I can't help myself..

Yet another year is about to come to a close and although I'm not quite sure where it went, I want to leave you with my top 10 favorite books of 2010.

Let it be known that it was a hard decision. There were over fifty contenders but the following ten stuck with me for one reason or another. All books were enjoyed by me at some time this year, not necessarily published in 2010.

Without further ado, I give you my Top 10 books of 2010 (in no particular order):

Anna and the French Kiss

  I waited for all of 2010 to find out what my favorite book of the year would be and of course I didn't find her until almost the last minute. Jessica was kind enough to share her ARC with a few people in our writing group and after all the high praise, it was my turn. I feared that the hype would make me a little disappointed with the book but I quickly fell in love and all the fears vanished. I couldn't get enough and Etienne gave me pit-of-the-stomach-butterflies that only a few other characters (Marcus Flutie and Jamie Fraser) have done. Talk about saving the best for last.

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

I know I say I love covers a lot but I LOVE this cover. It's cute and fun and totally mirrors those characteristics from the story. I flew through this book so fast thanks to the great writing and the back and forth between Dash and Lily. The ending left a little to be desired, but everything else made up for it. 

Hex Hall

You had to have known Hex Hall would be on my list, didn't you? This book gets major cover love from me, of course, but the story, the voice, the writing was all fantastic. Sophie is a great character and someone I'd totally want to be friends with. I must admit, I liked her so much because how many characters move from Arizona to the Dirty South when they're around the same age you were when you made that same move? Plus, I've gotten to know Rachel Hawkins in 2010 and this book is SO her. She brings her personality and the funny to every single page and she just makes it seem so effortless. She has a reader for life right here and if she were to publish her grocery list, I bet you it would be frexing hysterical.

Before I Fall

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book from the description and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought that it sounded like the high school version of Groundhog Day. Lauren Oliver did an amazing job with her debut book and if I hadn't known it was her first book going into it, I would have been shocked. The characters in this book had such depth and felt so real to me, it was like I knew them at some point in life. Even the girl you're supposed to hate had me feeling sorry for her by the end.

Paranormalcy

When I first heard about this book, I kind of rolled my eyes and thought, "oh great, another paranormal book." Then I found out there were fairies and I REALLY didn't think I would like it. However, after sharing a few tweets with Kiersten and seeing how sweet (and cute as a button) she was, I was ready to start reading. The cover is gorgeous and when my signed copy came in the mail (Thanks again Jess!), I started it right away. It was fun and I loved that Evie had a pink bedazzled taser (appropriately named Tasey) in her life and that she didn't fall for some hot, undead guy from her Biology class. Even the fairies were tolerable (and I really hate fairies). I can't wait for Supernaturally to come out and see what happens next for Evie.

If I Stay 

 I'm a crier. When it comes to books or movies and I know something is going to make me sad, I avoid it. I kept hearing how great this book was and received this book as a gift and not knowing much about it, I picked it up. It's a good thing I didn't know much about it before starting, otherwise I would have put off reading it until I felt ready for a good cry. There were parts in this book that opened a fairly fresh wound of personal loss and hit VERY close to home that caused my tears to flow to the point I couldn't see. The writing was beautiful and this is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time. I'm really looking forward to Where She Went in 2011.

The DUFF

First I have to say, Kody Keplinger makes me feel so..behind in life. She wrote and had this book published as a teenager. If that's not the mark of awesome, I don't know what is. Kody definitely used her age to her advantage when writing Bianca. She was cynical, sarcastic, and everything a seventeen year old girl is. I did have a few issues with the book but regardless, I LOVED it. It was very easy for me to go back to when I was seventeen and be able to know how Bianca was feeling and because of that, she was one of the characters I was able to most relate with.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians / The Heroes of Olympus

Rick Riordan's books captivated me like you wouldn't believe. I ate these stories up and you could throw a hundred more books about Camp Half-Blood at me and I still wouldn't get tired of them. I don't know what it is about these books and their spin-offs, but I absolutely adore them. I've always enjoyed mythology and these books are just plain fun. I cannot wait until the 2nd Heroes of Olympus book makes it way in front of me.

Mockingjay

Oh, Suzanne Collins. This was the most anticipated book in 2010 and rightly so. I first read The Hunger Games last year and I remember finishing chapter 2 and telling my husband what had already happened. Instead of the blank stare and him just saying "ok...?" he said that it actually sounded interesting and like something he might like! So thank you Suzanne for having an amazing trilogy that would get my husband to listen to audiobooks. Some people didn't like Mockingjay for whatever reason, but I thought it was a nice, and the right, ending for such a fabulous work. Team Katniss for life.

The Darkest Powers Trilogy 

When it comes to book recommendations, there are people who like the same thing I like and I trust them completely. I haven't been steered wrong yet. When my friend Leah told me I should give Kelley Armstrong's trilogy a try, I got it from my library that week and was hooked. It was a fun ride and as I was reading it, it felt like I had a movie playing in my head. It was fitting because that's how Chloe processed things in the book, as if looking through her camera. I remember having the second book on hand for when I finished the first, and it was after midnight when I did. I couldn't stop thinking about what was going to come next that I got up, grabbed book 2, and read the first three chapters.

My honorable mentions include:
Looking for Alaska
 The Dark Divine
Linger
Forget You
Some Girls Are
Sean Griswold's Head

Did any of my Top 10 books make your Top 10 list?