Popmatic Podcast December 2012: The Year’s Most Awesome
Best of the year show! Ours’ is superior in that you get our favorites from the library. Because we are human, we mention some things we absorbed in 2012 but were not necessarily released in 2012. We end with a teary-eyed look back at the year that was in Popmatic Podcast land. Are those tears of laughter or tears of rage?
Of all the events happening at the library in December, the one that gets us most excited is Amanda’s holiday concert featuring herself and her students.
Awesome Books
You’re Already Amazing by Holley Gerth
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Ghost Wave by Chris Dixon
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Awesome Movies & TV
Awesome Music
Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars
Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming by M83
R.A.P. Music by Killer Mike
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Podcasts
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Amanda, Bill, Bryan, Crystal, Fiction, hip hop, Movies, Music, nonfction, science.fiction, SF, TV
Themocracy
Wild, Ghost Wave (saw it a while ago – made a mental note to read)and Gone Girl are all to be read. Naturally, I’m behind in reading the current best books of the year.
I’d say Nightwoods by Charles Frazier and Left Neglected by Lisa Genova were some recent favorites. Also a highlight was Dennis LeHane’s appearance at Salon 615. I did like Live by Night – listened to it – would have liked it more had it ended after the dramatic boat scene, as the ending coda seemed a bit forced (Me criticizing LeHane – get out of here!). Great book though and his talk at Main was really enjoyable.
And I finally got around to Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain which has been on my ereader for a while now and I’m relishing it (no pun intended).
Bryan discovers the X-Files? Had a great run – peaked around season 6 or 7; Chris Carter had it going on.
Keep up the good work!
I love Best of the Year lists, so thank you!
I agree with Bill – I loved Gone Girl.
My list also included Ready Player One, Winter of the World Book 2, Canada, and Round House.
I am very sorry to say that Casual Vacancy was not on my fav list.
Finished Gone Girl and agree it was quite the read! Absorbing and twisted with well thought out yet surprising developments and excellently depicted characters – with a unique play it back journal entry style and point of view alternate takes.(Grammatically incorrect). Loved the pair of detectives!
I was thinking about movies and couldn’t place a female lead until I relistened and heard Bill mentioning Reece Witherspoon. That would be a great fit (I think of her in Election). Some other movies that crossed my mind while reading this were: High Fidelity, American Beauty, Basic Instinct, Magic and, maybe most of all, The Game (w/ Michael Douglas). Couldn’t help think of Nancy Grace circa the Scott Peterson case as well. This book is pretty darn gripping and diabolically twisted with a sharp, modern edge. You will remember Amazing Amy!
May seek out her other novels and/or review this in full soon.