the first five books of 2010

1. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of the fantasy genre. But just because I sometimes like to contradict myself, I do really like Shannon Hale's books. Whenever I start one of her acclaimed young adult novels, I wonder if I'll ever get used to the medieval setting and the unusual character and place names, but the stories always pick up quickly and before I know it, I'm completely sucked in. I did enjoy this book, even though I felt at times that the basic plot was a little cliche. It's a good girl-power, coming of age story, and, as always, Hale's talent for writing and ability to tell a story well shines through.

2. Atonement by Ian McEwan
McEwan has a talent and style for writing that leaves me wishing I could write like that. He has this way of detailing everything so that you are drawn right into the center of the story, and the level with which he knows and describes the human emotions of his characters is both incredible and haunting. I found this book to be simultaneously beautiful and horrible, especially when the terrific plot twist at the very end is taken into consideration. Seriously, my jaw dropped. I enjoyed it, but I will warn you, though, that this book is not light reading and certainly not for morally-bound faint of heart. For more reasons than one, I consider this to be adult reading.

3. The Unbearable Lightness of Scones by Alexander McCall Smith
You may recall that last year I got hooked on McCall Smith's 44 Scotland Street series. This one was published in the U.S. this month, and I was lucky enough to snag the first library copy. The fifth installment in the series did not disappoint. In fact, it was even more charming, perhaps due to the fact that by now the characters have been so well developed that it's easier to have more fun with them. The serial novel style that it's written in only enhances the subtle hilarity of the situations his characters find themselves in. Seriously, if you haven't picked up these books yet, do so soon. You won't regret it.

4. The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker
Don't let the title deceive you: this book was not published by Deseret Book. It's the memoir of a Mormon young adult trying to find herself and find love in New York City. Of all the Mormon literature I've been exposed to over the years, this was by far the most edgy. And even though I was sucked in and enjoyed her writing style, I'm not entirely sure I liked it. I appreciated her introspection, but most of it pushed the line a little too far for my tastes.

5. Caroline and Her Kettle Named Maud by Miriam E. Mason
As I mentioned before, I received a copy of this childhood favorite for my birthday. It's a short chapter book at probably a second grade reading level, so it only took me an afternoon to get through. It's the story of a pioneer-era tomboy named Caroline who dreams of owning a gun of her own, which she would christen Maud because it means "mighty in battle." Instead, however, she is given a copper cooking kettle. As the title suggests, she names it Maud, and the frontier adventures they have together teach Caroline that a kettle can be just as important as a gun. It's a charming story, originally published in 1951, and it was fun getting to re-read it.