The Best Books of 2010

Our top picks of 2010, including titles Jodi Picoult and Scott Turow, make great holiday gifts.


1. For a Good Cry

Making Toast
By Roger Rosenblatt

When his beloved daughter died, the author and his wife went from puttering to parenting their grandkids. An eloquent story of a family pulling itself together with tears and laughter.





2. For a Good Drama

House Rules
By Jodi Picoult

An advice columnist realizes her family's unique strengths when her autistic teenage son is accused of murder. Picoult's exploration of what it means to be different is riveting and real.




Related: 10 Memoirs to Inspire You

3. For a Good Thrill

Innocent
By Scott Turow

Turow sizzles in this sequel to Presumed Innocent. Has the hero in fact exposed his dead wife's murderer? Or is he just holding a grudge? You won't know until the closing arguments.





4. For a Good Romance

My Name Is Mary Sutter
By Robin Oliveira

A midwife, refused admission to medical school, volunteers at a Civil War field hospital instead. So begins this riveting saga about trying to break a 19th-century glass ceiling.





5. For a Good Journey Back
Pearl Buck in China
By Hilary Spurling
The daughter of missionaries, Buck grew up in pre-Communist China and went on to fame as a Nobel-winning novelist and social activist. Virtually forgotten, she's well worth remeeting.




Related: Great Stories of American Women

6. For a Good Romp
Packing for Mars
By Mary Roach
Everything you've ever wanted to know about aerospace, including how astronauts bathe and avoid arguing. Roach's wit will make even the most earthbound look up in wonder.





7. For Good Vibes

Growing Up Laughing
By Marlo Thomas

Laugh along with Marlo (That Girl) and her irrepressible showbiz family in this delectable account of a Hollywood childhood filled with pranks, punch lines, performances - and love.




Related: Top 20 Books-Turned-Movies

8. For a Good Ending

The Widower's Tale
By Julia Glass

Endearing characters - a codger with a preschool in his barn, a gardener who finds a long-lost love - in a swirl of complications will keep Glass fans absorbed and win over new readers.





9. For a Good Escape

The World of Gloria Vanderbilt
By Wendy Goodman

Heiress, model, designer (and Anderson Cooper's mom) - Vanderbilt has experienced "many lives, many loves, many losses." Goodman's book is flush with gorgeous photos and insider dish.





10. For a Good Adventure

Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia
By Michael Korda

T.E. Lawrence was a British officer, scholar, and man of action, who fell in love with the Middle East and espoused Arab causes. Korda digs deep into the man behind the myth, and finds he lives up to it.





More Great Reads from Good Housekeeping:
> Books for Dog and Cat Lovers
> Best Books to Curl Up With and Read in Bed
> How to Stay Awake When You Read
> Top 13 Books for Middle and High Schoolers
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