A Look Back at 2010

Happy 2011! I hope that everyone had a fabulous, safe New Year's Eve. I thought I'd do a review of 2010, since it was my first full year blogging. Here are some fun facts about my year:

I finished 80 books
I reread Harry Potter, and Pride & Prejudice
I reviewed 57 different novels
I completed the 2010 Debut Author Challenge
I gained 200+ followers via Google Friend Connect (thanks to everyone!)
I finished 10 textbooks
I graduated from college
I started graduate school

Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner created an End of 2010 Survey, and I've decided to answer some of her questions.

1. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2010?
Although it's a book that comes out in 2011, I have to say that I was really surprised by Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris. I expected it to be a really fluffy YA romance, but it had a lot of substance. I was surprised by some of the issues that it dealt with (living in a single-parent household, dating, consequences for dangerous actions, etc).

Best series you discovered in 2010?
There were quite a few series that I started this year, but the one that stood out to me was The Agency series by Y.S Lee. A Spy in the House, and The Body at the Tower were both published this year by Candlewick. They were the perfect mix of historical fiction, mystery, and romance. The third book in the series won't be released in the US until 2012...I may have to order the UK version on Book Depository when it's released in August 2011.

Favorite paranormal book?
There was an abundance of paranormal YA books released this year. It's becoming such a popular genre that Barnes & Noble now has a separate place for them in the YA section. I really dislike that setup, and I would rather peruse the shelves and pick books at random. I digress, back to the topic at hand. I'm actually going to say that my favorite paranormal book this year was Deception by Lee Nichols. I was completely pulled into this novel, and I really connected with the protagonist, Emma.

Favorite anthology?
I added this category specifically so I could talk about Zombies vs. Unicorns. Edited by Holly Black, and Justine Larbalestier, this book addressed the most epic battle of all time, the battle between Zombies (boo), and Unicorns (obviously superior). A bunch of great authors contributed short stories...basically I loved it.

Favorite new authors you discovered in 2010?
Chealsea Campbell, Rachel Hawkins, Kay Cassidy, Phoebe Kitanidis, Y.S. Lee, Heather Webber

Most hilarious read of 2010?
The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell had me in stitches. The combination of a great plot, excellent writing, and a snarky main character made for one of my favorite reads this year. According to her blog, she's working on a historical fiction novel involving Julius Caesar.

Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2010?
There were a lot of books this year that had an impact on me, but I think that Kay Cassidy's The Cinderella Society. It sparked some conversation between my friends/family/senior seminar class about girls being socialized to be mean to each other. After all, the media does portray backstabbing between female characters as a way to get what you want. The Cinderella Society dealt with that issue, and promoted the idea of doing good for yourself and the community. Hurrah!

Some goals: Find time to read/review more! Stop procrastinating when it's time to write reviews. Comment, comment, comment!