Top 10 Best Books of of Year 2010 on Amazon.
(1) The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest
Product Description
A young girl lies in a hospital room, her tattooed body very close to death -- there is a bullet lodged in her brain. Several rooms away is the man who tried to kill her, his own body grievously wounded from axe blows inflicted by the girl he has tried to kill. She is Lisbeth Salander, computer hacker and investigator, and the man is her father, a murderous Russian gangster. If Salander recovers from her injuries, she is more than likely to be put on trial for three murders -- the authorities regard her as a dangerous individual. But she won't see the inside of a courtroom if her father manages to kill her first.
This is the high-tension opening premise of the third book in Stieg Larsson’s phenomenally successful trilogy of crime novels which the late author (a crusading journalist) delivered to his publisher just before his death. But does it match up to its two electrifying predecessors, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl who Played with Fire? The success of Larsson’s remarkable sequence of books is, to some degree, unprecedented. Crime fiction in translation has, of course, made a mark before (notably with Peter Hoeg’s Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow, published, in fact, by Larsson's British publisher, Christopher MacLehose). But even the success of that book gave no hint of the juggernauts that the Salander books would be (the late author's secondary hero is the journalist Blomqvist -- who bears more than a passing resemblance to Stieg Larsson himself).
There are two overriding reasons for the hold that this massive trilogy has attained on the public: machine-tooled plotting which juggles the various narrative elements with a master's touch and (above all) the vividly realised character of Lisbeth Salander herself. She is something of a unique creation in the field of crime and thriller fiction: emotionally damaged, vulnerable and sociopathic (all of this concealed behind a forbidding Goth appearance), but she is also the ultimate survivor, somehow managing to stay alive despite the machinations of some deeply unpleasant villains (and the new book has a slew of those) as well as the hostility of often stupid establishment figures, who want her out of the picture quite as passionately as the bad guys. She is, of course, aided by the protective journalist Blomqvist, despite the fact that she had dumped him as a lover. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest brings together all the elements that have made the previous books of the sequence so successful. Its relentless pace may be a bit exhausting for some readers, but most will be happy to strap themselves in for the ride. It's just a shame that this will be the final book in the sequence (though conspiracy theorists are hinting that Larsson began another manuscript before his untimely death…)
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(2) One Day
Review
'It's rare to find a novel which ranges over the recent past with such authority, and even rarer to find one in which the two leading characters are drawn with such solidity, such painful fidelity, to real life that you really do put the book down with the hallucinatory feeling that they've become as well known to you as your closest friends. Hard to imagine anyone encountering characters as well drawn as this and not recognizing the extraordinary talent of the writer who has created them.' (Jonathan Coe Guardian Books of the Year 20090403)
'I finished it last night and I'm still quite wobbly and affected by it. It was BRILLIANT. . . the jealously nearly made me puke. I wish I'd written this book' (Marian Keyes 20090129)
'The ultimate zeitgeist love story for anyone who ever wanted someone they couldn't have' (Adele Parks 20090129)
'Big, absorbing, smart, fantastically readable . . . brilliant on the details of the last couple of decades of British cultural and political life' (Nick Hornby 20081202)
'The novel of the year - a brilliantly funny and moving will-they, won't-they romance tracing a relationship on the same day each day for two decades' (Heat 20090621)
'It is a cleverly and astutely constructed book - but that is worthy of a mere footnote compared with its emotional impact. I am not ashamed to say that upon finishing it I pressed it to my chest as a big fat tear splashed onto its upturned spine' (The Times Book Club 20090621)
'You'd be hard pressed to find a sharper, sweeter romantic comedy this year than the story of Dex and Em' (Independent 20090621)
'Nicholls' book is the sort of thing you can't put down, and I read it over a weekend, creeping upstairs to gulp down another chapter when I should have been downstairs preparing dinner of helping with homework' (Dylan Jones 20090621)
'I felt that I had been emotionally taken apart by the very best. This perfectly executed novel is a reminder that reading can be the finest entertainment there is' (Guardian 20090621)
'If you measure your love for a book by the number of times you buy it for people, then my favourite is ONE DAY by David Nicholls. I read it about a year ago and must have bought it for at least 20 people since' (The Times Book Club 20090621)
'We could fill a page with descriptive proclamations of its brilliance, but we'll stick with intoxicating, engrossing and verging on genius. If this has never graced your bedside table, then go directly to the nearest bookshop, purchase one copy and start 2010 with a read that has taken the literary world by storm' (Daily Record 20090621)
'It made me laugh and sob, and the characters just walk off the page into your head, where they remain. How I wish I'd written it, as does every novelist I know' (Polly Williams 20090621)
