This was 2008

Well 2008 has come and gone and what better way to look back then to wrap it up with a blog. Music...

In 2008, I attempted to find new music. It didn't have to be the cool, new band, as long as it was cool and new to me. I really got into the Acid House Kings, like a lot! They were sort of a new Camera Obscura for me because they're from northern Europe and play catchy songs. I also grew to love the music of Albert Hammond Jr. Upon my first few listens I was unimpressed but the more his songs shuffled onto my ipod, the more I was taken away by it. 

Albums from 2008 that bought and liked

10. Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords

9. Basia Bulat - Oh, My Darling

8. Glasvegas - Glasvegas

7. Spiritualized - Songs in A & E

6. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Cardinology

5. Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul

4. CSS - Donkey

3. Nada Surf - Lucky

2. Albert Hammond Jr. - Como te llama?

1. The Kooks - Konk

Music I enjoyed but wasn't necessarily new:

The Acid House Kings - Sing Along with the Acid House Kings

Allen Clapp - Something Strange Happens

Blanket Music - Nice

Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of this Country

Doves - The Last Broadcast

Donovan - The Essential Donovan

Van Morrison - Moondance

Bloc Party - Intimacy (This is new but didn't make it onto the list)

Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst (Just started getting into this lately)

The Verve - Forth (This is also new and didn't make it onto the list but deserves a mention)

Honorable mention goes to Living Language - my French language CDs, which taught me the very basics of the French language. I've recently stopped trying to learn French since I have a lot of books to read for work at the moment, which brings us to...

Books I read in 2008 in the order that I like them:

10. The Secret Life of Bees by Mae Scott (didn't like, stopped reading, sorry Kate!)

9. My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor

8. Dreaming in French by Meghan McAndrew

7. The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston

6. Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips

5. The Counterlife by Philip Roth

4. Emma by Jane Austen (still working on) 

3. Everything (A Book about the Manic Street Preachers) by Simon Price

2. Sleepless Nights by Elizabeth Hardwick

1. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl edited by Otto Frank 

TV Show watched in their entirety by Kerry and Bill

1. My So-Called Life

2. Twin Peaks

3. Freaks and Geeks

4. Undeclared

As well as many many episodes of Friends, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Human Giant, The Office, Ugly Betty, and 30 Rock. In 2009, we plan on watching in their entirety Arrested Development, Soap, and Carnivale.

Highlights: In 2008, I became the associate editor of a book club something that still amazes me. I've only been there 5 months but I'm really enjoying my new job.  Others...in no particular order...

Superdrag/Nada Surf show

Apple Picking

J&S's New Year's Eve Party

M&J's Halloween Party

Going to Dublin and Prague with Liz and Patty

Bill's family cruise

Being forced to read more

Visits from Kate

Trip to Boston with Bill

Comedy shows Bill took me to, esp. Kristen Schaal, Aziz Ansari, Arj Barker, Patton Oswalt, Stella

Bill getting called a retard by Michael Ian Black

Boggle

I think I was really stressed out during 2008 mostly due to self-inflicted to do lists and expectations but looking back I can see that it was a good year with a lot of great moments. It was filled with tons of annoying things but this is New York, there's so much crap everywhere and it can be difficult to sort through. I hope to do a better job in 2009. The best times I've had this year were without a doubt hanging out with my friends, being stupid and laughing. I should begin to prioritize differently as a result of this revelation. The very best thing about 2008 was of course spending it with my amazing boyfriend Bill, who I can't wait to live with in 7 weeks!