I heard the Booker went to Anne Enright and it's a very depressing book. Well, awards are like that, they go the the more serious fiction. Anyway, there are even a few awards that go to publishers like the Mildred L. Batchelder, or from booksellers who appreciate the work done to improve the quality of books.

My stand is always award the publisher for their fine work by buying more of their books and hand-selling. And needless to say, i always pick up a few favourites by the end of the year. So here they are:

Thumbs Up Walker Books UK for venturing with such elegance into more serious Young Adult Fiction. (Small in quantity but impressive)

Also to another publisher for their new range of Young Adult Fiction, albeit a little spotty but still, Thumbs Up Usborne especially for McCaughrean's Tamburlaine and the planned three more books on warriors. (which i read somewhere that one is being written by Marcus Sedgwick)

Thumbs Up Heryin for coming out of the woodwork with picture books from Taiwan. Readers will soon notice the difference in the artwork and the Asian 'sensibility'.

Thumbs Up both Candlewick and Bloomsbury US for doing a better job in promoting UK authors with those great covers than the Brits, and quietly making your presence felt.

Thumbs Up Little Brown US for maintaining their stature as the master of bubble chicklit. Yet suddenly surprising us with The Mysterious Benedict Society.

Thumbs Up DC Comics for that imprint called Minx, which is unique and brave and very impressive.

Also, secretly Thumbs Up MPH Publishing for making Daphne Lee's dream come true.

So there. I love you guys, so keep it up.