Stephen King's Ten Best Reads of 2010

I was sitting in the waiting area of a local clinic, yesterday, leafing through magazines, when I came upon this list. Being an avid reader, I was immediately interested. Admittedly, I'm not a connoisseur of fine literature. Sure, I have an undying love for Dickens and Dostoevsky, but, nowadays, I read just about anything that comes my way. Realizing that Stephen King is more knowlegdeable about books and a much more discerning reader, I was happy to come across this montage which, incidentally, does not contain one book I have read. While I do recognize several of the titles from the N.Y. Times Bestsellers list, I've spent my reading time following the exploits of Jack Reacher, Mitch Rapp and Harry Bosch. I am, now, going to make it a point to elevate my reading horizons by getting into the following:

1. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
2. Freedom: A Novel by Jonathan Franzen
3. I'd Know You Anywhere: A Novel by Laura Lippman
4. Savages: A Novel by Don Winslow
5. Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving
6. Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes
7. Blood's A Rover by James Ellroy
8. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell
9. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
10. City of Thieves: A Novel by David Benioff

My Progress:
Well, I dove right in, starting with David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest, and, all apologies to Mr. King, thought it sucked. For 980 pages, it leads somewhere. Then, it ends without ever getting there. The only list it belongs on is a list of books to avoid. Here's an archived N.Y. Times Review. To be honest, I gave up on the footnotes early on. That was probably a mistake. Still, on a scale of 1-10, I rate it a 5.5.

The second book I took from the list was I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman. This was a real page turner. Cleverly interwoven were the perspectives of several characters united by their involvement with a past brutal crime. I'll give this one a 7.5.

The third book I read from the list, and the best so far, was The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It's not that I was unfamiliar with the book - it was on the times Best Sellers list most of last year - but it's presence on King's list compelled me to read it. And I'm happy I did. I give this novel a 9.

The further I get into it, the more appreciative I am of Mr. King and his list. Last Night In Twisted River by John Irving  and Savages by Don Winslow were the next two novels I checked off. Though very different, I rate them both very highly, I'd say an 8 and a 9, respectively. I'm taking a break from the list right now, I'm reading a Kinky Friedman adventure I may have read before, but I've purchased two more from the list.

I'll try to work my way through this list and report on my progress, but be forewarned, I frequently divert my attention to graphic novels like Superman: Earth One. I'm happy to report that it appears certain that I'll never grow up.

Top Ten Metal Albums of 2010

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There are several Best Metal Albums lists available online and, one thing's for sure, there's not much agreement among them. Such is life. Here's my Top Ten:

1. Axiom Ethica Odini, Enslaved















2. Marrow of the Spirit, Agalloch












3. Eparistera Daimones, Triptykon












4. The Final Frontier, Iron Maiden












5. Addicts: Black Meddle Part 2, Nachtmystium












6. Diamond Eyes, Deftones



7. Crisis in Utopia, Holy Grail



8. Option Paralysis, Dillinger Escape Plan



9. After, Ihsahn



10. At the Edge of Time, Blind Guardian