The Best Books of 2010

2010 has been a great year for literature. Here are my favorite books from 2010.

Until You Hear From Me by Pearl Cleage (published April 20, 2010): I love Pearl Cleage. And I love this book because she is one of the first African American women writers to tackle a novel that deals with the issues raised during the 2008 election in regard to black America and Barack Obama, the old guard and the new school. In Until You Hear From Me, Ida represents the new. Her father "the Reverend" a civil rights icon represents the old. Essentially the story is about loyalty, to one's race, community and self. As always, Cleage's strength in this novel is her characterization. Although not her best work, this novel is solid and one of the best of 2010.

The Girl That Fell From the Sky by Heidi Durrow (published January 11, 2010): Durrow tackles issues of race, identity, and community in her debut novel. Rachel, the novels protagonist, is a young biracial girl forced to navigate the questions of her identity. She is a literal fish out of water after she is sent to live with her black paternal grandmother after her mother suddenly dies. The issues of race and colorism are not new to literature. But Durrow manages to refresh the issues and weave them in a way that is enjoyable as a reader. Overall, Durrow successfully puts a new spin on the classic coming of age tale. Her characters will remain with you long after you finish their journey.

Bitch is the New Black by Helena Andrews (published June 1, 2010): In her debut collection of essays, Andrew's chronicles her experiences from a young girl living with a single mother to her life as an aspiring writer living in our nation's capital, Washington, DC. Andrew's transitions from the superficial to the complex with relative ease as she writes about issues of family, love, loss, and race. The title of the book is taken from a 2008 Saturday Night Live news skit where Tina Fey proclaims "Bitches get stuff done ... Bitch is the new black!" As a whole, the book is both entertaining and funny. In fact, Andrews is adapting the book for the screen with Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes. That should be enough to convince anyone that it's one of the best of 2010.

Substitute Me by Lori Tharps (published August 24, 2010): This is definitely one of the most engaging books I read in 2010. The book centers on Zora and Kate. Zora is a 30 year old, upper middle class woman trying to decide what she wants to do with her life. In the meantime, she takes a job as a nanny for a Kate, her husband Brad and their baby Oliver. Set in 2000, the novel addresses issues of motherhood, marriage, and passion. Tharps fully develops the main characters Zora and Kate, and makes them endearing even when one might not agree with their actions. Initially I was a little hesitant to read another nanny tale, but Tharp totally drew me in from the first page.

32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter (published June 22, 2010): This is your classic ugly duckling story, with a cinematic twist. Davidia Jones is mocked and ridiculed by her classmates in school. At home she is abused by her mother. At the age of 15 after a particular traumatizing event, she escapes her small town and makes her way to Los Angeles where she is reinvented as Davie Jones, a beautiful night club singer. On the surface, this could seem like a sad tale. However, 32 Candles is the most fun reading experiences of 2010. Carter creates a protagonist that is complex, flawed, but lovable. 32 Candles is definitely my favorite of the year. It's also one of those books that as you are reading, you are casting the movie version in your head.