Sunday, December 31, 2017

Retro-Robbie Awards

To atone for the grievous sin of not having inaugurated the Robbie Awards until this time last year, I will now step backward and see what I can see about a few previous years. Unfortunately, I can't go back any further than 2009, since 2008 is the year I ransacked the archives of the original "Book Trolley" and brought them over to this blog - including reviews that date back to 2003 and, in some cases, earlier. And so...

2015 Robbie Awards (Year -1)

The nominees (i.e. all the books I reviewed during that year):
  1. An Irish Country Village by Patrick Taylor
  2. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
  3. An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor
  4. Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
  5. Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens
  6. The Trumpet-Major by Thomas Hardy
  7. Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke
  8. The Dark at the End by F. Paul Wilson
  9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
  10. An Irish Country Wedding by Patrick Taylor
  11. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
  12. The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley
  13. The Doctor and the Rough Rider by Mike Resnick
  14. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
  15. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
  16. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
  17. An Irish Country Girl by Patrick Taylor
  18. Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley
  19. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
  20. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier
  21. Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
  22. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
  23. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley
  24. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley
  25. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
  26. Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith
  27. The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
  28. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
  29. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
  30. The Martian by Andy Weir
  31. The Outsorcerer’s Apprentice by Tom Holt
  32. The Woodcutter by Kate Danley
  33. Felicity the Dragon by Ruthie Briggs-Greenberg
  34. The Chessman by Dolores Gordon-Smith
  35. The Siren and the Sword by Celia Tan
  36. The League of Unexceptional Children by Gitty Daneshvari
  37. A Dark Mind by T.R. Ragan
  38. Werewolves: A Hunter’s Guide by Graeme Davis
  39. Inkling by John D. Waterman
  40. Dead Weight by T.R. Ragan
  41. Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith
  42. The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith
  43. The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith
  44. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
  45. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
  46. Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter
  47. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith
  48. A Box of Gargoyles by Anne Nesbet
  49. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
  50. Vindications: Essays on Romantic Music by Deryck Cooke
  51. 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith
Oh, goodness. There are a lot of really good books on this list, even though I only managed a paltry 51 books that year. In my defense, I spent that year living with my parents - while working full-time, mind you - and the TV was more of a distraction than it is when I'm living alone. In quantitative terms, the difference is "continuously on" vs. "never even plugged in." So, to move on to the winners:
  • Critic's Choice: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker.
  • People's Choice: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
  • Kid's Choice: This one’s an anachronism, since I didn’t start awarding this one until this year. Nevertheless, the choice is easy: Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman. I absolutely love this book.
  • Best Newcomer (i.e. pre-publication review): Werewolves: A Hunter’s Guide by Graeme Davis.
  • Best Comeback (i.e. golden oldie): It's almost a tie, depending on whether I'm evaluating this from a "critic's choice" or a "people's choice" point of view. But since A Trumpet-Major was far from the first book by Thomas Hardy that I had read, the award goes to The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy, because it was more of a fresh discovery for me at that time.
  • Best Audiobook: The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg, read by Amy McFadden.
  • Best Documentary (i.e. non-fiction): Vindications: Essays on Romantic Music by Deryck Cooke.
  • Best Foreign-Language Book (translated): No award.
  • Best Short Subject (i.e. less than novel length): Inkling by John D. Waterman.
  • Honorable Mentions: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak; The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie etc. by Alan Bradley; The Martian by Andy Weir; Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

