2010's Top Books

It's really difficult for me to narrow down my favorite books from the year to just ten selections. These are books that I really enjoyed, not books that were necessarily released in 2010. In fact, I do not believe a single one of my favorite books from the year was new in 2010. The ones that most stood out in my mind are a combination of travel narratives (one of my favorite genres), fashion/ clothing books, literature, and uplifting tales.

"Moon Tiger" by Penelope Lively. I'm making my way through the entire list of Man Booker recipients. I am so glad that I read this one! It is an incredibly moving and poignant tale about life, loss, and love. It's one of my all-time favorite books.

"The Language of Clothes" by Alison Lurie. While a little dated now, this book still offers wonderful insight into why people wear what they wear and what that ultimately means. It also affirms the importance of dress as a means of the signification of identity, something that I find very compelling.

"Conversations with Picasso" by Brassaï. The photographer Brassaï has been one of my greatest academic interests lately. I love the way he captured the demimonde of Paris, while still attracting the attention of high fashion magnates like Carmel Snow. In reading "Conversations with Picasso," the idea for a PhD dissertation was born.

"The Forgotten Garden" by Kate Morton. Australian writer Morton perfectly weaved together an unforgettable tale about a person's mysterious past. All of the details unraveled throughout the book in incredible ways. I can't wait to read it again.

"Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China," Paul Theroux. Theroux is by far my favorite travel writer. Yes, he is a bit of a curmudgeon with some rather acerbic comments regarding life in America (among other things), but his thoughtful travel accounts never cease to astound me- or make me wish that I had been along for the ride.

"The Years" by Virginia Woolf. Virginia is one of my top two favorite writers (along with Iris Murdoch), so I've been making my way through her complete works. "The Years" is definitely one of my favorites. I love how she told not only the history of the Pargiters, but the history of London, too. This annotated edition is also absolutely beautiful.

"All Passion Spent" by Vita Sackville-West. After reading so many books by Virginia, I thought it was time to explore something by her lover, Vita. I was not disappointed with this book. I found it extremely uplifting and inspiring. I even wrote a blog post on it!

"The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England" by Ian Mortimer. This book was so entertaining and fun to read that I almost forgot it was non-fiction. If you love learning about the history of England, or if you just love history, you'll adore this book.

"Istanbul: Memories and the City" by Orhan Pamuk. Pamuk's memoir was part travel narrative and part autobiography. He blended the two elements together seamlessly and, in doing so, educated the reader on his own path to becoming a writer and Istanbul's path in becoming a world-class destination. This book also made me very eager to visit Istanbul- something my sister and I plan to do in the near future.

"Seeing Through Clothes" by Anne Hollander. I love art and fashion, and this book was a perfect combination of the two subjects. Hollander's fascinating book gave me some wonderful ideas and encouraged me to add art history to my academic repertoire.

Happy reading!

(**all images from amazon.com**)