Five Books that I really, really liked this year...

Ok, for the last top 5 Tuesday of 2010, I decided to do one of those best of lists. I was going to pick the five best books of 2010. Then I started thinking about the fact that I haven't read every book published in 2010 and with my over developed sense of fairness, I realized that it wouldn't be fair to declare a certain five books, the best!, when I had not covered all the bases. Realizing that I was mired in a sort of ridiculous, not to mention fruitless, argument with myself, I just decided to give you five books published in 2010 that I thought were excellent. Now while I haven't read everything published this year, I would guess that I've read more than the average bear this year, thanks to canceling HBO and the abundance of idiotic reality TV shows, and these five books stood out to me. I was a bit surprised to find the list heavy on non-fiction, because we all now what a genre fiction slut I am. I did read quite a bit of non-fiction this year and it was an excellent year for it.  Without further ado, five really, really, really good books from 2010...

Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century - Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger
Thanks to Elizabeth Taylor deciding to let the authors read and quote from Richard's love letters to her, we finally get a truly intimate and accurate peak into one of the most sizzling love affairs ever.  I loved this book.

Dark Road to Darjeeling - Deanna Raybourn
Raybourn's fourth book in this wonderful historical mystery series finds her at the top of her game.  The series seems to only improve with time and I am already anticipating number five! 

Must You Go: My Life with Harold Pinter - Antonia Fraser
The author, famous for her historical biographies, takes a look at her 30 + years with the playwright, Harold Pinter.  The book draws largely from Fraser's diaries and there is an enormous amount of detail as to their everyday lives, their work, their friends (many quite famous) and their political as well as personal issues.  Nothing terribly titillating here, just a remarkable story of two rather extraordinary individuals building a life together.

Fever Dreams - Preston & Child
The 10th thriller featuring the always brilliant and erudite FBI agent Pendergast, this is one of the best.  I was starting to tire of this series and felt like it might be losing me, but this one pulled me back in.  Cannot wait for number 11.

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer - Siddhartha Mukherjee

A comprehensive and amazing look at a disease that has touched us all.  This book is packed with information, yet written in a really accessible style.  I'm reading it in small chunks because I keep finding myself rushing off to google people and places that are discussed.  Mukherjee is an oncologist and a researcher, but he is also an excellent writer.  

So there you go. Five books that stood out from the pack for me this year. As always, I'd love to hear about your faves. What did you read in 2010 that you think everyone should read?  What are you most looking forward to reading in 2011? Cause you know, it is never to early to get a start on next year's list...