2014 Robbie Awards (Year -2)

The nominees:
  1. Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
  2. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
  3. The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima
  4. Parsifal’s Page by Gerald Morris
  5. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
  6. Fat Vampire by Adam Rex
  7. Necromancing the Stone by Lish McBride
  8. Pegasus by Robin McKinley
  9. Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
  10. The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde
  11. The Enchanter Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
  12. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
  13. The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
  14. Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
  15. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo
  16. Rotters by Daniel Kraus
  17. The Ballad of Sir Dinadan by Gerald Morris
  18. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
  19. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
  20. The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
  21. The Sign of (the) Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
  22. Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta
  23. The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
  24. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
  25. The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner
  26. The Empire of Bones by N.D. Wilson
  27. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
  28. Railsea by China Miéville
  29. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
  30. The Well-Beloved by Thomas Hardy
  31. Untold by Sarah Ress Brennan
  32. Aliens on Vacation by Clete Barrett Smith
  33. Rise of a Hero by Hillari Bell
  34. Aliens on a Rampage by Clete Barrett Smith
  35. Blood Oranges by Kathleen Tierney
  36. Darksolstice by Sam Llewellyn
  37. Troubletwisters by Garth Nix & Sean Williams
  38. The Monster by Garth Nix & Sean Williams
  39. The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)
  40. The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt
  41. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore
  42. The Mystery by Garth Nix & Sean Williams
  43. Bite Me: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
  44. The Secret War by Matt Myklusch
  45. Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
  46. The Genius Wars by Catherine Jinks
  47. Brother Odd by Dean Koontz
  48. The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
  49. Hot Lead, Cold Iron by Ari Marmell
  50. A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull
  51. Seeds of Rebellion by Brandon Mull
  52. Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
  53. Legacies by F. Paul Wilson
  54. Conspiracies by F. Paul Wilson
  55. Odd Hours by Dean Koontz
  56. The Serpent’s Shadow by Rick Riordan
  57. Odd Interlude by Dean Koontz
  58. Heartless by Gail Carriger
  59. Geek Fantasy Novel by E. Archer
  60. All the Rage by F. Paul Wilson
  61. Timeless by Gail Carriger
  62. Scumble by Ingrid Law
  63. The Book of the Sword by A.J. Lake
  64. Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
  65. Turbulence by Samit Basu
  66. Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz
  67. Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
  68. Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
  69. Resistance by Samit Basu
  70. Hosts by F. Paul Wilson
  71. The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
  72. The Haunted Air by F. Paul Wilson
  73. Boys of Blur by N.D. Wilson
  74. Wildwood by Colin Meloy
  75. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car by Ian Fleming
  76. The Wizard in the Tree by Lloyd Alexander
  77. Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz
  78. Once Upon Stilettos by Shanna Swendson
  79. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
  80. The Thief Queen’s Daughter by Elizabeth Haydon
  81. Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull
  82. The Dragon’s Lair by Elizabeth Haydon
  83. The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer
  84. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
  85. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
  86. A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
  87. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
  88. Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire
  89. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)
  90. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
  91. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
  92. The Tree of Water by Elizabeth Haydon
  93. Skin Game by Jim Butcher
  94. A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire
  95. Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire
  96. An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor
Well, that's better. Almost made it to 100! Also, another year with so many really good titles, choosing a handful to anoint as "the best" is really hard. Nevertheless, the winners:
  • Critic's Choice: Elantris by Brandon Sanderson.
  • People's Choice: Railsea by China Miéville.
  • Kid's Choice: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.
  • Best Newcomer: Resistance by Samit Basu.
  • Best Comeback: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.
  • Best Audiobook: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, read by David Case.
  • Best Documentary: No award.
  • Best Foreign-Language Book (without repeating one that already won an award): The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
  • Best Short Subject: Odd Interlude by Dean Koontz
  • Honorable Mentions (without belaboring literary classics that need no further recommendation): Pegasus by Robin McKinley; Aliens on Vacation by Clete Barrett Smith; Turbulence by Samit Basu; The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith; Wildwood by Colin Meloy.

