Top Books of the Year 2010

My goal for 2010 was to read an average of 6 books per month, with a majority in the "non-fiction" category. Despite a not-entirely-anticipated end-of-the-year major move that disrupted my reading time, I still managed to achieve my goal: I read 77 books in 2010, for an average of 6.4 books per month. Of those, 43 were non-fiction and 34 were fiction.

I plan to up my goal to an average of 7 per month in 2011 and continue to try to read more non-fiction than fiction. I think this goal will be more difficult to attain now that I've returned to living in a city, where I have a larger variety of things to do.

So without further ado, here are my Top 5 Books of 2010:

5. Going Up the River by Joseph Hallinen

An investigation (and, I feel, an indictment) of the U.S. penal system. A little outdated and one-sided, but fascinating and riveting nonetheless.

4. Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn

The only fiction book in my Top 5, but, hey, a fiction book makes it into my Top 5! I'm hard-pressed to tell you what this book is *really* about because there's not a strong plot per se. Suffice it to say that it's about people learning to be happy. And it's delightful.

3. The Longest Winter by Alex Kershaw

About a company of Army men who held a key hill in the Battle of the Bulge long enough allow the Allies to win the day. The men were all either killed or captured and those captured spent long months as POWs. Will make you feel like a lazy cry-baby in comparison.

2. Patriotic Treason by Evan Carton

The life and death of militant abolitionist John Brown. This book was eye-opening. Fascinating to read about a man whose religious fervor led him to help his fellow man rather than oppress him.

1. The Murder of Nikolai Vavilov by Peter Pringle

This is one of those books that I will recommend until I'm blue in the face. Vavilov was a famous Russian botanist in his day, a man who held dreams of ending famine not only in his home country, but around the world. Sadly, as Communism put a stranglehold on Russia, Vavilov ran afoul of Stalin. This book makes you fall in love with this man, only to be left haunted by his fate. A truly phenomenal read!