once I opened it. I read on the ride home, on the sofa, on the other sofa when my brother pushed me out of the TV room. I read it in a single sitting, and I couldn't have put it down if I had wanted to. I recommend it to everyone, young and old. It has the power to charm any reader, even if the years during which they were Bod's age are far, far away. After all, this childhood tale is, as Neil Gaiman said himself, also one about parenting.

-Aithen

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Rating : 9/10

A Thousand Splendid Suns

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years, from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding, that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives, the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness, are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

The very first issue I had with this book was that I didn't like reading about a woman that is married against her will and that is afterward beaten for various reasons and trapped in an unhappy marriage. Because this is also the story of many real women, I felt bad and didn't enjoy reading the first few chapters. I nevertheless pushed myself and made it to the end rather satisfied.

I picked up A Thousand Splendid Suns mainly because I wanted to learn something new. This book is rich in history and culture of Afghanistan, and I'm glad it enlightened me.

This is the story of Mariam and Laila who survive the many conflicts in Afghanistan and also the hardships of their marriage to the same man, Rasheed, your typical cruel husband who beats and reduces the freedom of his wives. It's the story of how, despite those hardships, they create a family and find happiness after many years of death and war.

The book is written in the point of view of Mariam and Laila, and alternates between the two. The plot itself is quite good, but to me most of the characters seemed flat, at the beginning especially. There isn't much I could say about any of them. They aren't memorable characters, either, and got better only towards the ending of the book. Look how short my review is! I really don't have much to say about it. It is a book that will be appreciated for the mass of information it contains, for its message and meaning, but not for the characters.

I think this story should be read for the context and history it presents. It definitively has something to teach, but I consider A Thousand Splendid Suns as the kind of book that is only good to read if you want to get a good portrait of some chunk of history: The characters are flat, the writing style is simple and uninspiring, and so all you pay attention to or remember after the read is the drama and the moral.

-Beryl

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Rating: 7,7/10

Books that will become movies : Incarceron

Incarceron's review is here

No. I can't believe it.

And that was supposed to sound really, really depressed and annoyed.

So Fox 2000 is going to make a movie out of Incarceron. Super! I loved that book. I hope it'll follow the book's plot enough for me to appreciate it. I'm also anxious for Sapphique to come out in Canada, so I can buy it. I'm literally counting down days, and there are 5 left.


But guess who's been casted as Finn.


Taylor Launtner.

THIS GUY. -->

TAYLOR LAUNTNER. THE WEREWOLF DUDE THAT JUST SHOWED OFF HIS BODY FOR THE TWILIGHT SAGA.


That just ruined it for me. He hasn't proven he can act, and he doesn't even fit the role! Finn isn't supposed to be over-the-top gorgeous (I don't think Taylor Launtner is gorgeous, but the fangirls do), he's an awkward misfit that looks ugly compared to his buddy.



Whatever. I'll go see it anyways, and review it anyways, but right now, I am so.pissed.off. I had high expectations for this book, the book itself fulfilled them, but THIS? I guess I'll have to wait to see the movie to really judge it, but I can hardly believe they actually casted Taylor Launtner as Finn. Ugh.

Zombies vs. Unicorns

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths—for good and evil—of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

Aithen's Review

This was a pretty awesome anthology, to say the least.

I adore zombies (though as a kid, I was a fervent believer that unicorns existed and would be back to save the world - some day), and I was already 100% team zombie before I even started reading this anthology. But that didn't stop me from loving many team unicorn stories (even if the zombies were better, in the end).

Something I really loved is the little introductions Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier gave before each story. They were really funny, and it was cute to see them argue about which kind of mythical creature was best.

It was amazing to see all the different stories that could be done with the theme. Every single one was different, even if a zombie or unicorn had to play a main part. They were all quite different, and that is what made every single story interesting.

Of course, I won't review every single story in the book, but I'll tell you the highlights of my read:

- The Children of the Revolution, by Maureen Johnson
A seriously deranged story that sent shivers down my spine. My favourite story of all. No story can even start to amaze me as much as this one. I had never heard of the author before, but I am definitely hunting down more of her books with my Christmas money.

