Ok, so most people find that they cannot hang around me very long without being subjected to my "favorite lists" of books, movies, and music. And since this is a blog to share the stuff we interact with mentally, I figured it would actually be quite an appropriate topic. Please note 2 things before you read these lists: (1) These are not in any particular order of liking, except that the first one in each list is my all-time favorite and (2) I am not in any way suggesting that you ought to read/watch/listen to all these things or that they will all be appropriate for anyone. They won't be. So please use your own judgement if you decide to check out one of these and please don't sue me...
All that said...(drum roll)...here they are:
Top Books:
~"The Once and Future King" by T.H. White
~"Watership Down" by Richard Adams
~"A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
~"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
~"Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
~"The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara
~"How Green Was My Valley" by Richard Llewellyn
~"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" Trilogy (5 books; all but #4 make this list) by Douglas Adams
~"Cry, The Beloved Country" by Alan Paton
~"Empire of the Sun" by J.G. Ballard
~"The Bridge of San Luis Rey" by Thornton Wilder
~"Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
~"The Complete Book of Poetry" by Carl Sandburg
(These are, of course, not all of the books that I love. They are just the ones that have taken a special place in my heart.)
Top Movies:
~"The Lord of the Rings" Trilogy
~"Empire of the Sun"
~"Apollo 13"
~"Les Miserables"
~"Chariots of Fire"
~"The Dark Knight"
Top Music Groups:
~Jars of Clay
~Stephen Delopoulos
~Chanticleer
~Enya
~Lisa Gerrard
~Selah
~Soundtracks (Lord of the Rings & Passion of the Christ)
Sooo, there you go. Those are the pieces of media that have touched my heart over the years. What about you? I would be curious to see if anyone shares any of these favorites, or what other peoples' favorites are.
Thanks for listening!
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About Me
- Megan
- I'm a tall teenager with a love for all things creative and beautiful.
Vocab I've Learned This Year (See related posts for definitions)
- Abrogate
- Abstemious
- Adumbrate
- Attrition
- Confabulate
- Confute
- Demagogue
- Edacious
- Eristic
- Farrago
- Fugacious
- Gelid
- Isochronal
- Jejune
- Lachrymose
- Lagniappe
- Littoral
- Macerate
- Martinet
- Medial
- Mendicant
- Nonpareil
- Picayune
- Polemical
- Prognosticator
- Roborant
- Sedulous
- Thurible
- Vituperate
What is the Media Corner? Focused on entertainment media, this side column will feature a different book, movie, and song each week. Enjoy!
This Week's Theme: Best of 2008
So as we head in to 2009, this seems like a good time to look back at some of the best media that I discovered in 2008 (not neccessarily produced in that year)
Books:
"Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams
Yes, Adams has graced this column already, so I won't go into great detail. All I can say is that I'm glad to have discovered these books.
"It Came From Within!" by Andy Stanley
Ok...I do not read Christian "self-help" books. Ever. I only read this one because I was required to--but I was pleasantly surprised. Basically, this book studies how attitudes such as anger and greed have unexpected roots in our hearts, and what to do about them. Fun and easy to read, but very compelling and easy to apply.
"Till We Have Faces" by C.S. Lewis
Sadly, I forgot to put this on my favorite books of all time list, where it definitely belongs. This book was stunning. I won't give away the plot, because that would spoil the emotional impact. But man, this book was quite a roller-coaster for me. Highly recommended.
"A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" by (I don't remember lol)
I feel obligated to put this book on the list because it is so well written and powerful. However, I did find that this book--a classic in every way--made me feel depressed every time I started reading...For books about people's depressing lives in New York, I preferred Chaim Potok's books. Try "The Chosen" or "My Name is Asher Lev" for a start. Don't read "In the Beginning" unless you want to be really depressed...
Movies:
The Dark Knight
So you've all heard about--and probably seen--this summer blockbuster, the second installment in Christopher Nolan's new Batman franchise. Just know that this movie is not for everyone...some people will just find it depressing and scary. I, for one, added it to my favorites list on the spot. Intense, but very deep.
We Are Marshall
For a long time, "Glory Road" had held firm as my favorite sports movie. But now it has been surpassed. "Marshall" avoids a lot of sports movie stereotypes, and did a very good thing when they cast Matthew what's-his-name as the head coach. Very inspiring and enjoyable.
Noelle
Being some little movie that a Christian family made from nothing, this Christmas story cannot really stand beside the Hollywood biggies. However, I must say that I was impressed--this movie captured a subtlety and power that almost every other Christian film barges right past. IMHO, this blows stuff like "Love Comes Softly" out of the water.
Music:
I discovered a lot of very good, if obscure, musicians in the latter part of this year. Please note that you can find all of these artists at Christianity Today's music website.
