My favorite essays and poetry of 2010

(These are essays and poetry titles that I read in 2010, but were not necessarily released in 2010.)

Questions About Angels: Poems by Billy Collins

From my review: “Reading Billy Collins is like soaking in a hot bath after a long day, or diving into a dish of your favorite ice cream. His poems are deceptively simple – you don’t have to read them over and over again to decipher their meaning. And yet you will want to read them over and over again for the pure beauty and joy of them, and because you’ll find something new each time you do. His poems alternately make me laugh, bring a lump to my throat, and elicit a sigh of pleasure or melancholy when I finish one. There really are no words to use to tell you how much I adore his work.”

At Large and At Small: Familiar Essays by Anne Fadiman

From my review: “The best kind of essay is one that teaches you a little something, challenges your thoughts or beliefs, and makes you laugh or cry, engaging your emotions. The essays in this volume all accomplished those things in one way or another, while adding to my to-read list and giving me some wonderful passages to copy down so I don’t forget them.”

Touch Magic: Fantasy, Faerie, & Folklore in the Literature of Childhood by Jane Yolen

From my review: “The other main thing I took away from this book is that I will no longer feel like reading fantasy is a “guilty pleasure.” I don’t know why I let other people’s opinions bother me so much, but I will argue forcefully now that reading fantasy (and science fiction) is just as legitimate as reading any other genre.