here you go... MOVIES 1-Bella - I know this came out in 2007, but I didn't see it til this year and I loved it. There actually hasn't been a movie that affected me this much in awhile. 2-Slumdog Millionaire - It probably isn't a great movie, but it's good and it made me happy. 3-U23D - I had seen U2 in concert (one of the top 5 spiritual experiences of my life) before the movie came out so I wasn't really expecting much. But, I was blown away. It brought so many memories of seeing them live and was so well done. My only frustration was that no one else in the movie theatre was standing up or singing along as I so desperately wanted to. 4-Hellboy II - I thought I would put Iron Man on here instead but I had to be honest with myself (and everyone else) and admit I liked Hellboy better. It wasn't perfect (i.e., giant man-eating plant) but I loved Abe's (the merman) character and Guillermo del Toro can't do much wrong by me. Iron Man, on the other hand, lost me when the mystery of who the villain was going to be was obvious in his first appearance on the screen. 5-Australia - It was a toss-up between this and Benjamin Button, but the more I've thought about it, the more I've determined I didn't like Ben Button that much. I like my epics to have main characters who are heroes (or at least become heroes) not selfish, spoiled brats. Yeah, Australia was long and really was two movies and even these plots were a little childish, but maybe that was the point of the movie. And I fell in love with the kid that played Nullah. Movies very purposely not on this list: Seven Pounds, The Dark Knight Worst: The Happening/Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull TELEVISION [Preface: I am surprised by what I'm including here this year. Many of my regulars are not here and are replaced by shows that are a surprise even to me. Here's hoping for a resurgence of Heroes for next year!] 1-2008 Summer Olympics - I love the Olympics, in general, but this summer I fell in love with it all over again. I dvr-ed almost all of it and that made it even better for me. Yeah volleyball, gymnastics, diving, swimming and all the other sports that never get any coverage except during the Olympics. 2-Avatar: The Last Airbender - Yes, this is a cartoon...for kids...on one of those Nickelodeon channels.... A couple of the high school students that I teach talked me into watching it and I fell in love. It is what we all want in a television series (like Heroes, Lost, Alias, Pushing Daisies) but never quite get: one head writer, individual plotted episodes with a beautiful over-arching story-line, brilliant character development and a four-episode long series finale that brought the closure everyone wanted. Smart, fun, action-packed and I can't wait for the movie (live-action, rumored to be directed by M. Night Shyamalan). 3-Survivor: Gabon - So, I've watched this for a couple years now with friends; but this fall, I actually recorded it at my own home so I could watch the episodes I missed when my friends and I couldn't get together. Great plot twists, the "bad guys" almost win but are thwarted which causes Bob (the high school Physics teacher) to win, the guy with no alliances and none of us thought had a chance to win, but all secretly wanted to. I still can't believe I like this show, let alone that I watch it. 4-Pushing Daisies - I didn't watch Season 1, but started watching it this fall and was mesmerized. I like smart. Too bad I got interested right when it is being cancelled. 5-Lost - it became good again. Worst: 90210, Knight Rider, Kath & Kim and any other shows that should have never been rehashed. Thank you, uncreative Hollywood. MUSIC [Preface: this was the year I stopped listening to music. It was partially accidental. Music was replaced by NPR and podcasts and I was very ok with that. I did start listening to music again for Christmas, so that dominates my list.] 1-What a Night! A Christmas Album by Harry Connick Jr. - I just realized that I've been listening to Harry Connick for at least 20 years, which is incredible. He is one of my favorite and he does Christmas music the way it should be done. 2-Joy to the World by Faith Hill - who would have every thought it possible? This is a great album. First - no country. Instead everything is infused with a 1940's big band or orchestral feel. And the one original song is actually good. 3-A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas by Kristen Chenoweth - she's from Broken Arrow, she's a broadway star, she was on Pushing Daisies. And she can sing. 4-Viva La Vida by Coldplay - the only album I listened to straight through this year. 5-As I Am by Alicia Keys - though released right at the end of 2007, I'm still including it. I like talent. Worst: 808s & Heartbreak by Kanye West & A Little Bit Longer by The Jonas Brothers - I am ok with people enjoying whatever genre of music they like and I obviously have not listened to either of these albums. However, I just ask that people can sing well live - and none of these guys can. BOOKS
1-Crazy Love by Francis Chan - better than I even expected it to be. These are the questions I have been struggling with and it is always refreshing to read about someone else going through the same things, even if there aren't lots of answers. 2-The Watchmen by Alan Moore - I've only read a couple graphic novels in my lifetime and this is the first one with superheroes. I enjoyed it and, though it was gratuitous, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. 3-The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau - I love kid's books and it's always nice to find another one that is almost up there with Madeleine L'Engle. 4-The Martyr's Song by Ted Dekker - I've read lots of Ted Dekker in the last couple years. Some I like, some I don't. This year, this was the one I liked. Nothing like his other stuff. 5-The Shack - I didn't hate it and it made me cry. Good enough. Worst: The Memory Keeper's Daughter - couldn't even finish it SPORTING EVENTS/CONCERTS [Preface: I don't really enjoy sporting events or concerts usually, but I'll include a couple unorthodox ones here and an event I wasn't really sure where else to put.] 1-Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog - the internet at it's finest: wanna-be superheroes and supervillains, comedy, drama, a musical, and Neil Patrick Harris 2-Dec. 19th Metro Christian Girls Basketball Game - with FOUR overtimes, one of the most exciting and fun sporting events I've seen in a long time. (And they won.) 3-seeing the lead singer of Jars of Clay writhe around on stage like Bono, Chris Martin or a punk singer. feel free to roast/confirm my picks or comment on your own favorites or even make your own list on your own blog - just tell me about it so I can read them. | 
