My Favorite Six Books of 2007 were:
Beautiful.
Breathtaking.
As faithful to the book as possible, given that it’s a film (is that not self explanatory?). Great performances. Nostalgically lovely to look at (1940s. Ah.). As (momentarily) romantic and sexy as can be…and then as heartbreaking and painful and… And it’s really that good. Cee thinks so too. As she points out, the “incidental” music…is just great. The staccato typing? Wow. The back/forth juxtaposition to resolve disparate points of view? Done so well.
And by the way, the book? ALSO THAT GOOD.
Keira Knightly. James McAvoy. Joe Wright (director). Well done.
Very intense! A stream-of-consciousness letter to Osama (yes the Bin-Laden one) from a (lower?) middle class wife who lost her son & police officer (bomb defuser) husband to a terrorist bomb blowing up an Arsenal/Chelsea match…which she feels even the worse about as she was having sex on their couch with someone she met in a bar (on a “my husband is off defusing a bomb and I am insanely nervous and when I am insanely nervous I go have sex with strangers” evening) when the bomb went off. She winds up going a little crazy and getting involved in some messed up situations, some beyond her control, and throughout it she continues her commentary, directed to Osama.
She starts the novel thinking if she tells him about her sweet, sweet boy that he killed, maybe he’ll just stop bombing things…and ends it in a very different place.
The sentences are long and breathless and meandering (they felt like something Elizabeth Crane or Megan Stielstra would write), the emotions are hot and present and flustered, and it all feels very, very real.
Blew me away, in more ways than one. Wow.
I think some of the social class commentary was perhaps lost on a non-Brit reader; there are a few places where I thought “and I bet THAT adjective is explaining to someone EXACTLY what position she’s found herself in but it’s not something we say here so it’s not really doing that for me.” But that did not denigrate my enjoyment or the content at all.
The Queen (of England) comes upon a lending library…and starts reading..and it changes her entire life.
This book was an absolute delight. Clever, funny and thoughtful. An excellent treatise on the many things reading brings one.
Slim book, huge margins, huge print. It’s a quickie. Really enjoyable.
She’d never taken much interest in reading. She read, of course, as one did, but liking books was something she left to other people. (emphasis = mine)
I loved it. Yes, as funny as the previews made it look, but really so much more than that. Heartbreaking and bittersweet and some really lovely, deeply sincere moments.
I tried to keep my expectations low considering several much-hyped indie flicks this year that I did not feel were all they were cracked up to be (Waitress and Knocked Up, I’m talking to you). This surpassed even my more optimistic hopes.
I’m impressed. Strong performances, lovely soundtrack. Thumbs way up.
Since I have already gone to all the concerts I’m going to in 2007, I’m sure you want to know which were my faves.
My Favorite Live Gigs This Year:
1. Gomez. Amazing show. But they’re low on everyone’s 07 radar since they didn’t put out an album this year.
2. Travis. So much fun in concert.
3. The National. Just as beautiful as the album.
4. Polyphonic Spree x2. highest energy show you’ll ever see.
5. Ben Harper x2. He’s amazing.
6. Griffin House. He’s hot.
7. The Decemberists. So polished.
8. Midlake. Bewitching.
I have also finished my overall favorite music of 2007 list, which I’m sure is a) far more detailed than anyone could ever want, and b) pretty obvious if you’ve been reading this site all year. Enjoy.
Very intense set of stories; it took me a while to realize they were all taking place in the same town, with some recurring characters in the background (references to the same basketball coach, for example).
Subtle and quiet feeling, but the quiet before the storm. Emotionally brutal, sometimes breathtakingly so. Really, really good.
I’ve mentioned Griffin House a few times in the past (here or here), so I was psyched to find he was opening for Over the Rhine the other night.
Better than I could have possibly imagined. A little less twangy in person than some of the stuff on the albums: more “songwriter” or folk-pop than country. Gorgeous sounds, great lyrics accompanied by an adorable smirk on the funny ones, nice stage presence. Cool sense of family and history and heartache and comfort. Really, really enjoyable.
And did I mention he’s H-O-T, hot. Yum.
p.s. yes I did run into him in the lobby and yes I did touch his arm and tell him he was lucky he played my favorite song as his encore or I would have… “Killed me?” he said. “Gone out of my mind!” I replied. 😉
New (to me) Songs/Artists I’m Diggin:
“None Shall Pass” Aesop Rock (1)
“Our Friends Appear Like the Dawn” Bodies of Water (4)
“Beloved” Minnie Driver (5)
“Bad Graces” Diego Sandrin (7)
“One Man” Eulogies
New (2) Songs by Old Friends:
“Car Crash” Matt Nathanson (3)
“Rumors” Josh Ritter (3)
“Trouble” Over the Rhine
“Black Out on White Nights” Sage Francis (6)
“Darlin’ Do Not Fear” Brett Dennen
“Hamoa Beach” (Live) Gomez
from Paste #35.
1-Hmm, I bought this album but not sure I ever listened to it.
2-Or new when the magazine came out…months ago! 🙂
3-I am diggin’ these two big time this year. Lots of great stuff by them out there.
4-Very Polyphonic-Spree feelin’.
5-This song is really kind of surprisingly beautiful.
6-Very atmospheric background. Unusual for rap.
7-Nice and sparse, simple seeming, but pretty unusual lyrics.