- The Care and Feeding of your Baby Killer Unicorn, by Diana Peterfreund
A really amazing unicorn story. Killer unicorns? Count me in! This story was really, really cool, and the best of the unicorn stories. If all unicorn stories were as good as this one, maybe my unconditional zombie love would've wavered. Maybe.

- Inoculata, by Scott Westerfeld
A strange spin on a zombie story. Zombie-human hybrids are extremely interesting, and the fact that the main love-story is between two girls just adds to the awesomeness.

- Princess Prettypants, by Meg Cabot
Absolutely hilarious, this story kept me laughing all through physics class (don't do like me, kids, reading in class is bad, bad bad XD). It was a caricature, really, of the sparkling purple and white unicorns of our childhood, and it was exquisitely done, too. Another author I've never heard of and am going to read more from. (Okay, wait, scratch that. ALL her stories are sparkling-colorful-girlish stuff. Guhh. )

These stories could've given this book an easy 10. Sadly, some of them weren't as good (Like Cassandra Clare's Cold Hands. I was so disappointed with it, and I already didn't really like her books and wasn't expecting too much. Margo Lanagan's A Thousand Flowers actually disgusted me. Bestiality? With a unicorn? Uh, sorry, but no. Hating that.) and made me want to give this book a 6. That's the problem with anthologies, I guess. Some stories are amazing, some aren't, and you have to live with it. Overall, though, it was really excellent, and I recommend it to all zombie-, unicorn-, and fantasy-lovers out there.

What team will you be on? Zombie, or unicorn?

The awesome-tastic promotional video

-Aithen

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier
Rating : 8,5/10

Beryl's Review

I'll tell you which story I liked, and which I didn't.

Those that I liked:

Love Will Tear us Apart (Alaya Dawn Johnson): This story is told by the point of view of a zombie, which I found interesting, since no other story did this. All the thoughts and the mentality of the protagonist who is actually the zombie really gave a cool insight.

Purity Test (Naomi Novik): Hilariously ridiculous. It's the kind of story that is so silly you just love it.

The Children of the Revolution (Maureen Johnson): This story was funny, but I found it a bit generic. I know Maureen Johnson is a popular and good author, but I found her story a bit unoriginal. She took the base concept of zombies and made her characters turn into them. Let's say there was no new element. She didn't try to redo the concept of zombies in her own way. The reading was nevertheless good.

The Care and Feeding of your Baby Killer Unicorn (Diana Peterfreund): I think this one is my favorite. I just found it really fun to read and I couldn't wait to learn what happened to the baby unicorn.

Inoculata (Scott Westerfeld) : This story had an interesting concept, and kudos for the lesbian pairing.

Princess Prettypants (Meg Cabot): I laughed so hard while I read this. This story really made me pity and relate to the protagonist. It's another of my favorite stories.

The Third Virgin (Kathleen Duey): The story is told by the point of view of a unicorn, and so it's another interesting insight. Loved the ending.

Prom night (Libba Bray): Libba Bray has a usual succeeded in creating this atmosphere that makes the reader want to keep reading. Her short story really seemed like the beginning of an awesome novel. It only lacked a bit more of zombie action.

Those I didn't like

The Highest Justice (Garth Nix): Very dull, lack of characterization, and a mess overall. I browsed through it quickly instead of wasting my time reading it.

Bougainvillea (Carrie Ryan): It had a nice decor and setting, but the rest was boring.

A Thousand Flowers (MargoLlanagan): Somewhat weird. A failed attempt at creating a sort of fairytale with bestiality. What I hated most was that the story was told by the point of view of three persons, but in the 1st person. You don't write a few pages using the 1st person point of view, because it has the effect that the reader quickly gets attached to the narrator. If you kill the narrator off a few pages after, and switch to another person, the reader is destabilized. The transactions from person to person were also messy.

Cold hands (Cassandra clare): Boring. It's Cassandra Clare, after all.

-Beryl

Rating : 9/10 (if you don't count the bad stories)

The Book Thief

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

This is a magnificent story about the power of words set in Nazi Germany, where Death tells the tale of a little girl who started an affair with books that eventually saved her life.

