My woes are granular.

We be writin'.

They're not waiting for you.

Today Jesse got on a plane heading to Florida to visit his grandfather. He's been back from tour since Thanksgiving, so I've been feeling pretty lucky having him around, especially during the holidays. And since I've been sick, he's been taking on a lot more around the house. I haven't done the dishes in days, the litterbox is clean, the cats are fed, the floors are swept. I mean, why do you think I've been "sick" for three weeks? Just kidding. Kind of.

The next four days then I'll be continuing my recuperation (seriously when will this thing die already?), hopefully helping a friend find an apartment in my area, brainstorming about an impending wedding of one of my best friends, and perhaps, as always, a movie night.

I have to enjoy these relaxing weeks when I can get them! Here are some other things that have been on my mind...

The Director's Guild of America nominations ...as the thing that aggravated me most today.

With the Academy Award nominations coming up on Thursday (CAN YOU TELL I'M EXCITED?), I was waiting to hear about the DGA nominations, since in the last five years they have predicted four of the five Oscar nominees. I am a bit disappointed in one particular name on this list:

Ben Affleck, Argo
Katherine Biglelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Tom Hooper, Les Miserables
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln

Nominating Tom Hooper is absurd. THERE I SAID IT. I thought it was absurd when he was nominated for The King's Speech--again, great acting in there, but the directing was subpar. And in 2012 it's even more absurd since this list doesn't even contain Michael Haneke (Amour), David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook) or Tarantino (Django Unchained). I mean, you guys, I would nominate Joss Whedon, Ridley Scott, and Sam Mendes over Hooper (why don't action film directors get any love?!). Behn Zeitlin who directed Beasts of the Southern Wild had more vision and artistic integrity than Hooper. Steve Soderbergh directed his best in years! I didn't even like The Master but PT Anderson's directing was--because I'm running out of adjectives here--DOPE.

Let me quote the LA Times, in an article they entitled "DGA nominations: These voters did see Les Miz, right?" describing Hooper's directing of the musical:

...the oppressive close-ups, the bizarre, canted camera angles, the compositional shifts in scale and his all-consuming affinity for asymmetry...

I was dumbfounded during the movie when Cosette and Marius were singing to each other and she was completely blurry and out of focus during their interaction?! That's sloppy and terrible. But, you know, who cares? This is just another award show. And I shouldn't even be excited for anything at all, what with Seth MacFarlane set to announce the nominations AND host the Oscars. I mean, why do I care?!?!?!

Three free Zoya nail polishes ...as the thing that greeted me with glee this morning.

Use this deal! Just type in ZOYA2013 when you checkout and three polishes are free. I'm a huge fan of Zoya nail polishes--they are 4-free, meaning they are free of toluene, formaldehyde, DBP (phthalates) and camphor. And, have you seen all their colors? Today I bought Storm, FeiFei, and Noot. Tip--whenever I buy nail polishes online I google search a certain color with the word 'swatch' and tons of photos will come up to show me what it looks like in real life and how many coats it needed, etc.

The Nashville tv show soundtrack ...as the thing I am most guilty for loving right now.

The show isn't even a guilty pleasure because I actually, really like it. As I'm waiting for it to return from hiatus, I decided to look up the soundtrack on rdio and I am totally into it. Guilty! Connie Britton doesn't even have that strong of a singing voice, but I enjoy her tone anyway. She's pretty good. The duet she sings with her hunky ex-lover on the show, "No One Will Ever Love You," is currently my favorite. "If I Didn't Know Better" and "Telescope" are great as well. Maybe this is another top album of 2012? Guilty!

"On Repeat" by Jen Girdish for This Recording ...as the personal essay that recently resonated with me.

I don't even listen to Explosions in the Sky, but after reading this, "Your Hand in Mine" has been playing on repeat. I haven't been what she's been through exactly, but I've definitely put a song on repeat over and over again for hours just as something to help me get through an event or even a mood. It's usually Ryan Adams' "Dear Chicago." Do you have a go-to repeat song?


Painting: "Your Tomorrow" by Henrietta Harris

My Top Films of 2012.

There were so many good movies in 2012! It was quite hard to come up with this list of my favorite ten. I could have easily made a Top 20, there were so many creative, innovative, beautiful, funny, sad, and original movies--there was something fresh about movies this year.

01 Anna Karenina

As I sat in the theater watching the opening minutes of Anna, there was a huge smile on my face. I had no idea what was happening or why, exactly, but I loved what I was taking in because it felt new even though it was based on an old story. Director Joe Wright takes one of my favorite novels of all time and sets it in a theater--on its stage, mezzanine, rafters, and lobbies. Screenwriter Tom Stoppard does justice to the emotions and characters of the novel and so do all the players from Keira Knightley to Jude Law to Domhnall Gleeson. It is different and above all beautiful. I saw it twice in theaters just to witness its power again.

