I've also read Leviathan and I don't think it has a Girl Power vibe.

Good. It wasn't a rampant theme, only the occasional whiff, I thought. Nothing major!

Not entirely sure why that would be a problem unless it was obvious that male characters and only the males were being degraded character-wise specifically to make the female character look better. Then it's just as sexist as the books in which the females are useless.

Well, to begin with, it's not an actual problem, necessarily. Just annoying and distracting in large amounts. And it's not necessary for the guys to be degraded. If the ladies are unusually close to perfect, have tons of adventures, and save the day, while the gentlemen are on the sidelines cheering them on, or act as side-kicks, then it's Girl Power. The guys can still be brave and chivalrous, but if they don't do anything but watch, what's the point?

I am enjoying The Silver Branch a lot - Justin is a very likable character - almost an "Everyman" His POV is interesting; for one because he is more of a follower to his Centurion cousin Flavius, whereas most of Sutcliff's characters are the leader of their story - e.g. Marcus in Eagle of the Ninth, Aquila in The Lantern Bearers, Alexios in Frontier Wolf. It's a fascinating reversal.

Three questions: what's the best book you read in 2010? What's the worst?What is on your to-read for 2011?

For me, the best books are Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett, God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde, and Going Postal by Terry Pratchett.

The worst were Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen ( which I did not finish), Wicked by Gregory Maguire (which I didn't finish), The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss, Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, and The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells.

A few books I want to read in 2011 are Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, The Club of Queen Trades by G.K. Chesterton, one of Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, and one of Jane Austen's books (going to give her a second try).

My worst book of 2010 was I Am Number Four, which was so excruciatingly bad that I couldn't finish it. I haven't come across a YA book so painful to read since I read The Dangerous Days of Daniel X. That one made me want to claw my eyes out.

Best book of 2010 goes to a tie between The Lost Conspiracy and A Conspiracy of Kings.

In 2011 my goal is to read the works of Jane Austen and Unfinished Tales.

So is it like star wars?

I'm afraid I can't help you here since, I haven't yet read Star Wars, but I should tell you that The Space Trilogy, unlike Narnia, is aimed more at adults.

and yes you're right about the difference between sci-fi and fantasy, events in sci-fi books/movies are explained logically and scientifically, so that its possible that it could happen. Fantasy revolves more around the magical and miraculous in that things do not get, and often cannot be explained in a way that makes them possible. They are I believe closely related and many books in one genre will contain elements of the other. Some series, like The Dragonriders of Pern, will have books in both genres.

The Space Trilogy is nothing like Star Wars.

The first - Out of the Silent Planet, is like a H.G. Wells' novel.
The second - Perelandra, reads a bit like the first few chapters of Genesis but on another planet.
The third and final - That Hideous Strength, is like a Charles Williams' novel with some John Milton and a dash of H.P. Lovecraft.

I didn't reach my book target for the year, but I'm not too sad about it because I did tackle a lot of non-fiction which I read slower. I'm probably going to aim to do the same this year - quality not quantity I guess

My best book of 2010, hmm... I read a lot of books I really enjoyed this year, some highlights would be The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides, Contact by Carl Sagan, O, Pioneers! by Willa Cather, The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers.

My worst was probably Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. I really wanted to like it but it was just a let down, luckily it was an easy read or I probably wouldn't have finished it.

This year I want to continue with the non-fiction kick I was on, I've got several popular science books lined up. I also want to read more of Virginia Woolf's work.

At the moment I'm reading Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut, it's one of those books I've always felt I should read but never got round to. It's excellent, but I find I can't stomach a lot it at a time. It's not overly graphic, but Vonnegut does an amazing job of invoking the hopelessness of WW2.

I really need some good books to read. I'm trying to find something that isn't too heavy but isn't too light either. Maybe I'll ask my English teacher for some suggestions.

I hope to go back and finish "The Sunne in Splendor" which I started but had to put down due to school work and other things.

I'm also planning on reading "Conspiracy of Kings" so I'm glad you really liked it Bookwyrm.

I read a lot fo non-fiction in 2010 so I plan on reading more fiction this year.

The best (new to me) fiction books I read last year were: Knife by R. J. Anderson and In Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson. Best non-fiction would go to Dale Carnagie's On Public Speaking.

I looked through my list of books, but I can't really pinpoint any that I took a violent dislike to.

*tries to remember her readings over 2010*

I think some of my favorites were... (or simply the best things I read)

Revolutionary Road
The Virgin Suicides
Cracks
Never Let Me Go
Sisters Red
Spinning Straw into Gold (nonfiction)
Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution (nonfiction)
Scarlett Fever
The Sea Captain's Wife
The Happiness Project (nonfiction)
Reviving Ophelia (nonfiction)
Girls Will be Girls (nonfiction)
The Gallagher Girls series
Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters

Whew. I've read a lot over the past year, but looking back those are the ones that really stand out, as stuff that I will enjoy for years and years to come.

It turns out I read a total of 65 books this year! A lot more than I thought.
Of course, mostly light-weights compared to what you all are listing!

Top Favorites:
The Lantern Bearers (re-read)
The King of Attolia
And then there were None

Disappointments:
A Northern Light
Princess of Glass
Murder on the Orient Express

Book List for 2011 includes:
Read at least one more Austen.
Re-read Jane Eyre prior to possibly seeing the new movie
Till We Have Faces

The worst were Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen ( which I did not finish), Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie.

I loved Peter Pan, I used to read it frequently. Haven't read since I was a kid though. Still enjoy the two and a half movies I have of it though.

Water for Elephants, interesting. I am planning on reading that book very soon. The movie I think looks good. Surprisingly two of my friends are also getting ready to read it. I hope I like it.

Adeona, any reason you didn't enjoy Murder on the Orient Express?

The Space Trilogy is nothing like Star Wars.

That's good! By the way Star Wars are movies, though they have been novelized, I do believe.

The first - Out of the Silent Planet, is like a H.G. Wells' novel.
The second - Perelandra, reads a bit like the first few chapters of Genesis but on another planet.
The third and final - That Hideous Strength, is like a Charles Williams' novel with some John Milton and a dash of H.P. Lovecraft.

Heehee, the only thing I recognize is Genesis! Haven't read the others... Will probably give them a try!

Here's my TO READ list for 2011: (off of the top of my head, some are repeats)

Sergent York and the Great War
The Narnia Books
The Lord of the Rings Books *gulp!*
Little Women, Parts 1 and 2
Jo's Boys
Little Men
Henty Books
Balentyne (sp?) Books

Will have to see how these go...I've been known not to fulfill these kinds of things...and to be rather aspiring when I write them...

Lu

Yes, I realise Star Wars were originally movies. You're the one who brought up the comparison!

I know...it's just you said you'd never "read" Star Wars... Haha, that's funny though! BTW I am sometimes surprised (though it's been less than 1 + 1/2 years for me) that people haven't seen LotR, so I thought you'd just never heard of/ seen Star Wars.

Lu