2013 Robbie Awards (Year -3)

The nominees:
  1. Jack and Yani Love Harry Potter by Mary E. Twomey
  2. Cursor’s Fury by Jim Butcher
  3. Plugged by Eoin Colfer
  4. Adam Bede by George Eliot
  5. Snuff by Terry Pratchett
  6. The Rose and the Ring by William Makepeace Thackeray
  7. Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  8. The Search for Belle Prater by Ruth White
  9. Ironside by Holly Black
  10. One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde
  11. A Thief in the Night by E.W. Hornung
  12. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
  13. The Vampyre by John Polidori
  14. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
  15. The Woman Who Died a Lot by Jasper Fforde
  16. Trials of Death by Darren Shan
  17. The Vampire Prince by Darren Shan
  18. House of Secrets by Chris Columbus & Ned Vizzini
  19. Love Divine by Alan Kornacki, Jr.
  20. A Great and Mighty Wonder by Alan Kornacki, Jr.
  21. One Thing’s Needful by Alan Kornacki, Jr.
  22. Captain’s Fury by Jim Butcher
  23. Agent Colt Shore: Domino 29 by Axel Avian
  24. Hunters of the Dusk by Darren Shan
  25. Princeps’ Fury by Jim Butcher
  26. The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer
  27. The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter
  28. The Humming Room by Ellen Potter
  29. The Secret History of Tom Trueheart by Ian Beck
  30. The Well Between the Worlds by Sam Llewellyn
  31. Star of Stone by P.D. Baccalario
  32. The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean
  33. Daniel Deronda by George Eliot
  34. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
  35. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
  36. Love Among the Chickens by P.G. Wodehouse
  37. The Golden Ocean by Patrick O’Brian
  38. The Suburb Beyond the Stars by M.T. Anderson
  39. In the Company of Ogres by A. Lee Martinez
  40. Cold Days by Jim Butcher
  41. Ptolemy’s Gate by Jonathan Stroud
  42. The Empire of Gut and Bone by M.T. Anderson
  43. The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks
  44. The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima
  45. Tales from the Hood by Michael Buckley
  46. The Unknown Shore by Patrick O’Brian
  47. If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch
  48. Little People by Tom Holt
  49. The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
  50. A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
  51. The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter
  52. Dirty Magic by Carol Hughes
  53. The Seven Keys of Balabad by Paul Haven
  54. The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson
  55. Storybound by Marissa Burt
  56. The Rope Trick by Lloyd Alexander
  57. Tom Trueheart and the Land of Dark Stories by Ian Beck
  58. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages by Tom Holt
  59. InterWorld by Neil Gaiman & Michael Reaves
  60. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
  61. Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini
  62. Blimpo: The Third Circle of Heck by Dale E. Basye
  63. Doughnut by Tom Holt
  64. 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison
  65. The Wells Bequest by Polly Shulman
  66. 13 Curses by Michelle Harrison
  67. Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery
  68. First Lord’s Fury by Jim Butcher
  69. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
  70. Emma by Jane Austen
  71. The Last Siege by Jonathan Stroud
  72. The Floating Island by Elizabeth Haydon
  73. LightLand by H.L. McCutchen
  74. The Wall and the Wing by Laura Ruby
  75. Greywalker by Kat Richardson
  76. The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech
  77. Harry Potter: A Christian Chronicle by Sonia Falaschi-Ray
  78. The Boy Who Lived: Magikal Spirituality in the Harry Potter Universe by Rik Potter
  79. One Fine Potion: The Literary Magic of Harry Potter by Greg Garrett
  80. Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin
  81. Poltergeist by Kat Richardson
  82. Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin
  83. Persuasion by Jane Austen
  84. Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
  85. Escape from Castle Cant by K.P. Bath
  86. Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud
  87. Rocannon’s World by Ursula K. Le Guin
  88. Planet of Exile by Ursula K. Le Guin
  89. City of Illusions by Ursula K. Le Guin
  90. Underground by Kat Richardson
  91. The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman
  92. Angel Isle by Peter Dickinson
  93. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
  94. Choosing Up Sides by John H. Ritter
  95. Over the Wall by John H. Ritter
  96. Voices by Ursula K. Le Guin
  97. Vanished by Kat Richardson
  98. Powers by Ursula K. Le Guin
  99. Labyrinth by Kat Richardson
  100. The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry
  101. Downpour by Kat Richardson
  102. The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud
  103. The Drowned Vault by N.D. Wilson
  104. The Automatic Detective by A. Lee Martinez
  105. Seawitch by Kat Richardson
  106. Soulless by Gail Carriger
  107. The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen
  108. Tam Lin by Pamela Dean
  109. Changeless by Gail Carriger
  110. Hero by Mike Lupica
  111. Fall of a Kingdom by Hillari Bell
  112. Blameless by Gail Carriger
  113. Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
  114. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
  115. The Magician King by Lev Grossman
Holy cow! That year's total is second only to 2016, so far. And lo, the winners:
  • Critic's Choice: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin.
  • People's Choice: The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson.
  • Kid's Choice: The Well Between the Worlds by Sam Llewellyn.
  • Best Newcomer: House of Secrets by Chris Columbus & Ned Vizzini.
  • Best Comeback: Stretching the parameters of this award to include a revival of a classic franchise by a new author, I'm giving this one to a fresh addition to the "Sherlock Holmes" canon, The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz.
  • Best Audiobook: The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter, read by Michael Fenton Stephens.
  • Best Documentary: One Fine Potion: The Literary Magic of Harry Potter by Greg Garrett.
  • Best Foreign-Language Book: Star of Stone by P.D. Baccalario.
  • Best Short Subject: Rocannon's World by Ursula K. Le Guin.
  • Honorable Mentions: Everything I read that year by Jim Butcher, Jasper Fforde, M.T. Anderson, Tom Holt, and (must I even say it?) Ursula K. Le Guin; The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry; and The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly.

