There were two types of books in 2010: books that were Jonathan Franzen's Freedom, and books that weren't. Not that Freedom was a better book than all the others—I'd put up anything on this list against Freedom in a battle of the books—but it was the book everyone talked about, and, more impressively, it was the book everyone seems to have actually read. And that is serious feat, no matter what you think of the novel itself. But enough (and really too much) has already been said about Freedom. Instead, I'd like to point out some books that not enough has been said about. Below are my favorite books of the year, categorized by the various, made-up awards I've chosen to give them. There are some glaring omissions, mostly because I haven't read every single book that came out this year (still looking forward to Skippy Dies, A Visit from the Goon Squad, Radioactive, Melting Season, Eileen Myles's Inferno, and Keith Richards's Life, among others). But the list is meant more as a guide to some pretty awesome books, than a definitive appraisal. Add your own favorites in the comments section.

Best Book About Teenage Hobo Vampire Junky Sluts: The Orange Eats Creeps by Grace Krilanovich -Check out my review of this strange and hallucinatory novel here, or just buy the book and see for yourself. This one is a must read.

Best Graphic Novel That is as Sophisticated and Emotionally Complex as Any Non-Illustrated Text that Came Out This Year: Wilson by Daniel Clowes -This book changed how I feel about graphic novels. Hilarious and heartbreaking work from the author of Ghost World.

Best Book about the Cultural Event/Tragedy That Defined My Generation Before 9/11 Re-Defined My Generation: Columbine by Dave Cullen -Scrupulously researched, entertainingly written, wildly compelling, gossipy but not trashy, and analytically on-point. Probably my fastest page-per-minute ratio of anything I read this year.

Best Book about How Shitty the Future is Going to Be: Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart -This is a comedic novel set in the near future that won't be so funny when everything Shteyngart predicts comes true. My favorite of the Shteyngart oeuvre so far.

Best Cross-Genre, Multimedia Masterpiece Whose Amazing Design is Only Surpassed by the Writing It Serves to Complement - Nox by Anne Carson -This book-in-a-box is a facsimile of a book Carson handmade following the death of her estranged brother. But it's not arts-and-craftsy. Brutally un-sentimental, highly intellectual, and deeply moving. Check out my review here.

Best Book About Being Obsessed with a Mentally Retarded Person in a Way That isn't Creepy: 03 by Jean-Christophe Valtat -Somehow this novella of obsession manages to be hilarious and weirdly hopeful.

Best Book About the Shittiest Thing That Can Happen to a Young Guy with a New Driver's License: Half a Life by Darin Strauss -Half a Life is Darin Strauss's memoir about accidentally killing a high school classmate with his car twenty years ago, and the repercussions it has had on Strauss's life. One of the bravest books I've ever read.

Best First English Language Edition of a Book by a Guy Whose Had a Shitload of First English Translations of His Books Over the Past Few Years to the Point Where Everyone is Kind of Over Him Until They Read His Next One and are Reminded How Fucking Good the Dude Is: The Return by Roberto Bolano -The long-awaited second Bolano story collection completely lives up to the hype (and crushes the anti-hype). A lot of these stories had been previously published in The New Yorker and elsewhere, but it's such a pleasure to sit down and read more of Bolano's best.

Best Posthumously Published Last Book by an Unrecognized American Genius: The Abyss of Human Illusion by Gilbert Sorrentino -Gilbert Sorrentino was one of the great writers of his generation, and a truly innovative experimentalist. This is the book he wrote while he was dying. It is bitter, and horny, and scared, and honest. It is a really good book. Read my review here.

Best 9/11 Memoir That Doesn't Read at All Like a 9/11 Memoir, but Rather Like a Really Good Novel That Just Happens to Be True and To Involve 9/11: There's a Road to Everywhere Except Where You Came From by Bryan Charles -Truly amazing book. Read what I had to say about it here.

Best Book By a Person From My Generation That Made Me Go, "Huh, That Guy Really Captured Some Shit While Also Putting His Own Idiosyncratic Spin on Things, Writing Great Sentences, Well-Drawn Characters, and Emotionally Heartfelt Stories": Everything Here is the Best Thing Ever by Justin Taylor -Brilliant first story collection from an author who will be with us for a long time to come. His first novel, Gospel of Anarchy, is about to come out too, and will knock your socks off.

Best Indie-Published Story Collection About Small Town Dudes and Big-Time Themes: It's a tie between Call it What You Want by Keith Lee Morris, and The Taste of Penny by Jeff Parker -Both these collections are not to be missed. Seek them out. Love them. Pass them on.

Best Compiled Essays by a Guy I Mostly Knew as a Novelist But Now Realize is a Totally Brilliant Critic/Journalist as Well: Smothered in Hugs by Dennis Cooper -If you're at all interested in the cultural happenings of the '90's, this book is the place to start. Read what I had to say about it here.

Best Novel by a Poet/Novelist You Probably Haven't Heard of But Who Is One of the Most Lyrically Gifted Writers I've Ever Read: Three Delays by Charlie Smith -Think Jesus' Son meets Early Thomas McGuane meets late sixties Bob Dylan. Or something. This book blew me away.

Best Book About Being a Sexy Jewish American Girl in Europe and Having Sexy Adventures and Listening to Show Tunes: Everything is Going to be Great by Rachel Shukert -This book absolutely hilarious book from my favorite blogger/essayist, is also the sexiest book I read all year. And that's including all those harlequin romance novels I read before bed.

Best Long Ass Book about a Jewish Messiah: It's a tie between The Instructions by Adam Levin, and Witz by Joshua Cohen -These two Jew bros have beef with each other, but I think both are pretty fucking brilliant. Plus, I want to brag about how I actually finished these books. Well worth it.

Best Novel That Both Made Very Little Sense But was also Beautifully Written, Highly Readable, Laugh out Loud Funny, Intellectually Compelling, and Weirdly Moving: You Were Wrong by Matthew Sharpe -I really have no idea how to explain this odd novel, but that shouldn't stop you from reading it.

Best Book About Domestic Violence That Was More Funny Than it was Sad: Termite Parade by Joshua Mohr -A really funny book about a drunken couple, experimental film-making, awful dentistry, and the perils of shitty jobs.

Best Illustrated Book That Also Serves as Hopeful Commentary on the Obama Presidency: And the Pursuit of Happiness by Maira Kalman -One of those books that reminds you why it's sometimes great to be a human being. Also includes weird sex fantasies about Abraham Lincoln.

Best Book About the Riot Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl Movement: Girls to the Front by Sara Marcus -Two books came out this year having to do with Riot Grrrl. I like this one. Well researched, well-written with interesting analysis, and great anecdotes.

Best Career-Capstone Collected Stories from an Author Who Really Deserves It: Collected Stories by Deborah Eisenberg -Eisenberg is one of the truly great living short story writers. This collection was a long time coming, and will be read for a longer time to come.

Best Novella in Melville House's Awesome Art of the Novella Series: The Nice Old Man and the Pretty Girl by Italo Svevo -Couldn't be more excited that Melville House unearthed this mini-gem by one of my favorite authors of the 20th century. An utterly flawless work.

and finally...

Best Book of the Year: The Ask by Sam Lipsyte -I'll put it out there: Sam Lipsyte is our greatest contemporary author, and this is his best book yet. A career defining masterpiece. Funnier and more ingenious on a sentence-by-sentence level than anything I've yet to read. For more of me gushing over The Ask read here, or listen here.