I wanted to make a new blog post today… but then I fell asleep.
So I promise there will be a new post soon, it’s probably going to be about my favorite typefaces.
I recently read Ask the Dust by John Fante, and I absolutely loved it.
Ask the Dust is a 1939 novel by Italian-American author John Fante set in depression-era California. It is one of a series of novels based around the character Arturo Bandini, a struggling young Italian-American writer from Boulder, Colorado living in Los Angeles who falls for a young, unstable Mexican waitress.
I had actually seen the film version before I read this, but I was happy to see that they only changed a few things in the movie.
John Fante’s style of writing is very unique, and it was like you were reading Bandini’s thoughts, rather than the narrative. Bandini’s struggle to become a writer feels very real, and after learning that the character was based heavily on Fante himself, it made it all the more interesting to read.
Here’s a quote I thought was beautifully written:
You’ll eat hamburgers year after year and live in dusty, vermin-infested apartments and hotels, but every morning you’ll see the mighty sun, the eternal blue of the sky, and the streets will be full of sleek women you’ll never possess, and the hot semi-tropical nights will reek of romance you’ll never have, but you’ll be in paradise, boys, in the land of sunshine.
My favorite character is Vera Rivkin, because I feel that her character had more personality than Camilla. She was so desperately lonely, that it was heartbreaking to read. She was so smart, but her loneliness caused her to do things that made her look slightly crazy. Bandini does go visit her in Long Beach and that showed that he really did care about her, if only for a fleeting moment.
If you’re interested in writing or the 1930s or even if you just want to read a good book, then I would definitely recommend this one. It’s a quick read, and it’s thoroughly interesting.
I know it’s another list… but I can’t help it, I’m a list-maker.
A lot of times I see shows that I’d love to watch but I really don’t have time for, so I started a list and once I finished I realized that I have no life have way too many shows I’d like to watch. And really, who could possibly find the time to watch them all?? But it was fun making this list to see.
These are not in any kind of order, just the order that I found them in.
I’ll start with shows I’ve started watching but never finished/caught up with.
01. Prison Break: I stopped watching this around the middle of the second season, but recently it’s sort of sparked my interest again and I miss it.
02. Grey’s Anatomy: I left off at the season 4 finale, so I’m not too far behind on this show but I’d like to catch up.
03. Arrested Development: I only got as far as the middle of season one, but wow this show is hilarious.
04. The Mighty Boosh: I’m not entirely sure how many episodes I’ve seen of this, I believe it’s about 6 or 7. It’s funny but I can’t seem to get hooked on it.
05. Bones: I only saw part of the first episode, and for some reason I never finished it.
06. Robin Hood: I sort of lost interest in the middle of season 2, but it’s a fun show.
07. Scrubs: I don’t remember where exactly I am, but I love this show… and I really need to catch up.
08. E.R.: I don’t really intend to actually catch up on this show, since there’s so many seasons, but for awhile I watched it every time it aired.
09. Kyle XY: I saw the first season of this, and never got around to continuing.
10. The Tudors: I only saw a couple episodes of this, but it was really good.
And now for the shows I have never seen.
11. Damages: I keep seeing commercials for this show, and it looks so intense and interesting.
12. How I Met Your Mother: Jason Segel is in this and that’s really the only reason I want to watch it.
13. Deadwood: This looks like one of those shows that kind of sucks you into a whole other time.
14. Dexter: It’s such a crazy concept for a show, I want to check it out just to see how it could work.
15. Flight of the Conchords: I’ve heard from so many people that this show is hilarious.
16. Ashes To Ashes: It’s the Life On Mars spinoff, which makes me want to watch it.
17. Mad Men: It’s been nominated/won so many awards I feel the need to give it a try.
18. Samantha Who?: I like Christina Applegate a lot, and this show looks interesting.
19. Six Feet Under: Another show that people have told me to watch.
20. Ugly Betty: I’ve actually seen bits and pieces of this show, and it was pretty funny.
21. Wonderfalls: From the creator of Dead Like Me and Pushing Daisies! He creates such quirky shows, I want to see what he’s done with this one.
22. The Sarah Jane Adventures: I’m obsessed with Doctor Who and it’s other spinoff Torchwood which makes this spinoff sort of a given for me to want to watch.
23. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Summer Glau is in this, and I loved her in Firefly.
24. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia: My sister keeps telling me to watch this.
