Hello. Long time lurker from the wotmania days. First time posting on RAFO. I've managed to knock out 57 books so far this year, which is the most I've read in many years, so I figured I'd be able to narrow it down to 10 (I did combine a couple series) for this post. Here goes...

King's first novel. I've never even seen the movie so this is definitely the oldest first time read on my list. Very good but disturbing story. I've read many King novels and would have to say this one ranks near the top.

I did see this movie before ever reading the book. I liked the movie and, after reading the book, thought they did a pretty good job of adapting the novel. I can definitely appreciate this book being recognized as a science fiction classic. Mr. Adams had a fine sense of humor (sorry, should I use humour on this board?)

The Way Of Kings may have been the most hyped fantasy novel of the year. I really enjoyed this book and could tell Sanderson has a plan to build an impressive world with the Stormlight Archive. That being said, I thought the pacing was a little slow, given the size of this book. I still see a bright future for the series and will be getting book two the day it is released.

I know, I know. This one's probably pretty lame to some of you. I've read a lot of fantasy throughout the years. I've discovered many new and interesting works that I have enjoyed. Still, none of these works tops Wheel Of Time for me. I know it's popularity on the boards has declined as many people have moved on to works they have deemed superior (Erikson, Martin, etc.). Since Martin will never finish his series and I'm waiting for The Crippled God before I start Erikson, I am sticking with the Wheel Of Time for now, especially since I know the series will be done within 18 months. I've invested so much time into these books so perhaps I'm grading on a curve a bit here. We all know Jordan hit a wall in this series. I do think he was turning the corner with Knife Of Dreams and it was very sad that he was unable to complete his masterpiece. That being said, I feel Sanderson is doing a damn fine job filling some pretty big shoes. Maybe someday I will find a fantasy work that surpasses this one. Maybe I won't.

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So there it is. My list for 2010, barring a miraculous effort over the next couple hundred pages by Charles Dickens' A Tale Of Two Cities (no, I'm not reading it because Oprah said so; I've had it on my Nook for quite some time). I know that my tastes in "literature" are not on par with most of the avid readers on this site and that my preferences tend to lean towards books that perhaps aren't quite as cerebral as many of the recommendations I see on here. I have read many of the recommendations provided over the years and have enjoyed some, but not others. I make no criticisms with these comments. Just wanting to explain the reasoning for my selections.

I look forward to participating on this site a little more in the future. I am really excited about the 2011 challenges post from last week and shall be participating. Thanks for looking. Look forward to the feedback.