02 Looper

This film also blew me away in a completely different genre. I'm so excited that director/writer Rian Johnson was nominated for Best Original Screenplay for the Writer's Guild Awards. I can only hope the same honor is bestowed when it comes to the Oscar nominations this Thursday! I really do love smart action films (see also: Hanna). Johnson's vision was spectacular, and his story riveting. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, and Bruce Willis were all superb. I enjoyed every minute and surprise in this movie.

03 Zero Dark Thirty

I wasn't quite sure the movie I would be seeing when I sat down to watch this, but ultimately it was engrossing. The story unfolds methodically and sharply, and Jessica Chastain is brilliant. The story is told so objectively, I don't think there should be any media fuss about this 'politics' of this film. It's a great film, based on a true, intense story and I couldn't--and still can't--stop thinking about it. I will probably want to see it again in theaters.

04 Moonrise Kingdom

Joyous, magical, funny Wes Anderson! I remember seeing this opening weekend and sitting next to my best friends grinning from ear to ear for most of the movie. Having just rewatched this on New Year's Day, I have to say the word for it is: delightful. And the story is fun and it looks great--I enjoy Anderson's aesthetics. His casts are always superb, too. (Sidenote: on the blu-ray, there's an special feature called "Set Tour with Bill Murray" and it's hilarious. I recommend watching it!)

05 The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I remember reading the novel years ago, but seeing it come to life was a strange experience--it may be the best novel-to-film rendition I've seen. Perhaps because it was directed by and written for the screen by the novelist himself, Stephen Chbosky. I wanted to embrace Charlie, played by Logan Lerman, just as I had when I read the book. I loved Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson), and wanted them to be my friends, too. Just like the book, the film understands high school and doesn't condescend towards its teenage subjects. One of the best, and emotionally true, movies set in high school.

06 The Avengers

How to get a super-big action movie with tons of superhero characters done right? Call Joss Whedon! Not only did the characters each get their fair share of the story, but it was told well and looked great. Even Scarlett Johansson's character of Natasha Romanoff was improved 1000% from her introduction in the Iron Man series (leave it to the creator of Buffy to finally get a female character right). But above all, the action! The pace and special effect were incredible! Exclamation points!

07 Prometheus

RIDLEY SCOTT, y'all. Visually, this movie ruled. The wide shots alone were stunning. Scott's scope is truly 'epic' and I'll say it here now, if Disney wants a great director for their upcoming Star Wars film, Scott should be their first choice. The story really angered some people, but I wasn't bothered at all while watching the film. I was grossed out at times, but I totally loved it. Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender were great.

08 Amour

I only just recently saw this, but it has an entrancing power that takes hold. I've seen director Michael Haneke's films before, and I was not expecting something so sad. The film is about an elderly Parisian couple, Georges and Anne, whose relationship is tested when the health of one begins to falter. Haneke's shots quietly astound from beginning to end--the viewer is brought into these lives through lens. It's a depressing movie, for sure, but I like that it doesn't gloss over emotions or become melodramatic. It resonates.

09 Life of Pi

I love Ang Lee, but I wasn't sure whether I would take to this story of a boy lost at sea with a tiger. However, as soon as the movie began, I was swept away by Pi(scine), the tiger, his tale, all the philosophical questions it asks, and the wonderful, beautiful way the movie looked. I was audibly gasping at points during the movie--and I saw it in 3D and loved it in 3D, as a person who hates and avoids 3D whenever possible. A truly awe-inspiring experience.

10 Silver Linings Playbook

I didn't know much about this movie going into it, except that it had a pretty good cast and it was directed by David O. Russell, he who last made The Fighter. I didn't realize I was watching something that could be categorized 'romantic' until halfway through the movie. I liked the odd characters and the way they interacted (I'm a Sorkin fan, so I know how to suspend disbelief when it comes to dialogue) and I laughed out loud a lot. Also, I think I may have fallen in love with Jennifer Lawrence during this movie.

On another day perhaps these ten would be switched around, depending on my mood, and you might see some of these Honorable Mentions in the top ten as well --

Lawless
The Sessions
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Magic Mike
21 Jump Street
The Deep Blue Sea
The Cabin in the Woods
Argo
Skyfall
Chronicle
The Impossible
Oslo, August 31st
Safety Not Guaranteed
The Hunger Games

Pretty good:

Django Unchained, The Amazing Spiderman, The Beloved, Compliance, Headhunters, Friends with Kids, Take This Waltz, Snow White & the Huntsman

Okay:

The Master, The Dark Knight Rises, The Loneliest Planet, 28 Hotel Rooms, The Paperboy, Premium Rush, The Woman in Black

Didn't Like:

Les Miserables, The Lucky One, This is 40, Smashed, Sinister

The Worst:

Ted

Still haven't seen: Cloud Atlas, Lincoln, Flight, Rust & Bone, Seven Psychopaths, Holy Motors.

