James Lileks is trying to claim that 2005 was a mediocre year, and maybe it was. But he nevertheless offers a clever year-in-review chock full of non-mediocrity, as only Lileks can. (Example: "The Iraqi constitution, a Middle East milestone, is approved. But hey! Over there! It’s Britney and her new baby! Everybody grab your cameras and run after her!"

By the way, if you still find yourself floundering for a nice Christmas gift for that difficult person on your list, you could do way worse than one of Lileks' books: this one or this one, notably.