Year’s end: Books and Movies
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008Man. My movie-going and book-reading year was pathetic. Absolutely unacceptable. What did I think I was doing all year - expanding a business or something? Pshh.
As for movies, I only watched 48. This includes ones that were on TV, or movies I had seen before. My top picks from 2008 are:
- THE ORPHANAGE
- THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY
- PERSEPOLIS
- MAN ON WIRE
- TROPIC THUNDER
Some of those were released in 2007, I think, but I’m slow and didn’t get a chance to watch them until 2008. Regardless, if you haven’t seen them, I highly recommend.
Movies I didn’t care all that much for this year included (much to everyone’s disagreement) THE DARK KNIGHT, FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, ATONEMENT, and JUNO (again, some of these came out in 2007).
On the reading front, I’m mortified to say I only read 17 books. Of the best:
- THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY by Jean-Domonique Bauby
- ANIMAL VEGETABLE MIRACLE by Barbara Kingsolver
- BLINDNESS by Jose Saramago
- WHEN YOU ARE ENGULFED IN FLAMES by David Sedaris
- THE WHITE TIGER by Aravind Adiga
Books not worth bothering with:
- WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen
- PEOPLE OF THE BOOK by Geraldine Brooks (which disappointed me, because I LOVE her)
- THE BEACH by Alex Garland
Please send me suggestions for 2009, so that I can have a much lengthier list to post!