Here’s your assignment:
In the comments, I want to know:
A book you read in 2013 you’d recommend.
A comic book you dug in 2013.
A TV show.
A movie.
A game.
One of each.
Just one.
Get shut of the idea of “best” — just, you know, if you had one of each of these that you could recommend to me or to everyone else reading here, what would it be?
Bonus question:
And why?
Your 2013 list:
GO.
Dawn Key says:
Lexicon by Max Barry
December 9, 2013 — 12:06 AM
A Citizen of the World says:
Book – “The Dirty Streets of Heaven” by Tad Williams. Love love LOVE the mash-up between Judeo-Christian Afterlife motifs, hard-boiled detective conventions and the protagonist, Bobby Dollar, is strangely addictive.
TV Show – “Sleepy Hollow”. They made “wacky time travel” work somehow. They also made Icabod Crane rather hot… somehow.
Movie – “Warm Bodies”. A Zom-Rom-Com with a surprisingly warm heart.
Comic book – Haven’t read any in years *hangs head in shame*
Game – Never was a gamer, so can’t recommend anything.
December 9, 2013 — 12:21 AM
Joanna Horrocks says:
I just read “The Dirty Streets of Heaven” & loved it. And yes, Tom Mison’s Ichabod Crane is hot.
December 9, 2013 — 12:59 AM
A Citizen of the World says:
Tad Williams became one of my favourite authors EVER after he wrote the phenomenal “Otherworld” quartet. He’s a master at mash-ups that work beautifully!
Tom Mison = Half my friends are swooning at him. That voice…
December 9, 2013 — 1:08 AM
decayingorbits says:
I don’t think there is any shame in not reading comics. They’re not for everybody. I can take them or leave them, frankly. But I do acknowledge their impact on current popular culture and film/TV.
December 9, 2013 — 6:15 AM
A Citizen of the World says:
It’s not that I’ve grown to dislike comics. I used to be an avid reader and one of the few females who frequented the local comic book shop. I also adore Neil Gaiman’s work in “Sandman”.
It’s basically a matter of time now – I have a very limited amount of time to read (usually an hour or less before bedtime) and so I’ve ended up reading novels instead of comics.
December 9, 2013 — 9:54 PM
StuckInARhyme says:
Book: “The Rook” by Daniel O’Malley. A woman wakes up in the middle of a park in London with a letter in her coat jacket that starts with, “Dear You, the body you are in used to be mine.” Thrilling from the beginning to the end, with a hugely satisfying ending. I almost started rereading the book as soon as I finished.
Comic: “Fray” by Joss Whedon and Karl Moline. This is an extension of the Buffyverse, but explains everything if you haven’t seen the show. Set in a cyberpunked future, Melaka Fray is told she’s the Slayer and has to fight the return of vampires in the world. Melaka is surrounded by morally grey characters she can’t be sure she can trust. One or two unexpected panels at the end, but well worth it!
TV show: “Leverage.” I know the show concluded December of last year, but I’m rewatching it on Netflix. A hacker, grifter, thief, hitter, and mastermind team up to Robin Hood the hell out of rich jerks. Great show with two POC characters, and two women who rarely (if ever) talk about men romantically, and well-developed relationships.
Movie: “Pacific Rim.” Gundams and Godzilla. ‘Nuff said.
December 9, 2013 — 12:29 AM
MB Partlow says:
“The Rook” was amazing. I hope there’s more to come in that world.
December 9, 2013 — 9:59 AM
Mickie says:
Book: The Stone Gods by Jeanette Winterson. Why? It’s a deep meditation on nature vs. technology and the fate of humanity. Really great insights and offers a cautionary tale of reliance on
technology.
Comic: N/A
TV Show: NBC’s Hannibal. Why? My first introduction into the world of Hannibal Lecter and it offered a chilling, twisted story. Grotesque and not for the faint of heart. The performances by the actors are all superb and the show runner is just lovely.
Movie: Pitch Black- why? Best. Sci-fi. Movie. Ever. Hands down. Well except for Star Wars. But nothing can really ever trump Star Wars (*ahem* the original trilogy, that is). I don’t much care for the other Riddick movies, but this one is just so good. A good ol’ fashion creature feature, with a homicidal anti-hero, and a strong cast of female characters. Though the plot is a fairly simple one, there’s plenty of tension and just the right amount of humor to lighten the mood and
Game: N/A
December 9, 2013 — 12:35 AM
Kyra Dune says:
I loved Pitch Black. Riddick is such a cool character.
December 9, 2013 — 7:59 AM
Silent_Dan says:
A book you read in 2013 you’d recommend.
‘Prepare to Die!’ by Paul Tobin. Seriously funny superhero novel. Apparently that’s a Thing now.
A comic book you dug in 2013.
Does the latest Bleach count?
A TV show.
Supernatural’s grown the beard back to some degree since season 5.
A movie.
The World’s End. Who doesn’t love an alien-robot-clone movie under the guise of a pub crawl movie made by Edgar Wright and starring the Peggster and that other dude?
A game.
Tomb Raider remake. Seriously brings out my completionist side, and great story and mechanics.
December 9, 2013 — 12:45 AM
prettysemmy says:
In the specified order:
The Mockingjay
Y The Last Man
Agents of Shield
Star Trek Into Darkness
Hanabi (2013 Spiel des Jahres winner)
December 9, 2013 — 12:46 AM
jrmurdock says:
Book: Horns by Joe hill. Great book and totally not what I was expecting.
Comic: Code Monkey Save World. Based on Johnathon Colton’s album. Lots of fun to see the characters of his songs come to life.
Movie: Pacific Rim. Giant robots fighting giant monsters. Nuf said
TV Show: Arrow. Just discovered it, and this is great super hero TV
Game: Candy Crush: stupid addictive. Just try and stop. You’ll get twitchy.
December 9, 2013 — 12:48 AM
boydstun215 says:
Okay, here goes:
Book: The best book I’ve read this year would have to be Hugh Howey’s Wool. Not only an amazing story, but one of the most lean and focused novels I’ve ever read. No fluff, nothing superfluous. Every sentence contributes something to the story, every character is drawn with precision, as are the various settings within the silo. Can’t wait to read Shift.
