Top 5 Books of 2010
2010 was a minimalist year for me. This is the least of ways to describe it without divulging into too much detail. Usually at year's end, I construct a Tops list of music and films that inspired or blew me away. This year, there was/is little to pick from as I ended up falling behind and missing out on many things. Instead, I plan to compile a Top 5 for 2010 for each category of Music, Film, Television and Books.
Today, I start with my Top 5 favorite books of 2010. These books only cover those that have both come out this past year and have been read thoroughly by me. I still have a few titles from 2010 sitting in my "To read" pile that I've yet to get to read, so this list could mentally change in the coming months. Still, this short list compiles my favorite new reads of last year.
Despite it's being scaled back from year's past, I'm hoping to not only have a more thorough list in 2011, but also to start attacking this blog more regularly once again, if for no other reason that to keep writing until something else comes along. Let us behold as I fail to follow through on yet another pseudo year-end resolution.
5. Streets Of Gotham: Hush Money by Paul Dini (DC)
I don't know that I could put this amongst the best of the best tales of the Caped Crusader, but it meets the criteria of the more recent hardcover volumes. Hush Money is fairly obvious in which member of the rogue's gallery is prominently featured and though the stories haven't been that of legend, the villain himself is very solid with future possibility, especially in terms of his personal relationship with Bruce Wayne.
4. Chew by John Layman (Image)
Tony Chu is an inspector who also happens to gather crucial information through cannibalizing the victims. Meanwhile, there has been a mysterious chicken recall. If it sounds off-the-cuff, it's because it is. Chew takes the crime genre and adds a hefty dose of absurdity and gratuitous cartoon violence, making for one of the better Image titles available currently.
3. Tumor by Joshua Hale Fialkov (Archaia)
In the past few years, I have becoming increasingly more interested in crime and noir fiction. While much of the mainstream of society seems more intrigued by the black & white-ness of crime shows like Law & Order, I find myself much more pulled in by the gray areas of the genre. Like much of this particular genre, the protagonist has a sketchy past about him. However, his plight is further rendered an uphill battle by a deadly tumor that is not only making his final job more difficult, but it is also killing him, making this investigation at the behest of the ticking time bomb in his brain. The story itself is good, albeit short, but the binding of the actual book is the real showcase.
2. American Conspiracies by Jesse Ventura (Skyhorse)
Whether you believe any of these stories or not is irrelevant. If you are willing to give this book a reading, I dare you to put it down without completing it. Even those who might scoff at the notion of any of this information as ridiculous would have to admit that it raises one's curiosity. Covering everything from contemporary events to early American history, American Conspiracies covers a lot of ground, leaving the reader to decide it's validity.
1. Grendel: Behold…The Devil by Matt Wagner (Dark Horse)
Fast becoming my favorite anti-hero/villain character of comic book fiction, Behold…The Devil is a prequel to Devil By The Deed that follows the early exploits of Hunter Rose and the detectives tracking him down. Inside, it's a rich blend of crime fiction and the supernatural with some of my favorite artwork in the genre. Outside, this book features a beautiful printed hardcover.
Today, I start with my Top 5 favorite books of 2010. These books only cover those that have both come out this past year and have been read thoroughly by me. I still have a few titles from 2010 sitting in my "To read" pile that I've yet to get to read, so this list could mentally change in the coming months. Still, this short list compiles my favorite new reads of last year.
Despite it's being scaled back from year's past, I'm hoping to not only have a more thorough list in 2011, but also to start attacking this blog more regularly once again, if for no other reason that to keep writing until something else comes along. Let us behold as I fail to follow through on yet another pseudo year-end resolution.
5. Streets Of Gotham: Hush Money by Paul Dini (DC)I don't know that I could put this amongst the best of the best tales of the Caped Crusader, but it meets the criteria of the more recent hardcover volumes. Hush Money is fairly obvious in which member of the rogue's gallery is prominently featured and though the stories haven't been that of legend, the villain himself is very solid with future possibility, especially in terms of his personal relationship with Bruce Wayne.
4. Chew by John Layman (Image)Tony Chu is an inspector who also happens to gather crucial information through cannibalizing the victims. Meanwhile, there has been a mysterious chicken recall. If it sounds off-the-cuff, it's because it is. Chew takes the crime genre and adds a hefty dose of absurdity and gratuitous cartoon violence, making for one of the better Image titles available currently.
3. Tumor by Joshua Hale Fialkov (Archaia)In the past few years, I have becoming increasingly more interested in crime and noir fiction. While much of the mainstream of society seems more intrigued by the black & white-ness of crime shows like Law & Order, I find myself much more pulled in by the gray areas of the genre. Like much of this particular genre, the protagonist has a sketchy past about him. However, his plight is further rendered an uphill battle by a deadly tumor that is not only making his final job more difficult, but it is also killing him, making this investigation at the behest of the ticking time bomb in his brain. The story itself is good, albeit short, but the binding of the actual book is the real showcase.
2. American Conspiracies by Jesse Ventura (Skyhorse)Whether you believe any of these stories or not is irrelevant. If you are willing to give this book a reading, I dare you to put it down without completing it. Even those who might scoff at the notion of any of this information as ridiculous would have to admit that it raises one's curiosity. Covering everything from contemporary events to early American history, American Conspiracies covers a lot of ground, leaving the reader to decide it's validity.
1. Grendel: Behold…The Devil by Matt Wagner (Dark Horse)Fast becoming my favorite anti-hero/villain character of comic book fiction, Behold…The Devil is a prequel to Devil By The Deed that follows the early exploits of Hunter Rose and the detectives tracking him down. Inside, it's a rich blend of crime fiction and the supernatural with some of my favorite artwork in the genre. Outside, this book features a beautiful printed hardcover.
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