Top Tens of 2010

As 2010 winds down, book critics begin proclaiming their top picks of the year. It's always interesting to compare across sources and see which titles pop up on multiple lists (Jonathan Franzen's Freedom, anyone?)

Here are the opinions of some of the big names in reviewing, to keep you reading well into the new year. Let us know if you agree or disagree with these picks, or have a "Best Books of 2010" list of your own!


The New York Times' 10 Best Books of 2010 gives equal attention to fiction and nonfiction, with five titles in each category. Their list of 100 Notable Books of 2010 highlights some honorable mentions.

Publisher's Weekly presents not only a Best 10 of 2010, but also continues with a Best 100, just in case you needed more suggestions.

NPR's list includes selections from radio personalities, and branches off with some quirkier categories, like the "Happy Holidays, Voyeurs" list of memoirs, "Us and Them: the Year's Best Outsider Fiction" and "Fiction for Piecing Together this Crazy World."


Check out Entertainment Weekly's Best Books of 2010: Fiction countdown, or a personal list from regular columnist and eminent author Stephen King.


Wall Street Journal may not come to mind immediately as a kingpin of book reviews, but they've taken steps to change that this year, with the introduction of a special books section on weekends. Here's a list of their Top Ten, especially appealing to nonfiction readers.

What are you looking forward to reading in 2011?

Out of the Ordinary Christmastime Stories

You'll find many novels to put you in the holiday spirit here at the library, but sometimes it's interesting to find the stories that aren't necessarily so tidy--maybe events don't get wrapped up so nicely, but somehow they seem just a little more...real.

Stuart O'Nan's Last Night at the Lobster is a great one to pick up if you're in the mood for something different. Plus, at just 146 pages, it's a quick read for this busy time of year. The book's central character is Manny DeLeon, manager of a Red Lobster who has just found out his restaurant will close right before Christmas. On the final night, he struggles with his staff of lively characters, and a complicated relationship with one of the waitresses--not to mention a powerful New England snowstorm that brings in some unexpected clientele. Reading about the jobs of other people can be fascinating, and O'Nan includes specific and surprising details of Manny's work day, along with the kinds of coworker interactions to which many of us can relate. Manny's eternal optimism in the face of what's crumbling around him makes this endearing story one you'll remember.

Do you have a favorite unusual holiday novel?

Everyone's talking about...eBooks

If an eReader is on your holiday wish list, or the list of someone you know, don't miss our Lunchtime Learning session at the Main Library on Wednesday, December 8 from 12-1. Siouxland Libraries has over 500 eBooks available for checkout, and they are compatible with many of the popular eReading devices on the market today. Attend Wednesday's class to learn which eReaders work with our digital books, and see a demo of how to download and transfer an eBook to a device!

Call 367-8720 to register, or register online.

For more information on the library's downloadable eBooks, visit our eBooks page.

Art and Artists: Julia Matuska

We are now featuring a new artist on our gallery wall at the Main Library for the months of December 2010--February 2011. Come admire the work of Julia Matuska, whose award-winning art incorporates many mediums, including pencil, pen and ink, acrylics, and oils. Julia will give a gallery talk on Thursday, January 27 from 7-8 PM. You can learn more about her at her website: http://www.juliamatuska.com/, and you might just spot her in her other line of work--in the Circulation department of the Main Library!