The Best of 2009

I know my "Best Of" series was popular last year, but I just didn't have as much time to get it together like I wanted to for 2009. Still, I can't just leave y'all hanging, so here's a "Best of Everything" list instead.

THE BEST MOVIE



While The Incredibles remains my favorite Disney/Pixar movie, Up almost nudged it out of the top spot on the strength of the first nine minutes of the movie. The montage of Carl and Ellie Fredrickson's life together had me laughing and crying and then laughing and crying even harder. The rest of the film is just as good, and if this movie doesn't win a Best Animation Oscar, then I will seriously be upset.

HONORBALE MENTION: Star Trek. Hello, Captain Kirk! ROWR. The story was tight, the action was exciting and J.J. Abrams has made it okay to be a public fan of Star Trek again.

THE BEST RECIPE

Once again The Pioneer Woman comes through with her Chicken Tikka Masala. Within a few days of this recipe going up on her website, I was diving into the world of Indian Cooking. Oh my! This recipe is SO GOOD, and it's like nothing our normal American palates have ever tasted. The recipe isn't hard or overly complicated, but there are a lot of steps involved. But I promise you it's totally worth it in the end! And the best part? This recipe can feed an Army and still have lots of leftovers, and it tastes even better the second day! Try it. You won't be sorry.

HONORABLE MENTION:PW's Steak Bites. It's a recipe which makes you say, "Why didn't *I* think of that??".

THE BEST WEBSITE

It's no lie when I say that my famiy spent thirty minutes looking at this website during my grandmother's 75th birthday party. Hysterical laughter ensued.

HONORABLE MENTION: Segullah

I've been inspired and uplifted by this blog so many times this year that I finally ordered a subscription to the magazine.

THE BEST SONG

"Breathe" by U2


The opening song of U2's 360* Tour was "Breathe" from their album No Line of the Horizon. It was the first song I ever heard U2 play live, so it most definitely has to be the best song of 2009.

HONORABLE MENTION:

"Starlight" by Muse


Love this song! Seeing Muse perform it live is even better.

THE BEST CHILDREN'S BOOK

A Couple of Boys Have The Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee


In all honesty, I laughed so hard at this book I just *might* have wet my pants a little. It has everything I love in a children's book- great illustrations, humor, good characters and most important of all, LAYERS. Kids will love it for one reason, and adults will love it for a whole 'nother reason. Most of all, I want Eamon and James to come and visit my house (even though I know I will be exhausted by the time they leave) and I want Bill and Pam to be *my* grandparents!!

HONORABLE MENTION

Hate That Cate by Sharon Creech


A sequel to my favorite children's book of 2005 Love That Dog. Creech continues with the same unusual (but 100% effective!!) storytelling style that was so charming and heart-wrenching in Love That Dog. It takes maybe 30 minutes to read this book aloud, which I think is the best way to read it for the first time.

THE BEST BOOK

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris


Honestly, this book right here is why I only read 98 new books this year. I re-read DaG at *least* ten times. What can I say? I'm a sucker for tall, blong former Viking Vampires! I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series Dead in the Family which will be released in May.

HONORABLE MENTION

Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom


Nordstrom was an editor for Harpers from the 1930's-1970's. She is considered a pioneer in the area of children's books. She edited many of the children's books we have come to regard as 'classics'. She worked with the likes of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garth Williams, E.B. White, Maurice Sendak, Margaret Wise Brown, Shel Silverstein, Clement Hurd- the list goes on and on.

This book is full of letters she wrote to various people within the publishing industry (authors, illustrators, librarians, other publishers, etc). She was brilliant and enormously funny. I loved seeing just how committed she was to her authors and illustrators. I know a collection of letters (especially hundreds of letters) sounds like it will be enormously dry and boring, but I'm telling you IT'S NOT. I borrowed this book from the local library, but I'm *seriously* considering purchasing a copy for my own personal use.

In my opinion, this book is an education for anyone who 1) wants to be involved in any way with the creation and distribution of quality children's books or 2) anyone who simply loves children's books

SO THAT'S IT!! My picks for 2009! On to 2010!

The Five Best Books of 2008

Hopefully you've enjoyed my "Best of" series, because I've had a lot of fun putting them together. I have a longer books post coming up later, but I wanted this to be seperate. These are the five best books I read in 2008.

1. Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon by Melissa Anelli


I realize that I've already written one gushing post about this book, so I'll just say again it's really, really good.

2. Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin


Excellent book. Fascinating. Not your typical memoir. It's deep and insightful and witty, but not laugh-out-loud funny- it doesn't need to be. It really shows just what a craftsman Steve Martin is. And he is hella smart. It should be mandatory reading for every stand-up comedian, wanna be or otherwise. I've read a lot of book abouts comedy and about comedians, and this is the best of the best.

The only criticism I have is that there isn't a lot of reflection/behind-the-scenes action from SNL or his later movie career. But I also understand that *that* isn't what this book is about. This book is about what got him to that point.

3. Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run by Alton Brown


Let me get this out of the way first- I love Alton Brown. I find him strangely attractive. I like his spiky hair and his round, tortiseshell glasses. I adore his sense of humor and I love that he isn't afraid to be smart. AND HE COOKS! *sigh*

This is a companion book to the second Food Network series of the same name. If you watched the series (as I did), you won't necessarily learn anything new, although the book contains 40 recipes gathered from the road trip. The photography is beautiful, and Alton makes good use of his writing skills honed from years of working in television and films. (Did you know he writes all the scripts for his TV show Good Eats??) I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book.

However, what makes this book so valubale to me is the index in the back of the book that lists the name, address, telephone number, website and GPS coordinate of every place they ate along the way! I can't tell you how many times I've watched a food/travel show on PBS or the Food Network, wanted to visit a featured place, and then could never remember exactly where it was. Alton also gives a list of suppliers for many of the specialty food and spices needed to make the local grub in your own home.

Now, if Alton would only come out with a companion book to the FIRST Feasting on Asphalt series...

4. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris


I've only included the first book of Harris' Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse series, but really this vote is for the series overall. These books are certainly not everyone's cup of tea (I still maintain I am not really a fan of vampire books!), but I'm surprised at how much fun these books are. Yeah, there's angst and strife, but there's also humor and fun. It took me about a week to get through the first eight books, and I'm eagerly awaiting the release of #9 in the fall.

5. U2: At the End of the World by Bill Flanagan


U2 is my most favorite musical group of all time. This is an excellent look at the world's biggest rock band. It's incredibly fascinating- the author travelled with U2 on their Zooropa Tour, which lasted two years. You don't get any closer than that. It's *almost* as good as going on tour yourself!

Honorable Mention
6. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling


It's J.K. Rowling, y'all. Of course it's going to be good!

The Five Best YA Books of 2008

I think, in general, that YA (Teen/Young Adult) books get a bad rap. There's a wealth of excellent books that fall into the YA genre that never get read simply because adults automatically assume that they won't be interesting, thought-provoking, etc. Not true! And don't assume that just because you are however many years past the target audience that you won't enjoy a book from this genre. Here are five of the best YA books I read this year.

1. The Dairy Queen



I liked this book a lot. I found myself really empathizing with the title character, a tomboy named DJ who does that lion's share of the work on her family's barely-making-it dairy farm after her father injures himself one day. The author managed to give DJ a unique voice that didn't feel contrived or convoluted- DJ felt real. The sequel wasn't as strong, but you'll definitely want to read it to know what happens after the events in The Dairy Queen. The author is planning a third book, and I have high hopes for it.

2. Coraline (Graphic Novel version



Neil Gaiman is an extremely popular author of many Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels aimed at adults. Coraline is aimed at the YA market. You can also find this book in regular novel format, but I read the graphic nvoel version, which means it's laid out like a comic book, with pictures in addition to the text.

I can't say I honestly *enjoyed* this book, but that's not because it isn't a great book, which it is. First of all, the graphic novel format isn't really my cup of tea, but it's gaining in popularity (as evidenced by the fact that Gaiman republished Coralin in that format after he had already published the novel.)

Second of all, this book is really creepy. Not scary, because I DO NOT do horror, but creepy. But creepy in a good way. The illustrations really add to the creepiness. Knowing my girls like I do, I know they would *love* this book. But I don't think they are quite ready for it yet, hence me putting in my YA review as opposed to my children's review.

