So at the beginning of 2012 I started noting every film I watched, but I have been doing the same with books since 2008. I began while I was at university in York and organised it by academic year, and so I have continued.
Last year (2011/12) I had a good look at my to-read list and realised I had about 10 years of stuff already lined up at the rate I was reading. I made a big effort to maximise how much I read and pulled in nearly 14000 pages over the year. I did not do so well this year, I guess it being my last year teacher training probably explains it, although I also got stuck on On the Origin of Species for like a month and a half.
A reminder of the awards:
★ Good!
★★ Very good
★★★ Amazing!
★ Bad...
★★ Very bad
★★★ Awful!
And, again, these are strictly a descriptor of my personal feeling towards the book.
If it wasn't the first time I'd read the book, that is indicated by its title.
★★ A Game of Thrones
A Song of Ice and Fire #1, gritty fantasy and popular TV series.
★ What Do You Care What Other People Think?
Several biographical stories by Richard Feynman.
★ Brutal Harry
A somewhat dark Harry Potter fanfic. Link.
★ The Magician's Apprentice (attempted)
Prequel novel to The Black Magician Trilogy, which I love.
A Study in Magic
A Harry Potter/Sherlock Holmes crossover fanfic. Link.
★ Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
The 1886 classic.
★★ On the Origin of Species
Darwin's treaty on evolution by natural selection.
★ The Illuminatus! Trilogy (attempted)
A quirky trilogy with the subject of conspiracy theories.
★ The Dark Lord's Equal
Harry Potter fanfic, a mature Harry goes back in time. Link.
★ The Ego Trick
A for-the-masses philosophy book about 'identity'.
★★ Harry Potter and the Natural 20 (first 25 chapters)
Harry Potter/Dungeons and Dragons crossover fanfic. Link.
★ The Colour of Magic (II)
The first of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels.
★ Big Bang
Popsci book about the Big Bang theory.
★★ The Silmarillion
Tolkien's prequel epic to The Lord of the Rings.
Hyperion
An oft-recommended scifi novel.
★ Misspent Youth
A sort of very early prequel to The Commonwealth Saga.
★★★ Pride & Prejudice (III)
200 years since its publication, Jane Austen's best known novel.
★ How to Lie with Statistics
A short '50s book about the ways statistics can mislead.
★ River Out of Eden
One of Dawkins' books on evolution, the next one I hadn't read.
Permutation City
Hard scifi. May cause headaches and existential nihilism.
Kil'n People
A fun scifi book on an interesting theme.
★★ Interview with the Vampire (II or III)
The book that began Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles.
★★ The Vampire Lestat (II)
First part of the sequel duology to Interview.
★★ The Queen of the Damned (II)
The conclusion to the sequel duology to Interview.
★★ Harry Potter and the Natural 20
As mentioned above, HP/DnD crossover, this time completed.
★ Harry Potter and the Confirmed Critical (first 6 chapters)
Ongoing sequel to HPN20. Link.
★ Ender's Game
Another oft-recommended scifi novel, and soon to be a film.
★★ Speaker for the Dead
Sequel to Ender's Game (and the reason he expanded it).
★ The Lifecycle of Software Objects
Scifi novella taking AI from a different angle. Link.
Science Fiction Hall of Fame (first 17 stories)
A highly recommended compilation of pre-1964 scifi short stories.
★ Hikaru no Go (first 6 volumes)
A coming-of-age manga centered on a boy who learns to play Go.
★ Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality (chapters 86-89)
Harry Potter fanfic, where Harry is smart. Link.
As for films: although I feel like I haven't watched many for ages (I've been busy with anime and, recently, Breaking Bad) I'm on 47 so far in 2013 which is more than I'd have guessed!
A Space Oddity performed by Chris Hadfield... in space
This man has been an absolute legend on the spacestation, producing fascinating videos, answering questions, and demonstrating all sorts of random things in space.
He recently returned to Earth, and this was his final production on the ISS.
Properly awesome.
He recently returned to Earth, and this was his final production on the ISS.
Properly awesome.
2012 in film
This year I tried noting down every film I watched with a rating. I got 56 altogether, but I might have missed some towards the beginning of the year! They are presented below in chronological order.