2012 Robbie Awards (Year -4)

The nominees:
  1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
  2. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
  3. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
  4. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
  5. Dead Beat by Jim Butcher
  6. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
  7. The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex
  8. The Road to Bedlam by Mike Shevdon
  9. Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith
  10. Tentacles by Roland Smith
  11. A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
  12. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
  13. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
  14. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
  15. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
  16. Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher
  17. White Night by Jim Butcher
  18. Small Favor by Jim Butcher
  19. Bad, Bad Darlings by Sam Llewellyn
  20. Gil’s All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez
  21. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher
  22. The Vampire’s Assistant by Darren Shan
  23. Tunnels of Blood by Darren Shan
  24. Antsy Does Time by Neal Shüsterman
  25. Standard Hero Behavior by John David Anderson
  26. Changes by Jim Butcher
  27. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
  28. Chasing the Moon by A. Lee Martinez
  29. The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson
  30. The Merlin Effect by T.A. Barron
  31. The Named by Marianne Curley
  32. The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin
  33. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
  34. The Dark by Marianne Curley
  35. Favorite Operas by Italian and French Composers by Paul England
  36. The Point Man by Steve Englehart
  37. The Tomb by F. Paul Wilson
  38. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
  39. Bleak House by Charles Dickens
  40. Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe by George Eliot
  41. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
  42. Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
  43. My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
  44. Cultural Amnesia by Clive James
  45. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
  46. Simon Bloom: The Gravity Keeper by Michael Reisman
  47. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer
  48. The King’s Fifth by Scott O’Dell
  49. Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor
  50. Dead Eye: Pennies for the Ferryman by Jim Bernheimer
  51. Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
  52. The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima
  53. The Old Country by Mordicai Gerstein
  54. The Coming of Dragons by A.J. Lake
  55. Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery
  56. Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë
  57. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
  58. Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher
  59. The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
  60. The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  61. Sir Harry Hotspur of Humblethwaite by Anthony Trollope
  62. Middlemarch by George Eliot
  63. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  64. What-the-Dickens by Gregory Maguire
  65. Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt
  66. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
  67. Hero’s Song by Edith Pattou
  68. Fire Arrow by Edith Pattou
  69. The Amateur Cracksman by E.W. Hornung
  70. The Hunter’s Moon by O.R. Melling
  71. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien (ed. by Christopher Tolkien)
  72. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
  73. Academ’s Fury by Jim Butcher
  74. The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
  75. A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  76. Carry On, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
  77. The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
  78. Ring for Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
  79. Very Good, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
  80. Young Men in Spats by P.G. Wodehouse
  81. Ring of Fire by P.D. Baccalario
  82. The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby
  83. The Accidental Hero by Matt Myklusch
  84. The Eye of the Forest by P.B. Kerr
  85. You Wish by Jason Lethcoe
  86. Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull
  87. The Second Siege by Henry H. Neff
  88. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
  89. Syren by Angie Sage
  90. Flora’s Dare by Ysabeau S. Wilce
  91. Valiant by Holly Black
  92. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
  93. The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima
  94. Spirits in the Park by Scott Mebus
  95. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
  96. Vampire Mountain by Darren Shan
  97. The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
  98. Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz
  99. The Face in the Frost by John Bellairs
  100. Villette by Charlotte Brontë
  101. The Black Mask by E.W. Hornung
  102. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
  103. The Golem’s Eye by Jonathan Stroud
  104. Ukridge by P.G. Wodehouse
Here was another fairly productive year, book-review wise. The winners:
  • Critic's Choice: Middlemarch by George Eliot - easily, since I consider it the best book I have ever read.
  • People's Choice: The Face in the Frost by John Bellairs.
  • Kid's Choice: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.
  • Best Newcomer: No award. Though I did read an author-signed copy of Dead Eye: Pennies for the Ferryman by Jim Bernheimer, I don't believe it was a pre-publication copy.
  • Best Comeback: Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy.
  • Best Audiobook: The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy, as read by the late, great Alan Rickman.
  • Best Documentary: Cultural Amnesia by Clive James - also, I think, one of the best books I have ever read.
  • Best Foreign-Language Book: Ring of Fire by P.D. Baccalario.
  • Best Short Subject: Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë.
  • Honorable Mentions: Any title by Jim Butcher, A. Lee Martinez, Nancy Farmer, or Neil Gaiman on the above list; The Magicians by Lev Grossman (basis of a cable-TV series I have never seen); The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex (basis for the animated feature Home, which I've never seen); The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson; The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin; and, in a class by itself, Tolkien's Silmarillion.

