The Best of 2010

2010 proved to be a successful year for the book industry and bookworms alike. There were award winners made of some surprising wins in the Manbooker and Orange Book Prizes, the Channel 4 book club had plenty for us to choose from and as an extra surprise Richard and Judy returned to run W.H Smith’s book club. E-readers advanced with more functionality and even the new iPad proved we could store our books on a shelf without taking up all of our study . Throughout the year the bestseller list was dominated with Stieg Larsson’s trilogy and although they were some of the most read books by the public I give you the Reader, I read It top 3 from 2010.

3. It was a horrifying tale that kept you gripped throughout but the jaw dropping account of Wedlock: How Georgian Britain’s Worst Husband Met His Match did more than tell the horrific tale but gave us women something to be glad about living in a more equal society. Wendy Moore presents the true story of the girl who had everything, wealth, looks, personality and a family who doted on her. After an unsuccessful first marriage Mary Eleanor Bowes fell into the trap of a dashing young solider called Andrew Robinson Stony who married her for her fortune and was determined to make her life more than a misery. The book takes your breath away in astonishment at how Stony could be so cunning and cruel and in a time when women’s rights were unheard of you realise the enormity of what Eleanor endured and in the end, achieved.

Moore’s account of this interesting and disturbing relationship draws on eye witness accounts, court details and personal letters providing you with a book that reads more like a sensation novel than reality but is ultimately an intriguing insight into the social history of the Georgian Era.

2. Every reader will have experienced those precious but sad moments the last page can bring when the time has come to leave the characters and their world behind you.  The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale, is one of those books. Beautifully written in present tense the effect has you transported back to 18th Century London where you follow Agnes around the busy, noisy streets. It is an exciting place full of interesting characters but there is also a strong sense of injustice and death surrounding the city. This is captured in a dedication at the start which reads `With thoughts spared for all those condemned to death by hanging at Tyburn.’ Shortlisted for the 2010 Orange Award for New Writers, Borodale sadly missed out on winning the prize but with such a strong debut novel there can only be more to look forward to from the pen of this upcoming author.

1. Number one from 2010 had to be the fantastic One Day by David Nicholls. 15th July 1988 begins Emma and Dexter’s journey on the same day for 20 years. From Graduation day, we follow the highs and lows, the touching moments, the bitter arguments, the successes, the failures, the love, the loss, ultimately becoming completely engrossed. This is not a soppy romance novel but instead a heart-warming and realistic account of surviving adulthood. Nicholls proves he can tell a tale that can move from extremely funny to extremely emotional, effortlessly.

After an amazing year of reading in 2010 we can now look forward for another great year for books in 2011.

What was your great read of 2010? Share your thoughts in the comment below.