Possible awards:
★ Good!
★★ Very good
★★★ Amazing!
★ Bad...
★★ Very bad
★★★ Awful!
These measure my subjective experience of the film, not my objective critique! If I enjoyed a movie, it got some gold stars, without deep analysis of whether it deserved it. And vice versa.
Also I've bolded some titles, to highlight significant films (one I was highly anticipating, is a well-known classic, was just really good, or has some sort of significance to me personally).
If it wasn't the first time I'd seen the film, that is also indicated.
★★ Predators
2010 sequel to the 1987 classic
★★ The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2011 American adaptation of the book
★★ Agora (II)
2009 historical drama starring Rachel Weisz
★ Requiem for a Dream
2000 trippy film about drugs with a score by Clint Mansell
★ Chronicle
2012 sci-fi film
★ Dogma
1999 satirical film starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck
★★★ The Adjustment Bureau (II)
2011 sci-fi film, starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt
★★★ The Shawkshank Redemption (II)
1994 drama film
★★★ Megamind
2010 Dreamworks animation
★★ Scent of a Woman
1992 Al Pacino film
★ The Cabin in the Woods
2012 horror/satire film
★★★ The Fellowship of the Ring (many)
2001 Peter Jackson adaptation of the book
★ Prometheus
2012 prequel to the classic Alien franchise
Dark City
Bizarre 1998 sci-fi 'film noir' homage or something
★ Cowboys and Aliens
2011 western adventure
★ Men in Black 3
2012 addition to the franchise
★ The Amazing Spider-Man
2012 reboot
★ Brave
2012 Pixar film
★ The Lost Boys
1987 teen horror film
★ Iron Man (II?)
2008 superhero film
★ American Psycho (II)
2000 psychological thriller
★★ Batman Begins (III?)
2005 first part of Christopher Nolan's trilogy
★★ The Dark Knight (II?)
2008 second part of Christopher Nolan's trilogy
★ The Dark Knight Rises
2012 final part of Christopher Nolan's trilogy
★ 360
2011 drama starring Hopkins, Weisz and Law
★★ Blade Runner
1982 sci-fi classic
★★ The Avengers
2012 superhero film
★ The Secret of Kells
2009 animation
★★ My Neighbour Totoro
1988 Hayao Miyazaki film
★ Stand By Me
1986 coming-of-age film, starring Wil Wheaton
★ The Grey
2012 Liam Neeson survival drama
★ Bridge to Terabithia (II)
2007 children's fantasy-ish drama
★★ Sherlock Holmes (II)
2009 film starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law
★★ The Thing
1982 horror film
★ The Thing
2011 prequel to the 1982 film
★★ Road to Perdition
2002 gangster film starring Tom Hanks
★ Brokeback Mountain
2005 romantic drama
★★ Casino Royale (IV?)
2006 Bond film, the first of the Daniel Craig reboot
★★ Quantum of Solace (II)
2008 Bond film, the second of the Daniel Craig reboot
★★ The Fly (II)
1986 sci-fi horror film, starring Jeff Goldblum
Skyfall
2012 Bond film
★★ Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
1984 Hayao Miyazaki film
★★ Laputa: Castle in the Sky
1986 Hayao Miyazaki film
★ Porco Rosso
1992 Hayao Miyazaki film
★ Kiki's Delivery Service
1989 Hayao Miyazaki film
★★ Princess Mononoke (II)
1997 Hayao Miyazaki film
Spirited Away (II)
2001 Hayao Miyazaki film
★★★ Road to Perdition (II)
2002 gangster film starring Tom Hanks
★★ Howl's Moving Castle (II)
2004 Hayao Miyazaki film
★ Ponyo
2008 Hayao Miyazaki film
★★ The Two Towers (II or III)
2002 Peter Jackson adaptation of the book
★ Hook (many)
1991 children's film
★ The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2012, first part of Peter Jackson's adaptation of the book
★★ The Return of the King (II)
2003 Peter Jackson adaptation of the book
★ Life of Pi
2012 adaptation of the 2001 adventure book
★ 27 Dresses
2008 romcom
Bring on 2013!