2011 Robbie Awards (Year -5)

The nominees:
  1. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
  2. Death in the Afternoon by Ernest Hemingway
  3. True at First Light by Ernest Hemingway
  4. I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President by Josh Lieb
  5. Sunshine by Robin McKinley
  6. Ramage and the Guillotine by Dudley Pope
  7. Ramage’s Diamond by Dudley Pope
  8. The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse by Robert Rankin
  9. The Complete Midshipman Bolitho by Alexander Kent (Douglas Reeman)
  10. Stand into Danger by Alexander Kent (Douglas Reeman)
  11. Inda by Sherwood Smith
  12. The Fox by Sherwood Smith
  13. Ramage’s Mutiny by Dudley Pope
  14. Ramage and the Rebels by Dudley Pope
  15. The Ramage Touch by Dudley Pope
  16. Ramage’s Signal by Dudley Pope
  17. A Prayer for the Ship by Douglas Reeman
  18. Badge of Glory by Douglas Reeman
  19. Ramage and the Renegades by Dudley Pope
  20. Ramage’s Devil by Dudley Pope
  21. Ramage’s Trial by Dudley Pope
  22. In Gallant Company by Alexander Kent (Douglas Reeman)
  23. Sloop of War by Alexander Kent (Douglas Reeman)
  24. To Glory We Steer by Alexander Kent (Douglas Reeman)
  25. Ramage’s Challenge by Dudley Pope
  26. Ramage at Trafalgar by Dudley Pope
  27. The Sorcerer’s House by Gene Wolfe
  28. Litany of the Long Sun by Gene Wolfe
  29. Ramage and the Saracens by Dudley Pope
  30. Sixty-One Nails by Mike Shevdon
  31. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
  32. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
  33. The Multiplying Menace by Amanda Marrone
  34. Monster by A. Lee Martinez
  35. Too Many Curses by A. Lee Martinez
  36. The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski
  37. Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris by R.L. LaFevers
  38. The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone
  39. The First to Land by Douglas Reeman
  40. The Dwarves by Markus Heitz
  41. Pillage by Obert Skye
  42. Choke by Obert Skye
  43. The Dragon’s Tooth by N.D. Wilson
  44. The Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancey
  45. The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
  46. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
  47. Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
  48. The Chestnut King by N.D. Wilson
  49. Death Masks by Jim Butcher
  50. Blood Rites by Jim Butcher
  51. Fire by Kristin Cashore
  52. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
  53. Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception by Maggie Stiefvater
  54. Rapacia: The Second Circle of Heck by Dale E. Basye
  55. Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
  56. Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean
  57. Un Lun Dun by China Miéville
  58. Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater
  59. The Calder Game by Blue Balliett
  60. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
  61. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
  62. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
  63. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
Well, that wasn't much of a year, in terms of the number of books I read - though there are some pretty hefty tomes in that list. The winners:
  • Critic's Choice: Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.
  • People's Choice: Sunshine by Robin McKinley. I still think about this book now and then. It has stuck with me.
  • Kid's Choice: The Chestnut King by N.D. Wilson.
  • Best Newcomer: No Award.
  • Best Comeback: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Doing it via audiobook helped.
  • Best Audiobook: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, read by Barrett Whitener.
  • Best Documentary: Death in the Afternoon by Ernest Hemingway.
  • Best Foreign-Language Book: The Dwarves by Markus Heitz.
  • Best Short Subject: No award.
  • Honorable Mentions: True at First Light by Ernest Hemingway; Un Lun Dun by China Miéville; and anything by Neil Gaiman, N.D. Wilson, or A. Lee Martinez on the above list.

