Where is the amazing book of 2006?

Last year I read Cory Doctorow's Someone Comes to Town; Someone Leaves Town and walked around for days after feeling like I was stuck between worlds; that I had been touched by something magical and was different in some indefinable way.

The year before that Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell had the same affect on me, but it was even stronger because I took a couple of weeks to read the book.

When you're that strongly affected by a story you don't really want to read anything, or write anything, else because you're afraid of tainting the feeling and because you don't want to be disappointed. It's wonderful, if somewhat distracting.

I've read quite a few books I've really liked or even loved this year but so far nothing has stood out as The Book.

But maybe I've got a runnerup. I'm really enjoying The Eternals, the six part series put out by Marvel Comics. Neil is writing the story and John Romita Jr. is doing the art. It's sweeping and mysterious and amazing and it makes me laugh out loud in bits.

It makes me happy.