I loved the heroine, a girl of ten or twelve. When Coraline gets trapped in another world with her "other" parents, she doesn't wait for someone to come and save her.
She figures out what she needs to do and does it, even if it isn't pleasant or pretty. This books has been amde into a movie, whcih is being released in February 2009. I haven't decided if I am going to see it yet, but I look forward to (at minimum) revisiting it in a few years when the girls are older.

3. Forever Rose



This is the final book in a series I first read a few years ago. While you don't have to read the first four books to understand what is happening in this book, you really shouldn't miss out on any of the craziness that surrounds the Casson Family who live in the Banana House.

4. Just Listen



The more Sarah Dessen books I read, the more I like her writing. This is the second book by this author that I've read. Some might say that her writing is a little too "After School Special", but she writes about issues in a way that doesn't come across as preachy, and I appreciate that. Her characters are very real, and so are their lives.

5. The Truth About Forever



My favorite Saran Dessen book. I really loved this book. I'm pretty sure I got teary-eyed a few times. The heroine, Macy Queen, is dealing with the aftermath of her father's sudden death. This book just felt so real, like I knew the characters. Just wonderful. My favorite YA book of the year.

Honorable Mention

Breaking Dawn



I had to think really hard if I wanted to include this book in a "Best of" series, but when it comes down to it, it does. The book is certainly not perfect, not by any means. It has its flaws, and there are a few plot choices that Stephenie Meyer made that I don't agree with. But when all is said and done, she is an incredible world builder, and this book is the culmination of a lot of hardwork put into action because of a once-in-a-lifetime (multi)million dollar idea. And it's easy for people (and other authors) to sit back and say "I could do that!" but the fact of the matter is that no one else did.

The Five Best Recipes of 2008

There was a time when I was all about trying out new recipes on a regular basis. Nowadays, when I get into the kitchen I just want to get it done as quickily as possible. Which is sad, really, if you think about it. I do enjoy cooking, but if one has to choose between surfing the net or puttering around the kitchen, these days I'd probably choose to surf the net.

However, here are five recipes I fully embraced during 2008, and you should too.

1. The Pioneer Woman's Asian Noodle Salad

OH.MY.GOODNESS.
This salad is PERFECTION ON A PLATE. I've probably made it twenty times since she put it up on her website back in March. It's that good. I took it to our family reunion (which is always heavy on delicious southern cuisine and not new-fangled furren food) and every single bite of it was eaten. It's that good. PW adapted it from a Jamie Oliver recipe, and I've made both versions, and I think I prefer PW's.

2. Black Bean Soup
I found this recipe in a USA Today Sunday paper insert. It's quick, it's easy and it's good for you.

2 cans Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 C Chicken or Veggie Broth
1 C Salsa Verde
1 garlic clove
1 bunch of Cilantro (washed)
1 tsp Cumin


Directions:
Throw all the ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth. (For a thicker soup, add more beans. For a thinner soup, add more broth.) Pour into a saucepan and heat it up. That's it! You can top with sour cream, but we usually don't.

3. Nigella's Porkchops

When I asked the girls what they wanted to eat for Christmas dinner, this is what they said they wanted to eat. Porkchop perfection.

4. Nigella's Instant Pancake Mix

This is now my go-to pancake mix. SUper simple, and they make the best pancakes I've ever tasted.

5. Ina's Green Beans

This is about the only way we'll eat green beans these days. It's not exactly low calorie, but who cares? You're eating your veggies! ;D

Honorable Mention
Nigella's Sesame Peanut Noodles.

I liked this recipe, but no one else really did. However, it's get honorable mention because it's the recipe that introduced us to Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, the world's most perfect condiment. It's a little sweet and a little spicy. I find I am adding it to so many different things! Sloppy Joes, Meatballs, meatloaf, fried rice, salad vinegarettes- you name it! James and I have started using it straight up as a dipping sauce for chicken nuggets, shrimp, french fries, etc. The best thing is that it's super cheap and readily available. You can find it in the Asian section of the grocery store for abour $2 for a 64 oz bottle.

The Five Best Children's Books of 2008

The girls and I head to the library at least once a week, if not more. It's not unusual for my library bag to have at least ten or more children's books in it. Some of them are for preschool specifically, but more often than not they're in there just because I like reading children's books! ;) I make a point of seeking out the Newberry and Caldcott Medal winners every year, because most of the time they are gems waiting to be discovered.


