The Best Books of 2010

It seems appropriate to end this year with some sort of list. Isn't that what people do? Top ten movies of the year! Ten ten celebrity scandals of the year! Top ten Wikileaks of the year!

Well, without further ado, here's my add to the end-of-the-year fray:

Rina's Favorite Books of the Year

1) Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud by Jonathan Safran Foer: I started 2010 off with an amazing read, and I'd still happily recommend it. A friend once commented that he was hesitant to read Foer because of his pop-celebrity: don't let it deter you.

2) Let the Great World Spin by Colum McMann: The only one on this list that I haven't previously quoted: I wanted to, but I simply couldn't find a passage that encapsulated everything that I loved about the novel. A beautiful tribute to a New York past and, in its own way, a New York present.

3) On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan: Although I'm particularly partial to McEwan, this was absolutely riveting. A couple falls in - and out - of love. Tragedy from misunderstandings.

4) Tales of the City trilogy by Armistead Maupin: After hearing a friend rave about this series for over a year, I finally picked up Maupin's trilogy. It's set in 1970s San Francisco, and while I've had the pleasure of visiting the city on multiple occasions, it made me think about the city's role in transforming cultural norms and the counterculture movement. Also: a really great, (sometimes trashy) scandal filled trilogy!

5) The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar: As I noted in my original post, Dr. Iyengar's book is a fascinating look into how individuals make choices, taking into account factors like cultural factors or cognitive biases. It was a little tedious at times, but four months later, I still find myself re-reading - and quoting - her passages on individualist versus collectivist societies. I rarely read non-fiction, but I would happily pass this on.

Happy holidays! xo