Now that I’ve finished writing up the nearly 50 books I read last year, which were amongst the best? I offer my top ten list — five books aimed at adults and five aimed at young adults — for 2006 below. The links take you to my original book reviews.

1. The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan — This book really was the most riveting, creative, wonderful book I read all year. The protagonist is an everyday kid, the sort you’d be annoyed by in any average venue, until he finds out that he could possibly be extraordinary. Which is where any good epic takes off. I so look forward to reading future volumes in this series.
2. The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss — The best books sometimes happen into your life accidentally. This story of many kinds of love came into mine at an airport convenience store. Who would have expected something so great from the O.C. airport?
3. The Big Over Easy, by Jasper Fforde — Favorite authors just cannot be ignored when they write new books. And Jasper has yet to write a book that disappoints. This tale departed from Thursday Next’s series to take on the story of Detective Jack Spratt with equal excitement and cleverness. Rudi gave me the follow-up, The Fourth Bear, for Christmas and I’m eager to tear into it very, very soon.
4. Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke — Admit it; the saying is often wrong. You frequently can judge a book by its cover. And this new favorite author’s work hopped into my hands almost exclusively based on its cover. (Mind you, I’d been attracted to her covers before this one demanded to come home with me.) A terrific read for book lovers everywhere. Read it before the movie comes out.
5. Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven, by Fannie Flagg — Old friends often have great recommendations for what you should pick up next. When two old friends independently refer you to the same book, it’s time to put down your current read and find out what’s going to make your literary taste buds water. Thanks Eri and Rebs for encouraging me to seek out Fannie’s latest wonder. It’s unusual for a book to have you grinning for the duration, but this one succeeded at doing just that.
6. Arthur and George, by Julian Barnes — Book awards cannot be totally ignored. This work of historical fiction, which appeared on many short lists last year, was a bit of a downer, but it kept me reading until the very end and left me wondering about the final chapters’ events. It’s hard to ask for more than that from an author.
7. Peter and the Starcatchers, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson — This account of the origins of the inhabitants of Never Never Land was on my list for a long time before it and I ended up at the same place at the same time. And then it kept me up late kicking my brain into wakefulness with questions of what would happen next.
8. Fly by Night, by Frances Hardinge — While covers are important, sometimes cover blurbs are, too. A freebie advance reader copy of this book found its way home with me last year from one of my book conferences via Rudi’s sharp eye for colorful descriptions. Whoever wrote the book’s blurb is to be congratulated. The author’s sense of place stayed with me, as did her use of language, so I’m grateful that the blurb lived up to the reading.
9. Wicked, by Gregoire Maguire — This adaptation of the Oz mythology had long sat on my list of books to check out at some point. When the long-awaited sequel came out, it seemed imperative to read the original. A friend and I read it together and I’d say we both enjoyed it. I wish the book had been a little longer in order to let the end of the story not feel so rushed, but I still think it merits appearing on my top ten list for the year.
10. The Safe-Keeper’s Secret, by Sharon Shinn — Tears are a real tribute to an author’s ability to make you care about her characters. And I wept on public transportation for the characters in Shinn’s novel. I look forward to seeing how their story plays out in future stories.