The best movie I saw in July was Hurt Locker. I’ve seen it three times so far. I would love to see it again.

The best book I read in July was “The Death of Sweet Mister” by Daniel Woodrell. It really took my breath away.

The best gig I went to in July was EMPTY ORCHESTRA. They are great and I highly recommend you buy tickets if they come through your town.

My favorite tunes in July were (you guessed it) all from Empty Orchestra. And Ryan Auffenberg singing “Sellout” live. I would like to see him live.

The best movie I saw in June was probably “Moon” but my favorite movie in June was “Away We Go”.

The best book I read in June was “Motherless Brooklyn” by Jonathan Lethem. Fantastic! I also really liked the short story collection “Emerald City” by Jennifer Egan.

The best gig I went to in June had to be a tie between Metric and Telekinesis!!! Being that I haven’t been going to shows much at all this year, I wish I could remember more about those evenings! But hello June was a long time ago. I know we were standing at the back of the Metro for Metric and it was hot and sweaty but the sounds were great. Oddly I can’t even remember who I went to Telekinesis with. Maybe I was drunk.

My favorite tunes in June were from “Back & Fourth” Pete Yorn‘s awesome, outstanding, lovely latest album. Gee, I guess I liked it.

Oh good grief, I am so far behind on my own recordkeeping. Maybe I should toss it all!

The best movie I saw in May was Star Trek. I saw things that considered themselves more important than that movie, but they didn’t live up to their own forecasts.

The best book I read in May was a three-way tie between The Dart League King by Keith Lee Morris and two really awesome sci-fi books: Wanderlust and Grimspace both by Ann Aguirre. But you know, unlike with going to shows, I’ve been reading a LOT this year (June was the first month of 2009 to see me read under fewer than 10 books), and for the most part I have really liked the stuff I’ve been reading. So you know, pinning it down is a bit…silly. Mayhaps. 🙂

The best gig I went to in May doesn’t exist (as with April and March). (I have NOT been going to shows this year. Not sure what’s happening there.)

My favorite tunes in May were new albums from Telekinesis!, Eminem, Green Day and Phoenix. Perhaps I’ll get caught up on album reviews soon and come back and give ya a link. 😉Write-up here.

Oh good grief, I am so far behind on my own recordkeeping. Maybe I should toss it all!

The best movie I saw in April was Sunshine Cleaning. Not mindblowing but certainly worth seeing.

The best book I read in April was Little Bee by Chris Cleave. Really intense and thoughtful. Wasn’t totally thrilled with the ending, but that wasn’t enough to make me stop thinking about it and recommending it to people.

The best gig I went to in April doesn’t exist (as with March). (I have NOT been going to shows this year. Not sure what’s happening there.)

My favorite tunes in April were new albums from Gomez and Great Lake Swimmers, two of my very favorite bands. And my favorite single was “Lights Off” The Dears.

Random personal highlights: I paid a visit to my friends in Milwaukee. Was that the month the Settlers of Catan craziness started? I think it may have been. One of several goodbye parties for Jen & Naz (fun party, sad occasion.

Lowlights? You know, at this point, really, I don’t remember! Fortunately for my mental health, I tend to only jot down the good things.

Oh good grief, I am so far behind on my own recordkeeping. Maybe I should toss it all!

The best movie I saw in March was The Reader which I was oddly unprepared for the subject matter of but thought Winslet’s performance was really tour de force.

The best book I read in March was… Wow that one is really hard to narrow down (especially after all this time!). I’m going to call it a tie between “City of Refuge” by Tom Piazza, which was really heartbreaking fictionally as the Katrina situation was in real life; “Bone Crossed” by Patricia Briggs, because honestly that woman cannot write a book that doesn’t keep me up all night savoring every word; and “The Girl Who Played with Fire” by Stieg Larsson, a satisfying sequel that had me on the edge of my seat.

The best gig I went to in March doesn’t exist. (I have NOT been going to shows this year. Not sure what’s happening there.)

My favorite tunes in March were new albums from Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Boy Least Likely To, and U2 and I was really digging these singles (still am, frankly): “Afterglow” Kate York, “Airport Surroundings” Lonely, Dear, and “Sweet Dream” Greg Laswell.

Random personal highlights: I applied for a ginormo lifechange which you may know I am now about four weeks into; Lauren and I went on a photowalk in the wastelands of downtown Chicago; awesome dinner out w/ Monica, Jen and Cinnamon (all part of Jen’s extended goodbye series); and I’m not even sure at this point what some of the notations in my calendar mean so we’ll just leave it at that.

Lowlights? Who knows. It was just so long ago now! 🙂