25. Sanctuary: It looks like kind of a cheesy sci-fi show, and I love those!
I know you’re probably really sick of all the lists/’top 10’s’ of the year, but this is one I’ve been contributing to the entire year so I couldn’t just not post it.
Instead of setting a ‘goal’ for myself of a certain amount (I never end up reaching the amount I planned and then it just disappoints me), this time I decided to just list and rate the movies I watch and the books I read in 2008.
These are all movies and books I have never watched/read before.
All ratings are out of five stars.
= Loved it.
= Great.
= Good.
= Ok.
= Bad.
Movies Watched In 2008
01. The Shadow In The North -
02. The Bucket List -
03. Across The Universe -
04. Death at a Funeral -
05. My Neighbor Totoro -
06. No Country For Old Men -
07. A Clockwork Orange -
08. Cars -
09. Blade Runner -
10. Lost In Translation -
11. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest -
12. The Science Of Sleep -
13. Knocked Up -
14. Star Wars IV: A New Hope -
15. Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back -
16. Star Wars VI: Return Of The Jedi -
17. I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With -
18. Bella -
19. La Vie en Rose -
20. Margot At The Wedding -
21. Lars and the Real Girl -
22. Eastern Promises -
23. Charlie Bartlett -
24. Run, Fatboy, Run -
25. Four Eyed Monsters -
26. Stop-Loss -
27. The Émigré: Everything is Different -
28. And When Did You Last See Your Father? -
29. Enchanted -
30. Futurama: Bender’s Big Score -
31. Thelma & Louise -
32. Steel Magnolias -
33. Fired! -
34. The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy -
35. Martian Child -
36. Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End -
37. Son Of Rambow -
38. Baby Mama -
39. Waking Life -
40. The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian -
41. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull -
42. 27 Dresses -
43. Once -
44. WarGames -
45. Sex and the City -
46. The Strangers -
47. The Seven Year Itch -
48. The Orphanage -
49. Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs -
50. Jeux d’enfants (Love Me If You Dare) -
51. Breakfast At Tiffany’s -
52. National Treasure: Book Of Secrets -
53. A Good Year -
54. A Very Long Engagement -
55. WALL·E -
56. The Spiderwick Chronicles -
57. Hancock -
58. Paris, je t’aime -
59. Conversations With Other Women -
60. Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit -
61. Flushed Away -
62. Get Smart -
63. Sixty Six -
64. Corpse Bride -
65. Smart People -
66. Batman Begins -
67. Easter Parade -
68. The Fifth Element -
69. Ice Age: The Meltdown -
70. Sideways -
71. The Big Lebowski -
72. Mamma Mia! -
73. Pineapple Express -
74. Wanted -
75. Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day -
76. Nim’s Island -
77. Surf’s Up -
78. Failure To Launch -
79. The Perfect Man -
80. Moulin Rouge! -
81. The Go-Getter -
82. All The Real Girls -
83. Flakes -
84. The Jane Austen Book Club -
85. The Devil Wears Prada -
86. Dan In Real Life -
87. Kinky Boots -
88. Zodiac -
89. Sense and Sensibility -
90. The Midnight Meat Train -
91. 28 Days Later -
92. Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical -
93. Forgetting Sarah Marshall -
94. Journey to the Center of the Earth -
95. Burn After Reading -
96. Mister Lonely -
97. Bolt -
98. An American Crime -
99. A Mighty Heart -
100. Blood Diamond -
101. December Boys -
102. Secrets of an Undercover Wife -
103. The Savages -
104. We Own The Night -
105. Beowulf -
106. Gran Torino -
107. The Fall -
Books Read In 2008
01. Doctor Who: The Clockwise Man by Justin Richards -
02. Doctor Who: Winner Takes All by Jacqueline Rayner -
03. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen -
04. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer -
05. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer -
06. Wicked by Gregory Maguire -
07. About A Boy by Nick Hornby -
08. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie -
09. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger -
10. Futurama-O-Rama by Matt Groening -
11. Under the Jolly Roger: Being an Account of the Further Nautical Adventures of Jacky Faber by L.A. Meyer -
12. Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling -
These are all alphabetical because I couldn’t put them in any kind of actual order.
This year I kept track of all the films I watched for the first time, and these are all ones I rated with a 4 or 5.
This film seriously terrified me, because I looked up things about the real crime and it was very scary. I don’t believe I slept very much that night. But the film itself is very well done, all the performances are amazing, Ellen Page especially.
