2012 Pop Culture Resolutions

Books:

1) Read The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (2/2) (completed November 9)

2) Read at least one classic childhood series (1/1) (completed March 14)

3) Read at least 12 nonfiction books (12/12) (completed July 17)

Movies: (completed July 8)

1) Watch all 2012 Oscar Best Picture nominees (The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, War Horse) (9/9) (completed July 8)

2) Watch AFI’s 10 best movies from 2011 list (10/10) (completed May 10)

3) Watch the 2012 Best Picture winners from Golden Globes (The Descendents), Independent Spirit Awards (The Artist), Screen Actors’ Guild (The Help), Critics’ Choice (The Artist) and BAFTA awards (The Artist) (5/5) (completed July 8)

TV (completed March 8):

1) Watch an episode from each of AFI’s 10 best shows for 2011 (10/10) (completed Feb. 17)

2) Finally watch Lost (completed March 8)

3) Watch at least half of AFI Best 10 Shows lists from 2001-2010. (10/10) (completed Feb. 10)

Things I’m Obsessed With

Welcome to the latest Things I’m Obsessed With!

Books:

My best of lists are all done and will start coming out tomorrow!  It was incredibly hard to do, but I think I did the best I could.  I don’t think the absolute best book in any given category will be shocking, but I think they’re accurate.

I only have a few more books to read this year, but I’m closing the year out by reading The Silver Linings Playbook and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, two movies I absolutely loved.  Very excited. :)

TV:

The AFI released their Best Of lists last week and I’ve already seen all ten of the TV releases!  This isn’t as impressive as you may think; most of the picks had been selected in previous years (Mad Men, especially, has been a Best Of show for every year it’s run) and I correctly called Game Change when it aired earlier in the year.  I was incredibly happy to see that American Horror Story had been selected this year.  LOVE THAT SHOW. :)

Movies:

LES MISERABLES.  That is all.

So what are you obsessed with this week?

American Horror Story: Asylum

American Horror Story: Asylum is one of the AFI’s 10 best shows for 2012.

Episode watched: The most recent one (“The Coat Hanger”)

Seen before?  Yes

Would I keep watching?  Obviously.

This show is so completely over the top, I can’t even tell you.  But at the same time, it’s also not at all like Ryan Murphy’s other shows.  Whereas Nip/Tuck and especially Glee tend to be a little campy (and a tad obnoxious in later seasons), this show is dark.  REALLY dark.

For example, this season (which has no relation to last season) is set in an insane asylum in the 1960s.  Earlier in the season, the horror came from how people used to be committed for things that are more commonplace today (women who enjoy sex; anyone who’s gay) and not necessarily because they were legitimately insane.  But now that there are only a handful of episodes left, somehow it’s become legitimately scary and not sociologically scary.

There are a bunch of reasons for this, but the main “credit” goes to Bloody Face, a serial killer who skins women and then wears them like masks.  You may compare him to Leatherface, but don’t.  Bloody Face isn’t mentally impaired.

Or there’s last week, where we met the world’s worst Santa Claus.  That Santa likes to kill people.  Do not wish him a Merry Christmas; he will rip out your throat Jack Bauer-style.

So while I agree that this is a great show, I will add that it’s not for everyone.

Girls

Girls is one of the AFI’s 10 best shows for 2012.

Episode watched: Pilot

Seen before?  No.

Would I keep watching?  Maybe.

A lot of my friends are completely in love with this show and I don’t see it.  But I trust them enough to think there may be more than I saw in the pilot.

This centers around three friends in their early 20s who live in New York.  The pilot centers around Hana, who has just been cut off from her parents.  When she talks to her boss about possibly getting paid (she’s an intern), she gets fired.

This show was funny in parts, but it was mostly just awkward.  And it probably doesn’t help that they’re roughly a decade younger than I am.

Things I’m Obsessed With

Welcome to the latest Things I’m Obsessed With!

Books:

As we get to the end of the year, I’m starting to work on my Best Of lists.  I still have a few YA (paranormal and contemporary) and general fiction books to read, but I still should be able to get my lists done before the end of the year.  These best of lists are very fun but also incredibly stressful because I’ve read so many great books this year and now I have to narrow them all down to 10?!  And decide whether this book really is better than that book?  Sophie’s Choice all over the place.