1. The Penderwicks and The Penderwicks on Gardam Street





Let me tell you how much love I have for these books: You know how you get those "Desert Island" questions?? I would take these books to the desert island with me- that's how much I love this series. And yes, strictly speaking, this isn't just one book. But I read them both this year (the first book came out in 2005, and the second one was released this past May), and the author plans on releasing a total of five Penderwick books.

The four Penderwick sisters live with their widowed (widowered??) father and their dog, Hound. The first books take place over three weeks at Arundell, a summer cottage the family has rented. The second book takes place back at their home, over the course of a year. The books have a timeless feeling, even though they take place in the modern day. The four sisters all have very distinct personalities, and you can't help but wish you knew them in real life.

I read both of the books aloud to the girls, and we all cried when they were over. I don't know of a better recommendation than that.

2. Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children About Their Art



I'm of the belief that every children's book doesn't need illustrations, but if it's going to have them, they better be DARN GOOD illustrations. This book is just what it says; 23 major illustrators talking to children about their art. They talk about their lives and their influences, and each illustrators included sketches and drawings from their "early" days. I was amazed to see how many of them didn;t have any formal training- just a burning desire to make beautiful artwork.

3. Scaredy Squirrel



I discovered this book when I was volunterring at the Book Fair at the girls' school. I laughed so hard that I almost fell out of my chair. Scaredy Squirrel tells us his story as a cautionary tale (he NEVER leaves his tree because he might encounter tarantulas, martians, germs or killer bees, and he ALWAYS has his First-Aid kit with him) but it's full of sly, subversive, tongue-in-cheek references that make it a delight for adults to read too.

4. King George: What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Textbooks Didn't Tell You About the American Revolution



Hands down, this is the best -and funniest!- book about the American Revolution I have ever read. It's aimed at kids, but it never talks down to them. You would be hard pressed to find an adult who doesn't learn something from this book. The writing is simple, clear and concise.

The author is a text book writer who got tired of having to leave all the funny and really interesting historical bits out of the text books, so he decided to write a book with all those bits left in!

I love the way this book is organized- key players and events are highlighted systematically (That sounds very dry, but trust me, it's not). There are quotes galore, from people you've definitely heard of, to people you never knew existed. He even has a section called "What ever happened to...?" at the end. And like any good text book writer, the source notes go on for pages.

5. Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon



This is book which reads like a documentary. That sounds terribly dry, but it's not. This books *excellent*. I love reading about this history of the space program, and this is a wonderful look at what went in to making the Apollo 11 Moon landing possible AND successful. The pictures are amazing, and there are interviews with people involved in every facet of the space progrma. From the astronauts themselves down to the people who decided what the austronauts would eat, everything you could possibly want to know it covered. And if the author *did* miss something, there is a huge reference section listing other books you could read.


Honorable Mention

Rapunzel's Revenge



This is a fresh take on the story of Rapunzel- from a wild west point of view. The author's made a bold choice to go with a graphic novel format, which will appeal to boys who might otherwise shy away from the traditional "girl" story.

Five Websites You Should Be Reading

I spend a lot of time online, and I make no apologies for it. It's how I get the news, stay in touch with my friends and family, discover the latest and greatest songs/books/movies/whatever. As a result, I have a nice little collection of bookmarked sites and blogs on a variety of topics. Here's five I think you should be reading.

1. The Pioneer Woman

To know the Pioneer Woman is to love her. I found Ree and her crew back in early 2007, not long after she had started her site. Since then it has grown and GROWN. Ree's husband is a thrid generation rancher, and she was raised in the big city. Her stories are hilarious, and her giveaways are legendary. (Just the other day she gave away FOUR Kitchen Aid stand mixers. Seriously.)

Even if you aren't interested in her main site (although why you wouldn't be in beyond me) her cooking and photography areas are worth the regular visit. The recipes she posts (complete with pictures, detailed instruction and witty commentary) are amazing. I don't think I've ever made anything of hers that wasn't a hit.

