Color:: A Natural History of the Palette, Victoria Finlay. Maybe the most interesting nonfiction book of the year. Simultaneously a travelogue and a history, each chapter chronicles the difficulties in obtaining a different pigment to match the spectrum. Her remarks aren't limited to the dye makers and gatherers themselves, but also include intriguing tidbits about painters' choices, and why some paintings look very different from when they were created.  Recommended for anyone with even a casual interest in art history or color theory.

Sultry Climates: Travel and Sex, by Ian Littlewood. An easy-to-read academic and literary overview of the 18th and 19th century version of sexual tourism. Turns out not everyone that took the Grand Tour was interested in learning about the wonders of classical art.

Lost Worlds: What Have We Lost by Michael Bywater.  A fascinating page-turner of a miscellany centered around the idea of "things lost" to history.  Arranged alphabetically, no entry is more than 2 pages long (with the exception, perhaps, of the alphabetical rundown of paraphernalia from the 1070s).  This makes it perfect for bus stop, bathroom, or bedtime readings, but if you're like me you'll find it impossible to put down after just a single entry  

  Bananas: An American History by Virginia Scott Jenkins.   Though it does give a brief overview of the social acceptance of the banana in America, this is mostly a history of distribution and advertising. I could have done with a good deal more about the original 'discovery' of the fruit, as well as info on how the banana tied into the economy in South American/tropical plantations.

State of War: The Secret History of the C.I.A. and the Bush Administration , James Risen. It seems well researched, but it probably says something about the current state of the county that I wasn't surprised at all by any of the revelations. Sometime in the last few years I've gotten from shock and outrage at the abuses of power to an awful resignation.

The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion.  An archaeology of grief, beautifully and clearly written.

Opium, Barbara Hodgson. Not to be confused with Opium, the gloriously complete history by Martin Booth, Hodgson's tiny volume is a Cliff Notes version of the substance. Packed with photographic ephemera and quotes and anecdotes garnered from classic works, she offers a short history of cultivation, production and export through the ages, with an eye to its portrayal in media.  Another item more properly classed as a 'gift book.'

The King's English, Betsy Burton.  A gossipy, engrossing account of the opening and running of an independent bookstore in Salt Lake City.  Full of tasty booklists, the challenges of selling to Mormons and gentiles alike, and author signing stories.  This is as much an account of the changing landscape of book retail as story of one particular store.  Recommended for readers who've enjoyed books by Nicholas Basbanes and Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone.

The Planets,  Dava Sobel.  Taking a 'natural history' approach, Sobel traverses each of the planets with a different voice, sometimes taking a Greco-Roman approach, sometimes modern, and occasionally speculative.  It's a lovely grab bag of astronomy for the layperson who hasn't been formally trained since high school.

The Corset: A Cultural History, Valerie Steele. A well written academic history that should appeal to the casual fan as well. Lots of lovely illustrations and museum notes.