I saw a lot of movies this year! Sometimes the mark of a good year is how many movies I actually make sure to see. I should note that there were some great performances even in the movies I didn't like--Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables and Leslie Mann in This is 40 were wonderful, but the directors of their movies were the culprits of my disdain for the films as a whole. And I loved Joaquin Phoenix in The Master, but the film failed me in its story (I also may be the only person that didn't like Phillip Seymour Hoffman in it). Ann Dowd in Compliance was one of the top performances of the year, and I hope she gets more recognition for it. Nicole Kidman in The Paperboy, Tom Hardy in Lawless, both Helen Hunt and John Hawkes in The Sessions were all wonderful. And I don't understand why Michael Fassbender's David from Prometheus is getting no love from the awards this year, either.

My entertainers of the year, however, are without a doubt Channing Tatum and Jennifer Lawrence. Who knew Tatum could be as funny as he showed in 21 Jump Street? Or smart with bringing Magic Mike to Steven Soderbergh? Lawrence impressed me immensely years ago in Winter's Bone, but this year as Katniss in The Hunger Games and Tiffany in Silver Linings Playbook she's won me over completely. Not to mention all her late night and red carpet interviews; the girl's witty and hilarious, and I want desperately to hang out with her.

I don't think my top ten would match anyone else's--which is why I love this diverse year of movies--so what were your favorite films of 2012? If you have a list posted somewhere, please link it! What was your worst film of 2012? Let's talk movies!

Some of my past top film posts: 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011

My Year in Books: 2012.

Ever since I challenged myself in 2009 to read 52 books in the year, I established some good reading habits to keep up the momentum. I've relaxed on the challenge aspect of reading, since I don't want to deter from reading longer books just because they may take more time. This year I managed to read 30 books; this guy read 366. Whatever.

I wish I could keep up with books as they are published--that I could make a 'Best Books of 2012' list, but I don't have the money (or desire) for hardcovers and I have enough unread books on my shelves--which is the main reason I try not to buy new books on my Kindle or at a store. (I cheat sometimes.) And my family does a good job of gifting me books! I think I read one novel that was released this year, and that was because of the hype, which it lived up to. I would recommend it to anyone: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

Here are the rest of the books I read this year in chronological order, the star rating I gave them on Goodreads, and those that are bold became all-time favorite books of mine.

01 The Best American Magazine Writing 2011, ASME *****

02 Post Office, Charles Bukowski **

03 The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Joseph Gordon Levitt ****

04 East of Eden, John Steinbeck *****

05 Belle de Jour, Joseph Kessel ***

06 Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Leanne Shapton *****

07 The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton ****

08 The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories, Ernest Hemingway *****

09 The Blind Assassin, Margaret Atwood *****

10 A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway *****

11 Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri *****

12 Victory, Joseph Conrad ****

13 The Golden Notebook, Doris Lessing ****

14 Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy Kaling ***

15 Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami *****

16 Three Lives, Gertrude Stein *

17 Evelina, Frances Burney ****

18 Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury *****

19 Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn ****

20 The Beautiful and the Damned, F. Scott Fitzgerald ****

21 Frankenstein, Mary Shelley *****

22 The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides **

23 The Rest of Life, Mary Gordon ****

24 The Heretic's Daughter, Kathleen Kent ***

25 My Mistress's Sparrow is Dead, Jeffrey Eugenides ****

26 Monster: Living Off the Big Screen, John Gregory Dunne ****

27 On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King *****

28 1Q84, Haruki Murakami **

29 The Stand, Stephen King *****

30 The Best American Magazine Writing 2012, ASME ***** (even though I'm not done yet, this volume is already at five stars...)

I would recommend East of Eden to everyone. If you're looking for something weird and creative, Leanne Shapton's Important Artifacts and Personal Property..., structured like an auction catalog and made up of the remains of a fictional relationship was a fun experience. And for years I've been kind of 'meh' on Stephen King, but upon reading On Writing and asking my dad (a King aficianado) his favorite novel by the author, The Stand is a new favorite. In fact, my dad and I challenged each other to a 'cast that novel' challenge since there are rumors Ben Affleck wants to direct a film version (hopefully a trilogy). I even made a page of who I would cast, like a nerd.

My shelves have been replenished since Christmas, and I've got The Group by Mary McCarthy, The Liars' Club by Mary Carr, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, another Gillian Flynn, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller in the queue.

What was the best book you read last year? Have any recommendations? Any other The Stand fans or other books on this list? Contrarian opinions? Did anybody actually like reading Gertrude Stein? Any 2013 books you're excited about?

Ice breaks on the concrete in the city street.

Today we took down the Christmas tree. I took some final fun photos of our blue and gold decorations, and then Jesse decided to decorate me. Like he does.

Our place looks a lot more empty now.