2010 Robbie Awards (Year -6)

The nominees:
  1. Dragon Games by P.W. Catanese
  2. A Wizard of Mars by Diane Duane
  3. Mercury Falls by Robert Kroese
  4. Ramage and the Drumbeat by Dudley Pope
  5. Ramage and the Freebooters by Dudley Pope
  6. The Crow by Alison Croggon
  7. Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull
  8. Governor Ramage R.N. by Dudley Pope
  9. Ramage’s Prize by Dudley Pope
  10. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
  11. The Singing by Alison Croggon
  12. Savvy by Ingrid Law
  13. Spirals of Destiny: Rider by Jim Bernheimer
  14. A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
  15. Swallowdale by Arthur Ransome
  16. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
  17. How to Be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell
  18. How to Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell
  19. How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse by Cressida Cowell
  20. How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale by Cressida Cowell
  21. The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon
  22. The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
  23. Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R.L. LaFevers
  24. Things Hoped For by Andrew Clements
  25. Spellbound by Anna Dale
  26. The Split Second by John Hulme & Michael Wexler
  27. The Harp of the Grey Rose by Charles de Lint
  28. The Riddle of the Wren by Charles de Lint
  29. Freaks by Annette Curtis Klause
  30. Evening in the Palace of Reason by James R. Gaines
  31. The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks
  32. Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg
  33. Whistle Bright Magic by Barb Bentler Ullman
  34. The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
I almost can't believe that year happened. I'm not sure what was up with that, other than that I seemed to have been watching a lot of TV on DVD. As for book awards - the best thing I can say is, I don't have to be as choosy to choose the winners:
  • Critic's Choice: The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon.
  • People's Choice: The Crow by Alison Croggon, about which I wrote, "This book is so good that I hope nobody decides to make a movie out of it."
  • Kid's Choice: The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester, which I remember as a most beautiful book.
  • Best Newcomer: Dragon Games by P.W. Catanese.
  • Best Comeback: Swallowdale by Arthur Ransome.
  • Best Audiobook: No award.
  • Best Documentary: Evening in the Palace of Reason by James R. Gaines.
  • Best Foreign-Language Book: No award.
  • Best Short Subject: No award.
  • Honorable Mentions: Graceling by Kristin Cashore; Savvy by Ingrid Law; The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks; and Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg, about which I wrote that it made me laugh and cry.