Oh this one made me cry. It’s such a touching story, it’s one of those films where when it’s over you need some time to kind of compose yourself again. Everyone should see this movie.
Ah this was hilarious, serious, and engaging all at the same time. So many great actors are in this film, you really can’t go wrong with that.
Aw, I love Jason Segel so much. This movie is so funny, and lots of actors I love are in it so that makes it even better.
I think this movie is completely underrated. It really didn’t get the respect it deserved, but I love it. It’s so hilarious, and Steve Carell never fails to make me laugh.
This is a film not many people have heard of, but it’s so quirky. I think it’s really meaningful too, and you know.. Sarah Silverman is my favorite.
Oh man, this is one fantastic movie. It’s now my favorite movie of all time. It’s so easy to watch and get into, the performances are great and the story is so crazy. I love every second of it.
For a re-telling of a singers life this film is not only spot on, but Marion Cotillard’s performance is so amazing that you completely believe she is Edith Piaf. Marion won an Academy Award for her performance, and she definitely deserved it.
I couldn’t believe I had waited so long to see this movie. It’s sad, but somewhat happy at the same time… I don’t know, it was great. And what does he whisper to her at the end?! Ahhh.
Aw, this film made me so happy. Pretty people in this one, and the story is so cute and hopeful.
Again, another movie I wondered why I waited so long to see. So horribly sad, but the inbetween is fun. The songs are all very catchy and original, and the locations are extremely pretty.
I finally joined the Star Wars club this year, and this one is my favorite. I don’t know what else to say, it’s a classic!
I thought this one was better than the first, it delved deeper into the world of Narnia and there were more characters and it was just really fun to watch.
I love movies like this, so extremely surreal but completely jaw dropping. Every scene of this movie is so beautiful, and the story is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.
This is a really cool indie movie, and ‘road trip’ films are always interesting to me to watch.
Oh I love this movie. I’ve even named my iPod Touch after Trillian. Haha. The story is so weird, and great, and exciting, and epic.
I’m not easily scared by movies, but there are a few that really freak me out and this is one of them. It involves creepy children and an old house. I think that’s all you need.
Ahh, this movie scared me so much. SO MUCH. It’s like everyone’s worst nightmare coming true.
Awww, this is such a cute movie. It’s definitely not just for kids, because Pixar always makes films that appeal to a wide range of audiences. And of course it’s Pixar so it’s a great film.
So much action and craziness in this movie. Great actors, and it’s one of those movies you can watch lots of times and still think it’s as awesome as the first time.
What were your favorite films you watched this year?
I did this last year on my LiveJournal and I decided to do it again here. These are my favorite albums of 2008, but not necessarily released in 2008.
10. Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
Favorite songs: Carpetbaggers, The Next Messiah, Jack Killed Mom, Acid Tongue
I’m a big fan of the first Jenny Lewis (with the Watson Twins) album, and this album definitely builds on the first.
9. KT Tunstall - Eye To The Telescope
Favorite songs: Other Side of the World, Suddenly I See, Universe & U, Silent Sea
I hadn’t really listened to KT Tunstall before this year, but I’m really glad I did because this album is such a great one.
8. Gorillaz - Demon Days
Favorite songs: O Green World, Dare, Feel Good Inc., Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head
Again, another band I wasn’t completely into until this year, but their songs are so crazy and they make me happy.
7. Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War
Favorite songs: Take Me to the Riot, The Night Starts Here, Today Will Be Better I Swear!, Window Bird
This album puts me in such a good mood, it shows the power of music. The mix of male and female voices makes this album amazing to me.
6. The Wombats - The Wombats Proudly Present: A Guide to Love, Loss, and Desperation
Favorite songs: Little Miss Pipedream, Let’s Dance to Joy Division, Kill The Director, Here Comes The Anxiety
This is a band that I just happened to stumble upon, and now they’re one of my favorite bands ever.
5. She & Him - Volume One
Favorite songs: Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?, I Thought I Saw Your Face Today, Sentimental Heart, I Was Made For You
They have such a unique sound, it’s like a mix of 50s music and a modern sound. Somehow it works fantastically.
4. Rilo Kiley - Take Offs and Landings
Favorite songs: Pictures of Success, Plane Crash in C, Don’t Deconstruct, Science vs. Romance
I listened to lots and lots of Rilo Kiley this year, but their older albums are my favorite and this one inspired a few creative designs for me.
