what Dave thinks about movies, books and everything
Here’s my list of best fantasy novels, updated for ones I read in 2014. Winner Runner Ups Year Author Title Author Title 2012 Will McIntosh Hitchers Joanne Bertin Bard’s Oath 2011 Carrie Vaughn After the Golden Age 2010 2009 2008 2007 Sarah Zettel Sword of the Deceiver 2006 Daniel Quinn After Dachau 2005 Elizabeth Kostova […]
Here’s my list of best SF novels, updated for ones I read in 2014. Winner Runner Ups Year Author Title Author Title 2012 Kim Stanley Robinson 2312 hN Orson Scott Card Shadows in Flight Robert J. Sawyer Triggers John Scalzi Redshirts H 2011 Will McIntosh Soft Apocalpyse Robert J. Sawyer Wonder Joan Slonczewski The Highest […]
Here’s my list of best fantasy and science fiction movies, updated with movies I watched in 2014. The last 6 years have given us an amazing number of great movies. Year Winner Runner Ups 2014 Edge of Tomorrow Captain America: The Winter Soldier The Lego Movie Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Guardians of […]
With all the listening to soundtracks I do, I can only name one female soundtrack composer: Rachel Portman. She composed the music for Benny & Joon, Chocolat, The Lake House, Never Let Me Go, and One Day — among other things. I don’t have a whole lot to say on this topic, except the obvious: […]
Here’s my best soundtrack list, updated with soundtracks I heard in 2014. Of the soundtracks I heard first in the past year, my favourite is Saving Mr. Banks by Thomas Newman. On the other end, I found The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug by Howard Shore quite disappointing. How to Train Your Dragon 2 by […]
I read a fair number of books by authors I’d read before in 2014, but I managed to squeeze in a few new ones. The winner of the big prize is Douglas Preston, for his wonderful book Blasphemy. Runner ups are Peter F. Hamilton for The Reality Dysfunction, Carrie Vaughn for After the Golden Age, […]
{4/5} “I know that dwarves can be obstinate and pigheaded and difficult. They’re suspicious and secretive, with the worst manners you can possibly imagine. But they are also brave and kind, and loyal to a fault. I’ve grown very fond of them, and I would save them if I can.” The Hobbit: The Battle of […]
{4/5} “I did not come to steal from you, O Smaug the Unassessably Wealthy. I merely wanted to gaze upon your magnificence, to see if you really were as great as the old tales say. I did not believe them.” The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, released in 2013 Gandalf heads off on his own […]
{4/5} “Mother always taught me: ‘Never eat singing food.’” The Muppet Christmas Carol, released in 1992 Ebeneezer Scrooge gets visited by ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future and he vows to change his miserly ways. I’ve seen several versions of this story and if this were another straight adaptation I wouldn’t be that interested. […]
{4.5/5} “However much I do change, I’m left with me.” A Long Way Down, released in 2014 Four people separately decide to kill themselves by jumping off the top of a certain building on New Year’s Eve. But when they meet each other, they decide not to do it. Later they make a pact to […]