Comic Book: Actually, the graphic novel version, but The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman continues to delight and horrify me. I’ve had to wait so long between editions, though, that I’m thinking about rereading the first 18 volumes all over again over the Christmas break.
A TV show: Maybe it’s the PA lover in me, but I find Life Below Zero to be really fascinating. It’s interesting to see the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the “characters,” and the show lends some perspective to our relationship with the necessities of life—-most of which are available in abundance and can be had quickly. I’m also a fan of the whole man vs. nature theme.
A movie: Although I understand that this was dressed up a bit for Hollywood, I liked Captain Philips. I love anything Tom Hanks does, but I also think that the director did well to keep the “bad guys” in this film human. It seems that part of the mission of this film was to take an issue (pirating off the coast of Somalia) that for most of us remains an abstraction, since all we see are the boiled-down facts that are often devoid of context, and turn it into a human interest story that goes beyond the mere presentation of those facts.
A game: I just recently completed a fun word puzzle app called Alpha Zen. Pretty addictive and the music was rather catchy. Made my time upon the porcelain throne quite pleasant. Now I’m back to the good old Boggle app. Any recommendations for good word game apps?
December 9, 2013 — 12:54 AM
Dan Dan The Art Man says:
Wool was amazing. Read Dust this year, almost marked that one down. Great novels those in the silo series.
December 9, 2013 — 2:00 AM
Shawn Ingram (@shawn_i) says:
Book: “Reality Boy” by A.S. King. Great exploration of what happens when a kid is on reality TV before he knows any better.
Comic: “Ivy” by Sarah Oleksyk. Actually came out a few years ago, but I just bought it this year. I love that Ivy isn’t perfect, that she continually fights with her friends. Feels very honest.
TV show: Brooklyn Nine-Nine. This really surprised me. The first few episodes almost lost me, but once they started writing more for the characters instead of silly jokes it worked for me.
Movie: Up On Poppy Hill. It’s a really touching Studio Ghibli film, which should be all the explanation needed.
Game: Gone Home. First game that really made me cry. Some might call it more of an interactive story than a game, but that doesn’t change how great the storytelling is.
December 9, 2013 — 1:00 AM
Joanna Horrocks says:
Book – Kate Griffin’s “Stray Souls” (came out in October, 2012). Why? Because who names a banshee Sally?
TV Show – Clara’s arc on “Doctor Who.” Why? Because in the end, she’s just “a perfectly ordinary girl” who happens to have a perfectly extraordinary life, and that’s the best that any of us can hope for.
Movie – “Much Ado About Nothing.” Not genre, obviously – until you remember that’s Angel’s Wesley & Fred as Benedick and Beatrice. Stylishly mannered and fun, and Amy Acker does a great job of making Shakespearean English sound as casual as everyday speech.
December 9, 2013 — 1:02 AM
MB Partlow says:
Everything by Kate Griffin. When I read the first book, I raved about it for months afterward.
December 9, 2013 — 10:02 AM
Betsy says:
Book: Humans of New York–that’s the one I read most recently, so it’s my pick.
Comic book: N/A
TV show: Once Upon a Time–it’s just fun and I like how periodically the evil queen decides to be good for awhile, but then she gets impatient and annoyed and does something evil.
Movie: The Great Gatsby–visually beautiful, pretty good, though the rap music was weird
Game: Happy Street–totally addictive and can be completely free
December 9, 2013 — 1:07 AM
Kyra Dune says:
Once Upon A Time is a good show, though all that bouncing around between different points in time can be a bit confusing. At least for me.
December 9, 2013 — 8:03 AM
Ciara says:
Book: The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton. Because it’s kinda like Alice in Wonderland. Except, you know, with anarchists.
TV Show: Once Upon a Time. It’s my guilty pleasure.
Movie: 12 Years a Slave. Breathtakingly beautiful, unique, and heart-wrenching, but not over-sentimentalized.
Game: Daymare Town 4. Mateusz Skutnik’s are the only games I ever play, and Daymare Town’s my favorite of all his game series. I’d been waiting for this one for a long time.
Comic Books: I don’t read comic books…
December 9, 2013 — 1:12 AM
Beth says:
Book – Ancillary Justice, by Ann Leckie. I’ve read a lot of awesome books this year, but this one really got stuck in my head. Space ships with AI, an empire in conflict, a society that doesn’t mark gender, an exploration of the meaning of identity.
Movie – The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Remember how intense every emotion felt when you were a teenager? This movie does.
Game – Pandemic. Great board game where you play a member of a team trying to save the planet from deadly and rapidly spreading disease. It’s a cooperative game, which I think makes it even more fun.
December 9, 2013 — 1:14 AM
Dan Dan The Art Man says:
Once again Chuck has a great idea. I can’t wait to read all of the other’s comments. Ok here’s mine:
A book you read in 2013 you’d recommend.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline because it was the funnest book I’ve ever read.
A comic book you dug in 2013.
Catbeard the Pirate. A weekly web comic posted a page at a time online and sold as paper comics. Amazing art, very funny, awesome adventurist stories and great characters. http://www.catbeardthepirate.com/
A TV show.
This ones too easy. Breaking Bad. Seeing the character change that much over the series was amazing. Awesomely written stuff, always seemed like there was no way to get out of their crazy pickles. Amazing. Kept my wife and I up way too late way too many nights in a row.
A movie.
Man of Steel. Loved seeing Krypton in such rich detail and the way they Portrayed Superman. Also liked the way they used flashbacks to fill in the backstory. It was never jolting or pulled me out of the story.
A game.
8 Ball Pool on my iPhone. Grew up playing pool. Love the dynamics, graphics, sounds. All perfect. Feels like playing real pool. Love playing in tournaments against real people.
December 9, 2013 — 1:26 AM
Jeremiah Boydstun says:
Ready Player One was my runner-up. Really fun (and nostalgic) read.