The writing is rich and Zusak toys with the words like only the best authors do; those that write for the joy of doing so. He painted the book like you paint an artwork, but with the use of words alone. The story flows easily and the plot is ingenious while being very simple. It stretches on four years, from the moment Liesel Memminger meets her foster family until the 'end of the world' arrives. This book is filled with feelings. The reader can definitively not ignore them.

The characters are true and it is hard to let go of them. You do not love them at first sight. You grow to love them, and I think that is what makes them such good, strong and willing characters. What I loved the most about The Book Thief was of how the narrator was Death. It fits, I think, for after all, the World War II was all about death, and death had become man's best friend. But in this book, instead of having a cruel and merciless picture of the end itself, Death is afraid of humans, and is described in almost a gentle way. It makes me want to believe that when I die, it is this Death that I shall meet.

Zusak offers the reader a different perspective on Nazi Germany, one where more than one person despises Hitler and his doings, and where children see Hitler's Youth as boring. It never occurred to me that German children could see Hitler's Youth as boring, or even have the opportunity to think so. But here you have Rudy defying his Hitler's Youth leaders and Liesiel adopting the uncanny hobby of book stealing.

This book is truly beautiful, and on the way to become a classic. It is a must-read that you should have on your shelf.

-Beryl

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Rating: 9,8/10

The Explosionist

The Explosionist (formerly known as Dynamite No. 1) is the story of a 15-year-old girl growing up in an alternate version of 1930s Edinburgh. There, the legacy of Napoleon's victory a century earlier at Waterloo is a standoff between a totalitarian Federation of European States and a group of independent northern countries called the New Hanseatic League. This world is preoccupied with technology (everything from electric cookers to high explosives) but also with spiritualism, a movement our world largely abandoned in the early 20th Century; Sigmund Freud is a radio talk-show crank, cars run on hydrogen and the most prominent scientists experiment with new ways of contacting the dead.

I thought this book was rather ordinary, and definitely not worth all the excitement I had over reading it, and finding it with Beryl at the bookshop for 2$. Lets just say I understand why it was only 2$.

First of all, this was extremely hard to understand. And not in a mysterious, interesting way. In the sense that the author never gave explanations or descriptions of the main, important events. Dialogues were often downright cut out and resumed into a paragraph. It was always unclear to me what was happening.

The timeframe was also extremely unclear. Up until the 3rd chapter, I thought it happened today (when I finally discovered it was in the past, it was rather shocking, actually, and I thought it was in the 1950s). And then, I was absolutely convinced it was a normal world, with no spins on history, and I only had a hint that it was an alternate history when a whole chapter, the 5th, was completely devoted to History. Never assume your readers know everything you know. Never assume they know History as well as you do, because they don't. They haven't spent hours researching the subject. No, I didn't have the slightest idea that Napoleon had lost at Waterloo in our world, and won in theirs. These are things that need to be explained early on in the book, when writing science-fiction.

Sci-fi lesson 101 : Introduce your reader to the world you've created within the first page, ideally, because the reader always assumes everything is exactly like in his world unless proved wrong.

Some details appear at random, and that can be quite annoying. Like Sophie's carsickness that suddenly starts to manifest itself in the end, while throughout the whole book she rides around in cabs and trams and never feels the slightest bit queasy.

Finally, the technology gets way too strange. I could've accepted the fact that mediums and spirits could communicate easily and were quite common, if it had been on its own. I could've accepted the whole turning-teenage-girls-into-emotionless-zombies-thanks-to-technology on its own. But combined together, they make a strange mix. Plus, neither element is the centre of the story. By the way, the actual plot isn't really introduced or explained until the last chapters!

Despite all this, I thought it was a rather remarkable idea, and the whole concept was quite amazing, frankly. I never saw such a unique alternate history, neither one that had such a source. It was really quite a compelling idea. It was simply quite poorly executed.

I had no fun reading it, and it was actually a laborious read. I constantly had to stop reading to simply think at what the author meant, and even the greatest idea can't overcome the description problems. In the end, it kind of felt like a childish Spy-Kids kind of plot and book, and greatly disappointed me. Definitely could have been better.

- Aithen

The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson
Rating : 6/10