Author Annabel Lyon's novel The Golden Mean was nominated for Giller, Governor General's and Writers' Trust literary awards in 2009. Author Annabel Lyon's novel The Golden Mean was nominated for Giller, Governor General's and Writers' Trust literary awards in 2009. (Phillip Chin/Random House Canada)

For a year that began with downbeat predictions about the state of publishing, 2009 sure yielded a handsome crop of books. A stellar new collection from national treasure Mavis Gallant, a staggering debut by Lisa Foad, Colin McAdam's intricate mystery Fall and Michael Crummey's wondrous Galore were among the many CanLit triumphs in 2009.

The Lost Symbol was clunky, but try telling that to the readers who bought one million copies on release day alone.

South of the border, Jonathan Lethem dazzled with his latest New York epic, Chronic City, Mary Gaitskill's story collection Don't Cry cut like a razor, while Dave Eggers' Zeitoun, a non-fiction chronicle of racism in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, served up equal parts outrage and heartbreak. Here's a rundown of the books, authors, incidents and trends that could not be ignored in 2009.

Annabel Lyon

Spending eight long years burrowing down into the psyche of a cranky philosopher was surely no picnic. But that's precisely what Annabel Lyon did forThe Golden Mean, a flesh-and-blood imagining of the Greek philosopher Aristotle's fraught relationship with the boy who would become Alexander the Great. Lyon's Herculean efforts were rewarded when her debut novel achieved a hat trick – receiving nominations for Giller, Governor General's and Writers' Trust awards. The Golden Mean ended up winning the latter, and the New Westminster, B.C., author became the critical darling of 2009.

E-readers

Kindles and Nooks and Sony Readers, oh my! White tablets loomed large in a year in which avid readers and publishing vets tried to decide how they feel about the e-reader. Would the ubiquitous device boost sales or encourage piracy? Provide more affordable titles and much-needed shelf space for literature junkies, or bring about the long-feared demise of books? One thing's for certain: e-readers aren't going away anytime soon, and the new publishing revolution will undoubtedly be digitized.

(Doubleday) (Doubleday) The Lost Symbol

It's only fitting that a decade that began with Angels & Demons and saw The Da Vinci Code (2003) smash sales records should draw to a close with one more book from the publishing juggernaut known as Dan Brown. Da Vinci's hero, symbologist Robert Langdon, returned in 2009, decoding the mysteries of Freemasonry in The Lost Symbol. Sure, the book was clunky, but try telling that to the readers who bought one million copies on release day alone.

Google Books settlement, version 2.0

The ongoing debate over Google's controversial book-digitization project reached new heights in 2009, when a chorus of authors, academics, governments and rival internet companies expressed concerns over everything from reader privacy to copyright laws. The U.S. Department of Justice intervened, and when an amended Google Books settlement was reached on Nov. 13, it looked like a monopoly had been averted. But with reader-privacy and author-compensation issues still looming — and Canadian books still available for scanning under the revised settlement — it's anybody's guess what will happen in 2010.

Anne of Green Gables

Fans of the precocious, freckle-faced redhead from P.E.I. had reason to rejoice this year when an amended version of the final Anne Shirley stories was released under a new title, The Blythes Are Quoted. But the book's additional 100 pages revealed a darker story – complete with references to adultery and suicide. Novelist Jane Urquhart ably provided a context for these bleak scenes in her comprehensive, unflinching biography of Anne's author, Lucy Maud Montgomery. Anne's banner year ended with a triumphant Sotheby's auction – proof that great CanLit never goes out of fashion.

The death of John Updike

In a year punctuated by the passing of some great writers, there was one obituary that left book lovers reeling worldwide. When John Updike, the author of countless short stories, critical essays and novels, succumbed to cancer, many wondered if a whole literary movement had died with him. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, best known for his revered Rabbit tetralogy, was considered by many to be a master of suburban realism. Updike's true gift was for making the ordinary seem extraordinary, his ability to, in his words, "give the mundane its beautiful due."

Julia Child's delicious comeback

Thanks to the blog-turned-book-turned-movie Julie & Julia, revered French chef Julia Child became a household name again. To the literary delight of publishers at Knopf, Child's 48-year-old cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking became an instant bestseller. Child's other titles, Julia's Kitchen Wisdom and My Life in France, were also sent into numerous reprints, after a whole new generation of foodies was alerted to the joys of cooking with butter.

Biographer Ian Halperin speaks about his book Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson at a press conference in Montreal. Biographer Ian Halperin speaks about his book Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson at a press conference in Montreal. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press)Ian Halperin

When Ian Halperin claimed last December that Michael Jackson was suffering from a life-threatening illness, there was no reason to believe the celebrity biographer would become a bona fide publishing player. But when Jackson died six months later, the Montreal author's book, Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson, rocketed to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. Putting Montreal's Transit Publishing on the map, and adding controversial Cirque du Soleil and Brangelina bios to his resumé, Halperin announced himself as a force to be reckoned with.

Sarah Palin's Going Rogue: An American Life

Spitfire Republican Sarah Palin recovered from her run as vice-presidential nominee, resigned as Alaska's governor, sparred with David Letterman and also found time to pen the aptly named autobiography Going Rogue: An American Life. Highly critical of the McCain campaign, released to mixed reviews and promoted on Oprah's couch, the book became a bestseller – no mean literary feat for a woman once alleged to be in favour of banning books.

Giller juror Victoria Glendinning badmouths CanLit

After reading 100 Canadian books during her stint as a Giller juror, British novelist and critic Victoria Glendinning shared her unfiltered thoughts in a Financial Times article. She took aim at Canadian arts grants and characterized many CanLit protagonists as people who "sit, brooding, on Muskoka chairs," before reaching the head-scratching conclusion: "If you want to get your novel published, be Canadian." Here's hoping that Canadian authors make a concerted effort to prove Glendinning wrong in 2010.

Lee Ferguson writes about the arts for CBC News.