December 9, 2013 — 2:45 AM
tambra kendall says:
Book: For research purposes but I’m thoroughly enjoying it-Victorian London, The Life of a City 1840-1870 by Liza Picard. (Steampunk novel)
Comic book: Haven’t read any, graphic or otherwise. Considering learning how to draw anime though.
TV show: We live in the country and can’t hardly get our local stations, so we don’t watch TV. We do movies.
Movie: Thor. I love the superhero movies. But I love Thor and Loki is one villain I really do like. Chris Hemsworth is the perfect Thor. Tom Hiddleston makes me believe he’s Loki. I write romance so this so works for me.
Game: I sometime watch my hubby play Wartune. If I play a game it’s Bookworm. (I didn’t know if you had a preference on what kind of game.) shrugs
I’m enjoying reading everyone’s answers.
December 9, 2013 — 1:34 AM
Teresa says:
Books:
Michelle Hodkin’s Mara Dyer books (two of them are out right now, with the third coming next year.)
Mara struggles with PTSD after surviving an accident in which her best friend was killed. But are some of her hallucinations real? (as the back of the book tells you, yes.)
Paula Weston’s Shadows and Haze (not sure if Haze is out in the US yet).
Gaby cannot remember much that happened before the car crash that killed her brother. Since the crash she has been having the same dream again and again in which she is fighting demons in a night club. Then the man from her dream turns up and tells her the dream is real and what few things she remembers about her life are fake.
Both series are paranormal YA. I read other things, but those were the ones that really stood out this year. They entered my personal charts in the top ten, right up there with Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South, Jane Eyre, and Persuasion.
December 9, 2013 — 1:34 AM
Mandi says:
Book: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson. There have been a lot of good books this year, but Steelheart really stood out–for the world, the voice, the twists…everything! Really, you can’t go wrong with Sanderson.
Comic: Attack on Titan. Well… okay, I’m bending the rules here, because this is both manga and anime, but come on. It’s awesome. The characters are amazing and the story is compelling. (And the voices, music, and animation in the anime are phenomenal.) It’s no wonder AoT is so massively popular.
TV Show: Supernatural. I honestly can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get started on it (and, yes, I’m still only on season 4) but it’s amazing. Jared and Jensen are amazing, and have such great chemistry. It’s one of the few shows that can scare me, make me cry, and have me cracking up all in one episode.
Movie: Star Trek: Into Darkness. Because Benedict Cumberbatch, that’s why.
Game: Fire Emblem Awakening. It probably helps that I’m a fan of the series, and SRPGs in general, but FEA was so well done–from the characters to the story to the new battle mechanics–that I just keep coming back to it.
December 9, 2013 — 1:35 AM
Mozette says:
You know in real life Jared and Jenson are best of mates and before the show started, they didn’t know much about each other… on the smallest things like which shows they might have done… I’ve followed the show from the very beginning. Damned thing is so addictived that when it’s not showing I rewatch the other seasons every night for hours on end… I kid you not 🙂
December 9, 2013 — 7:36 AM
katie says:
Book- Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Why? It’s the perfect blend of beauty, love, innocence and tenderness mixed with a distressed world, pain, lies, deceit, rebels and savages. It teaches you a lot about human nature and brings up the what ifs and intelligent discussion without the “only reason I’m reading this is to pass English class,” totally boring plot line.
TV Show- The Middle. Classic, North American family who’s situations and conflicts are so relatable and normal it’s amazing the show is actually exciting.
Movie- Horrible Bosses or We’re The Millers.
Game- Dutch Blitz (card game)
December 9, 2013 — 1:35 AM
Chris says:
Book: “The Long Earth” by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. Because: Well, shit, lookit the writers. Also, it’s about the coolest “parallel worlds” story concept ever.
Comic: “Saga” by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. Because: It’s like…Star Wars but with way weirder aliens, and a bit of star-crossed lovers going on as well. Plus, the character design is out of this world (ha. sci-fi joke.) and the pacing is great. I usually wait for trades to come out if I buy comics at all, but this is one that I have to buy at the shop every month, I just can’t wait for it.
A TV show: “Almost Human.” Because it’s precisely the kind of show I want to make. But other people did instead, and it’s awesome. Plus: Karl Urban is great.
A movie: Not from this year, but I’ve been watching “Limitless” over and over again. It’s a movie about depression disguised as a sci-fi drug thriller.
A game: Arkham Origins. Because even though it’s a little same-y, the first two were such phenomenal Batman-simulators that any chance to play in that game engine is a welcome one. The story is pretty cool, and Troy Baker’s Joker is impressively close to Mark Hamil’s, and I think that’s cool.
December 9, 2013 — 1:37 AM
tambra kendall says:
Well damn, I do read a comic book series. Girl Genis by Phil and Kaja Folio.
http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/
Girl Genius follows the career of Agatha Heterodyne, a hapless student at Translyvania Polygnostic University.
Sorry the extra post,, but this really is a fun comic.
December 9, 2013 — 1:57 AM
deanmcsmith says:
Book: Would have to be ‘The Stoneground Tales’ by E.G.Swain. Writing at the time of M.R.James,(Early 20th C) he produced excellent ghost stories centered around the part of the world I call home.
Comic Book: Bleach. My son, a huge fan of manga, asked me to read this so we could talk about it together. Some very clever ideas and a very interesting take on death.
TV Show: Mrs Brown’s Boys. Rude but hilarious, quite possibly the only comedy to put my claim to have the worlds strongest bladder to the test, without a doubt the funniest thing on the BBC all year.
Movie: The Day of the Doctor. John Hurt as the Doctor on the big screen. What more do you need for a good time?
Game: Tomb Raider. A great reboot, producing a younger, more vulnerable heroine. Great production values, challenging game-play and beautiful visuals, I actually bothered finishing it.
December 9, 2013 — 2:07 AM
ericathrone says:
Book: Enchanted Glass by Dianna Wynn Jones. It’s the kind of book some people will love (like me) while others will not. It’s a bit messy, a bit rushed, and some of the elements of the characters and plot are left for the reader to infer, rather than have revealed to them. But it was captivating; no one else writes like Wynn Jones did. This is one of few books (if not the only one) I’ve read where I felt it seemed setting-driven, because the protagonists are fighting for what their small community and its surroundings want, not necessarily what they want. My only regret is that there will never be continuation, because this book very much felt like it could have been the start of a trilogy.
