Books
21 books total this year. 6 of those were books I hadn't read since before I started this blog, and decided to reread. Which leaves 15 others to consider. Ten of those were nonfiction, although the review for one of those doesn't go up until tomorrow. Broadly, three of the nine were science related, three were sports related, and the other four were historical, two of those focusing on Ernest Hemingway. Of the best in the three general categories, I'd lean towards Ankiel and Brown's The Phenomenon, Ackerman's The Genius of Birds, and Druett's Island of the Lost. The Phenomenon has an emotional punch to it, and Island of the Lost used existing accounts of the stranded crews, while knowing when to step in with a greater explanation of the challenges faced. That said, The Genius of Birds was my favorite of the bunch, given my interest in ornithology, and how Ackerman touches on the different kinds of intelligence, the difficulties in even trying to figure out how to test them and what the results actually mean.
As for least favorite, Hemingway and Gellhorn. It isn't badly written at all. I've just read enough other books on the topic I didn't feel I was gaining new insights into them, just more details to hang on what I already knew.
Fiction is a grand total of 5 books, unless I include the rereads of The Mediterranean Caper and the Odyssey series. None of those would qualify for best, although Mediterranean Caper might get worst for the attitudes towards women in there. Of the 5 new books, one was a collection of short stories by various authors intended as science fiction mysteries. As with all anthologies, it's a mixed bag. Four books then.
Best would have to come down to either Cormac McCarthy's The Road, or Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, and I'd lean towards the latter. They're written in extremely different styles, although there's a certain inevitability in both. The father in The Road has an end waiting, and the young shepherd in The Alchemist has one as well. There are other paths, but reading the books, you know where things are ultimately going to end. I'm picking The Alchemist at least in part because it was more hopeful, that the effort will pay off. I don't need a book to tell me I'm trudging towards my own death on a world that's slowly dying itself. On the other hand, a book reminding me that just because I choose one path now doesn't mean I can't double back later, or that path might interest with one of the others again down the line.
Worst by default is either Santiago or The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man. Lean towards the latter again. The reveal at the end of Santiago was obvious a ways off, but Resnick populates the book with some interesting characters, which makes for an enjoyable journey at least. The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man wasn't bad, but I came in part way through the series, which rarely helps, and didn't really grasp what kind of series it was at first. Once I understood it was going to be one of those alternate histories where all sorts of figures who were significant in our timeline keep popping up in this new one, I was less enthused.
Movies
I watched around 55 movies I hadn't watched previously this year. 55 I bothered to review, anyway. A lot of them were bad, the consequence of watching lots of cheap sci-fi/horror films on Netflix early in the year. Actually a surprising number of major movies, although most of those hadn't been in theaters for some time. Most of those were also poor-to-forgettable. So let's start with worst first.
Spectral has to be an Honorable Mention, for no other reason than I couldn't remember a single character's name while watching the movie. Captain of the Clouds was not one of Jimmy Cagney's better films, I'm guessing. Absolutely Anything had a few characters trying much too hard to be funny, and falling into irritating. And certain things between some of the characters resolved far too neatly. The Gallowswalkers ripped off all its best stuff from other, much better Westerns.
It comes down to The Presence versus In The Valley of Violence. Of all the movies I watched this year, those two were the most grating, and for the same reason. There came a point where the most obvious, sensible decision, that anyone with a bare minimum of intelligence (In the Valley of Violence) or compassion (The Presence) would decide to leave their current location. In both cases, the characters stay, because they're stupid beyond belief. Of the two films, In the Valley of Violence at least had some actors (Travolta, Ethan Hawke, Karen Gillan) I recognize, and while none of them are any guarantees of quality, I am going to hold their movie to a higher standard than some low-budget, found footage ghost film from Germany.
Best films is harder, because it's easier to criticize than praise, yes. But it's hard to think of a film I enjoyed unreservedly. Logan was pretty good, but dragged a bit in the middle with the farmer family (also the praise seemed out of proportion). Wonder Woman's ending felt entirely at odds with the rest of a very good film. The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun had some fun parts, I just exhausted myself sitting there trying to weigh different explanations for what was happening the entire time. And I'm not sure how it would hold up on a second viewing. I loved the parts of The Hunter with Defoe out in the woods, but everything that went on back at the cottage felt like a needless distraction. I knew how it was going to end, so it felt pointless. Assassination drags in the last 45 minutes, although it's real close.
I would probably narrow it down to Black Snow and Trollhunter. Black Snow isn't really an enjoyable film; it's extremely uncomfortable to watch at times. I'm far more likely to re-watch any of the movies I listed in the previous paragraph. But Black Snow knows what it's trying to do, and it doesn't waste time on any filler. It pares the cast down to what it needs, and gets to business, so it can build things towards a pair of revelations.
As for Trollhunter, I thought it did a really good job taking all the disparate legends and stories about trolls, and fitting them into a sort of framework, and examining what might go into the work of someone tasked with being a kind of game warden for them. Who that person would be, what their attitude is, what tools they use. How daunting a task it is, the things you learn as you go. They spent some time figuring out the worldbuilding, and then shot an interesting, entertaining, at times even funny, movie. I usually pick two favorites, so there they are.
Video Games
Another year of thin pickings at the video game category. Let's see, Super DragonBall Z on the PS2, and then Foul Play, Portal, I Am Alive, Lord of the Rings: War in the North, Skyrim, and Marvel Puzzle Quest on the XBox 360. Also, I loaned Shadow of Mordor by a friend and just finished it last weekend, although the post won't go up until Thursday. And I replayed Singularity and Catherine.
That's more games than I remembered, but I was burned out on Puzzle Quest by January, and finished Skyrim (or as much as I was going to finish) before Groundhog Day. Foul Play I played one weekend with a friend, then once solo months later. Not a strong crop of candidates.
If I include the replays, the Singularity would probably win best. I don't find myself as excited about games that are just running around killing. But on occasion, if the game does it with a certain style or cool toys like time manipulation, I still enjoy it.
Leaving out revisited games, Shadow of Mordor for best. I'll leave most of my thoughts for Thursdays post, but basically, I wanted to sneak around, slit Orc throats and strike terror into their hearts, and most of the time, the game let me do that. There were some fun abilities to be unlocked, and sometimes that's what I'm there for.
For worst, I found Foul Play unbearable in single player. Co-op was more fun, but I don't play co-op a lot, so that's of limited use. I Am Alive's story annoyed me, and the way some of the combat was structured wasn't great (giving you one less bullet than the number of enemies you were about to face). That said, I liked being able to wander through the town, climb buildings, explore rooms and rooftops. Having the map update itself as you found dead ends or bridges across chasms was a nice touch. That's what ultimately saves it and leaves Foul Play as the loser.
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