Time to sum up the year! I’m sorry I have hardly updated my blog this year, but hey, here is a new layout sporting this poor neglected creature. I think my lack of posts says something of how awfully busy I’ve been, especially given that this was the final year of my visual communication degree. I am happy to say I have passed all subjects with a distinction average (alas, two points from high distinction, damn it!), but at least I’ve done well overall, and much better than last year at that. And to close up my academic year nicely I recently got accepted into the Honours degree of the same course! So I’ll still be a poor creative student for one more year! Here’s hoping I make the most of it!
Oh yeah, I got my Ps, yo. It took me 2.6 years to get there, but get there I did. That doesn’t mean I don’t still feel like a learner driver.
And now, summing up the year more superficially:
Number of films seen (approx): 29
Best film
Up!
An extremely, unabashedly and wholeheartedly sentimental film on what it is to be young and feel young. Made me cry, and is nothing below the standard of Pixar excellence—a visually spectacular treat, especially in 3D! Kevin is the greatest!
Honourable mentions:
- Changeling
- The Young Victoria
- Mary and Max
- Watchmen
Best album (or rather the album that defined my year)
Mucho Punk, and Mucho Musica, both by Clazziquai
I have quite possibly played both these albums (the former is the Korean version, the latter, the Japanese version) near a thousand times. I don’t listen to the Top 20 anymore, only when it suits me best (which is like, never) so I tend to limit my music tastes, but I’ve made some interesting discoveries this year too in the world of Kpop. See my honourable mentions.
Honourable Mentions:
- Winter Magic – Hayley Westenra
- DREAM – Yuno Ito
- Songs for Ophelia – Ibadi
- Purple Drop – Humming Urban Stereo
- It’s Not Me, It’s You – Lily Allen
Best score/soundtrack
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
For actually being a way better compilation than the film itself. No, seriously, Nicholas Hooper has done a fine job, honing in his strengths to make an altogether, darkly dramatic and sinister mood, but never losing the youthful fun that comes with growing up in a wizarding world. More impressive to me was his ability to bend convention and experiment with sounds and instruments. God do I love an artist who makes calculated risks!
Honourable mentions
- Up! – Michael Giacchino
- Mad Men: Music from the Series Vol 1, 2 – Various Artists
- Mad Men: Original Score Vol 1 – David Carbonara
- The Twilight Saga: New Moon – Alexandre Desplat (oh the shame, but oh the beauty of this score)
Best TV Show
Mad Men
I’d only started watching this show round about this time last year, but only in the last half of this year did I really sink myself into the smoky era of these dashing, mad ad men.
Honourable mentions
- Collectors
- The Big Bang Theory
- Talkin’ Bout Your Generation
Number of books read: 162
Best books I can very rarely just choose one! (all have received 5 stars on my Goodreads)
- Goddess of the Hunt, Surrender of a Siren, A Lady of Persuasion (trilogy) – Tessa Dare
- Scandal – Carolyn Jewel
- The Duke of Shadows – Meredith Duran
- Hard Evidence – Pamela Clare
- Delicious – Sherry Thomas
- Not Quite a Husband – Sherry Thomas
- Letters to a Secret Lover – Toni Blake
- Riding on Instinct – Jaci Burton
- Sex, Straight Up – Kathleen O’Reilly
- Really Good Logos Explained: Top design professionals critique 500 logos and explain what makes them work – Margo Chase
Best comic arc
From my DC point of view, Blackest Night has undoubtedly been shitloads of drama, epicness and OH MY GOD THE ORGASMIC COLOUR OF RAINBOWS, and the mysterious disappearance of Bruce Wayne aka The Batman has left writers and artists with plenty of fodder for Dick and Damian (oh say that fast ten times), but to me, the most outstanding narrative throughout has been Greg Rucka and JH Williams III’s run on Detective Comics starring the ever awesome Kathy Kane, aka Batwoman. MUCH LOVE!!
From my Marvel point of view, X-Men still makes no sense to me (I can barely keep up with the bajillion series running simultaneously), Amazing Spiderman has gone to the pits, but I’ve been far more intrigued by the War of Kings, and now currently the Realm of Kings, as all manner of creatures and peoples fight for what’s left of them. Inhumans arc has been especially of interest to me.