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The Best Books of 2010

Winter break is finally here! That means anywhere from two weeks to a whole month of no school, no obligations, and lots of relaxation. This all sounds wonderful, until you are about half-way into the break and realize that the only productive thing you have done during your vacation is catch up with the Kardashians or work on your baseball pitch with your little brother. (Both are worth-while activities, I’m just saying they aren’t exactly “productive.”)
Maybe instead of sleeping in until 1:00pm every day, you could do something slightly productive and that will also prevent your brain from going to mush over the break. Now, let’s not get too crazy here: I’m not suggesting you write a 10-page thesis paper about the economic, political, and social impacts of World War Two, but how about giving your brain a little exercise by reading a book? And not just any book, but one of the best books that were written this year?
Barnes and Noble recently announced the Best Teen Books for 2010. These books range from “nuanced paranormal romance” to “important, more problematic teen issues” to “well-crafted genre fiction.”

  1. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
  2. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
  3. Tourment by Lauren Kate
  4. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
  5. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
  6. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
  7. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
  8. The Necromancer by Michael Scott
  9. For the Win by Cory Doctorow
  10. Trash by Andy Mulligan

The top ten list of the Best Fiction Books of 2010 is also very diverse, but all are “dazzling works from literary powerhouses.”

  1. To the End of the Land by David Grossman
  2. The Surrendered by Chang-rae Lee
  3. The Wake of Forgiveness by Bruce Machart
  4. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
  5. Great House by Nicole Krauss
  6. Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
  7. How to Read the Airby Dinaw Mengestu
  8. Bitter in the Mouth by Monique Truong
  9. Faithful Place by Tana French
  10. Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes

So, once you catch up on all of the sleep you lost studying for finals, head over to your local bookstore and give one of these books a try. Who knows, you might find that you really enjoy reading when it’s not for your history class.
Read More:
Oprah’s Free Book and Top 25 Book List
Reading List for the Young and Young at Heart