'A totally brilliant book about the heartbreaking gap between the way we were and the way we are...the best weird love story since THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE. Every reader will fall in love with it. And every writer will wish they had written it.' (Tony Parsons 20090621)
'A wonderful, wonderful book: wise, funny, perceptive, compassionate and often unbearably sad . . . the best British social novel since Jonathan Coe's WHAT A CARVE UP! . . . Nicholls's witty prose has a transparency that brings Nick Hornby to mind: it melts as you read it so that you don't notice all the hard work that it's doing' (The Times 20090621)
'The funniest, loveliest book I've read in ages. Most of all it is horribly, cringingly, absolutely 100% honest and true to life: I lived every page.' (Jenny Colgan 20090621)
'I really loved it . . . it's absolutely wonderful . . . just so moving and engaging' (Kate Mosse 20090621)
'With its beautifully rounded, real characters and deeply poignant storytelling, this is one of the year's best novels.' (Heat 20090621)
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(3) The Help
Review
The other side of Gone with the Wind – and just as unputdownable (The Sunday Times )
A big, warm girlfriend of a book (The Times )
Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird has changed lives. It’s direct descendent The Help has the same potential…an astonishing feat of accomplishment (Daily Express )
Outstanding, immensely funny, very compelling, brilliant (Daily Telegraph )
Immensely readable (Observer )
Daring, vitally important and very courageous, I loved and admired The Help. Fantastic (Marian Keyes )
A laugh-out-loud, vociferously angry must-read (Marie Claire )
Touching, disgraceful, funny. Highly recommended (Daily Mail )
Utterly brilliant (She )
Remarkable, shocking, brave, brilliant (Easy Living )
Wonderfully engaging dialogue (Good Housekeeping )
A compelling, great first novel, with soaring highs, poignant side stories and laugh-out-loud anecdotes. You’ll be sorry to finish it (Psychologies )
A winning story of courage and truth (Woman & Home )
A brisk, involving read (Metro )
An exciting and atmospheric story (Rachel Cooke Observer Books of the Year )
A wise, poignant novel. You’ll catch yourself cheering out loud (People )
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(4) Wolf Hall
Product Description
Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2009 'Lock Cromwell in a deep dungeon in the morning,' says Thomas More, 'and when you come back that night he'll be sitting on a plush cushion eating larks' tongues, and all the gaolers will owe him money.' England, the 1520s. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal Wolsey is his chief advisor, charged with securing the divorce the pope refuses to grant. Into this atmosphere of distrust and need comes Thomas Cromwell, first as Wolsey's clerk, and later his successor. Cromwell is a wholly original man: the son of a brutal blacksmith, a political genius, a briber, a charmer, a bully, a man with a delicate and deadly expertise in manipulating people and events. Ruthless in pursuit of his own interests, he is as ambitious in his wider politics as he is for himself. His reforming agenda is carried out in the grip of a self-interested parliament and a king who fluctuates between romantic passions and murderous rages. From one of our finest living writers, 'Wolf Hall' is that very rare thing: a truly great English novel, one that explores the intersection of individual psychology and wider politics. With a vast array of characters, and richly overflowing with incident, it peels back history to show us Tudor England as a half-made society, moulding itself with great passion, suffering and courage.
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(5) The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
Product Description
Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by the riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion. 'I'm as surprised as anyone about this novella,' said Stephenie Meyer. 'When I began working on it in 2005, it was simply an exercise to help me examine the other side of Eclipse, which I was editing at the time. I thought it might end up as a short story that I could include on my website. Then, when work started on The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide, I thought the Guide would be a good fit for my Bree story. However, the story grew longer than I anticipated, until it was too long to fit into the Guide.'
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(6) Mums Know Best: The Hairy Bikers' Family Cookbook
Product Description
Si and Dave undertake a nationwide search for Britain's lost recipes - those forgotten gems or secret scribbles handed down through the generations - for a landmark TV series. The Bikers send out a call-to-arms for mums, daughters and their grandmothers to unlock their private recipe archives and share with, and learn from, other mums of all races and backgrounds. This is a heart-warming and down-to-earth recipe book that takes place against beautiful British backdrops throughout the summer. Here yummy mummies, Northern matriarchs, West Indian foster mums and ladies of the manor all come together with recipes to share, tips to swap and techniques to learn, in a book that contains 112 different recipes.
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(7) The Dukan Diet
Product Description
The Dukan Diet is a unique 4-step programme, combining two steps to lose your unwanted weight and two steps to keep it off for good:
Step 1: Attack
For 2-7 days eat as much as you want of 72 protein-rich foods.
Step 2: Cruise
Continue eating the protein-rich foods with the addition of 28 vegetables.
Step 3: Consolidation
Add fruit, bread, cheese and starchy foods, and 2 celebration meals a week, allowing 5 days for every pound lost.