Comic Book: I haven’t read many this year, and only a few I’ve kept up on. One of those is Mind the Gap. It’s a simple enough story about a girl who ends up comatose after she’s attacked in some dark corner. However, we witness the coma from her perspective; she finds herself in a supernatural limbo, with amnesia, and her only way of communicating with the living is to possess the bodies of other coma patients. The real of meat of the story hasn’t arrived yet, but it seems to be slowly building toward the solution the mystery of why she was attacked, and by whom.
TV Show: In The Flesh, definitely. Lots of addictions this year, but this one, though short, had the most impact. On the surface it seems to be about zombies being reintegrated into society after the battle between living and dead is over. But what it’s really about is a family in the aftermath of a different kind of tragedy. It was splendidly told, a true portrait of a small town, and a must-watch.
Movie: Stoker. It was a bizarre, sexy, dark, atmospheric movie that never ceased to amaze me. It was incredibly surprising, not at all what I expected, and absolutely unforgettable. I can’t even begin to explain how much I needed this movie to exist, even though I never knew before that I did.
Game: Team Fortress 2? I went a serious TF2 bender a couple months ago. I took a break to play through my actual recommendation, however: Bastion. It was a gorgeous game, even if the mechanics were a bit fiddly at times. The storytelling was amazing and it was a very fun play through. It’s the best I’ve played in a long time, though I haven’t played many this year, or any other year.
December 9, 2013 — 2:23 AM
GarethWiscombe says:
A book: Old Man’s War by John Scalzi. It had been on my to do list for ages, especially with all the Heinlein comparisons it’s attracted. I want disappointed nor was my wife who rarely reads Sci Fi.
A comic book: Saga by Brian K. Vaughn and illustrated by Fiona Staples. Beautifully artwork perfectly matching the epic space opera fairy tale of lovers from opposing races fleeing both their races with their baby.
A TV show: Almost Human. Early days yet but what looked to be a generic near future buddy cop drama is looking like it has potential.
A movie: Joint Security Area by Park Chan-wook. This film focuses on an incident in the demilitarized zone between North and Sourh Korea and the relationship that grows between the soldiers guarding their borders. It’s funny, emotional and foreboding as the story builds towards tragedy.
A game: The Last of Us. Arguably more interactive film than game, the story in this is phenomenal and better than most films I’ve seen this year. The ending alone is as refreshing as it is ambiguously gut-punchingly frustratingly perfect. Even if you don’t play games it would be worth watching the compiled cut scenes on YouTube!
December 9, 2013 — 4:26 AM
Ambiguously Anonymous says:
Book – The Cleaner: John Milton #2 by Mark Dawson
The Cleaner is a great thriller about an old assassin that wants to make amends for all of the killings he has done in his past. However, the organization he used to work for doesn’t approve of his decision (naturally) and dispatches another agent to investigate Milton’s personal life. In the meantime Milton is helping a woman by getting her 15 year old son (who’s involved in the London Fields Boys gang) to respect her.
Not only did this novel remind me of watching 007 but it also has a lot of themes about family and loyalty that I think was preformed awesomely in the prose.
Comic Book – Deathnote
Okay, this isn’t necessarily a comic book (it’s a graphic novel) but I felt ashamed for not putting anything in this category.
Deathnote is about a straight A student named Light Yagami who has picked up a notebook (called DeathNote) that has the ability to kill anyone who’s name is written within it. The notebook belongs to a shinigami (basically a demon that kills humans in return of extending their own life spans) named Ryuuk who purposely gave Light the notebook because he was bored.
Light got the bright idea of killing off criminals, to him, he believes he’s brining the world to a new order. He’s known as Kira to the public and some people agree with what he’s doing and others don’t. A special police task force was implemented with the single mission of capturing Kira. Little do they know, that Light (the chief of police’s son) is Kira.
With the psychological battle between L (the private investigator who’s determined to find Kira) and Light this novel constantly thrills and surprises at every turn.
TV Show – Blacklist
The Blacklist is an action packed thriller where Raymond Reddington, a notorious criminal mastermind that the FBI has been trying to capture for decades, suddenly surrenders to them with the promise of being able to catch the nastiest of nastiest criminals out there. These criminals are worse then any of the people that the FBI has on their Most Wanted List, of which, Reddington says, is just a “popularity contest.” He’s compiled all these bad guys and gals on a single list that he calls—drum roll please—The Blacklist. However, he refuses to talk to anyone in the underground facility. All except the newly hired criminal profiler Elizabeth Keen. Why? Go watch the show.
James Spader does a miraculous job of bringing out Reddington’s character. He’s cocky, manipulative, and always seems to be a step ahead of everyone.
Can you trust him?
No, Red does what he does for the benefit of himself. (Or for some hidden reason that he’s not ready to reveal).
But can you love him for it?
Of course you can.
“You know the problem with drawing lines in the sand? With a breath of air, they disappear. You may not like me. You may not understand how or why I do what I do. But I’m here because you want answers to questions you haven’t even thought of yet.” -Raymond “Red” Reddington
Enough said.
Movie – Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim reminded me a lot of Gundum Seed but I still love it. It gives a twist to alien invasion. Instead of aliens coming from the sky, they’re coming from a rift in the water. Large mutated monsters called Kaijoo are wrecking utter havoc on our puny civilizations. We only have one way to beat them, and that’s with our own mechanized monsters.
These machines are like the larger versions of the robots in Reelsteel. In the head of each of these mechanized beauties are two pilots, each that controls one hemisphere of the brain and thus the robot. The storyline is relatively easy to follow (as the director says was done on purpose in the special features) but the graphics and “originality” was something to really get into. Each of the characters are extremely likable.
