Category Archives: Best of…
Best of April.
I’m not sure why I did so little in April as according to my calendar, I should have had three weekends free with only one weekend out of town, and one weekend with a house guest. Hmmmph. Procrastination reaches new heights!
I only saw one movie in April. And it wasn’t very good.
I read a few books in April and I’d have to say that Haven Kimmel’s latest memoir and the conclusion to Justine Larbalestier’s Magic or Madness trilogy were probably the best two, although I enjoyed all my reads that month.
Wow, I went to five concerts in April, I guess that’s what I was doing with my time. The Decemberists and Youth Group were probably the performances I just outright enjoyed the most, but seeing Josh Rouse a second time was definitely worth my while: he’s a lot of fun live.
I really didn’t buy as much music during April as I did in prior months of 2007. I listened a lot to “She’s About to Cross My Mind” from The Red Button which I bought after reading about them here. I bought Vandaveer “Grace & Speed” after reading that he played at Number 4‘s wedding (!!). And after Golden Smog made my top 10 last year, it wasn’t like I could pass up “Blood on the Slacks” with its Dylan teasing title. Singles-wise, I cannot stop listening to “Walk Over Me” Dirtie Blondie and the Like Rebel Diamond remix of The Killer’s “Read My Mind” (both featured on Friday Night Lights, of course). I made a mix last month that’s pretty damn fantastic if I don’t say so myself. I might send you one. Give me a good reason…
Random personal highlights: a) How came to visit!; b) Cezanne/Picasso “Vollard” show at the Art Institute was v. cool; c) FINALLY!! eating at Mas again and having my favorite drink in all the world: Pisco Sour. YUM!; d) trip to NY for Amy’s yarn inventory. Nuts.; e) brunch with the McCains and spending time with Clark’s dad again, planning our some-day hike through Colorado!; f) Lollapalooza tickets go on sale = Done!
Lowlights? I remember being really, really, really tired. Just cannot catch up.
Best of March.
Oh dear, halfway through April but so busy watching Buffy that I’m barely blogging. Dearie me.
The best gig I went to in March was on the very first day of the month when I saw Gomez. If they swing through your town on this tour, I highly recommend getting a ticket! They were just brilliant and wonderful and I’ve spent weeks now listening to their back catalog. Really talented musicians. Of course, the night I saw Lupe Fiasco and the Roots was also really fun and I’d have to say they were close runners-up.
The best
While I wasn’t at the movie theater much, I did get back on the reading horse in March and the best book I read was “Winter’s Bone” by Daniel Woodrell. It was short and sharp, biting and intense, and I was blown away. I also read some great short stories by Margo Lanagan, some poetry by Claudia Emerson, and “Black Cat”, by Martyn Bedford (the author of one of my all-time faves “The Houdini Girl”).
And as for tunes I listened to in March? Hmmm, that’s a tough one. I was enjoying the new Arcade Fire, especially “Intervention”, a beautiful new album from Great Lake Swimmers, and lots of singles from folks such as Brett Dennen, Bob Evans, Soltero, and Chris Brokaw … and still listening to stuff I bought earlier in the year: Guggenheim Grotto, the Shins, the Fratellis, Explosions in the Sky, and Youth Group.
Random personal highlights: a) I finally uploaded my London pictures to Flickr, although I have yet to get them printed for my mom, despite her asking me every time I talk to her; b) I got my taxes done a month ahead of time; c) went down south for (another) family wedding and got some quality time with lots of my cousins and one of my aunts; d) met Jen & JR!!; e) went to an awesome Cuban restaurant I hadn’t been to before; f) had a random doctor visit to find out I have officially lost 16 pounds on the infamous diet! Wooooooot!!!!; g) got a letter from Rumi, an old, old friend I haven’t heard from in ages (now if only I can find some time in my slackass life to write back!!!); and h) met KC’s new baby Avery (a.k.a. “Mini Coop”) who I had made a quilt for before her birth.
Lowlights? I can’t believe I’m saying this, but looking over my calendar, I’m not seeing any real lowlights. Must’ve been a damn good month! 🙂 Maybe the lowlight is I was only out of town for one weekend, but I still didn’t really get any quilting done. My powers of procrastination = they are mighty!
