I won’t try for any top 5/10 of the year, since it’s more fun to think of books that fit “best of” in really random categories.  I’m leaving a lot of really fantastic things off the list, “whether from forgetfulness or the multitude of names” (as they say in the prayer book), but these constitute a portion of my favorites.  My complete 2008 list is here, and I think I have comments/reviews for damn near everything on Goodreads.

Best audio book: a tie between Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus trilogy and M.T. Anderson’s The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, both of which were brough to life by the readings in ways I didn’t anticipate.

Best eye-roller: sorry, Stephenie Meyer – even your drama-laden series can’t top Jennifer Donnelly’s The Winter Rose, which wins because not only is it an eye-roller and impossible to put down, but it actually has this thing called likeable characters.

Best gripping story:  in the adult category, Mary Doria Russell takes honors for The Sparrow.  For YA, Patrick Ness’ The Knife of Never Letting Go, if only for that last chapter.

Favorite fantasy landscape: Elizabeth Knox’s Dreamhunter and Dreamquake – such an incredible sense of place, both in the “real world” and in the Place.

Book most helped by TV viewing: Robert Graves’ I, Claudius, where remembering characters from “Rome” actually helped a lot in keeping all the relationships straight.

Still making me laugh: The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex – even before Kitri gave me a Koobish t-shirt for Christmas.

Series I can’t wait to reread (historical fiction): Elizabeth E. Wein’s books, starting with The Winter Prince and ending (so far) with The Lion Hunter books.

Series I can’t wait to reread (realistic fiction): Ellen Emerson White’s series about Meg Powers, starting with The President’s Daughter.

Series I can’t believe I waited so long to reread: Elizabeth Peters’ Vicky Bliss books – sure, I’ve reread them before, but the release of a new one gave me a good excuse.

Best use of a fairy tale: Margo Lanagan’s Tender Morsels.

Best use of the English language: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves.  Sweet mercy in a firkin!

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