For the last two years I have posted my “most engaging books” list (2011’s list, 2010’s list) with a selection of what i considered the most fascinating / useful / generative books of the year. Seek out these volumes, every one will reward the search (and your local, independent, bookstore can help…). This is the cream of the crop for 2012:

Jaap Blonk Traces of Speech / Sprachspuren. (Berlin: Hybriden-Verlag.)

Amaranth Borsuk. Handiwork. (New York: Slope.)

Amaranth Borsuk and Brad Bouse. Between Page and Screen. (Los Angeles: Siglio.)

Sophie Calle. The Address Book. (Los Angeles: Siglio.)

Natalie Czech. I have nothing to say. Only to show.(Leipzig: Spector Books)

Johanna Drucker. Druckworks: 40 years of Books and Projects. (Chicago: Columbia College)

Craig Dworkin, Simon Morris and Nick Thurston. Do or DIY. (York: information as material.)

Emma Healey. Begin with the End in Mind. (Winnipeg: Arbeiter Ring.)

Dennis Lee. testament. (Toronto: House of Anansi.)

Edouard Leve. Autoportrait. trans. Lorin Stein (London: Dalkey Archive Press.)

Silvio Lorusso and Sebastian Schmieg. 56 Broken Kindle Screens. (print on demand.)

Jena Osman. Public Figures. (Middletown: Wesleyan UP)

Tom Phillips. A Humument. 5th edition (London: Thames and Hudson.)

Nicola Simpson, ed. Notes from the Cosmic Typewriter: The Life and Work of Dom Sylvester Houédard. (London: Occasional Papers)

Barrie Tullett. A Poem to Phillip Glass. 2nd edition. (York: The Caseroom Press.)