My Five Top Reads of 2010

This year was not a good year for me on the reading front. I didn't get to read close to as many books as I intended and my "to read" pile is piling up. Soon it will rival the Really Super Big Tower of Hugeland, and we all know how big THAT is. It would be pointless, then, for me to post a Top 10 list for books this year. Instead, here are the FIVE books that entertained and/or made me think this year, in no particular order:

"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak. Told from the POV of Death, it revolves around an orphaned girl in WWII. Harrowing, beautifully written, and at times surprisingly humorous.

"Counterpoint: Dylan's Story" by Ruth Sims. Sweeping romance filled with tragedy, villainy, and sweet vindication, all set around the world of music in the olden days.

"The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson. The first couple hundred pages were hard to get through, but after that this turns into one twisted sex thriller.

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. Touching tale of bigotry in the 1960s South that takes a familiar theme and does something fresh with it. The wonderful Viola Davis has the lead role in the film version next year.

"The Book of Revelation" by Rupert Thomson. A hot male ballet dancer is kidnapped and sexually tortured by three masked women. Disturbing and quite profound.