Best of February.
February’s over? I personally happen to love February but I have to admit, I was pretty much of a schlub all month.
Let’s see, the best
The best
Only one concert? and one book? OK, this is pretty pathetic so far…
The best
I am all about not getting my heart broken in February since I certainly get it broken every other stupid month of the year.
As for tunes in February, I’ve been all over the place. Obsessively listening to the soundtrack for Music & Lyrics, enjoying the new Fall Out Boy, listening to lots and lots of Rogue Wave especially after a (new?) single played on FNL, digging The Bees (US) and Midlake (who I told you about twice (1, 2) and then finally got…very ’70s peaceful, easy feelin…), and listening to some stuff I bought at the very end of January that didn’t get much play that month (new Youth Group!!!! “Casino Twilight Dogs” (*LOVE*) and The Guggenheim Grotto). Still lovin’ the Shins although my ear can’t recognize what’s the new album and what’s old…
Random personal highlights of the month were: a) Ame came to visit!; b) I went “home” (to NYC) and quilted with Jackie (and ate with Em, Stephanie and Jenn!) and saw Shawn and the kids!!!; c) new specs; d) brunch with the Strizz and her man!; e) Steph and Mark slept over in a storm; f) another night at the darkroom (hey Chicago Amy! Tracy and I missed ya!); g) finally finding yummy Chinese in Chicago!; h) flowers from MaryKay (so sweet!); and i) we got some snow!!!!
Lowlights: a) Bears lost the Bowl; b) new computer didn’t work for a week and had to be dragged back and forth to the store; c) even OLDER! Ah, well. On to March…
Protected: Best of January.
Best of…2006
Best CDs: I already posted an extensive list of my favorite tunes from 2006. My top 3 albums were Gnarls Barkley “St. Elsewhere”, Gomez “How We Operate” and Golden Smog “Another Fine Day.”
Best Gigs: I saw a lot of great shows in 2006, including Lollapalooza. Trying (desperately) to narrow it down, I’d say the two tied for “funnest” were Gnarls Barkley and Beck (hello, puppets!). The best was Joan Baez. And runner-up was The Raconteurs on December 30. Sadly I did not keep a list just by 2006, but you can see a (supposedly) comprehensive list of what I’ve seen live here.
Best Books: [Limiting myself MOSTLY to books published and read this year, as opposed to all the books I read this year.] The best NON fiction books I read this year were “Guests of the Ayatollah” by Mark Bowden and “The Year of Magical Thinking” by Joan Didion. The best novels I read were “Black Swan Green” by David Mitchell, “Sharp Objects” by Gillian Flynn and “Towing Jehovah” by James Morrow [that one was not pub this year]. The best short stories I read were “In Persuasian Nation” by George Saunders and “When the Messenger Is Hot” by Elizabeth Crane (not from this year either). The best poetry was “Strong Is Your Hold” by Galway Kinnell. You can view the entire list of what I read here and you can read my last mini-reviews here (reviews will be posted to Snip from now on).
Best Films: By far, the best film I saw this year was “The Departed”. For drama, I also highly recommend “Inside Man” “The Queen” and I personally loved “Marie Antoinette”. For a smaller film “Come Early Morning” was very well done. For comedy “Scoop” and “Clerks 2” were both quite funny, in their own ways. “Casino Royale” was the Best Bond, perhaps ever. And “The Prestige” was a good movie about just how horrifically awful human beings can be. So you’d have to keep that in mind, should you choose to see it. There were other movies I liked also.
I’m pretty good at not going to movies I can tell I’m not going to like, in my old age. I’d have to say “Last Kiss” (yuck) and “Match Point” (“Scoop” is so much better!) were my least favorite movies in the theater this year and “The DaVinci Code” was about how I expected: not good, but not as bad as I had heard. Average. Middling.
For Keanu lovers like myself, there wasn’t a damn thing wrong with “The Lakehouse.” You can see the whole list of what I saw here or you can view Snip by category “Flicks”; although I oddly forgot to write up a LOT of the concerts I saw, I pretty consistently reported back on movies.
And I’ve already seen my first movie of 2007 although I haven’t written it up yet. Soon! 🙂