The Bookshelf
ChrisHubbs.com

The 65 books I read in 2010 year in books

Cover of Dead or Alive.

Dead or Alive

by Tom Clancy · published 2010 · read 2010-12-31
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Clancy is back with a Jack Ryan novel years after his previous one. Ryan actually plays only a minor part in this book, with the primary narrative focus being on John Clark, Ding Chavez, and Jack Ryan, Jr. The threat abroad is still nukes and wacko Muslims, and the threat at home is still politicians who don't understand the value of a strong CIA and strong military. So yeah, it's basically the same note Clancy has been playing for years now.

The book runs to 950 pages, but the margins and line spacing are larger than his older novels, so it's not quite the same length as, say, The Sum of All Fears. Multiple characters are introduced and woven together in classic Clancy style, and the book would probably work better as a stand-alone novel than as a follow-up to a classic series.

As a sidenote, the proofreading was apparently sloppy; I caught four typos in my quick read of the book.

Not a bad read; better than most of what is out in this genre today, but not up to the level you'd expect from classic Clancy.

Cover of Between Noon & Three: Romance, Law & the Outrage of Grace.

Between Noon & Three: Romance, Law & the Outrage of Grace

by Robert Farrar Capon · published 1997 · read 2010-12-28
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A fantastic challenging read that will transform the way I think about Grace. Capon mixes storytelling with theologising quite effectively, driving his points home with insight and humor.

I'm not sure I'm on board with his conclusions on eschatology in the last bit of the book, but the first two-thirds are quite enough to warrant five stars for this fantastic volume.

Cover placeholder for The Passage.

The Passage

by Justin Cronin · published 2010 · read 2010-12-16
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Unincorporated War.

The Unincorporated War

by Dani Kollin · published 2010 · read 2010-11-30
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
This follow-up to "The Unincorporated Man" was interesting but not as great as the first book. "Man" got to set up the universe and explore the (rather fascinating) idea of personal incorporation and how it would affect society. Now in "War", the people and ideas get lost to an extent as the story becomes a saga of system-wide war. Still an engaging story... but not as high on my list as the first book.

Cover placeholder for The Lion.

The Lion

by Nelson DeMille · published 2010 · read 2010-11-27
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Dreaming Void.

The Dreaming Void

by Peter F. Hamilton · published 2008 · read 2010-11-17
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover placeholder for The World in 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization's Northern Future.

The World in 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization’s Northern Future

by Laurence C. Smith · published 2010 · read 2010-11-08
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Even-handed and insightful. A quick read, quite worth your time.

Cover of Rules of Betrayal.

Rules of Betrayal

by Christopher Reich · published 2010 · read 2010-11-06
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover placeholder for Executive Intent.

Executive Intent

by Dale Brown · published 2010 · read 2010-11-06
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Ah, Dale Brown. Another cookie cutter plot, with ineffective politicians who despise the military techno-gear until it's too late. If the technology and the political scenarios weren't so interesting, I'd have given up on you by now. As it is... Three stars.

Cover placeholder for Impact.

Impact

by Douglas Preston · published 2010 · read 2010-10-23
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Disappointing and lame. Very thin plotting combined with insufficient action makes for a lame story. Preston can do better, and he should have in this case.

Cover of The Vigilantes.

The Vigilantes

by W.E.B. Griffin · published 2010 · read 2010-10-17
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest

by Stieg Larsson · published 2010 · read 2010-10-16
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Lots of characters to keep track of, but ultimately satisfying. Good end to the trilogy.

Cover of Don't Let Me Go: What My Daughter Taught Me about the Journey Every Parent Must Make.

Don’t Let Me Go: What My Daughter Taught Me about the Journey Every Parent Must Make

by David W. Pierce · published 2009 · read 2010-10-11
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Wolf at the Door.

The Wolf at the Door

by Jack Higgins · published 2010 · read 2010-10-04
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover placeholder for Pursuit of Honor.

Pursuit of Honor

by Vince Flynn · published 2009 · read 2010-09-28
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Juliet, Naked.

Juliet, Naked

by Nick Hornby · published 2009 · read 2010-09-28
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover placeholder for The Girl Who Played with Fire.

The Girl Who Played with Fire

by Stieg Larsson · published 2009 · read 2010-09-23
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover placeholder for Mockingjay.

