2012 in Books & Film

Happy New Year, dear readers! I can hardly believe that once again it is time to reflect on the previous year in book and film (since that is such a large part of my life, and the main focus of this little corner of the internet). As I've mentioned in previous retrospective posts, I'm not really one for "best-of" lists -- so the books or films I'm highlighting are those that have made the greatest emotional and/or intellectual impact on me in the proceeding year, whether through carefully-crafted prose, tight plotting, or sheer fun. :)

This year marks something of a personal record for me -- I managed to review 66 books here this year -- a number that wildly surpasses the record-keeping I've participated in on Goodreads since I first joined that site in 2006. My reading challenge for the year was to top 2011's 40 books read and reviewed, so I'm thrilled with surpassing my initial goal of 50 and coming in at 132%. *wink* This past year's reading has been an eclectic mix, and I've stretched myself beyond the bounds of my "norm" (Christian fiction) to also enjoy pulp fiction classics, steampunk, and graphic novels. Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my ten favorite reads for 2012 (click the cover to be taken to my review, and for the full reading list check out my book review archives or Books Read in 2012 Pinterest board).

Ten Books

(Click cover to read review)

      

       

     

     

      

I saw so many fantastic films this year, but I only managed to review 18 (I cannot BELIEVE that I still haven't done a write-up about The Bourne Legacy!!). While this list isn't quite as comprehensive as my book one, here are some of my favorite (reviewed) films from the past year -- and believe me, it was HARD to narrow this list down! :) You can access the full list of reviews on my Movies Reviewed in 2012 Pinterest board or through the movie archives page. 

Eight Films

(Click poster to read review)

     

        

        

        

Typically I also look back on the year in television, but I feel as though my TV-related blogging has been ALL over the map this past year (i.e. I may NEVER catch up, ha!) so I'm going to give that a pass. If you're interested you can check out the categories that did receive the most attention on the blog this year -- TV Reviews, Masterpiece Classic, and Masterpiece Mystery. :)

It's been a good year. :) As always, thank you, dear readers, for taking the time to visit my corner of the web and engaging -- you make this fun! I'd love to hear some of your 2012 favorites, so please chime in! :)