Possible awards:
★ Good!
★★ Very good
★★★ Amazing!
★ Bad...
★★ Very bad
★★★ Awful!
These measure my subjective experience of the film, not my objective critique! If I enjoyed a movie, it got some gold stars, without deep analysis of whether it deserved it. And vice versa.
Also I've bolded some titles, to highlight significant films (one I was highly anticipating, is a well-known classic, was just really good, or has some sort of significance to me personally).
If it wasn't the first time I'd seen the film, that is also indicated.
★★ Predators
2010 sequel to the 1987 classic
★★ The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2011 American adaptation of the book
★★ Agora (II)
2009 historical drama starring Rachel Weisz
★ Requiem for a Dream
2000 trippy film about drugs with a score by Clint Mansell
★ Chronicle
2012 sci-fi film
★ Dogma
1999 satirical film starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck
★★★ The Adjustment Bureau (II)
2011 sci-fi film, starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt
★★★ The Shawkshank Redemption (II)
1994 drama film
★★★ Megamind
2010 Dreamworks animation
★★ Scent of a Woman
1992 Al Pacino film
★ The Cabin in the Woods
2012 horror/satire film
★★★ The Fellowship of the Ring (many)
2001 Peter Jackson adaptation of the book
★ Prometheus
2012 prequel to the classic Alien franchise
Dark City
Bizarre 1998 sci-fi 'film noir' homage or something
★ Cowboys and Aliens
2011 western adventure
★ Men in Black 3
2012 addition to the franchise
★ The Amazing Spider-Man
2012 reboot
★ Brave
2012 Pixar film
★ The Lost Boys
1987 teen horror film
★ Iron Man (II?)
2008 superhero film
★ American Psycho (II)
2000 psychological thriller
★★ Batman Begins (III?)
2005 first part of Christopher Nolan's trilogy
★★ The Dark Knight (II?)
2008 second part of Christopher Nolan's trilogy
★ The Dark Knight Rises
2012 final part of Christopher Nolan's trilogy
★ 360
2011 drama starring Hopkins, Weisz and Law
★★ Blade Runner
1982 sci-fi classic
★★ The Avengers
2012 superhero film
★ The Secret of Kells
2009 animation
★★ My Neighbour Totoro
1988 Hayao Miyazaki film
★ Stand By Me
1986 coming-of-age film, starring Wil Wheaton
★ The Grey
2012 Liam Neeson survival drama
★ Bridge to Terabithia (II)
2007 children's fantasy-ish drama
★★ Sherlock Holmes (II)
2009 film starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law
★★ The Thing
1982 horror film
★ The Thing
2011 prequel to the 1982 film
★★ Road to Perdition
2002 gangster film starring Tom Hanks
★ Brokeback Mountain
2005 romantic drama
★★ Casino Royale (IV?)
2006 Bond film, the first of the Daniel Craig reboot
★★ Quantum of Solace (II)
2008 Bond film, the second of the Daniel Craig reboot
★★ The Fly (II)
1986 sci-fi horror film, starring Jeff Goldblum
Skyfall
2012 Bond film
★★ Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
1984 Hayao Miyazaki film
★★ Laputa: Castle in the Sky
1986 Hayao Miyazaki film
★ Porco Rosso
1992 Hayao Miyazaki film
★ Kiki's Delivery Service
1989 Hayao Miyazaki film
★★ Princess Mononoke (II)
1997 Hayao Miyazaki film
Spirited Away (II)
2001 Hayao Miyazaki film
★★★ Road to Perdition (II)
2002 gangster film starring Tom Hanks
★★ Howl's Moving Castle (II)
2004 Hayao Miyazaki film
★ Ponyo
2008 Hayao Miyazaki film
★★ The Two Towers (II or III)
2002 Peter Jackson adaptation of the book
★ Hook (many)
1991 children's film
★ The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2012, first part of Peter Jackson's adaptation of the book
★★ The Return of the King (II)
2003 Peter Jackson adaptation of the book
★ Life of Pi
2012 adaptation of the 2001 adventure book
★ 27 Dresses
2008 romcom
Bring on 2013!
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