![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
It's been a slow month, I'll admit, but I haven't been doing much reading. Mea culpa.
Books
Harry Potter 5, 6 and 7 (reread). Doesn't seem worth it to link them, since they're pretty much ever-present. We recently marathoned all 8 movies and I was left with a strong urge to reread these particular ones (this is basically when the movies start to fall very short and chop up the storyline to make everything fit). I have to say, I enjoy the books more every time I read them and am growing into a fan.
Movies
Fast Five (2011) - because, for some reason, it's the only F&F movie SG and I had not seen. It is what it is.
First Position (2011) - a documentary about young ballet dancers getting ready for the Youth America Grand Prix. A really interesting look at life and training for dancers.
Anna Karenina (2012) - oh, I was wary of this. I've read the book, you see, and cheered when the main character dies because finally, SOMETHING WAS HAPPENING. The great Russian literary masters? Maybe not for me. But I was bored and it was there, so I watched it. And while the story wasn't any more interesting than I remember, the costumes were beautiful and, above all, the sets were breathtaking. Instead of making it look real and having huge sweeping vistas (well, there are a few), the backdrop looks like a theater. Sets move up and down, curtains close, characters wander around backstage, and the whole thing was absolutely brilliant.
Rango (2011) - silly.
Whip It (2009) - one of those movies I just never got around to seeing. Loved it.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) - I still enjoy this series. The movies aren't as good as the books, and there are parts that I loved that are glossed over, but this satisfies that teen-movie-loving part of me.
I've been watching lots of TV series as well, which don't really count, sadly.
2013 RECAP
This year was an abysmal failure reading-wise. 42 books, which is nearly half of what I did last year. 6 were non-fiction and only one was French. In my own defense, however, this year has been MADNESS. The entire time I worked at the MAJ (5 months) was practically a write-off, between the research I did for work and the commuting every weekend for 6+ hours.
I also have to admit that there were few truly phenomenal books or movies that I watched this year.
* The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
Patrick Rothfuss does not disappoint. His books are intense, captivating, real. I can't recommend them enough.
* The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
I think Maggie Stiefvater is my discovery of the year. I've read several of her books, mostly tempted by the light and fluffy teen usually offers. But her books are different. They have all the hallmarks of teen books: quick to read, low price tag, teen characters. But the story feels full, complete. Her words are crafted, her phrases are evocative. I thoroughly enjoy every word she writes and can't recommend her enough.
* The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel
I've owned this book for years. Knowing the that movie was due to be released soon, I sat down to read it on the train to and from Montreal one week, fully aware of how I need a particular environment to read non-fiction. But this kept me coming back, over and over. It was interesting, it was informative. I'm fascinated by the looting and restitution process from WWII and I know a fair bit about it already, so this was just icing on the cake. I found the characters hard to keep track of: one military man looks much like all the others, sadly. But the finds, the hunt, those were fascinating.
And the highlights in movies are:
* Strike! / All I Wanna Do (1998)
This movie is silly and cute, but for some reason it stands out in my mind. The acting isn't great, the concept is fairly common: girls at a private school go on strike for women's rights. But I loved it.
* The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
I loved the book, I love the movie. Honest and raw, a little uncomfortable, and altogether lovely.
* Persepolis (2007)
I'd read the book years ago, of course, but the movie brings it all to a different level, makes it feel more real. Marvelous.
Books
Harry Potter 5, 6 and 7 (reread). Doesn't seem worth it to link them, since they're pretty much ever-present. We recently marathoned all 8 movies and I was left with a strong urge to reread these particular ones (this is basically when the movies start to fall very short and chop up the storyline to make everything fit). I have to say, I enjoy the books more every time I read them and am growing into a fan.
Movies
Fast Five (2011) - because, for some reason, it's the only F&F movie SG and I had not seen. It is what it is.
First Position (2011) - a documentary about young ballet dancers getting ready for the Youth America Grand Prix. A really interesting look at life and training for dancers.
Anna Karenina (2012) - oh, I was wary of this. I've read the book, you see, and cheered when the main character dies because finally, SOMETHING WAS HAPPENING. The great Russian literary masters? Maybe not for me. But I was bored and it was there, so I watched it. And while the story wasn't any more interesting than I remember, the costumes were beautiful and, above all, the sets were breathtaking. Instead of making it look real and having huge sweeping vistas (well, there are a few), the backdrop looks like a theater. Sets move up and down, curtains close, characters wander around backstage, and the whole thing was absolutely brilliant.
Rango (2011) - silly.
Whip It (2009) - one of those movies I just never got around to seeing. Loved it.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) - I still enjoy this series. The movies aren't as good as the books, and there are parts that I loved that are glossed over, but this satisfies that teen-movie-loving part of me.
I've been watching lots of TV series as well, which don't really count, sadly.
2013 RECAP
This year was an abysmal failure reading-wise. 42 books, which is nearly half of what I did last year. 6 were non-fiction and only one was French. In my own defense, however, this year has been MADNESS. The entire time I worked at the MAJ (5 months) was practically a write-off, between the research I did for work and the commuting every weekend for 6+ hours.
I also have to admit that there were few truly phenomenal books or movies that I watched this year.
* The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
Patrick Rothfuss does not disappoint. His books are intense, captivating, real. I can't recommend them enough.
* The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
I think Maggie Stiefvater is my discovery of the year. I've read several of her books, mostly tempted by the light and fluffy teen usually offers. But her books are different. They have all the hallmarks of teen books: quick to read, low price tag, teen characters. But the story feels full, complete. Her words are crafted, her phrases are evocative. I thoroughly enjoy every word she writes and can't recommend her enough.
* The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel
I've owned this book for years. Knowing the that movie was due to be released soon, I sat down to read it on the train to and from Montreal one week, fully aware of how I need a particular environment to read non-fiction. But this kept me coming back, over and over. It was interesting, it was informative. I'm fascinated by the looting and restitution process from WWII and I know a fair bit about it already, so this was just icing on the cake. I found the characters hard to keep track of: one military man looks much like all the others, sadly. But the finds, the hunt, those were fascinating.
And the highlights in movies are:
* Strike! / All I Wanna Do (1998)
This movie is silly and cute, but for some reason it stands out in my mind. The acting isn't great, the concept is fairly common: girls at a private school go on strike for women's rights. But I loved it.
* The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
I loved the book, I love the movie. Honest and raw, a little uncomfortable, and altogether lovely.
* Persepolis (2007)
I'd read the book years ago, of course, but the movie brings it all to a different level, makes it feel more real. Marvelous.