Game – Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil has had a long running of games with a storyline so deep and rich that I could spend all day talking about it. With the campaign co-op mode it really alleviates some of the “scare” that the game has. The mutations that happen in this game are not only stunning but also amazingly, horribly, grotesque. Enough to give you nightmares if you’re squeamish.
Four different storylines take place in the game at the same time. You have the choice to choose which one you’d want to do (you can do the others also). Each are pretty good, but I especially enjoyed the Jake Muller story.
Jake, a mercenary, is the estranged son of Wesker (who almost plunged the world into utter chaos in the previous games) who is immune to being infected by the zombie virus because he shares the same blood type as his father. Sherry’s organization dispatched her to find him and bring him back alive so they could extract a cure from his blood. Basically, Jake’s blood is the key to saving the world.
What does he say?
“Fifty mil. That should be enough to give you guys a little nibble.” (makes a pinching gesture in the air)
Glad to know that you care, Jake.
Jake is a brash, cocky, sarcastic, kick ass fighter that will drop a witty line in the most dire of circumstances. In my opinion, he’s one of the best character’s in the game.
December 9, 2013 — 2:23 AM
Katherine Hetzel says:
Book: My Crooked Little Sister by Sophie Jonas-Hill. A complete sensory experience with so many twists, it left me gasping. This a stunning debut novel – definitely an author to watch.
Comic book: The Beano, because it’s what my son buys…
TV Show: The Big Bang Theory. My daughter is a self-confessed geek and Sheldon Cooper is her hero. We watch endless repeats, and it doesn’t matter how much I know what’s coming, it still makes me laugh.
Movie: Red. Because it introduced our kids to Bruce Willis. (Next on the list – Die Hard!)
Game: Chase your demon, a 2, 3, or 4-way card game of competitive Patience, because we play it with the kids.
December 9, 2013 — 4:55 AM
Kyra Dune says:
Red was really cool. I wonder if the sequel will be any good.
December 9, 2013 — 8:06 AM
Alex Edwards says:
Doctor Sleep
Marvel Zombies
Wolfblood
Captain Phillips
Minecraft
Because…
sequel to The Shining is a no-brainer (not literally).
Marvel superheroes as zombies like to eat brains.
Wolfblood is this generations Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I know the woman who created it.
Captain Phillips was the first film in a long time that kept both me and my Mother glued to our seats.
Minecraft is a great way to flex the creative muscles in a way that isn’t forced. Plus on the Bitlimit server I am the Mayor of Marshwood, an we like yer purdy mouths.
December 9, 2013 — 5:24 AM
Ktagher says:
A book: The Long Earth. I just finished it and felt really swept away by it. I love not being able to compare things.
A comic book: None, but about to read Winter Soldier.
A TV show. So far, Almost Human has been really fun and the cast is great.
A movie. Upstream Color. The style of narrative is innovative, it’s beautiful, and stands apart from all movies.
A game. No, sir. One taste and I’m drinking all year. So, I don’t.
December 9, 2013 — 5:36 AM
Paul B says:
Book – NOS4R2, Joe Hill – the horror novel of the year…creepy, funny, terrifying, heartfelt…everything horror should be
Comic – Nothing this year – though I did read “JOKER” by Lee Bermejo…it was awesome.
TV Show – Black Mirror – absolutely fantastic, particularly the second episode. A real look at what we could become if you just added one or two little bits of technology
Film – The Conjuring – first time I’ve ever actually screamed in a cinema. Literally, screamed. My girlfriend, who was with me, laughed at me for about three months for that
Game – GTA V – The story was okay, and it had it’s faults, sure. But my Jesus – what a beautiful world, what stunning graphics, what exceptional voice acting. I loved it, and a month after completing it, I’m still taking the odd hour to go back to Los Santos. Has there ever been a game where you miss the setting? Like actually miss being there? And Trevor. Trevor wins at everything.
December 9, 2013 — 5:44 AM
decayingorbits says:
The Conjuring is one of the scariest movies I have seen in a long, long, time. It’s in the same class as the original Omen. I could watch it in the middle of the day with all the lights on and I’d still be scared shitless.
December 9, 2013 — 6:08 AM
Paul B says:
I remember walking out of the cinema and thinking, this could be the film that people are still watching in 20 years – kind of like The Shining, or The Omen, or The Exorcist. It was just that good.
December 9, 2013 — 7:36 AM
Kay Camden says:
The Conjuring didn’t scare me at all. What’s wrong with you people?
Or…what’s wrong with me?
December 9, 2013 — 10:40 AM
mattyweaves says:
The Conjuring was easily my #1 horror movie of 2013, until I saw Insidious Chapter 2. I don’t often jump at movies but that one got me a few times, and it made the so-so ending of #1, better.
December 9, 2013 — 3:50 PM
Anne Arbuthnot says:
Book- A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. It’s well written, great characters and an intriguing story.
Comic Book – Anything from my Minicomic of the Month Club Subscription (2013-2014). It’s great to read comics again.
TV Show – The Blacklist. James Spader and good intelligent story telling.
Movie – Cockneys vs Zombies A very funny British zombie comedy.
Game – Color Zen, an iPad Game. Playing it is soothing, relaxing and challenging at the same time.
December 9, 2013 — 5:48 AM
decayingorbits says:
Book: The Wild Shore by Kim Stanley Robinson. This is the first book in his Three Californias Trilogy. Very well written – in fact, KSR’s writing is straight up literature, much like China Mieville. The Wild Shore tells the story of post-apocalyptic SoCal. The atmospherics remind me a bit of On the Beach, and being about California, there are echoes of Steinbeck and a little Jack London. Very cool.
Comic Book: I don’t read comics or graphic novels. I do read Dilbert on the train to work in the morning. I’m thinking of starting the Church of Wally, where I will be the High Priest of Malingering.
TV Show: Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman. I love this show — or any other show that deals with legit science. Professor Brian Cox’s show is great. All fantastic. I despise reality shows, and my schedule doesn’t permit me to become too emotionally invested in long-form fictional TV series, unfortunately.
Movie: Oblivion. Loved the story, loved the acting, loved the design, just a great sci-fi movie.
