2010 books

It was a slower year for books (compared to 2009 and 2008, at least) but it was a year of really GOOD books... minus a couple embarrassing anomalies.

Here goes:

 January
Brick Lane by Monica Ali
Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
B is for Beer by Tom Robbins 

 February
Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer 

 March
Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving

 April
The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill 

 May
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

 June
Home by Marilyn Robinson
Four Souls by Louise Erdrich

 July
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

 August
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

 September
Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga

 October
Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi

 November
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

 December
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
The History of Love by Nicole Kraus
On Chesil Beach by Ian MacEwan

 Because I only polished off 21 books, it would hardly seem selective to share my top ten, so in the next week or so I'll narrow it down to my top six. Watch this space. 

For my top picks from previous years, check out Best of 2009, and Best of 2008.

book covers - then and now

If I had any artistic talent at all, I would design book covers. Design is never more relevant to me than on the front of my favourite works. I love Flavorpill's overview of classic book designs reinvented.

Giant

My latest foray into short fiction is now up at This Great Society.

pictorial webster's beautiful words

I'm likely among a dorky minority that thinks dictionaries are a gorgeous thing. So many wonderful words in one place! Even with the advent of dictionary.com, I still consult my giant Merriam-Webster's Collegiate to ensure I am using a word JUST RIGHT. Heck, I used it just today when I suspected I was abusing the word 'parlay' in a sentence (indeed, I was).

But no one can argue that Chronicle Books' new(ish) Pictorial Webster's is anything short of stunning. Even the subtitle (A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities) is enough to set my heart aflutter. But crack open the pages and you'll got lost in a sea of pictorial delights. Maybe that's why there's an octopus on the cover.

Last week while exploring West Queen West (not a typo, non-Torontonians), I stumbled upon Pictorial Webster's WALL CARDS—teachers and contemporary mommies, take note! I can't think of a more stylish way to learn one's ABCs. 

Lonny #3

If you haven't already drooled your way through the entire thing, you'll be interested to know that the third issue of Lonny (the online salvation of Domino fans) went up last week! The best thing about having all the style and substance of Domino in an online format is seemingly limitless photo pages—though I should warn that it's not advisable to drool on your keyboard while viewing.

I especially loved the cover feature showing how two sisters interpreted identical floor plans in the same building. Both apartments are spectacular but I gravitate towards Antonia's vintage + modern mix and utilitarian kitchen.

And since I am currently on the hunt for a great pendant light for our dining room, this photo caught my eye in particular.

And if you love Lonny as much as I do, you'll probably love its editor's blog and her apartment. Check out a tour of Michelle Adams' adorably small NYC home right here.