I am extremely averse to "Best of" lists only because they are, by their very nature, absurdly subjective and yet presented as if they are universally "Best" which always rubs me the wrong way. It really shouldn't matter as it is all only what someone thinks and I can just ignore it but they are so much everywhere that they are very nearly impossible to get away from. What I do like, and what I can do, is what Jessa did and what Jenny D. did and give you a snapshot of my year in reading. Here you go:

1. Books I bought based on blog recommendations that rocked my world: The Last Samurai by Helen Dewitt (via Jenny D.) which is nearly impossible to explain or summarize other than to say it is about a boy and his mother and the father he searches for and Akira Kurosawa and many other fascinating things and people and The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook (via Gwenda) which is steampunk romance and smart and swoony in all the right ways. As Liz commented the other day, "I adore this book with a love that is pure and true. " It's fab.

2. Sweetest surprises: Robert Wiersema's novella The World More Full of Weeping (so much emotion in so few pages); Jo Walton's upcoming Among Others (in my Jan column - staggering on every level & a must read for book lovers); Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series - steampunk/alt history Jane Austen with werewolves, vampires and mad scientists. And romance. Steampunk comedy of manners? I don't know what to call it, only that I love it.

3. The book every writer should read: Illyria by Elizabeth Hand. It's a beautiful coming-of-age story anyway, but the words - oh the words!!! - are gorgeous.

4. Revelation on creativity - the surprising Runaway Dream: Born to Run and Bruce Springsteen's American Vision. I read it because I am a fan but this really made me think a lot about seeing America on a different level (sort of hard to explain here) but appreciating Springsteen's music is not the only criteria for finding value in this book.

5. Subject I fell into: mountain climbing. This is all part of the next book that I sort of stumbled my way into this year (long story - can't share it all now but agent likes idea and outline is in the works) (it's not all about mountain climbing). I have read two books by Maria Coffey, and Good Morning Midnight by Chip Brown. I have several titles on George Mallory in the wings. Loved a graphic novel hinting at Mallory (first in a five part series - the second book is on eternal backorder) Summit of the Gods.

6. Title I wish everyone would read so the whole country could be talking about: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

7. Reason why I will never doubt the greatness of Guy Gavriel Kay: Under Heaven. I don't like epic fantasy and yet, this book was everything I ever wanted in a book. Unputdownable.

8. Light reading discovery: Carrie Vaughn. The Kitty books are big fun, Discord's Apple, a wild ride and now I have After the Golden Age to look forward to.

9. Book I bought for other people for Christmas: Bound to Last. Every writer in this collection has something deeply personal and significant to say about certain specific books and why those books matter and why books in general matter. Not one clunker in the collection and that's saying something. (And it wasn't all fake "I hate e-books" essays either. This is good stuff, promise.)

10. World I want to live in: William Bartram's as presented by Mark Dion. It romanticizes 19th century naturalists and I don't care. Prettttttty.

11. Writer I should have discovered a zillion years ago: Edith Wharton. But weirdly, having read The Brave Escape of Edith Wharton and falling hard for her in all the right ways, I still have no compulsion to read her books. Odd.

12. Best piece of journalism I've read in ages: Moby Duck. So glad my review of this one ended up starred in Booklist. (Plastic and the ocean do not mix, in case you're wondering.)

13. Comic I can't get enough of: Fables. Read it.

14. I've also become obsessed (all over again) with The Gilmore Girls. This is not literary - not really - but it sort of is. And I wanted to add it.

15. Authors who consistently impress me: Jacqueline Winspear (her Maisie Dobbs series gets better and better) and Cherie Priest who has turned steampunk on its ear and writes some of the strongest most vital historical characters in the business.

16. On the horizon: Sarah Vowell, Jack Kerouac, Jack London and more Gilmore Girls. Just because.