Game: I’m pretty much a Modern Warfare junkie, and I’m still working my through MW: Ghosts. I wouldn’t call it the best of the series, but it keeps me entertained when I feel like I need to shoot something.
December 9, 2013 — 6:05 AM
Annika says:
Book: Twilight Robbery. It’s the second book in the Mosca Mye series. It’s actually a children’s novel, but I loved it so much.
TV Show: I don’t know. I cannot decide between Doctor Who and Sherlock. Never decide between them.
Movie: Catching Fire actually made me cry. I like the Royal Tenenbaums.
December 9, 2013 — 6:12 AM
gilotyna815 says:
Book: “The Long Earth” by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
It’s an amazing science-fiction which kept me reading till late at night.
Comic: webcomic “Homestuck” by Andrew Hussie
I literally read it for the entire day since waking up until going to sleep. For three days in a row. It’s that awesome.
TV show: “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic”.
It’s very cute, upbeat, positive and have catchy songs.
Movie: DreamWorks’ “How to Train Your Dragon”
Good story with a nice athmosphere and music. And good characters too.
Game: Minecraft
It’s definitely the game that gives you the most freedom to do whatever you want.
December 9, 2013 — 6:38 AM
Kyra dune says:
I love How To Train Your Dragon. I even watch the TV series.
December 9, 2013 — 8:08 AM
Pete says:
Book: Grimspace, by Ann Aguirre (which will then, likely, lead you into the rest of the series!) I picked it up partly because of gender-challenges that may or may not have passed through this very blog — and partly because I liked the cover art. Great story — with a new take on FTL travel that bypassed the “standard” hyper/sub-spaces — and great characters; Jax is feminine but no-nonsense, and like all great characters, finds herself going above and beyond to protect the people she cares about.
Comic book: Echo (The Complete Edition) by Terry Moore. I’m actually not 100% certain if I read Echo this year or last — but so it qualifies I’ll read it again in the next few days! I love Moore’s approach to “realistic” characters — and particularly realistic female characters — but after his SiP series ended I kinda drifted away. Then I discovered “Echo”, and snapped it up, excited to read more of his work. He did not disappoint!
TV Show: I think, of all the ones I’ve watched this year, I’ll have to mention “Defying Gravity” (which is actually a few years old now, but I don’t do TV, I do DVD! :-)) At first I wasn’t sure quite what to think of it, but by the end of Season 1 I was thoroughly hooked, and dead keen to find out what happened next. Of course, what happened next was that I learned the show had been unceremoniously killed off (by Fox, Yay Fox!) and there was no Season 2 — but still, it was shaping up to be intriguing!
Movie: If I can only name one (aaarrggh!) I’ll have to pick the one that falls outside my usual genre selection: Harold Lloyd’s “Safety Last!” (which, for the uninitiated, is a 1923 B/W silent movie, probably best described as a slapstick action comedy…) I bought it on a whim because of the title — and it turned out to be a lot more entertaining than I thought it would be. Watching it was a little like watching John Carter: it was nothing we hadn’t seen before — but only because it probably pioneered much of it!
Game: This year I’ve been (re-)discovering the STALKER series; I think the second one, “STALKER: Call of Pripyat” probably deserves to be mentioned the most — although that may be because I’ve only just finished it, and am just starting the third in the series.
Oh, and “Forbidden Island” — completely different world of gaming. Mum and I have recently been exploring a few games (normally we’ve only played Scrabble at Christmas!) and “Forbidden Island”, a cooperative board/tile game, is perhaps the one that has, so far, shown the most promise.
December 9, 2013 — 6:46 AM
Kay Camden says:
LOVED Grimspace. 🙂
You forget to mention it also has a great love story!
A bit disappointed with the sequel though, so I quit the series there. 🙁
December 9, 2013 — 10:44 AM
Pete says:
Oh … and Grimspace also has a great love story! 😉
I find I often struggle with the second book in a series — usually because its direction changes, or the characters are different, or … well, y’know! Admittedly, the sequel to Grimspace was quite different — and in a lot of ways, it is really just the extended intro to book 3 — but I persisted with the series, and with the characters, and on the whole I’m glad I did! Where I nearly gave up was after book 4; I felt really hesitant to tackle #5 (and life intervened too; I didn’t read anything for a couple of months!) but it turned out better than I was expecting — and I’m now one good reading session away from finishing book 6!
December 9, 2013 — 4:27 PM
David Coventry (@DWCoventry) says:
Book: A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan. It’s what Pride and Prejudice would have been if Elizabeth Bennet had flipped the bird to manor life and become a dragonologist. Beautiful world-building and the voice is spot-on.
Movie: Gravity. A fantastic gut-punch of a thriller. While I have a few quibbles, it could easily be used as a 90-minute primer on how tension works in a narrative.
TV-Show: Orange is the New Black. Great for a Netflix binge. Fish-out-of-water plus women’s prison equals instant tension. This show will coax out your sympathies for flawed characters and then punish you for it in the best sort of way.
Game: Metro Last Light. You want to see what post-apocalyptic really feels like, Fallout 3? Here you go. Brutal yet surprisingly human. I’m not much of a shooter fan, but this had enough atmosphere to keep me in the game in spite of my meager twitch skills.
December 9, 2013 — 6:46 AM
Mozette says:
Okay… this sounds like fun!
A book you read in 2013 you’d recommend.
I haven’t read many books this year… but the one book I have and it’s stuck with me is ‘Nelson Mandela: The Authorised Book of Quotations’ by Himself… it’s quite a small-sized book with 190 pages… but what a huge range of quotes that coat those pages! A must-read for anyone – not just people who love this great man – and may he Rest In Peace.
A comic book you dug in 2013.
I haven’t read one this year… but the one graphic novel I have loved last year was ‘The Watchmen’… fantastic!
A TV show.
‘Supernatural’… massive fan of it. I love it for a variety of reasons. I write stuff like this, I read stuff like this and I love that car! Who wouldn’t?
A movie.