Movies:

I just saw Perks of Being a Wallflower last week and absolutely loved it.  I will be reading the book at the end of the month, and I seriously can’t wait.  Because the book tends to be better than the movie (but not in every case; if you tell me the book of Psycho is better than the movie, I will consider you to be either a liar or possibly an idiot—for example), I worry the awesomeness will kill me.

TV:

So far, Nashville is the only new show I’ve stuck with and it’s so much fun!  It doesn’t seem at all to be the kind of show I like, but I’m really enjoying it.  (And the music, which is really surprising because I tend to dislike country music a LOT.)  But I’m also looking forward to January and trying The Following (Followers?), that Kevin Bacon show that’s written by Kevin Williamson and is about serial killers.  And FX is starting a show called The Americans, which is about Russian spies, I think.  But I’ll try it.  A lot of my shows are ending this year, and I need some new ones.  So again, feel free to advocate for your favorites.  My coworker Sherna has me willing to try Scandal (although I think I need to catch up before trying a new episode; apparently I have missed A LOT).

So what are you obsessed with this week?

Things I’m Obsessed With

Welcome to the latest Things I’m Obsessed With!

Holidays:

I’ve sent out my cards and set up a special card for this blog (check back on Dec. 24!).  I know what I’m getting everyone and have ordered about half of the presents for everyone.  The rest will go out with my next paycheck.  But presents for local friends and my mom, plus all the Kindle books have been ordered.  (Kindle books will be delivered on Dec. 24!)  I always do deliveries on Christmas Eve because that’s when my family opens presents.

TV:

I am currently staring at the end of 30 Rock and Private Practice, both of which also have shorter seasons.  I’ve heard Private Practice is supposed to end in January and I’m not sure when 30 Rock is supposed to end, but possibly around the same time.  And I would rather have more episodes in a row and have it end sooner than have it end in May but only get one or two episodes a month from now until May.  (And how awesome was last week’s episode?  And did you know that young Liz Lemon was played by Tina Fey’s older daughter?  I didn’t and then I felt so dumb for not realizing it because she is totally a Tina Fey clone.)

But the reason I’m bringing all this up is because I need to pick up new shows now.  I’m torn between Scandal, Game of Thrones and Homeland.  Maybe Sons of Anarchy.  So if there’s a show you’re in love with, make your case now.

Books:

I want to read ALL THE BOOKS.  I went on a book-buying binge recently, primarily thanks to my friend Erin who seems to know all the best books.  I’m on a bit of a mystery kick lately (well, buying; not so much reading yet) and her best of list (currently at the top of her blog; if not, go searching for it) makes everything sound amazing.  It also got me thinking about my own best of lists, which are a source of anxiety for me. I read a lot and enjoy most of what I read so trying to pick 10 best is hard.  Even if I cheat and break them down into genre.  I’m going to be doing nonfiction first, and plan to start that list pretty soon; I only have one more nonfiction book scheduled to read this year, so we’ll see how that all goes.

So what are you obsessed with this week?

Things I’m Obsessed With

Welcome to the latest Things I’m Obsessed With!

Books:

This week and next will see some great books coming out!  I’m very excited for the new Michael Connelly, which I am reading now, and next week, there will be a couple great ones, too: a new Pretty Little Liars book that I can’t wait to read and (the one I’m most excited about) a new book by Eileen Cook!  You may remember that I read all her books earlier this year so I have waited for this one for a LONG TIME.  :)  But I’m also very happy about the upcoming books I’m reading (Griffin’s Storm, The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories 2, The Books They Gave Me, Who I Kissed, Colin Fischer, Meant to Be, Black City, Tempest…) and I think December is going to be a great month.  Plus, as my friend Kathy said, December means it’s almost 2013, which means that BEA is getting closer.

Movies:

I recently saw The Silver Linings Playbook, which I loved.  I enjoy seeing potential Oscar and AFI movies, and I can’t wait until the two groups announce the movies.  The AFI will do it on December 10 and I can’t wait to see what the 10 best movies and TV shows are.  I forget when Oscar nominations are but I think late January?  I’m pretty sure that Silver Linings Playbook and Argo will be well represented and I really want to see Lincoln, too.

