Best of 2008

It is that time of year when everyone likes to list off their favorites for others to admire and make fun of. I like looking at others so I will throw something out there to be criticized as well:


Favorite Albums of 2008

Ra Ra Riot - Rhumb tree

Santogold - Santogold

Coldplay - Viva La Vida

It was a good year for music for me and the three albums above I really really like. Dying is Fine by Ra Ra Riot is probably the most listened to song for me this year. I found it on a KCRW podcast and for some reason I just gravitated towards it. Finn and I have had a number of living room dance parties to the Santogold album and it got me listening to more R&B. As for Cold Play that is just good times that album. It isn't groundbreaking or new but it is great to listen to and a look at Last.fm on my account shows that I listened to that album more then any other. I really like the new Counting Crows cd and just this last couple of weeks I have been listening to Bon Iver thanks to Ben and Jen. Good call guys.

Books:

I don't really get to read books that come out this year because I usually get them second hand or check them out and there just isn't that great availability for the new stuff. I will list the top three books that I read this year instead of the top three books that came out this year.

Fiction

The Amazing Adventures of Kaviler and Clay - Michael Chabon

The Brother K - David James Duncan

A Million Pieces - James Frey

The top two books were recommendations from John and Matt and so far they have a great track record for books. Both recommended The Road last year and that book is by far the most impactful book I have read. I enjoyed Brothers for the story telling as well as the proximity to where I grew up. While I wasn't ever into comic books the Chabon book made that world come alive and made me want to read comics.

Non-Fiction

Simply Christian - N.T. Wright

Last Season - Phil Jackson

The Struggle for Iran - Christopher De Beguille

An eclectic group of books there but probably captures me pretty well. Faith, basketball, and Culture. It was hard to read about the snake bit Lakers season but really great as well. The N. T. Wright book is simple and profound, laying out what it means when we say Christian in a way reminiscent of C. S. Lewis. The struggle for Iran was an interesting look at a country that I hear about all the time but know little about. The book focused on the transition between a secular Iran into a Religious state.

I don't have any movies that I can think of right now so I will bring this post to an end. Please respond with any of your favorites or give me the link to your own lists.