Mormonism in Transition   Thomas G. Alexander
Read the sections that had specific relevance to my work on Mary Ann Freeze’s diaries such as Plural Marriage, Word of Wisdom, etc. Very good introduction to why many things are the way they are in the church now, as well.

Collusion   Stuart Neville
Disappointing second novel featuring the Northern Ireland assassin Gerry Fegan. The narrative is interesting, and works well, until Neville begins to bring the three strands together. When they converge, he loses control and the plot and the resolution becomes unconvincing and unjustifiably mysterious. Prose is good, but overall, didn’t like it.

Heaven’s Net is Wide   Lian Hearn
Prequel to the very-enjoyable Tales of the Otori tetralogy concerning the development and tragedies of Otori Shigeru. Nicely written, and very interesting and enjoyable, even if it slides over far too many years. Really enjoyed it.

I read 63 books in 2010, the most of any year I’ve been keeping track. And I’m pleased with the quality of the books, especially the non-fiction.

Non-fiction highlights were: Hegemony or Survival Noam Chomsky, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything Christopher Hitchens, the five Plato dialogues, The Narrow Road to Oku Matsuo Bashō, Bhagavad Gita translated by Stephen Mitchell, and Marx’s General: The Revolutionary Life of Friedrich Engels Tristram Hunt.

Fiction highlights were: Sleepless Charlie Huston, Bad Things Happen Harry Dolan, Rosa Jonathan Rabb, The Farmer’s Daughter Jim Harrison, Bite Me, A Love Story Christopher Moore, Road Dogs Elmore Leonard, and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet David Mitchell. It was a very good year.

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet   David Mitchell
Another brilliant and moving Mitchell novel, this time about the years Jacob de Zoet spends in Japan at the turn of the 19^th century. Stories within stories within stories. Enjoyed it very much. Great way to end a great year of reading.