Reading List For 2010
In 2010, a lot of people must have read Harry Potter and Twilight for the eleventy zillionth time. But it was the year I discovered the magic of e-books, aka instruments which enable you to read without having to add a few more bookshelves to your house. Following are the list of the books I read in the last on year-
1) The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks: The problem with all Nicholas Sparks novels is that they have tons of cliches that make you cry, so much so that I have started to think that Karan Johar is his lost cousin or something. But at the end of the day, these books, no matter how melodramatic and cliched, do make one cry and that, in my opinion, is something commendable. The Last Song is more famous as the Miley Cyrus movie, but the book has more sub-plots than the movie could fit into its run time. It is the story of a good-natured yet rebellious teenager who goes to meet her estranged father for the first time in years. A little bit of trivia- Miley Cyrus herself chose her character's name, Ronnie (short for Veronica) and it was because of her that Mr. Sparks named his protagonist Ronnie.
2) Three Willows by Anne Brashares: I have been a fan of Anne Brashares ever since I read the Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants series (every girl MUST read that series). Her novels don't have the best plots and are more about character development and observation of personalities. This book is a spin-off of the SOTTP series, with the characters of SOTTP making brief appearances. It is about three friends who were once like sisters but have now, somehow, drifted apart. Through varied experiences, they get back together and recreate the magic of their friendship. I use the word 'magic' because the simplicity, charm and depth of this book truly is magical.
3) Wings by Aprilynne Pike: Fifteen-year-old Laurel has a tumor on her back and wings grow out of it. With the help of her friends David, she dicovers that the wing is in fact a flower and a mysterious boy named Tamani tells her that she is a faerie from 'Avalon'. The story is about her coming to terms with two world she feels equally close to and two boys she can't choose between. I would rank Wings above Harry Potter and Twilight because it mixes the two of them and brings out something far superior.
4) Spells by Aprilynne Pike: Sequel to Wings. This book is actually better than Wings, with Laurel growing up to be a very intriguin woman.
5) Elixir by Hilary Duff: Yes, Hilary Duff is the girl who played Lizzie McGuire bvut if you read this book, you would say, "Maybe she should leave acting and stick to writing". Granted, it is not the deepest novel ever produced (it is a product, not an artistic endeavour) but it does keep the reader hooked. It is about Clea, a rich girl from a powerful family, who begins to see a mysterious stranger in all photographs taken by her.
6) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher: This is my top book of the year. Clay Jensen, somewhat shy, California high school student, returns home from school one day to find a box sitting on his doorstep. Upon opening it, he discovers that it is a shoebox containing seven cassette tapes recorded by the late Hannah Baker, his classmate and emotional crush who recently committed suicide. The tapes were initially mailed to one classmate with instructions to pass them from one student to another, in the style of a chain letter. On the tapes, Hannah explains to thirteen people how they played a role in her death, by giving thirteen reasons to explain why she took her life. Curiosity and fear of exposure keep the people on the list listening to the tapes, and through the audio narrative Hannah reveals her pain, and her slide into depression that ultimately leads to her suicide.
7) Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffeneger: I actually didn't read the whole of it. The plots are too long and confusing, even though they centre around the cliched idea of identical twins.
1) The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks: The problem with all Nicholas Sparks novels is that they have tons of cliches that make you cry, so much so that I have started to think that Karan Johar is his lost cousin or something. But at the end of the day, these books, no matter how melodramatic and cliched, do make one cry and that, in my opinion, is something commendable. The Last Song is more famous as the Miley Cyrus movie, but the book has more sub-plots than the movie could fit into its run time. It is the story of a good-natured yet rebellious teenager who goes to meet her estranged father for the first time in years. A little bit of trivia- Miley Cyrus herself chose her character's name, Ronnie (short for Veronica) and it was because of her that Mr. Sparks named his protagonist Ronnie.
2) Three Willows by Anne Brashares: I have been a fan of Anne Brashares ever since I read the Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants series (every girl MUST read that series). Her novels don't have the best plots and are more about character development and observation of personalities. This book is a spin-off of the SOTTP series, with the characters of SOTTP making brief appearances. It is about three friends who were once like sisters but have now, somehow, drifted apart. Through varied experiences, they get back together and recreate the magic of their friendship. I use the word 'magic' because the simplicity, charm and depth of this book truly is magical.
3) Wings by Aprilynne Pike: Fifteen-year-old Laurel has a tumor on her back and wings grow out of it. With the help of her friends David, she dicovers that the wing is in fact a flower and a mysterious boy named Tamani tells her that she is a faerie from 'Avalon'. The story is about her coming to terms with two world she feels equally close to and two boys she can't choose between. I would rank Wings above Harry Potter and Twilight because it mixes the two of them and brings out something far superior.
4) Spells by Aprilynne Pike: Sequel to Wings. This book is actually better than Wings, with Laurel growing up to be a very intriguin woman.
5) Elixir by Hilary Duff: Yes, Hilary Duff is the girl who played Lizzie McGuire bvut if you read this book, you would say, "Maybe she should leave acting and stick to writing". Granted, it is not the deepest novel ever produced (it is a product, not an artistic endeavour) but it does keep the reader hooked. It is about Clea, a rich girl from a powerful family, who begins to see a mysterious stranger in all photographs taken by her.
6) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher: This is my top book of the year. Clay Jensen, somewhat shy, California high school student, returns home from school one day to find a box sitting on his doorstep. Upon opening it, he discovers that it is a shoebox containing seven cassette tapes recorded by the late Hannah Baker, his classmate and emotional crush who recently committed suicide. The tapes were initially mailed to one classmate with instructions to pass them from one student to another, in the style of a chain letter. On the tapes, Hannah explains to thirteen people how they played a role in her death, by giving thirteen reasons to explain why she took her life. Curiosity and fear of exposure keep the people on the list listening to the tapes, and through the audio narrative Hannah reveals her pain, and her slide into depression that ultimately leads to her suicide.
7) Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffeneger: I actually didn't read the whole of it. The plots are too long and confusing, even though they centre around the cliched idea of identical twins.
I really like your reading lists.
ReplyDeleteCould you post some more?
Dear anonymous, try to leave a pseudonym next time. Makes it easier for me to respond.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I upload a new reading list as soon as possible, so keep checking this blog.