2015 was a pretty great year and I like to make lists of what I loved the most, restricted to 5 favourites.
BOOKS
1. Carry On – Rainbow Rowell
The only book this year I read three times and it only came out in October. Rainbow’s take on a Harry Potter-esque magickal school was hilarious and adorable and very clever. Simon and Baz forever ❤️❤️❤️
2. A Traveller’s Life by Eric Newby
Endlessly interesting and entertaining travel memoir. Someday I will be using this as a template for my own autobiography.
3. Underground Overground: A Passenger’s History of the Tube by Andrew Martin
So many interesting facts and stories! If I lived in London I would be a total bore about all this.
4. Dungeon Fun by Neil Slorance and Colin Bell
If the universe was trying to get me back into comics, this was exactly the way to do it. Female protagonist, Zelda/RPG influences, silly humour. Looking forward to more!
5. Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham
Made me like her even more.
GAMES
1. Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer (DS)
What’s not to like about obsessively rearranging furniture in weirdly specific themes for animals? Plus you get to design shops and restaurants and a concert hall and see your villagers using them and wandering around eating donuts.
2. Neko Atsume (iPhone)
Exactly what I needed for my stressed out brain this winter. Look at cats, take pictures of cats, give cats silly names, watch cats in snow, try and get special cats. CATS.
3. Picross e5 (DS)
The first DS game is the best but I’m glad Nintendo keep releasing these extra digital instalments, even if the puzzle solutions never look like anything recognisable anymore. IS THERE A NEW ONE OUT YET?
4. Animal Crossing New Leaf (DS)
Still playing this most days after 2.5 years and completing the museum etc. I won’t give up until either Tangy moves into my town (she’s a cat with an orange for a head) or they release a new game.
5. Alphabear (iPhone)
Super fun word game with cute bears. The best part is these shareable mottos they come up with using some of the words you played.
FILMS
1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
I love Star Wars, I love JJ Abrams and this pushed all my buttons and brought a single tear to my eye. It was just as enjoyable the second time too.
2. We Are The Best!
3 girls in 1980s Stockholm form a punk band and get up to the usual teenage stuff: fighting over the boys in a local punk band, dealing with embarrassing parents and general boredom and hijinks. So good.
3. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
The story was kind of all over the place but it was amazing to look at, like a watercolour sketch come to life.
4. The Martian
Almost as good as the book and the Martian landscapes looked incredible.
5. Whiplash
So intense. I had to stop this briefly half way through because of art school flashbacks. I had a (much less violent and scary) tutor who also believed extreme criticism would make us bounce back and prove him wrong but we just ended up demoralised with no confidence. Amazing film though.
TV
This is the last one and by far the most difficult to restrict to 5. Runners up: Parks & Recreation, The Bridge, Girls, Game of Thrones, The Mindy Project, Silicon Valley, 24: Live Another Day
1. The Americans
So tense, amazing acting and not a moment wasted. I watched S2-3 back to back earlier this year and still wanted more. Can’t wait to see where it goes next! Deserves a much bigger audience but it’s not even shown on UK TV any more.
2. Doctor Who
I’ve never been a huge Doctor Who fan even when Capaldi came on board but this season has been so much fun that I’ve looked forward to each week more than anything other show.
3. Wolf Hall
Captured the essence of the books perfectly and unfolded so beautifully.
4. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Consistently hilarious and the one show I can hardly bear to deal with the delay in UK air dates. Almost hugged my TV when the promo ads started last week.
5. Fargo
Took a while to get going but eventually got as good as S1. There’s really nothing else like it.
MUSIC
I still don’t really ‘get’ streaming music so this is all stuff I bought.
1. Errors – Lease of Life
One of my favourite bands and timed perfectly as an excellent birthday present, especially as I was about to take a train up the west coast to Inverness. Errors are so Scottish and a backdrop of the Cairngorms is exactly what you need while listening to this. I was initially dubious about the addition of vocals but this might be their best album yet.
2. Perfume – Relax in the City
More Nakata laziness in the a-side but The other 2 songs are amazing. The occasional glitchy off beats in Toumei Ningen kill me. Seeing Perfume do one of their crazy light show stadium shows is way up top on my bucket list.
3. Annie / Richard X – Endless Vacation
Annie and Richard X together is always a good thing and this EP didn’t disappoint.
4. Belle and Sebastian – Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance
I’m in two minds about this one. There are some brilliant songs but also a lot of it sounds too similar and my brain switches off.
5. Capsule – Wave Runner
I love all eras of Capsule’s genre-hopping career but this album is a bit generic. I still enjoyed it a lot but I’m hoping Nakata has some more interesting stuff planned for all his musical projects in 2016.