I haven’t been to the cinemas this year – personally, they’re a gross waste of time if you ask me. But my all-time favourite movie I’ve dug out lately is ‘The Matrix’… yeah a brilliant sci-fi thriller!
A game.
Games? I don’t play them … I don’t play any Wii or Playstation as I have Epilepsy and so I kinda miss out on that kind of stuff… yeah, I’m boring person in that way. 😛
December 9, 2013 — 7:30 AM
mark matthews says:
A TV show: I am thoroughly enjoying American Horror Story Coven, after not being able to watch the cliche-ridden season 2 of AHS
A Movie: Since it’s fresh on my mind, I completely loved Disney’s ‘Frozen’. Slightly different archetypes, fun, sing-a-long songs, and an unforgettable snowman.
Book: I finally read “The Humans” by Matt Haig, and it is one of the few times I am glad to have broken my ‘never pay over 9.99’ for an ebook vow. Great story, message, characters. The best way to tell the truth is to make up a story.
December 9, 2013 — 7:36 AM
Kyra Dune says:
Book: Under the Dome by Stephen King. King is my favorite writer and I love most of his books. Dome was good because it had a surprising twist on the whole alien thing. Also, intensely real characters. King is a master at that.
Comic Book: I don’t read them.
TV Show: Supernatural. This is not the best show ever and some of the acting leaves a lot to be desired, but I like it anyway. Lots of cool stuff going on in that show. You got angels and demons, werewolves and vampires and all other manner of beasties, and a seriously flawed protagonist.
Movie: The Hobbit. This is your classic, epic fantasy. My favorite kind of story. I can’t wait for the second one, which I hope is going to include lots of dragon action, because I love me some dragons.
Game: Mass Effect. I love this trilogy. It’s like a live action choose your own adventure book. Lots of fun. These are my favorite kinds of games and there aren’t nearly enough of them out there.
December 9, 2013 — 7:56 AM
LM Pampuro says:
A book you read in 2013 you’d recommend. THE HOURGLASS by Sharon Struth. Beautiful love story that will keep one up to 3 in the morning to finish!
A comic book you dug in 2013. Sorry – haven’t read any.
A TV show. NECESSARY ROUGHNESS – well written football drama. Love this show!
A movie. SILVER LINING PLAYBOOK
A game. Sorry, don’t do video games
December 9, 2013 — 8:00 AM
Robert Sadler says:
Book: “Factotum” by Charles Bukowski. Everything the man wrote is fantastic, raw and unpretentious.
Comic Book: “Saga” by Brian K. Vaughn. Crazy imagination. And Fiona Staples has a beautiful illustration style.
TV Show: There are so many, but in an attempt to put up something unique, I’ll say Black Mirror. There are two seasons with three episodes a piece (each episode is a completely standalone story with unique characters, setting, plot, etc.). It’s brilliant.
Movie: Children of Men. I was late seeing this one, but wow. The one-shot scenes are so fucking impressive.
Game: A Game of Thrones Board Game. The best board game ever, hands down.
December 9, 2013 — 8:31 AM
Robert Sadler says:
And to clarify: I realize that not all of these things actually came out in 2013, but that’s when I read/watched/played them. Hope that counts.
December 9, 2013 — 8:34 AM
Kay Camden says:
Children of Men was good. It’s one of those moves that had some kind of lasting effect on me and I don’t really know why. It must have been unsettling for some reason, but I honestly can’t remember how it ended.
December 9, 2013 — 10:49 AM
Robert Sadler says:
Yeah it definitely has a lasting effect. Very intense subject matter and visuals.
December 9, 2013 — 11:54 AM
Honey Apostos says:
Book: A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
Comic Book: I have not read any this year.
A TV Show: Castle is my no miss show.
Movie: The Art of Getting By
Games: I haven’t played many games lately.
December 9, 2013 — 8:35 AM
Alexis says:
Book: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. This book is happy wrapped in paper. Rainbow is a gem who has skyrocked to the top of my “autobuy” list.
Comic: Saga by Vaughan/Staples – gorgeous, funny, disturbing, compelling, this series is well worth checking out (and this comes from a non-comic type person)
TV Show – Game of Thrones – if there is anything better than Jamie and Brienne bickering, I don’t know what it is.
Movie – Gravity – for most of us this is the closest we’ll ever get to actually being in space. Unexpected and gripping, and one of the view movies that actually warrants the 3-D experience.
Game – Sorry, the presence of 2 little peanuts means I don’t play much beyond the occasional Angry Birds 😉
December 9, 2013 — 8:44 AM
emilywenstrom says:
Oh Rainbow Rowel!!! Fangirl is on my to-read list right now but I just last month read her other book Eleanor & Park and it was incredible. I lived in Omaha (where she lives and writes a column for the newsapapter) when her first book Attachments came out, and I totally geek-stalked her. Love her.
December 9, 2013 — 8:57 AM
emilywenstrom says:
Book: Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn. I might be more gullible than some here, but this book blew my mind at every turn.SO good.
Comic: Trillium.
TV Show: Buffy. Yes yes I’m behind on this one but cut me some slack I was 12 when the series started on TV.
Movie: I know I’m the only one on the planet who thought this movie had any value, but I have to go with Kickass 2. What can I say, I have a thing for over-the-top over-stylized pulp.
December 9, 2013 — 9:04 AM
Amy says:
Book: Cold Days by Jim Butcher….love this guy! I’ve re-read his entire Dresden series several times. It’s a go to for me because Dresden is so down trodden, and kicked around but he kicks back and for the right reasons. He’s a hero and Butcher has done a great job of taking each novel in the series and developing Dresden’s sense of justice and honor and then he deconstructs him! He takes him apart and in the process of putting him back together he begins examining other things that were maybe hidden by his humanity……can’t wait for Skin Game!
Comic: Revival by Tim Seeley. This is on my to read list.
TV: Dracula, I know weird. I think it’s Jonathan Rhys Meyer that does it for me. The back ground stuff is lame and will ultimately grind the show down to cancellation. That being said, I’ve always had a soft spot for the blood sucker and Meyer’s portrayal just really does it for me 🙂
Movie: Fright Night, yep again vampires…this time it’s David Tennant that makes this movie awesome! Even though he isn’t a vampire.
