The web is a great tool for discovery, and an even better tool for sharing. In that light, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite sites on the web I’ve discovered this year — sites that I hope will pique your interest as well:

• The Big Picture: I’ve always been a huge fan of photography, and this site is not only a remarkable showcase of photos, but an excellent site for visual news reporting as well.
• Swiss Miss: I’m not sure why I hadn’t discovered this site before, but if you’re looking for links to all sorts of well-designed fun things, Tina’s site should be your first stop.
• Blank is Like Blank: Obscure similes and metaphors make me smile, especially when they’re also funny. This site hasn’t been updated in a few months, but browse the archives, there’s a lot of gems in there.
• Textism: I used to read Dean Allen’s site a few years ago before it disappeared. This year, it came back, and the content is just as beautiful as the minimal design.
• The Art of the Title: A great title sequence design has always been the first sign of a good movie or television show. This site showcases some of the best title art out there. Design geeks everywhere rejoice.
• 1001 Rules for my Unborn Son: You may not agree with all of them (though I do agree with most) but this list of rules and accompanying photos and quotes is definitely an excellent conversation starter.
• Give Me Something To Read: There’s a lot of information out there on the web, hidden in well-written but hard-to-find articles. If you’re ever stuck in front of your screen, looking for some mental nourishment, this site presents five or six links each day to some of the best writing on the internet.

That’s a quick look at some of the sites I discovered this year (check out last year’s list for the sites I discovered in 2007) that have kept me entertained over the past twelve months. Have some suggestions for new sites I’m not visiting just yet and might make it on to my 2009 list? Leave them in the comments!