I enjoy reading both “best of” lists and award-winners, so I was happy to see the results of this year’s Nebula Awards recently. I was thrilled that Jeffrey Ford’s “The Empire of Ice Cream” won Best Novelette, since that was an absolutely wonderful story which hopefully will win the Hugo Award as well. Congratulations as well to Elizabeth Moon, Neil Gaiman, and Karen Joy Fowler.

The biggest result of all those “best of” lists and awards is adding books to my RECOMMENDED READING list, which is currently overflowing. In case any of you are curious here are some of the highlighted books which I am most anxious to buy:

Category One: Fantasy and Science Fiction (37 total books on my list):

Brighten to Incandescence, by Michael Bishop
The Fantasy Writer’s Assistant, by Jeffrey Ford
1610: A Sundial in a Grave, by Mary Gentle
Speaks the Nightbird, by Robert McCammon
The Separation, by Christopher Priest
Forty Signs of Rain, by Kim Stanley Robinson
Perfect Circle, by Sean Stewart
Worlds That Weren’t, edited by Harry Turtledove
City of Saints and Madmen, by Jeff Vandermeer

Category Two: Historical Fiction (23 books total on my list):

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexander Dumas
The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco
Soul Thief, by Cecilia Holland
Ex Libris, by Ross King
Ivanhoe, by Sir Walter Scott
Prince of Foxes, by Samuel Shellabargar

Category Three: Nonfiction (21 books total on my list):

Yak Butter and Black Tea, by Walter Brackenbury
My Journey to Lhasa, by Alexandra David-Neel
Readings: Essays & Literary Entertainments, by Michael Dirda
An Open Book, by Michael Dirda
River Town: Two Years on the Yangtse, by Peter Hessler
A Traveler in Italy, by H.V. Morton
Riding the Iron Rooster, by Paul Theroux