Step 4: Stabilisation
Eat what you like without regaining weight by following 3 simple rules, including the famous ‘protein Thursdays’.
Devised by Dr Pierre Dukan, a French medical doctor who has spent his career helping people to lose weight permanently, The Dukan Diet is the culmination of thirty-five years’ clinical experience. Without any of the usual marketing hype, The Dukan Diet swept across France, championed by the people who had successfully lost weight following the diet. It is now estimated that the Dukan community numbers over 5 million people in France. Easy to follow with no calorie counting, The Dukan Diet offers clear simple guidelines, menu planners and delicious recipes for long term success.
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(8) Jamie's 30-Minute Meals: A Revolutionary Approach to Cooking Good Food Fast
Product Description
In his new book, Jamie's 30-Minute Meals, Jamie proves that, by mastering a few tricks and being organized and focused in the kitchen, it is absolutely possible, and easy, to get a complete meal on the table in the same amount of time you’d normally spend making one dish! The 50 brand-new meal ideas in this book are exciting, varied and seasonal. They include main course recipes with side dishes as well as puddings and drinks, and are all meals you’ll be proud to serve your family and friends. Jamie has written the recipes in a way that will help you make the most of every single minute in the kitchen. This book is as practical as it is beautiful, showing that with a bit of preparation, the right equipment and some organization, hearty, delicious, quick meals are less than half an hour away. You’ll be amazed by what you’re able to achieve.
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(9) A Journey
Review
Written in a congenial style peppered with slang and gossipy asides. At one moment he is the bloke in the pub. The next, he is Churchill. --Ben MacIntyre, The Times
This is a more honest political memoir than most and more open in many respects than I had anticipated. He is compellingly candid about how scared he was when he first became prime minister . . . He is unusually direct about his calculations, even when they don't reflect well on him . . . He admits to stretching the truth beyond `breaking point' to secure a settlement in Northern Ireland. Even when the lies are told in a noble cause, few politicians are honest enough to admit that they sometimes feel compelled to be deceivers. --Andrew Rawnsley, Observer
He is by turns outspoken, provocative, unrepentant, often serious, sometimes funny. --David Frost, Al Jazeera
Tony Blair's memoir is part psychodrama, part treatise on the frustrations of leadership in a modern democracy . . . The book's broader purpose is to preserve his legacy, settling scores, justifying the war against Iraq, and mounting a defiant plea to his party to keep faith with New Labour . . . Blair comes across as likable, if manipulative; capable of dissembling while wonderfully fluent; in short, a brilliant modern politician. --Lionel Barber, Financial Times
Will certainly become a bestseller.
--Robert McCrum, Observer
This is substantial, thoughtful book and on the whole well written . . . My judgment is that he has for the most part set down honestly his version of events and attempted seriously to engage with his critics --Chris Mullin, Times
The fascination of the British public with Tony Blair is almost on the scale of his fascination with his own relationship to them --Dominic Lawson, Sunday Times
Really rather splendid --Jan Moir, Daily Mail
Prime Ministerial memoirs are traditionally stuffy, formal and guarded, as though written under police caution. Tony Blair's are nothing of the sort . . . his memoirs are chummy, colloquial, impulsive and rash . . . it is this candour that makes the book so readable --(4 out of 5 star review) Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday
As this book immodestly reveals, Tony Blair was, and remains, a remarkable influence on politics, both domestically and internationally
--Menzies Campbell, Scotland on Sunday
What makes his memoir so absorbing as it swings from clever phrase-making and thoughtful contemporary history to wince-inducing self-analysis, is that he is the first of a generation of politicians to conduct their craft as if observing themselves from an amused an admiring distance - and then to write about it. No recent politician has examines his own motives and psychology quite so candidly -- John Rentoul, Independent
It is the small revelations about the character of Blair that make this book worthwhile --Ross Clark, Express
It's a gripping insight into the ex-PM's ten years of power . . . It will take a lot for many people to read his own take on the rise and fall of New Labour, but those that do might be reminded of the charm and vision that swept him to power --News of the World
I have read many a prime ministerial memoir and none of the other authors has been as self-deprecating, as willing to admit mistakes and to tell jokes against themselves --Mary Ann Sieghart, Independent
Paints a candid picture of his friend and rival, Gordon Brown, and of their relationship
--Patrick Hennessy, Sunday Telegraph
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(10) Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Review
'The sexiest vampire tale for years arrived in Stephenie Meyer's TWILIGHT, about teenage Bella's chaste romance with a beautiful vampire boy. Their intensely erotic feelings are endangered by more predatory types. Guaranteed to suck in sulky 13+ girls for hours.' The Times "Will keep readers madly flipping the pages of Meyer's tantalizing debut." Publishers Weekly
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