I totally dug Rip It Up... and checked out Can't Stop... last year. I wish that the latter would have delved more into the cross-currents and influence of Latin music on hip-hop, but I think this is an underrated discussion in nearly every quarter covering the latter, so I guess it's not a shock.

I have to keep a list of books I read this coming year; I didn't do so for 2006 and yet tore through more books in a single year than I have since childhood. My pick for best book is probably Fun Home.