Game: Anything Mario, we have little kids and big kids in the house and Mario works for everyone 🙂
December 9, 2013 — 8:58 AM
John L. Monk says:
A book you read in 2013 you’d recommend:
Hyperlink from Hell, by Lindy Moone.
Bonus: because it’s witty and funny and completely ridiculous.
A comic book you dug in 2013:
The Walking Dead
Bonus: mainly because I watch the show.
A TV show:
Comic Book Men
Bonus: what a fun, happy show about comic books, what’s not to love?
A movie:
The Inlaws (the original)
Bonus: my wife told me I don’t know what a good movie is, so she forced me to sit through this hilarious work of amazing on a stick.
A game:
I’m a big fan of Fallout and have started playing Fallout 3 again.
Bonus: the reason being, it’s tough to constantly try new games when I have so much to do, it’s nice to slip into an old, comfortable shoe, so I just replay the good ones.
December 9, 2013 — 9:12 AM
ardenrr says:
Oh man, just ONE of each. Crap. Here goes nothing…..
A book you read in 2013 you’d recommend: A Thousand Splendid Suns. I love this guy. If you read Kite Runner, then I don’t think I need to explain why you should read this book but, if you haven’t, Hosseini weaves amazing tales of life in the Middle East. They are usually fairly depressing but I love them all the same. It is something I normally wouldn’t read but decided to give it a shot and loved it. Maybe you will too.
A comic book you dug in 2013: I’ve never been much of a comic book reader but I started reading the Walking Dead this year and of course I love it. That’s the only one I can recommend.
A TV show: Blacklist. Why, you ask? James Spader. That is all.
A movie: I love the new Star Trek movies and the newest one was no exception. Why? Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan. Y.E.S.
A game: You probably mean video games. I don’t play video games. I like them but I suck at them. Therefore, I will recommend a regular game. It’s called Cards Against Humanity. Think Apples to Apples for adults.
December 9, 2013 — 9:12 AM
e m bahnsen says:
A book you read in 2013 you’d recommend: Salvation Jane, by Anne Massey.
A comic book you dug in 2013: not applicable..
A TV show: Suits.
A movie: Star Trek into Darkness.
A game: Fortune Street for the Wii. I beat the AI !!
December 9, 2013 — 9:19 AM
Happiness is Not a Disease says:
Book: Night Circus
Because it’s made me realize romance can’t be bad and I love circuses and it has strengthened my love for the fantasy genre.
Movie: Cloud Atlas
It has everything I could ever wish for in a movie. It’s so good it’s orgasmic.
December 9, 2013 — 9:25 AM
Ellie Di says:
Book: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake. So fucking good it made me never want to write again because why.
Comic: I re-read the entirety of Preacher this year and fell in love with it all over again.
TV: Holy shit, does anyone remember how wicked Millennium was?!
Movie: Iron Man 3. Obviously.
Game: I’m playing Diablo III on 360 at the moment – my first foray into Diablo-land. It satisfies my needs for ever-better armor and face-smashing.
December 9, 2013 — 9:34 AM
Tee says:
Sleepy Hollow. Smartest show on television and the only one I make sure to never miss. Everything else on the boob tube is rubbish.
December 9, 2013 — 9:34 AM
Stephen McClurg says:
Book: Stephen Mitchell’s translation of “The Epic of Gilgamesh.” Mitchell’s translation is now my favorite and the book includes a great introduction that I recommend reading after the main text.
Comic: I finally got to read the collected “Ed the Happy Clown” by Chester Brown. Bizarre. Surrealistic. Not for the squeamish. One plot revolves around the discovery of a Dimension X portal. In Dimension X, the portal exits through a man’s anus. Yeah. Not for everyone.
TV: National Geographic ran a show a few years ago called “Is It Real?” and I’m just now seeing it on Netflix. Scientific explorations of mysteries and cryptozoology. I found the show to be a blast: bigfoot, crop circles, Jack the Ripper, etc.
Movie: While it’s hard to take everything in “Room 237” seriously, I loved hearing the various readings of Kubrick’s “The Shining.” If anything, the movie shows us what a rich text the film is. Did Kubrick intend these readings? Probably not. But according to Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle, 1/3 of the meaning of any text is made by the reader and this film helps show this in action. For me, this film is more about reading(s) than “The Shining.”
Game: I’m not really a gamer but every once in a while I play a free game–usually one with zombies. This Thanksgiving I played Storm Ops 3, which is a first-person shooter where the player is a medieval archer.
December 9, 2013 — 9:40 AM
mikes75 says:
Book: Country Hardball. Wow is it a good book.
A comic book: Locke and Key. I’m anxious for next week, when we see how Hill and Rodriguez reach into our chest and tear out our heart and laugh at our pain, but in a good way.
A TV show. Hannibal. So well written, well acted, and visually stunning
A movie. Before Midnight. It’s gotten a little swallowed up in all the great end of year films, but it’s really beautifully done
A game. Limbo. I had to take it off my iPad before I tried snapping it over my knee in frustration, but it is so well made and creepy as hell.
December 9, 2013 — 9:44 AM
Todd Moody says:
A book you read in 2013 you’d recommend: NOS4A2 by Joe Hill. I don’t usually read this genre much but he has a voice that fans of Terribleminds will enjoy and it’s creepy. (And season appropriate.)
A comic book you dug in 2013: I stopped buying comics last year. I was spending too much money on them and not reading all of them.
A TV show: The Blacklist because James Spader and I’d never heard of Megan Boone before, but I really like her. The plot is twisty and James Spader.
A movie: Strange year for movies, but I have to go with Iron Man 3. It’s emotional and personal and Robert Downey Jr. was on his A-game. (hard to touch him when he is.)
A game: I am playing the shit out of Call of Duty: Ghosts. I love this series of shooters and they seem to have really balanced the game play for multiplayer. It is stealing my writing time, so I am going to have to find a way to stop playing it.
December 9, 2013 — 9:45 AM