•11:27 AM
As I mentioned in this post almost exactly a year ago, every December I make a list of The Best of Everything Important to Me. The categories change somewhat from year to year depending on how I've spent my time and energy. After considering what follows, I have to say that 2007 was my best year ever. That's saying a lot, since 2006 was pretty great.
Top Ten Books (new or re-read):
10. Alfred Lansing, Endurance
9. D.E. Stevenson, Anna and Her Daughters
8. Guy Gavriel Kay, Tigana
7. Dave Duncan, A Man of His Word (series)
6. Brandon Sanderson, Elantris
5. M.T. Anderson, Octavian Nothing
4. Yann Martel, Life of Pi
3. Wallace Stegner, Angle of Repose
2. Henry Eyring, Because He First Loved Us
1. Kelly Link, Magic for Beginners*
* So very brilliant, especially the title story and "Stone Animals," but dark, disturbing, and emphatically not recommended to my teen readers
Worst Book of the Year:
Karen Joy Fowler, The Jane Austen Book Club
Top Ten Movies:
10. Enchanted
9. Premonition
8. The Bourne Ultimatum
7. The Simpsons Movie
6. Ocean's 13
5. Disturbia
4. Dan in Real Life
3. 1408
2. Sicko
1. I Am Legend
Still waiting to see:
Amazing Grace
August Rush
Becoming Jane
Elizabeth 2: The Golden Age
Hairspray
National Treasure 2
Top Ten iPod Downloads:
10. The Veronicas, "4ever"
9. A Fine Frenzy, "You Picked Me"
8. The Innocence Mission, "The Lakes of Canada"
7. The Bobs, "Synaesthesia"
6. The Dukes of the Stratosphear, "Vanishing Girl"
5. Saint-Privat, "Oh-La-La"
4. The Fratellis, "For the Girl"
3. The White Stripes, "Seven Nation Army"
2. The Shins, "Australia"
1. The Killers, "Can You Read My Mind?"
Top Eating Experiences:
6. "Steam Roasted Goose with Gravy," Our House
5. "Jamesie's Jambalaya," Our House
4. "Southwestern Shrimp, Teriyaki Chicken, and Grilled Corn on the Cob," Our House
3. "Szechuan Dumplings," Shun Lee, NYC
2. "Frogs' Legs and Foie Gras Tempura," Picholine, NYC
1. "Poulet en Demi-Deuil," Chanterelle, NYC
Best Theatre Experience of the Year:
Richard III, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival
Best Concert of the Year:
The Wailin' Jennys, Tarrytown Music Hall
Garden Produce of the Year:
Patissons Panache Squash
Yarn of the Year:
Tofutsies Sock Yarn (It's made out of crab shells and soy!)
2008? Bring it on, Grandpa! It's go-time!
Top Ten Books (new or re-read):
10. Alfred Lansing, Endurance
9. D.E. Stevenson, Anna and Her Daughters
8. Guy Gavriel Kay, Tigana
7. Dave Duncan, A Man of His Word (series)
6. Brandon Sanderson, Elantris
5. M.T. Anderson, Octavian Nothing
4. Yann Martel, Life of Pi
3. Wallace Stegner, Angle of Repose
2. Henry Eyring, Because He First Loved Us
1. Kelly Link, Magic for Beginners*
* So very brilliant, especially the title story and "Stone Animals," but dark, disturbing, and emphatically not recommended to my teen readers
Worst Book of the Year:
Karen Joy Fowler, The Jane Austen Book Club
Top Ten Movies:
10. Enchanted
9. Premonition
8. The Bourne Ultimatum
7. The Simpsons Movie
6. Ocean's 13
5. Disturbia
4. Dan in Real Life
3. 1408
2. Sicko
1. I Am Legend
Still waiting to see:
Amazing Grace
August Rush
Becoming Jane
Elizabeth 2: The Golden Age
Hairspray
National Treasure 2
Top Ten iPod Downloads:
10. The Veronicas, "4ever"
9. A Fine Frenzy, "You Picked Me"
8. The Innocence Mission, "The Lakes of Canada"
7. The Bobs, "Synaesthesia"
6. The Dukes of the Stratosphear, "Vanishing Girl"
5. Saint-Privat, "Oh-La-La"
4. The Fratellis, "For the Girl"
3. The White Stripes, "Seven Nation Army"
2. The Shins, "Australia"
1. The Killers, "Can You Read My Mind?"
Top Eating Experiences:
6. "Steam Roasted Goose with Gravy," Our House
5. "Jamesie's Jambalaya," Our House
4. "Southwestern Shrimp, Teriyaki Chicken, and Grilled Corn on the Cob," Our House
3. "Szechuan Dumplings," Shun Lee, NYC
2. "Frogs' Legs and Foie Gras Tempura," Picholine, NYC
1. "Poulet en Demi-Deuil," Chanterelle, NYC
Best Theatre Experience of the Year:
Richard III, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival
Best Concert of the Year:
The Wailin' Jennys, Tarrytown Music Hall
Garden Produce of the Year:
Patissons Panache Squash
Yarn of the Year:
Tofutsies Sock Yarn (It's made out of crab shells and soy!)