Steven Delopoulos
Just talked about him in the previous column
Ben Shive
This guy has done a lot of producing, writing, and instrumentation for big-name Christian artists (Chris Tomlin, Amy Grant, etc.) Just this year he came out with his first real album all by himself, virtually unheard of...and instantly Christianity Today picked it up as one of the 12 best albums of 2008. And boy does he deserve it. Great stuff, if rather untraditional.
Waterdeep
This group has released several albums, and their lead singer Don Chaffer has done several on his own. These people have amazing lyrics and great music--really classic rock and even some country-folk acoustic stuff. I love Don Chaffer's voice...but unfortunately a lot of their albums have his wife singing as well, and she sounds kind of harsh and whiney. So I mostly go for albums where Don does all the singing. Anyway, great people. Not for light listening, but when you want something really deep to chew on.
Andrew Peterson
This guy does fairly gentle music with solid lyrics. He teams up with Ben Shive a lot, and is more comperable to him than to Delopoulos or Waterdeep. His voice takes a lot of conditioning to get used to--it is very nasally--but eventually his quality shines through
Books:
"Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams
Yes, Adams has graced this column already, so I won't go into great detail. All I can say is that I'm glad to have discovered these books.
"It Came From Within!" by Andy Stanley
Ok...I do not read Christian "self-help" books. Ever. I only read this one because I was required to--but I was pleasantly surprised. Basically, this book studies how attitudes such as anger and greed have unexpected roots in our hearts, and what to do about them. Fun and easy to read, but very compelling and easy to apply.
"Till We Have Faces" by C.S. Lewis
Sadly, I forgot to put this on my favorite books of all time list, where it definitely belongs. This book was stunning. I won't give away the plot, because that would spoil the emotional impact. But man, this book was quite a roller-coaster for me. Highly recommended.
"A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" by (I don't remember lol)
I feel obligated to put this book on the list because it is so well written and powerful. However, I did find that this book--a classic in every way--made me feel depressed every time I started reading...For books about people's depressing lives in New York, I preferred Chaim Potok's books. Try "The Chosen" or "My Name is Asher Lev" for a start. Don't read "In the Beginning" unless you want to be really depressed...
Movies:
The Dark Knight
So you've all heard about--and probably seen--this summer blockbuster, the second installment in Christopher Nolan's new Batman franchise. Just know that this movie is not for everyone...some people will just find it depressing and scary. I, for one, added it to my favorites list on the spot. Intense, but very deep.
We Are Marshall
For a long time, "Glory Road" had held firm as my favorite sports movie. But now it has been surpassed. "Marshall" avoids a lot of sports movie stereotypes, and did a very good thing when they cast Matthew what's-his-name as the head coach. Very inspiring and enjoyable.
Noelle
Being some little movie that a Christian family made from nothing, this Christmas story cannot really stand beside the Hollywood biggies. However, I must say that I was impressed--this movie captured a subtlety and power that almost every other Christian film barges right past. IMHO, this blows stuff like "Love Comes Softly" out of the water.
Music:
I discovered a lot of very good, if obscure, musicians in the latter part of this year. Please note that you can find all of these artists at Christianity Today's music website.
Steven Delopoulos
Just talked about him in the previous column
Ben Shive
This guy has done a lot of producing, writing, and instrumentation for big-name Christian artists (Chris Tomlin, Amy Grant, etc.) Just this year he came out with his first real album all by himself, virtually unheard of...and instantly Christianity Today picked it up as one of the 12 best albums of 2008. And boy does he deserve it. Great stuff, if rather untraditional.
Waterdeep
This group has released several albums, and their lead singer Don Chaffer has done several on his own. These people have amazing lyrics and great music--really classic rock and even some country-folk acoustic stuff. I love Don Chaffer's voice...but unfortunately a lot of their albums have his wife singing as well, and she sounds kind of harsh and whiney. So I mostly go for albums where Don does all the singing. Anyway, great people. Not for light listening, but when you want something really deep to chew on.
Andrew Peterson
This guy does fairly gentle music with solid lyrics. He teams up with Ben Shive a lot, and is more comperable to him than to Delopoulos or Waterdeep. His voice takes a lot of conditioning to get used to--it is very nasally--but eventually his quality shines through
Research Paper
Working Bibliography:
Books:
Botkin, Isaac. Outside Hollywood: The Young Christian’s Guide to Vocational Filmmaking. San Antonio: Vision Forum Ministries, 2007.
Print sources from an online database:
Guthrie, Stan. "Entertaining Truth." Christianity Today 50.12 (Dec. 2006): 62-63. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 26 Oct. 2008
http://ezproxy.mylibrary.us:2051/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=23361368&site=ehost-live
Rosin, Hanna. "Can Jesus Save Hollywood?." Atlantic Monthly (10727825) 296.5 (Dec. 2005): 161-168. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 5 Nov. 2008 http://ezproxy.mylibrary.us:2051/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=18848651&site=ehost-live.
