Favorites of 2010 .... let's see .... I've read a lot of Agatha Christie this year. She's fantastic. I can never guess how her books will end.

I also discovered David Eddings this year. His Belgariad was amazing.

Narrowing down the list .... .... I'll say Belgarath the Sorcerer by David Eddings (he has a great sense of humor and writes fantastic fantasy!), The Once and Future King by T.H. White (epic re-telling of the King Arthur legends), and Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie.

I liked Mallory's Le Morte d'Arthur, too, but it won't make my favorite list. It's an incredible story, but you need to have a big vocabulary (or a dictionary) to understand said story. I do enjoy books that make me think, but not that hard.

Books I didn't like in 2010 .... Dear John, by Nicholas Sparks; The Last Song, also by Sparks. I don't really hate him -- it's just that what I've read of his has been sappy and predictable. Oh, and I didn't like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

My Current To-Read In 2011 List:

The Mallorean by David Eddings .... and whatever else he's written.

Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis (I started it last week, so I'm technically finishing it in 2011. )

The Song of the Lionness series and The Immortals quartet by Tamora Pierce.

Beastly, by Alex Flinn.

And whatever other wonderful suprises I may discover!

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

Curious about this myself. Never read the book, but the movie was quite good so I'd assume the book is as well.

THERE'S A MOVIE??? You just made my day!

Narnian1, I only read the first chapter (maybe two?) of Water for Elephants and was given the very strong impression that it was not my kind of book. A story about a young male elephant waterer, a nude dancer/female stripper, and somebody who got hit with a shovel written in unimpressive prose doesn't really fill me with anything positive. (Okay. So, I probably would have pushed ahead and finished the book despite all that but when I reached the first very explicit scene I was like, NO. I returned the book to the library and then went and soaked my head in a bucket of ice water. )
I know a lot of people who like Peter Pan as well. I really couldn't get into it. I spent most of the book being weirded out or else horrified at Peter Pan the Little Demon.

Orious, I applaud your decision!

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

I'd heard a lot about it before reading, that it's considered a classical detective story. It didn't really live up to all that hype, to be honest. The characters were very interesting. But the mystery was mediocre, and the solution was too far-fetched from my tastes. But I've enjoyed several other of Ms. Christie's mysteries, though.

Here's my TO READ list for 2011:
Henty Books
Balentyne (sp?) Books

Have you read any of their books before?

I just started reading "1984" by George Orwell at the advice of my sister and cousin. I'm a little over half way done with it. What a dark, dreary, depressing book!

(if anyone comments, please please don't spoil the ending for me. I know you guys are pretty good about the spoilers so this is just an extra reminder.)

It's a highly influential and thought-provoking book but I can't say I enjoyed it either.

Honestly, if someone genuinely enjoyed 1984, I'd be a bit worried about them.

Narnian1, I only read the first chapter (maybe two?) of Water for Elephants and was given the very strong impression that it was not my kind of book. A story about a young male elephant waterer, a nude dancer/female stripper, and somebody who got hit with a shovel written in unimpressive prose doesn't really fill me with anything positive.

Oh wow. I had no idea this was all in it!!
I saw the trailer for the movie, it looks good- so I figured I'd read the book. Already bought it too. Well, I'll still give it a read but I can totally understand why you wouldn't read it.

Honestly, if someone genuinely enjoyed 1984, I'd be a bit worried about them.

So would I. It's though provoking and well written, but it's not the sort of book you enjoy

The Mallorean by David Eddings .... and whatever else he's written.

I suggest The Elenium. That and The Mallorean are my favourite works by him.

[Murder on the Orient Express] didn't really live up to all that hype, to be honest.

My thoughts exactly. But while Princess of Glass wasn't exactly thrilling I wouldn't have gone so far as to put it on the worst books list. What did you find particularly objectionable about it?

Adeona, I have read Hunted and Harried and The Coral Island by Balentyne and just barely started The Cat of Bubastes a while ago...but my sis is using them for our History (we're home schooled) so I'll be doing a lot of reading them this year I 'spect!

Lu

*edit* The last book is by Henty, I think.

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

The best book that I read last year would probably be The Virginian, or maybe The King of Attolia. I'm having trouble remembering what all I read last year, but those were two that stuck out as being really good.

The worst book that I read last year would probably be Green by Ted Dekker. It was weird, unsatisfying, and a poor addition to the Circle series.

As for what all I'm planning to read this year, I really don't know. If I think about it some more, I could probably come up with some that I've been meaning to read, but no titles are immediately jumping to mind. However, I think I have decided on a reading goal for the year; assuming that it takes me an average of three days to read a book, then I can potentially read 120 books this year... and I think I'm going to try it! Yep, I'm nuts.

I finished The Iron Lance yesterday, and I would rate it as fair. The overall story was good, but the ending left something to be desired. There was also the issue that I mentioned before, which had a rather souring effect on the way I viewed the rest of the book.
Edit: Just looked it up, and discovered that there are two more books in the series, so that explains why I thought the ending was lacking. I don't know if I'll be reading them or not.

@ Mel, that was also what I disliked most about Hood. If it wasn't for that, it would probably be on my favorites list. There's some similar issues with Scarlet, but Tuck was thankfully free of them, which is probably why it is my favorite in the series.

I've just started Taliesin, the first book in the Pendragon Cycle, and I'll let you know what I think of it when I'm done.

--- flambeau

What's the Pendragon cycle? And does anyone know what Eragon is? Book or movie, or both?

Lu

Honestly, if someone genuinely enjoyed 1984, I'd be a bit worried about them.

So would I. It's though provoking and well written, but it's not the sort of book you enjoy

Exactly.

Oh, and I thought of another d word to describe it: dismal.