2. Pop Candy

Pop Candy is a pop culture blog written by USA Today's Whitney Matheson. The site is updated several times a day, although I love her "Morning Round-Up" posts. She covers everything- music, movies, TV, books, concerts, comic books, people- you name it. Whitney doesn't deal in celebrity gossip, though, which is what makes it so different and so much better than many of the pop culture blogs out there.

On Fridays she hosts a "Mailbag" section where people can email in there pop related questions. Want to know why "Designing Women" isn't out on DVD yet? Whitney will find out! Want to know what The Captain and Tenille are up to these days? Just ask Whitney. It's a cool site, and I'm always sad when Whitney goes on vacation and doesn't post.

3. By Common Consent

I came across BCC sometime last year, and I've been a daily reader ever since. It's a blog obvisouly aimed at members of the LDS Church, but there are plenty of non-members who post there, too. There's a good mix of serious, thought-provoking essays (like this one or this one) to the ridiculously sublime (like this one). I don't always agree with what they say, but they always make me think, which is a very good thing.

4. IKEA Hacker

It's a well-known fact that I worship at the alter of IKEA. (And really, who doesn't? IKEA is the second happiest place on Earth.) I love this website because it is full of creative ideas for customzing and/or personalizing all of that pressed particle board. Actually, it's an inspiring website for those of us trying to decorate our homes on a budget, get a little more organzined, make better use of the space we have, etc. Believe me, some of the post make me wail and gnash my teeth that I don't live closer to IKEA, because my house would just be SO COOL if I did! Right now, I am absolutely in love with this hack. How cool is that?? *sigh*

5. Ken Jennings

If you're going to read the blog/website of a (semi) well-known person, shouldn't you at least learn something AND be entertained?? Of course you should!

Honorable Mention:

Hulu
Do you know about Hulu.com yet? If not, you should! You can watch tens of thousands of TV clips/shows AND movies, all for free, with limited advertising and NO commercial interruption! And it's not just current shows- there are past favorites too. Definitely worth checking out.

Top Five Songs of 2008

I think most people use music as a touchpoint in their lives. It really can't be helped. These are the Best Songs I Heard in 2008. (Note: not all of them were released in 2008, they were just songs that I really, really liked this year.)

1. "Elevator Love Letter" - Stars

Oh, do I love this song! I love both of the singer's voices, but especially the female part. There's a longing in this song that just makes me say "GUH!".


2. "A-Punk" - Vampire Weekend

When I worked at Gymboree back in the day, we had a couple of children's videos that played on a TV in the back of the store. The first few times the songs were catchy and fun, but after listening to them on a continual loop for eight hours you felt slightly homicidal. James says that Vampire Weekend is 'Gymboree music'. I TOTALLY DISAGREE! How can you not love a pop song that has a flute and cello solo in the middle of it??!!?!? *AND* the lead singer's name is Ezra. EZRA. I rest my case.


3. Over and Over Again (Lost and Found) - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

I have a thing for synthesizer piano riffs. And I think the singer's voice is very unique. And they probably have the best band name since ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (except more cheerful-like).



4. "My Only Offer - Mates of State

The best married duo since The Captain and Tenille.


5. 1 2 3 4 - Feist

Okay, this song is definitely from 2007, but I just love it so much. It's got a banjo playing rhythm and and it has trombone and trumpet solos!!You should listen to this song when you're having a bad day. It'll make you feel better.


Honorable Mention:

Pork and Beans - Weezer

Weezer always manages to come up with the catchiest songs. And I love Rivers Cuomo. If I ever have a son his name will *definitely* be Rivers Cuomo Sauls. Look how he rocks the 'stache! This video is hilarious because it features so many YouTube "stars". It's very meta. Oh, Weezer! You're so clever.

Oh, the things I have in store for YOU!!

I like yearly retrospectives, don't you?? I like the "Best of..." lists that every blog, website, newspaper, magazine and TV show feel the need to put out every year around this time. I always read them, even though I usually disagree with them.

With that thought in mnd, I've put together a few "Best of" posts that will go up before the end of the year. Just a few things I think you should know about, be aware of, try for yourself. I'm such a giver, aren't I?? So don't let the holiday gloom get you down! Look forward to reading my opinions!

And with that in mind, I'm off to finish making these divine cinnamon rolls. WIsh you were here to help us eat them! :P