2009 Robbie Awards (Year -7)

The nominees:
  1. The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
  2. I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
  3. Ironhand by Charlie Fletcher
  4. Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech
  5. Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst
  6. Tunnels by Roderick Gordon & Brian Williams
  7. The Book of Animal Ignorance by John Lloyd & John Mitchinson
  8. The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
  9. The Unusual Suspects by Michael Buckley
  10. The Problem Child by Michael Buckley
  11. Once Upon a Crime by Michael Buckley
  12. Magic and Other Misdemeanors by Michael Buckley
  13. Happenstance Found by P.W. Catanese
  14. An Ocean of Magic by Stephen Elboz
  15. Alfred Kropp: The Seal of Solomon by Rick Yancey
  16. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
  17. The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld
  18. The Tree Shepherd’s Daughter by Gillian Summers (Berta Platas & Michelle Roper)
  19. Into the Wildewood by Gillian Summers (Berta Platas & Michelle Roper)
  20. The Secret Country by Pamela Dean
  21. Dandelion Fire by N.D. Wilson
  22. Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld
  23. Blue Noon by Scott Westerfeld
  24. The Hidden Land by Pamela Dean
  25. The Little Grey Men by BB (Denys Watkins-Pitchford)
  26. The Dragon of Never-Was by Ann Downer
  27. The Whim of the Dragon by Pamela Dean
  28. Tales from Shakespeare by Charles & Mary Lamb
  29. The Grand Complication by Allen Kurzweil
  30. Measle and the Mallockee by Ian Ogilvy
  31. Minerva Clark Goes to the Dogs by Karen Karbo
  32. Measle and the Slitherghoul by Ian Ogilvy
  33. Measle and the Doompit by Ian Ogilvy
  34. The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton
  35. Soul Stealer by Martin Booth
  36. House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo
  37. The Siren Song by Anne Ursu
  38. Faerie Lord by Herbie Brennan
  39. Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks
  40. Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull
  41. Arabel and Mortimer by Joan Aiken
  42. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
  43. Gods of Manhattan by Scott Mebus
  44. Changeling by Delia Sherman
  45. Tattoo by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
  46. The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven
  47. The Monsters of Otherness by Kaza Kingsley
  48. Olivia Kidney Stops for No One by Ellen Potter
  49. The Shoemaker’s Boy by Joan Aiken
  50. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
  51. Silvertongue by Charlie Fletcher
  52. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
  53. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
  54. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
  55. Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake
  56. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  57. Puddlejumpers by Mark Jean & Christopher C. Carlson
  58. Leon and the Champion Chip by Allen Kurzweil
  59. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart
  60. If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko
  61. Genius Squad by Catherine Jinks
  62. King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green
  63. The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green
  64. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
  65. London Calling by Edward Bloor
  66. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip
  67. Od Magic by Patricia A. McKillip
  68. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
  69. Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
  70. Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
  71. Thud! by Terry Pratchett
  72. Making Money by Terry Pratchett
  73. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
  74. The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
  75. A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
  76. Shadow of a Bull by Maia Wojciechowska
  77. Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson
  78. Tales from Moominvalley by Tove Jansson
  79. Moominpappa at Sea by Tove Jansson
  80. Moominvalley in November by Tove Jansson
  81. Queste by Angie Sage
  82. Dragon and Liberator by Timothy Zahn
  83. The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
  84. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
  85. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
  86. Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
  87. Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
  88. The Hour of the Outlaw by Maiya Williams
  89. Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko
  90. Airman by Eoin Colfer
  91. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
  92. Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
  93. Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
  94. Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes
  95. Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
  96. Time at the Top by Edward Ormondroyd
  97. Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go by Dale E. Basye
  98. Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
  99. Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett
  100. Johnny and the Dead by Terry Pratchett
  101. Johnny and the Bomb by Terry Pratchett
  102. The Stones of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston
  103. The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
  104. Ice by Sarah Beth Durst
  105. Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan
  106. Summerland by Michael Chabon
  107. Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn Green
  108. The Naming by Alison Croggon
  109. The House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
  110. Nick of Time by Ted Bell
  111. The Riddle by Alison Croggon
  112. The Life and Death of Classical Music by Norman Lebrecht
  113. Ramage by Dudley Pope
  114. X Isle by Steve Augarde
Whew! That was a big reading year for me! The winners:
  • Critic's Choice: The Secret Country by Pamela Dean.
  • People's Choice: Summerland by Michael Chabon.
  • Kid's Choice: Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks.
  • Best Newcomer: X Isle by Steve Augarde.
  • Best Comeback: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
  • Best Audiobook: No award.
  • Best Documentary: The Life and Death of Classical Music by Norman Lebrecht. I got to sing Handel's Messiah once under the baton of the conductor whose recording of The Messiah Lebrecht listed as one of the 20th century's 100 most important classical recordings. Good times.
  • Best Foreign-Language Book: No award.
  • Best Short Subject: The Shoemaker's Boy by Joan Aiken
  • Honorable Mentions: Dandelion Fire by N.D. Wilson; The Grand Complication by Allen Kurzweil; The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven; Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake; Od Magic by Patricia A. McKillip; Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko; Airman by Eoin Colfer; and anything by Alison Croggon listed above.
As for previous years, here is a post in which I list (without specifying which book I read which year) books I had pegged as "the best book I have read this year."

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