Yes, it’s that time again, and hopefully my only off-message post of the year!

About this time last year, barely a fortnight after starting this blog, I published my Top 10 Scottish Political Blogs 2008 and sent it to Total Politics.

To save you the eyestrain of switching between that post and this, it read:

1. Doctor Vee: Non-partisan analysis from a thought-provoking contrarian. Fantastic.
2. Ideas of Civilisation: Knowledgeable, forthright blogger with no axe to grind. I could learn a lot!
3. SNP Tactical Voting: Thoughtful and genuine - the antithesis of the ranting cybernat!
4. Kezia Dugdale’s Soapbox: Principled and intelligent commentary from a Labour perspective.
5. Scottish Tory Boy: Succinct, no-frills blogger with a terrific nose for a story.
6. Adam Smith was a Socialist: The articulate presentation of everything with which I disagree!
7. Stephen’s Linlithgow Journal: Highly partisan Lib Dem focus, but that's part of the appeal.
8. Blether with Brian: Sardonic, even cynical at times, which adds hugely to the enjoyment.
9. Two Doctors: At its best when making compelling arguments for specific Green positions.
10. Tom Harris MP: Lays bare his thoughts in a way that puts other politicians to shame.

So, with a year’s blogging under my belt, what are my current reading preferences?

Unfortunately IoC and ASwaS (to give them their pet names) are no more — or perhaps for the former, on prolonged hiatus. For the latter, this post probably sounded the death knell! And the sporadic STB seems to have downsized his operation to not much more than a Twitter stream.

So to fill their places I’ll have to choose at least three new entrants this year. Who could they be?

Worthy candidates include — deep breath! — Alex Massie, Caron’s Musings, Forward, From the Peripheries, Grumpy Spindoctor, Holyrood Chronicles, J. Arthur MacNumpty, Lallands Peat Worrier, Leaves on the Line, Malc in the Burgh, Moridura, Nationalist Mythbusting, NoMoraDiaspora, Not a Village in Westminster, Planet Politics, ScotsVoices, Shuggy’s Blog and Yapping Yousuf.

Hmm: slightly more than three, and I’m sure I’ve missed somebody. Maybe I should sleep on it!