Web Articles:
“Three Views of Hollywood.” Advent Film Group. 2008. 20 October 2008.
http://www.adventfilmgroup.com/Three_Views_of_Hollywood.html
Bowen, Barry. “A History of Christian Films.” Christian Headlines. 2003. 12 November 2008.
http://www.christianheadlines.com/filmhistory.html
Christiano, Dave and Bowen, Barry. “A History and Overview of Christian Films.” Christian Films.com. 2008. 12 November 2008. http://www.christianfilms.com/overview.htm
Taylor, W. David. “What’s A Christian Movie? (In Four Parts).” Christianity Today Movies (2004) 24 October 2008.
(Part 1)http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/goodchristianmovie.html (Part 2) http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/honesttogodtruthaboutmovies.html
(Part 3) http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/mereentertainment.html
(Part 4) http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/violenceprofanitynudity.html
White, David. “Christian Film Making...Oxymoron?” Christian Cinema. 2005. 21 October 2008.
http://www.christiancinema.com/catalog/newsdesk_info.php?newsdesk_id=132
Transcripts of Interviews/E-mail Exchanges:
Gresham, Douglas. “Christians in Cinema.” Interview. Christian Cinema. Eds. Angela Walker. 2008. 23 October 2008.
http://christianmovienews.com/christians-in-cinema-douglas-gresham/
Harvey, Angela & Swartzwelder, Rik. “Should Films Be Faith-Explicit? (In Four Parts).” Christianity Today Movies (2005) 24 October 2008.
(Part 1) http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/filmsfaithexplicit1.html (Part 2) http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/filmsfaithexplicit2.html (Part 3) http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/filmsfaithexplicit3.html (Part 4) http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/filmsfaithexplicit4.html
Schroeder, Zena. “Interview With Zena Dell Schroeder.” Interview. Maryann Diorio Blog. 2006. 21 October 2008. http://www.maryanndiorio.com/blog/archives/general/000312.php
Books:
Botkin, Isaac. Outside Hollywood: The Young Christian’s Guide to Vocational Filmmaking. San Antonio: Vision Forum Ministries, 2007.
Print sources from an online database:
Guthrie, Stan. "Entertaining Truth." Christianity Today 50.12 (Dec. 2006): 62-63. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 26 Oct. 2008
http://ezproxy.mylibrary.us:2051/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=23361368&site=ehost-live
Rosin, Hanna. "Can Jesus Save Hollywood?." Atlantic Monthly (10727825) 296.5 (Dec. 2005): 161-168. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 5 Nov. 2008 http://ezproxy.mylibrary.us:2051/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=18848651&site=ehost-live.
Web Articles:
“Three Views of Hollywood.” Advent Film Group. 2008. 20 October 2008.
http://www.adventfilmgroup.com/Three_Views_of_Hollywood.html
Bowen, Barry. “A History of Christian Films.” Christian Headlines. 2003. 12 November 2008.
http://www.christianheadlines.com/filmhistory.html
Christiano, Dave and Bowen, Barry. “A History and Overview of Christian Films.” Christian Films.com. 2008. 12 November 2008. http://www.christianfilms.com/overview.htm
Taylor, W. David. “What’s A Christian Movie? (In Four Parts).” Christianity Today Movies (2004) 24 October 2008.
(Part 1)http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/goodchristianmovie.html (Part 2) http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/honesttogodtruthaboutmovies.html
(Part 3) http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/mereentertainment.html
(Part 4) http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/violenceprofanitynudity.html
White, David. “Christian Film Making...Oxymoron?” Christian Cinema. 2005. 21 October 2008.
http://www.christiancinema.com/catalog/newsdesk_info.php?newsdesk_id=132
Transcripts of Interviews/E-mail Exchanges:
Gresham, Douglas. “Christians in Cinema.” Interview. Christian Cinema. Eds. Angela Walker. 2008. 23 October 2008.
http://christianmovienews.com/christians-in-cinema-douglas-gresham/
Harvey, Angela & Swartzwelder, Rik. “Should Films Be Faith-Explicit? (In Four Parts).” Christianity Today Movies (2005) 24 October 2008.
(Part 1) http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/filmsfaithexplicit1.html (Part 2) http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/filmsfaithexplicit2.html (Part 3) http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/filmsfaithexplicit3.html (Part 4) http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/filmsfaithexplicit4.html
Schroeder, Zena. “Interview With Zena Dell Schroeder.” Interview. Maryann Diorio Blog. 2006. 21 October 2008. http://www.maryanndiorio.com/blog/archives/general/000312.php
2 comments:
In books, we share The Once and Future King, Watership Down, To Kill a Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451, and The Hitchhiker' Guide.
Movie-wise, I like every one on the list... it's only music where we differ. Jars of Clay would be the only common feature there.
Cool! It's neat to see that I'm not the only one liking this stuff.
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