TV:

I am so into American Horror Story!  I have no idea what’s going on with present day (who are those weird kids?  And who is that guy, because it’s clearly not Bloody Face) but I like it.  I also love the past story, which is the bulk of this season.  I’m glad that it was renewed for a third season and that Jessica Lange is coming back, but I hope that Zachary Quinto does, too.  For the most part, the horror of this season has been more in the fact that people actually used to be committed for ridiculous things (being gay, for example, or liking sex if you’re a woman) but that’s starting to change.  Oh God, Bloody Face, you are so scary.  But I love this show so much.

So what are you obsessed with this week?

Things I’m Obsessed With

Welcome to the latest Things I’m Obsessed With first Things I’m Thankful For!

Books:

Next year is going to be so great for readers!  I think literally every author I love is releasing a book next year (except for John Green, who just released a book this year).  Many authors I love are on a “one book a year” schedule, which means that their releases are never THAT far away…even when it feels like I will die before their next book comes out.  But Sara Paretsky, Sue Grafton, Sarah Dessen and Marian Keyes—and a bunch more—come out with new books next year, in addition to all of the ones I’m already excited for (a sequel to The Shining!).

Movies:

I just saw Skyfall and absolutely loved it.  It’s also probably the last purely fun movie I’ll see in theaters for a while (although it was also really, REALLY good) because now is when all the Oscar movies come out.  I’m hoping to see The Silver Linings Playbook soon but I also want to see Lincoln.

TV:

OMG, AHS.  The last few minutes of last week’s episode?  *eyes widen*  That is all.

So what are you thankful for (or obsessed with) this week?

So Apparently I’m Weird.

Every so often, I think about the things that are popular that I just don’t get.

The best example of this, of course, is in music.  People adore Taylor Swift.  She’s basically the patron saint of…well, everyone.  She’s adorable and crazy popular and I have to tell you, if I had to name a more overrated person (in my opinion only, clearly), I couldn’t do it.  It’s not that I have anything against her personally.  She apparently does a lot of good and is very sweet (until and unless you date her) but I do not attend the Church of Taylor Swift.

I also don’t like reality TV except for The Amazing Race.  I don’t watch Top Chef or Survivor or Honey Boo Boo or any Real Housewives shows.  I just watch The Amazing Race, which is almost more about luck than skill or scheming.

AND my taste in sitcoms is also unusual.  I don’t like Modern Family, which is the Taylor Swift of sitcoms.

And it’s not that I’m trying to make a point.  I don’t consider things that are popular to be automatically suspect (I love Harry Potter, for example, and you can’t get much more popular than that).  I won’t watch something I don’t like because everyone does it, but I also won’t watch something period because it “appeals to the masses.”

Anything you hate that everyone else loves?

 

Things I’m Obsessed With

Welcome to the latest Things I’m Obsessed With!

Movies:

Skyfall comes out soon and I am really excited to see it!  My friend Rob (who lives in Germany) has seen it already and says it’s really, really good.  It comes out Friday but I’ll be seeing it next week because I’m seeing it with my friend Paul (who I also saw Quantum of Solace with) and he’s on vacation when  it comes out.  Poor planning on his part!  But I’m excited to see it with him and I guess I’m okay with waiting.  I GUESS.

TV:

I am still really enjoying American Horror Story, even though each week confuses me more.  I don’t remember the first season being confusing per se, but I have no idea what’s going on (especially in the present-day segments).  I have saved all the episodes so I think I may watch them all back to back soon and maybe that’ll make something click.

Books:

I am currently about to embark on “book vacation,” which is always fun for me.  I’m going to be reading a lot of non-review books that have been hanging out on my Kindle, patiently waiting for me.  I’m excited for a lot of them (Who I Kissed, Forget Me Not, The Evolution of Mara Dyer, A Year of Biblical Womanhood) but if you forced me to pick one that I’m most excited for, it’d be In Search of a Good Wife.  It’s the latest Kelly O’Connor McNees and you may remember that I loved her first book (The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott).

So what are you obsessed with this week?