The Epic Book Survey of 2010

I did this last year when I was just starting out. I set out to read 120 books this year, but I got to 61, which I think is an all-time record. Anyway, here are some of my favorite books for the year.

BOOKS

• Most imaginative: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld.
  
• Funniest: Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
  
• Edgiest contemporary: The First Part Last by Angela Davis and The Hate List by Jennifer Brown
  
• Creepiest SF/dystopia: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and The Giver by Lois Lowry
  
• Most evocative historical: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
  
• Best love story: Scott Pilgrim Series by Brian Lee O'Malley
  

SCENES

• Most hilarious:
• Most of the events from The Character of Rain by Amelie Nothomb
• The conversation between Zooey and his mom in Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
• The shitty monkeys on shitty island speech in The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami.
  
• Scariest: The last half of Mockingjay by Susanne Collins
  
• Most disturbing: 
• The last conversation with President Snow and Katniss in Mockingjay by Susanne Collins
• Finding out how people are released in The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves
• Biggest tear-jerker: When Prim is killed in Mockingjay by Susanne Collins
• Best plot twist/revelation (no spoilers!!) : The way Rachel's family died in the Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi Durrow
  

CHARACTERS

• Best couple: 
• Anna and Etienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
• Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games Series by Susanne Collins
• Katsa and Po from Graceling by Kristin Cashore
  
• Who you'd want as your best friend(s): Miah from If You Come Softly and Behind You by Jacqueline Woodson, everyone from the Scott Pilgrim Series by Bryan Lee O'Malley
  
• Who you fell in love with: Gale and Finnick from The Hunger Games Series by Susanne Collins, Wallace from The Scott Pilgrim Series by Bryan Lee O'Malley
  
• Worst (best?) villain: Hilly from The Help by Kathryn Stockett
  
• Best character twist (who you loved, then hated, or vice versa): Shay from Orange Mint and Honey by Carleen Brice
• Best character name: Knives Chau from The Scott Pilgrim Series.
  
• Worst character names: Still getting used to all the names from the Hunger Games Series
  
• Favorite all-around kickass female: 
• Hanna from Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves
• Katniss from Hunger Games by Susanne Collins
• Deryn from Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
  
• Favorite all-around kickass male: 
•  Gale and Peeta from Hunger Games
• Marcelo from Marcelo in the Real World (he kicks ass in a different way) by Francisco X. Stork
  

MISCELLANEOUS

• Best book cover: Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves and Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
  
• Best title: The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, If You Come Softly, My Life as a Rhombus
  
• Most memorable voice: Anna from Anna and the French Kiss, Rhonda from My Life as A Rhombus
  
• Most memorable first line:. "I bring the sun where ever I go, buddy!" from Franny and Zooey. Not a first line, but it's one of my favorites.
  
• Best setting: Alternate history Europe in Leviathan and the Explosionist, Asian inspired fantasy land in Silver Phoenix, the various dystopias of Matched, Hunger Games, The Handmaid's Tale, and The Giver
  
• Most beautiful writing: Haruki Murakami, Amelie Nothomb, Penelope Fitzgerald, Kristin Cashore
  

LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

• Will any of the books you've read in 2010 make your life list of Favorite Books? Yes indeedy.
  
• The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins
• Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves
• Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
• The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami
• Scott Pilgrim Series by Bryan Lee O'Malley