Question #37:A Look Back

[Danine]

What book did you read in 2010 rocked your world or even changed your life?

Have a good weekend!

[Suzanne]

Still Alice

[Faye]

I wouldn't say any particular book really changed my life last year, but looking back, I was lucky to discover some great books. My 3 favourites, not necessarily in order, were:

Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron - Not hardly hyped considering how wonderful Jasper Fforde is. I'd expect people to be singing from the rooftops when he releases a new one.

The Girl Who Played with Fire - Of course, the 2nd in the famous trilogy. I was so eager to get the 3rd one after I finished this, I had a co-worker buy it for me on a UK business trip before it came in print here.

Fingersmith - I am grateful that this year I only just discovered Sarah Waters, who obviously has been pumping out just fantastically twisted and well researched stories for some time now. Reading the backlog was a pleasure, but I think Fingersmith is probably the most classic.

[Josefine]

Hm, i only made it to 27, but still i find it hard to choose as i read so many great ones.

Wuthering Heights blew my mind. I did not expect to like it; but i just couldn't let it go. A great classic.

[Donna]

I'm with Faye. It didn't change my life, but "Shades of Grey" did remind me how much I LOVE an author who had, for reasons unknown, fallen off my radar. Thanks to the group, Jasper Fforde and several others are now back on the front burner.

[VWrulesChick]

Danine wrote: "What book did you read in 2010 rocked your world or even changed your life?

Have a good weekend!"

Hmmm, not sure about changed my life, but made me think or bring aware about something I have not thought of before. (in no particular order)

- Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

- 19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult

- Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I look forward to 2011 to discovering more books and authors from Goodreads members

:)

[Susanna]

VWrulesChick wrote: "Danine wrote: "What book did you read in 2010 rocked your world or even changed your life?

Have a good weekend!"

Hmmm, not sure about changed my life, but made me think or bring aware about..."

I just picked up The Fountainhead from the library, will probably get to it during the weekend. :)

[Antonia]

in general i'd probably say it was discovering so many new genres...

1) ya / children's books. the very last thing last year was "percy jackson" and that rocked my world seriously - i used to love greek / roman mythology when i went to school. this struck a chord.
and
2) also i used to think vampire romances were a waste of time. how wrong i was. felt exquisitely entertained reading the sookie stackhouse series. thankfully not finished yet!
3) but what really really made a difference this year was Mark Gatiss, his creation of lucifer box is pure genius


thanks for that interesting question!

[Wendy]

Two come to mind:


I'm so proud of myself for getting through it!

and...


Didn't change my life or anything, but the best book I've read in a long time.

[Chris]

The book I ended up telling everyone about - and giving at our Book Club Christmas Exchange was

and I would never have heard of this book if it wasn't for Goodreads!
Other top reads:

I also loved the Girl Who.... series (all of them) completely enjoyed the whole Sookie Stackhouse series and the Poison Study series by Maria V. Snyder (another Goodreads find).
I love Jasper Fforde and enjoyed Road to High Saffron, but not as much as some others.
Now it looks like I'm going to have to look up the Lucifer Box series.

[Antonia]

Chris wrote: "Now it looks like I'm going to have to look up the Lucifer Box series"

:) oh do! they are so anarchic, inventive, funny and "candid". lots of LOL moments.

[L-V]

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

[Debbie]

L-V wrote: "A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese"

I read A Fine Balance in 2010. It was an incredible book. Difficult at times to read but well worth it.

[Beth]

My favourite book of last year was Flesh House by Stuart MacBride. While it didn't change my life, it was one of the best thrillers I've read in a long time. A book that actually managed to make me feel physically sick!

Also, I re-read for about the hundredth time both Tipping The Velvet and Oranges. These are two of my favourite books of all time, I love them more every time I read them!

[Susan]

Debbie wrote: "L-V wrote: "A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese"

I read A Fine Balance in 2010. It was an incredible book. Difficult a..."

I read A Fine Balance in 2008, and it is one of my three best books of that year. It was wonderful and horrifying at the same time.

[Val]

The Stand was my favorite. Even though it's a hefty novel, it never lost my attention. I actually gave it five stars!

[Val]

Ooo, I read this book a few years ago and loved it. So tragic and interesting! I've got another one for you that really reminded me of this one but is non-fiction: My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey. It's not as good but still interesting.

[CynthiaA]

The book I read last year that 'changed my life' was The Birth House by Amy McKay. The reason it changed my life is because within a week of reading this book, which is about midwifery and issues relating to a woman's choice about her own body and fertility, I was involved in an emergency childbirth. It's a long story, but I was up at my cottage and participated in a middle-of-the-night delivery of a preemie baby and I knew much of what to do more because of this book. Having so much of The Birth House fresh in my mind kept me focused and confident during this event -- and I suppose it changed someone else's life far more than it changed mine. But I will never forget The Birth House because I got to 'live it' four days after finishing it. And it would be on my top-5 of 2010 even without that amazing night.

[Susan]

Cynthia wrote: "The book I read last year that 'changed my life' was The Birth House by Amy McKay. The reason it changed my life is because within a week of reading this book, which is about midwife..."

What an incredible experience, Cynthia.