Reading But Not As You Know It...

Picking a best book of the year or even a selection of best books is actually kind of hard, partially because I read so much and partially because 2013 was the year I veered a little - okay make that a lot - from traditional books.

Instead I have been reading  fanfic. Lots and lots of fanfic.  Which I adore.  Still that doesn't mean that I haven given up reading more traditional and accepted stories.  But even these I have been doing in slightly less traditional means.

Because e-books and audio dramas ARE THE BEST.  Like REALLY.  I have become a major convert.

One, because with e-books I can store hundreds and hundreds of books on one little device.  No more lugging around bags bursting to the seams with books - well not as much.  Instead I can pop in all the stories, books, music and audios that I could possibly get through on a device the size of a paperback.

Two, multi tasker that I am, I can now do housework, exercise, even do my work all while getting my latest story fix courtesy of all the audio dramas I now have.

Bliss.  Utter bliss.

So instead of giving you my best of best books for 2013 here are my picks for best stories.  Because really they are all one and the same. 

A series of murders [compact disc] : a Charles Paris mystery / by Simon Brett.

I adore Bill Nighy.  But I really adore him in these series of audio dramas done by the BBC.  Wonderfully funny as well as being detective stories, Nighy is glorious as Charles Paris, a sometimes actor, a womaniser, a man who drinks and smokes too much who seems to have a knack for getting involved in solving murders.  If only they would turn these into a TV series with him starring in them my life would be complete (well almost...)

Cabin pressure. The complete series 4 [compact disc] / written by John Finnemore.

I love Benedict Cumberbatch but that's not the only reason that I choose this as one of my favourites of the year.  After all any audio that makes you laugh so hard that it causes you to shoot drink out of your nose has got to be a winner... Trust me you just have to give these a go.

  Dark Eyes: An 8th Doctor Who Adventure

Sadly we don't have these at Auckland Libraries (hint hint hint to any audio selectors) but don't let that put your off in trying to hunt them down because they are well worth it.  If you had any doubts about Paul McGann as the 8th Doctor Who then listening to all the Big Finish audio dramas will completely change your mind. 

Pines / Blake Crouch

Thrillerly, sci-fiing Pines is one of those books where you just didn't see it coming.  Even better the sequel is now out AND it's being turned into a TV series, though I'm not getting my hopes up as they'll probably ruin the book completely.  As they do...

 Sleepwalkers / Tom Grieves

Another thrillerly, sci-fiing story. I'm sensing a pattern here but that's okay I often find that I tend to go through trends with my story intakes.

Wool / Hugh Howey

An online sensation that resulted in a book deal and a movie deal, Wool is the first in a series and is just my kind of thing.  Science fiction rules (as it should) and 2013 was the year of some great science fiction books.

And there you have it. Six stories that stayed in my head.  Not necessarily the best books of the year but ones that I enjoyed along with a huge range of others.  So why not check the above out as well as these other titles that I enjoyed through 2013.

City of Bones / Cassandra Clare
The Maze Runner / James Dashner
Best Served Cold / Joe Abercrombie
The Fault In Our Stars / John Green

I can see for miles and miles and miles...

As you probably know by now I love a lot of different shows but one show really got my attention in 2013 and turned me into a obsessed fan.  And by obsessed I mean OBSESSED. And yes it warrants capital letters. Because this show is that good.  And yes I am completely and utterly in love with it.  And it's all thanks to Tosca.  She's to blame. 100%

Of course this show has to share the love... just a little.  Because as in my usual obsessive way I am also addicted to other TV shows as well.

So what did you fall in love with in 2013?

Teen Wolf

That this show doesn't screen here in New Zealand is quite frankly gob smacking.  I just count myself lucky that I have awesome, amazing friends living in the USA who send me episodes.  Bribery really does work wonders.

Suits

Another new love and one in which my partner has also now become completely hooked on.

Marathoning the same show twice in the same year?

