RTW: Best Books of 2010...and The Longest Title in History!

Reading Song of the Day: "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground

It's Hump Day again--but instead of doing the Humpty Dance, we're joining the awesome ladies of YA Highway for another Road Trip Wednesday. This week they want to know: what are the 5 best books in 2010 and/or how would you sum up your 2010 in a book title?

We struggled more than usual with this one. Asking us to pick our favorite book is like asking us to pick our favorite cupcake! Then there was the whole confusion if we could include books that we read in 2010, but weren't published in 2010. To make our lives easier, we decided to just go for novels published in 2010--and these "six" made the cut:

5. Tie: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Quita and I were about to thumb wrestle to determine what would take this spot, but since her thumb is freakishly larger than mine--I settled on a tie. Why WG,WG? Can you think of a better YA dream team than Green and Levithan? Not to mention that it predominantly features gay characters--whom I plan on including in every single one of my novels in some capacity. Quita chose Linger because the writing was basic but beautiful, and just as I (Quita) think Pam does in Wants, Stiefvater was able to successfully balance out four, count them, four main characters. Also, the ending had me yearning for the release of Forever.

4. Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

I cannot get more fan girly over Ms. Summers. Her prose is direct and to the point, and she seems to understand the high school world better than most authors (which is odd, because I think she has admitted that she didn't attend one for long). The girls in this novel are brutal, but as a school counselor, authentic to the whole teen experience. I'm sure Fall For Anything would have been ranked on this list had I had a chance to read it. :(

3. The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff

When I mention this book to people I have a huge smile on my face--which is weird because the story is kind of tragic. It follows the point-of-views of 4 different teens (just like my baby, Wants) as they grow apart. Each voice is distinctive, and the subject matter doesn't shy away from grit. I cannot wait to see what Brezenoff has next up his sleeve.

2. Room by Emma Donoghue

This is the only adult fiction title to make it on our list. Why? Because, sadly, these types of stories are featured on the evening news frequently--but we've never heard it told like this. We both fell in love with Jack, the 5 year-old narrator. What's scary to everyone else is home to him, and his innocence will just break your heart.

Now drum roll please....

1. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Wow. Just...wow. Quita and I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Oliver at a conference before either of us finished reading this novel, and she's so lovely that we wish her years and years of success. However, she won't need luck if she continues writing like this. It's nice to read a story in which the "mean girl" is the protagonist. We get to see Sam Kingston redeem herself, and we laughed and cried along with her as she went through her personal journey. Can you see why we're giggly over Oliver's next book, Delirium?

With our best books out of the way, it's time to sum everything up with a title: Before I fall into a lingering state where some girls are the absolute value of -1, I hope I still have room for Will Grayson.

Okay, that was terrible. But we're awful with titles, that's why we asked you all for help before. :) Do you all have any faves from 2010?