2008? Bring it on, Grandpa! It's go-time!
21 comments:
Those are some great lists - print worthy! Now I know a couple of books I need to read. Thanks for sharing.
And a hearty congratulations on your pregnancy. Six kids. Wow. That's how many my mama Dashner had, and she's not crazy, so you can do it.
Fun list!
Happy New Year, my friend. You have a LOT to be excited about! Congrats!
I feel a sudden need to read Tigana again, but I'm going to attempt to be adventurous and tackle some of the others instead. Ah, how you inspire me.
There are several we agree on here, including The Jane Austen Book Club as this worst of this (and any other) year. And I had such high hopes for that title! And Shun Lee West was my very, very favorite special occasion restaurant as a little girl. I went to Picholine for the first time about a year ago and treated my mother and a good friend who takes special care of her. What an amazing treat! One of the best restaurant meals of my life. And your music list was wonderful. And now I want to read several of the books you mentioned. I'd better get busy! ;-) Happy New Year!
Great lists!! I can help you with the White Stripes and Killers downloads if you want :-) Just email me.
Happy New Year to you and yours.
Wow, what a great idea to make lists every year. I should be so motivated. Happy New Year!
I was going to do a rundown of best books, but I may have to expand it now to other topics. Great idea. And great lists!
I can pretty much guarantee that frog legs won't me on mine. Or goose. I don't have that adventurous a food life.
See August Rush as soon as you can. The musical experience alone is well worth it. I cried during the initial guitar-playing scene (that is all I will say--you will know it when you see it)
What was the restaurant called that you and P took Steph and I to in NYC that year we were all sporting bellies? That was fun and delicious!
You're so on the ball! I always look forward to this list. Great things this year, great things!
You will enjoy "Hairspray" and "Becoming Jane." I can't say much about the rest 'cause I haven't seen them.
Happy New Year!
picholine.......
nice. very nice indeed.
happy New Year.
I am afraid I don't know very much from your toplists neither the books neither have I seen those films or do I know the music. Ooops.
bye bye
Happy new year! Great lists. I'm so glad someone else hated the Jane Austen book club. Ugh. What tripe!
Jen and Virtualsprite--I know, I know! I see two ironies about the JA Book Club:
1) It's a title specifically marketed at anyone who reads women's fiction. I myself thought, "Jane Austen + Book Club? What could be better?" I have yet to talk to anyone who wasn't horribly disappointed by this book.
2) KJ Fowler's other two books that I've read--Sarah Canary and The Sweetheart Season--are absolutely terrific, yet JABC is her runaway bestseller. Go figure.
Isn't it great how life gets better each year? And I've not read most of the books you listed, so - yeah. I need to get cracking. That's it: no more TV or blogging for me!
I am kidding of course. Also I am opening a browser window for the ol' library.
:-)
The Jane Austen Book Club was sadly disappointing. And I love Dave Duncan (although I haven't read that series). Which is good, because it means I have some new books to try. Thanks.
I'll be working my way through your book list to be sure. :)
Happy New YEar.
Bring it on, Grandpa? hahahaha. You're so awesome. You've been busy this year! My list, if I were organized like you, would be full of "top four places I lived last year" or "top ten thousand blogs I read last year." Hahaha. Sigh. My life is so sad.
By the way, if there were a list for "top ten people I ate lunch with" you would be at the tippity top, babe! Maybe 2008 will bring us another chance encounter? :-D
Thanks for the lists! I just knew you would be a "Life of Pi" fan. I have got to make reservations at Our House -- the food sounds wonderful! Have you left the buzz?
Hey there....enjoyed your post. Miss you on cre8buzz.
Hairspray is adorable! I went through a phase where I wore out their soundtrack. Also, I'm glad I'm turning 20 this year so I can read your top book pick. :)
I thought Jane Austen Book Club was oh-kay, and I'm enticed by the movie's casting of Hugh Dancy.