Yeah that's me.

Obsession really should just be my middle name.

Sherlock

Benedict Cumberbatch is a God.

And if you haven't seen him before (and surely you have) then you just have to check out Sherlock.  Because this show shows how good he really is.  Then again he is amazingly and awesomely good in everything I've seen him in

Person of Interest

This show just keeps getting better and better with each season. What started out as a procedural crime show has turned everything on it's head.  It's a crime show, an action show, a drama show and even a sci-fi show - well of sorts.  It's also brilliant.

Gutsy and raw and no-holds barred with great characters and great supporting characters too. Even the dog is awesome.

Elementary

It took me a couple episodes or so before I really got into this show.  But once I did... well there was no going back really.

And yes in case you were wondering you can love both Sherlock AND Elementary.  Because both shows are wonderful and yet different to each other that making comparisons between them is just silly.

Justified

Give me a man with a gun and a bad attitude any day.  

Especially when it's a man like Raylan Givens.  US Marshall, sharp-shooter, straight talker with the worse taste in women.

That the Season 5 is about to start as got me all kinds of excited.  With shows like this and the ones above TV life has never looked so good.

I Like It, I Like It, I Like The Way...

I always feel just a little silly pulling together a Best list because really what is best to one person probably isn't to another then again I just love discovering what other people are into so as they saying goes if you can't beat them...

Certainly for me this year I have discovered so much new music courtesy of my bestest buds Youtube, Amazon's Music & Spotify that the choice of picking what I like was actually hard to narrow down.  There is just so much good music out there.

The following then is just a small taste of what I have been listening to during the past year.

Do I Wanna Know / Arctic Monkeys

I am seriously in love with this song. It's rock. Pure and simple.

Don't Save Me / Haim

A discovery from early 2013, I am just so pleased that they are now getting the attention they deserve with the release of their album, Days Are Gone.  Check them out at this year's Laneway Music Festival.

Call Me In The Afternoon / Half Moon Run

Completely unknown here in New Zealand, I've been a fan for awhile now.  I just wish they got the attention they deserve.

Blowin Smoke / Kacey Musgraves

I'm not a country and western fan but this song might just convert me.  If only all country music was this good.

Counting Stars / One Republic

Don't ask me why I like this song. Because I really have no idea.  Sometimes a song will just grab you - even if it's against your better judgement.

The Chapel Song / We Are Augustine

I came across this song totally by accident but I'm so glad I did.  It sounds a little like something that The Cure would have done way back in the 80's.  And of course being a Cure fan it's no surprise that I loved this song.

Stompa / Serena Ryder

I totally blame Suits for this one.  If it hadn't played on the show I probably would never have heard of it.

Night Visions / Imagine Dragons

Not a song but a album because I just can't stop listening to these guys.  They are that good.  Working Man is probably my favourite song  but I recommend that you also check out On Top of the World, It's Time, Fallen, Amsterdam and Radioactive.  In fact why not just listen to the whole album.

Best of 2013

It's hard to believe that it's been a full year since I last wrote one of these blog posts, it feels like it's only been a few months! Once again this isn't a blog post about my favourite things released in 2013 it's a blog post about my favourite things that I discovered in 2013.

Songs
This was so hard! In a week I will have changed my mind but for now, here are my favourite songs of this year.

I Want Crazy - Hunter Hayes
Aint it fun - Paramore
Dust to Dust - The Civil Wars
Drive Darling - Boy
Glory and Gore - Lorde
I Choose You - Sara Bareilles
Young volcanoes - Fall Out Boy
Grown Woman/ Flawless - Beyoncé
Aria - Giovani Allevi
Highway Don't Care - Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban
Done - The Band Perry

Albums


Beyonce, Kacey and The Civil Wars are hands down the best albums of the year. No question. The other 2 are pretty good too though.

Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer, Different Park
The Civil Wars -self titled
Lorde - Pure Heroine
Beyoncé - Beyoncé
Haim - Days are Gone

Books

This year I read a lot of autobiographies by comedians which were really interesting and funny. I particularly enjoyed Mindy Kahling's book. It was awesome to read Brad Paisley's book this year too. He's one of my musical heroes so it was really cool to read how he started in the music business.

Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg
Bet Me - Jennifer Crusie 
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without me? - Mindy Kahling
Born Standing Up - Steve Martin
Diary of a Player - Brad Paisley

TV Shows

My fellow bloggers finally talked me into watching Supernatural and they were right, it's awesome. I looooooooove Pretty Little Liars which I wasn't expecting and re watching Outrageous Fortune and McLeod's Daughters has been awesome. Not as awesome as Parks and Rec which has replaced 30 Rock as my weekly obsession.

Pretty Little Liars
Supernatural
McLeod's Daughters
Parks and Recreation
Outrageous Fortune

Movies

One chance was one of the sweetest, happiest movies I've ever seen and I absolutely loved it! Plus James Cordon is in at and he is one of my favourite actors. Django was super violent and disturbing but wonderful and don't even get me started on Catfish one of the craziest documentaries I've ever seen!

One Chance
Django Unchained
Never Let me go
Catfish
The Hunger Games - Catching Fire

And I'd Like To Thank The Academy...

Happy 2013

I'm taking the easy way out with this, my very first blog post of the new year, and borrowing from my fellow blogger Laura.

Best lists are always so subjective.  They are just one person's opinion of what they enjoyed during the year.  They are also highly addictive and enjoyable and just another way that my endlessly long reading, watching and listening lists get even further out of hand.

Oh well you can never have too much to read....

So with that in mind here are my awards for 2012.

Enjoy!

What I liked about 2012

A friend pointed out to me that as a blogger it was expected that I do a 'Top 5 of 2012' blog post. I like the sound of this and it seems fairly straight forward so I thought I'd give it a try; really it's just an excuse for me to be opinionated. 

So here is my top 5 Albums, TV shows and books and my top 10 songs for 2012. They're in no particular order and some of them aren't even from 2012 but I discovered them this year so I think that counts. 

Songs  
It was so hard to only pick 5 songs so I cheated and picked 10. It was still tricky deciding but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. There's a lot of country music on this list but I think that just reflects what a great year it's been in country music. Also, I don't like dub-step or most of the stuff they play on the radio. 


Better Dig Two – The Band Perry
Southern Comfort Zone – Brad Paisley 
Kiss Me – Ed Sheeran
Treacherous – Taylor Swift
Who Am I Drinking Tonight – Eden’s Edge
Cruise – Florida Georgia Line
Pontoon – Little Big Town
Hell on Heels – Pistol Annies
Here I am Alive – Yellowcard
Bonfire - Childish Gambino

Albums  I picked this list by choosing the albums that I put in my car stereo and they stayed there for a long time. Seemed a fairly straight forward way to choose. 

+ - Ed Sheeran
Red - Taylor Swift
Hell on Heels - Pistol Annies
Camp - Childish Gambino
Edens Edge - Edens Edge

TV  
30 Rock will always be my favourite show so that was a no-brainer. Community and P and R too (I really like NBC comedy). I still don't understand American Football but I've loved watching FNL and as I re-watched all of Buffy this year (and it was awesome) so I couldn't leave that off of the list! 

30 Rock
Community
Parks and Recreation
Friday Night Lights
Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Books
TFIOS is hands down the best books of the year Oprah, Time Entertainment, The NY Times and I say so.Also,  I never realised how much I like dystopian novels until I compiled this list. 

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
Poison Study - Maria V Snyder
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
The Perks of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

So there it is the cliché blog post about my favourite things of the year. Hopefully you like some of this too and if you've never heard of some of it that's okay! Make sure you check it out. I promise I have excellent taste.

Merry Christmas.