3. Smith & Pyle - It’s OK To Be Happy
Favorite songs: Spankin’, Slippery Hips, Flower In My Hair, I Like You Too Much
My iTunes is probably worn out from playing this album on repeat for so long. This whole album gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling and it makes me so happy.
2. Tegan and Sara - The Con
Favorite songs: The Con, Back In Your Head, Floorplan, Burn Your Life Down
Not only are their albums absolutely amazing, Tegan and Sara are so hilarious also. I only recently discovered them, but I know they’re going to be one of my favorites for a long time.
1. Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
Favorite songs: Strawberry Swing, Viva La Vida, Death and All His Friends, Lost!
This one is pretty much a given. Definitely one of Coldplay’s best albums ever. The only word I can describe it with would be ‘epic’.
What are your favorite albums of 2008? Or what were some albums you were into? Leave me a comment!
Animal Crossing
I’ve been into both the original Gamecube version and Wild World lately. I absolutely love these games. They’re just so fun, and they’re one of the few games that I really could play all day and never be bored.
If you have no clue as to what exactly Animal Crossing is, here’s a description:
Players begin the game by setting out to live life on their own in a colorful town, where they are greeted by a seemingly endless supply of things to do and characters to meet.
Time passes in Animal Crossing in real-time, as the month, day, season, and time of day matches that of the player’s. Holiday seasons come and go in Animal Crossing, just as they would in the real world. Experience the freedom to fish, decorate your house, go bug catching, garden, write letters, and even play original Nintendo NES games in this imaginative, and addictive game.
Animal Crossing: Wild World is the Nintendo DS version of the original game, except there are a few changes and you can visit other towns through Wifi.
If you’d like to visit my town sometime you can add me to your friends roster.
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
This is definitely one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s very well written, and so brilliant.
It is an unconventional love story that centers on a man with a strange genetic disorder that causes him to unpredictably time-travel, and his wife, an artist who has to cope with his frequent absences and dangerous experiences.
There’s also going to be a movie coming out in 2009 for this book starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana. But you should read the book before you see the movie!
You can buy the book here on Amazon.com.
Battlestar Galactica
I started watching this awhile ago, and I get into these phases where I’m particularly addicted to it. I’m only on episode 17 of season 2 right now, but I’m trying to get caught up by the time the rest of season 4 airs.
This show is very thrilling, and every episode is like a mini-movie. I love it.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope your holiday is filled with lots of food and family. 
This little guy is very festive with his turkey costume, and he wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving as well!
Coldplay released a new EP yesterday, called Prospekt’s March. The EP includes 5 brand new songs, a special guest appearance from Jay Z on the new version of Lost+, plus a vocal version of Life in Technicolor II and alternative mix of Lovers in Japan.
The track listing is as follows;
1. Life In Technicolor II
2. Postcards From Far Away
3. Glass Of Water
4. Rainy Day
5. Prospekt’s March/Poppyfields
6. Lost+
7. Lovers In Japan (Osaka Sun Mix)
8. Now My Feet and Won’t Touch The Ground
I think this EP is a nice followup to Viva La Vida, and it’s definitely at the same high quality level.
My favorite songs so far are Glass Of Water because it has an amazing buildup, and Life In Technicolor II because I really love the original and I think what they added to this one makes it so much better.
You can buy Prospekt’s March EP on iTunes.
I went to a screening of Bolt yesterday and I have to say that overall, I was very impressed with the film.
The basic premise is centered around a dog named Bolt, who is the star of a hit television show. He is separated from his owner Penny by accident and in the majority of the film Bolt is traveling across the country trying to get back to her.
The characters are what make this film great. Besides Bolt, the film also starred a hamster named Rhino and a cat named Mittens. Rhino is a super fan of Bolt, and wants to go on big adventures like Bolt does in his TV show. Mittens is a stray cat, who once had a family and doesn’t know who Bolt is, even though he thinks she took him away from Penny. There are three pigeons who give a nice comedy touch to the film. They keep trying to figure out where they’ve seen Bolt before, in times when it’s especially obvious (a bus with Bolt’s picture on it is behind him, and at one point they’re even sitting on a huge poster of him).
I saw this in 3-D and if you have the choice of seeing it in 3-D, I would definitely recommend you spend a few extra dollars because it really enhances the experience of the movie. Also, the 3-D effects weren’t overdone which was something I liked. It’s hard to explain but instead of having things ‘pop out’ at you, it was more like the entire film just looked extremely realistic.
Bolt is in theatres now, be sure to go see it!