There are no shortage of year-end "Best Of" books lists. Yet, as bookish people, what are we best at but recommending other books to read?

"Oh, if you like [insert here], you'll probably love [insert here]."

"I don't suppose you've ever heard of [insert here]? Have a feeling you might appreciate [insert here]."

"You know, I found that my experience of [insert here] was enriched after reading [insert here]."

"Don't worry! I didn't get [insert here] either until someone suggested I check out [insert here]."

And, of course, how often do we come to a book simply because it's akin to something we want to know more about? In fact, how many books do we read solely because we came to them through a secondary channel?

With this in mind, I thought I'd challenge myself to create a series of related reading lists to accompany some of my favourite year-end lists. If this, then that. You get the point.

Person of the Year—The Protestor (TIME)

1. Whose Streets: The Toronto G20 and the Challenges of Summit Protest by Tom Malleson (with foreword by Naomi Klein)
2. A Call to Account by Criss Hajek
3. Citizen Politics: Research and Theory in Canadian Political Behaviour by Joanna Everitt and Brenda O'Neill
4. America Through Foreign Eyes: Classic Interpretations of American Political Life by Stephen Brooks
5. Corporate Social Responsibility: An Ethical Approach by Mark S. Schwartz

Best Architecture of 2011 (The Guardian)

1. Fantastic Feats and Failures by Editors of YES Mag
2. Substance Over Spectacle: Contemporary Canadian Architecture by Andrew Gruft
3. Installations by Architects: Experiments in Building and Design by Sarah Bonnemaison and Ronit Eisenbach
4. Talking Architecture: Raj Rewal in Conversation with Ramin Jahanbegloo by Ramin Jahanbegloo & Raj Rewal
5. Four Historical Definitions of Architecture by Stephen Parcell

45 Most Powerful Images of 2011 (BuzzFeed)

1. Hurricanes: What You Need to Know by Rebecca Leaman (Image: Hurricane Irene)
2. Are You Ready? How to Prepare for an Earthquake by Maggie Mooney (Image: Natori, Miyagi Prefecture; northern Japan)
3. The Dictionary of Homophobia: A Global History of Gay & Lesbian Experience by Louis-Georges Tin (Image: Phyllis Siegel, 76, left, and Connie Kopelov, 84, after getting married in New York)
4. Do You Know . . . Alcohol by Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Image: Amy Winehouse)
5. Aggression in the Sports World: A Social Psychological Perspective by Gordon W. Russell (Image: Lovers kiss during Vancouver Stanley Cup riot)

What Canadians Googled in 2011 (Ottawa Citizen)

1. Census Records in Canada by Brian Gilchrist (search term: www.census2011.gc.ca)
2. Canada Post by Jason Christie (search term: Canada Post strike)
3. How to Be a Bush Pilot: A Field Guide to Getting Luckier by Claudia Dey (search term: What is love?)
4. Eat Well, Live Well with Gluten Intolerance: Gluten-Free Recipes and Tips by Susanna Holt (search term: What is gluten?)
5. Cocktail Party Guide to Global Warming: Everything You Need to Know to Converse Intelligently About Global Warming in Any Social Situation by Annette Saliken (search term: What is global warming?)