Mockingjay

by Suzanne Collins · published 3 · read 2010-09-19
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

by Stieg Larsson · published 2008 · read 2010-09-17
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover placeholder for In The Name Of Honor.

In The Name Of Honor

by Richard North Patterson · published 2010 · read 2010-09-12
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work.

Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work

by Eugene H. Peterson · published 1992 · read 2010-09-12
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover placeholder for The Swan Thieves.

The Swan Thieves

by Elizabeth Kostova · published 2010 · read 2010-09-04
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Cobra.

The Cobra

by Frederick Forsyth · published 2010 · read 2010-09-01
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Lots of detail, solid plotting, nice twist ending... Good stuff from Forsyth.

Cover placeholder for Capitol Betrayal: A Novel.

Capitol Betrayal: A Novel

by William Bernhardt · published 2010 · read 2010-08-29
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original.

Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original

by Robin D.G. Kelley · published 2009 · read 2010-08-24
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover placeholder for Never Let Me Go.

Never Let Me Go

by Kazuo Ishiguro · published 2010 · read 2010-08-19
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ.

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

by Philip Pullman · published 2010 · read 2010-08-16
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of Son of Hamas.

Son of Hamas

by Mosab Hassan Yousef · published 2010 · read 2010-08-07
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Freedom™.

Freedom™

by Daniel Suarez · published 2010 · read 2010-08-07
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
An excellent follow-up to Suarez' debut novel /Daemon/. How will the various world powers react to the massive online 'darknet' that is organizing and coordinating millions of users? Great stuff.

Cover placeholder for The Bradbury Report.

The Bradbury Report

by Steven Polansky · published 2010 · read 2010-07-27
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Trying to be futuristic and dystopian, this book only succeeds in being dry, dull, and uninteresting. Meh.

Cover of 61 Hours.

61 Hours

by Lee Child · published 2010 · read 2010-07-21
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover placeholder for Nine Dragons.

Nine Dragons

by Michael Connelly · published 2009 · read 2010-07-20
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of Daemon.

Daemon

by Daniel Suarez · published 2009 · read 2010-07-17
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A well-detailed techno-thriller; something akin to what we'd get if Tom Clancy had written about 21st century cyber technology instead of 1980's military hardware. Fascinatingly complex, but plausible enough to be gripping. Looking forward to the sequel.

Cover of After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters.

After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters

by N.T. Wright · published 2010 · read 2010-07-06
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
I'm still chewing on whether or not to give this book five stars. This book is a fairly logical progression from Simply Christian and Surprised by Hope. Once Wright has discussed what it means to be Christian and then has outlined the Christian's hope for eternity, this volume deals with the idea of the Christian ethic or virtue.

Wright works with many passages both from the Gospels and from Paul's epistles to explain the concept of Christian virtue - the idea that by practicing virtuous character in the here and now, we are anticipating preparing ourselves for the way things will be in the eternal kingdom.

Once again good stuff from Wright. If I were to rank the books in this trilogy, I'd have to go with Surprised by Hope as number one, but After You Believe would be a solid #2.

Cover of Mere Churchianity: Finding Your Way Back to Jesus-Shaped Spirituality.

Mere Churchianity: Finding Your Way Back to Jesus-Shaped Spirituality

by Michael Spencer · published 2010 · read 2010-06-27
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Lost Symbol.

The Lost Symbol

by Dan Brown · published 2009 · read 2010-06-27
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture.

Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture

by Adam S. McHugh · published 2009 · read 2010-06-20
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Unincorporated Man.

The Unincorporated Man

by Dani Kollin · published 2009 · read 2010-06-14
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Ah, a sci-fi novel in the footsteps of Heinlein. Sweeping scope, major cultural themes, overly preachy but still a compelling read. Excellent stuff.

The title character, Justin, is a man from the 20th century who, after being cryonically frozen, is brought back to life in the 23rd century, in a culture where each person is incorporated at birth, and can buy and sell their shares on the open market. Justin struggles to understand and adapt to this culture, given his status as The Unincorporated Man.

Good, good stuff.

Cover of World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

by Max Brooks · published 2006 · read 2010-06-03
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Such a fun read. The oral history format allows the story to be told in little episodes that come together into the full picture. I have never read anything quite like it. Brilliant, a fun read, very good story.

Cover of Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations.

Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations

by Ayaan Hirsi Ali · published 2010 · read 2010-05-30
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
If Hirsi Ali's previous book, Infidel, was a smashing Movie on DVD, Nomad would be the DVD extra features and director's commentary. Hirsi Ali reinforces her point that strict adherence to Islam will cause subjugatioin and oppression of women. Fair point, but makes for a dull book. Read Infidel instead.

Cover of Infidel.

Infidel

by Ayaan Hirsi Ali · published 2007 · read 2010-05-29
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Foundation.

Foundation

by Isaac Asimov · published 2004 · read 2010-05-11
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Windup Girl.

The Windup Girl

by Paolo Bacigalupi · published 2009 · read 2010-04-18
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Incarceron.

Incarceron

by Catherine Fisher · published 2010 · read 2010-04-03
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Honor of Spies.

The Honor of Spies

by W.E.B. Griffin · published 2009 · read 2010-03-25
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of Gateway.

Gateway

by Frederik Pohl · published 2004 · read 2010-03-24
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Peace Like a River.

Peace Like a River

by Leif Enger · published 2002 · read 2010-03-24
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A beautiful story, beautifully told. Highly recommended.

Cover of A Wrinkle in Time.

A Wrinkle in Time

by Madeleine L'Engle · published 1973 · read 2010-03-24
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Fellowship of the Ring.

The Fellowship of the Ring

by J.R.R. Tolkien · published 2003 · read 2010-03-21
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight.

The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight

by Martha Ackmann · published 2004 · read 2010-03-14
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Apostle.

The Apostle

by Brad Thor · published 2009 · read 2010-03-03
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of Able One.

Able One

by Ben Bova · published 2010 · read 2010-02-21
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
I've been a big fan of Bova's scifi, so I went ahead and picked this one up when I saw it on the library shelf. This is Bova's foray into the military thriller genre, and, after reading it, my conclusion is that he should leave that genre to Larry Bond, Dale Brown, et al, and stick to writing sci-fi.

The plot was thin, the characters flat, the story just interesting enough to keep reading without actually being fascinating enough to be engaging. Not particularly recommended.

Cover of A Romance on Three Legs: Glenn Gould's Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano.

A Romance on Three Legs: Glenn Gould’s Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano

by Katie Hafner · published 2008 · read 2010-02-21
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
A short, fascinating read about the obsessive pianist's quest for the perfect piano, and the piano technician who maintained it for him.

Cover placeholder for First Family.

First Family

by David Baldacci · published 2009 · read 2010-02-20
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Book of Lies.

The Book of Lies

by Brad Meltzer · published 2008 · read 2010-02-05
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
At one point I like Meltzer... but this one: ugh.

Just when you think the DaVinci knock-offs have gone as far as they can go in the spectrum of ridiculousness, then comes Book of Lies, which tries to tie together mysteries surrounding Cain (from the Bible), a mysterious secretive group of Aryans, and... wait for it... the creator of the Superman comic.

Do yourself a favor and avoid.

Cover of Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters.

Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters

by Timothy J. Keller · published 2009 · read 2010-02-05
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Liturgical Year: The Spiraling Adventure of the Spiritual Life - The Ancient Practices Series.

The Liturgical Year: The Spiraling Adventure of the Spiritual Life - The Ancient Practices Series

by Joan D. Chittister · published 2009 · read 2010-01-26
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover placeholder for The Shadow of the Wind.

The Shadow of the Wind

by Carlos Ruiz Zafón · published 2005 · read 2010-01-12
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters.

Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters

by Joshua Harris · published 2010 · read 2010-01-09
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

by Michael Chabon · published 2001 · read 2010-01-07
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Angel's Game.

The Angel’s Game

by Carlos Ruiz Zafón · published 2009 · read 2010-01-06
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover placeholder for Bel Canto.

Bel Canto

by Ann Patchett · published 2005 · read 2010-01-06
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Wednesday Wars.

The Wednesday Wars

by Gary D. Schmidt · published 2007 · read 2010-01-06
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of Generosity: An Enhancement.

Generosity: An Enhancement

by Richard Powers · published 2009 · read 2010-01-04
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of Cemetery Dance.

Cemetery Dance

by Douglas Preston · published 2009 · read 2010-01-02
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Nothing particularly breathtaking here, not the best book in the Pendergast series from Preston & Child, but still entertaining fun.