End of year meme
Snagged from frelling-tralk.
Which TV shows did you start watching in 2014?
Rectify, Bates Motel, Fargo, True Detective and Penny Dreadful. I completely fell in love with True Detective and Matthew McConaughey as Rust Cohle (I'm STILL stunned that he was capable of pulling off a performance like that) and Rectify is yet another southern gothic/crime drama that's just as absorbing. Bates Motel is a sort of guilty pleasure in a fun way, and it has great female characters in Norma Bates and Emma, plus eye candy like Nestor Carbonell. Same with Penny Dreadful, although it's worth a watch for Eva Green's performance alone. Bonus Timothy Dalton lending that extra gothic flair doesn't hurt either.
Which TV shows did you mean to get into but didn't in 2014? Why?
My Dad downloaded the first season of Deadwood for me, but work got crazy hectic from August onwards and I just never found the time or head space to watch it. Same with The Americans (which is next on my to-watch list) and Season 4 of The Walking Dead. And I wanted to wait until How to Get Away With Murder finished so I could marathon the season. Another reason I didn't watch many shows is because I've found reading to be far more relaxing lately, as staring at a screen stresses me out so much these days.
Which TV shows do you intend on checking out in 2015?
I honestly have no idea. I know I'll definitely keep up with the shows mentioned above and hopefully start watching some of the shows I didn't manage to watch this year. Apparently Jennifer Carpenter has a new show coming out called Stanistan which, despite its WTF title, I'll have to check out because Jennifer!!!!!
Your favorite TV show of the year?
Hands down True Detective. I thought Mad Men had an amazing run this year as well, and I'll be so sad when it comes to an end. Despite its flaws, it's still definitely one of the best shows that there ever was on TV, imo.
The most missed of your old fandoms?
The LOST fandom! The show itself ended in such a disappointing way, but I've yet to encounter another fandom that was so fun and engaging. One fandom I definitely did not miss though is Harry Potter's. All the announcements that JK Rowling has been making this year just reminded me of how crazy all the fans are *cough* Harmonians *cough*
*no disrespect to anyone on my flist who ships Harry/Hermione
Your favourite book of the year
I read quite a few amazing books this year so it's impossible to narrow them down to just one:
Nicholas & Alexandra by Robert K. Massie - Historical account of the last days of the Russian royalty and the beginnings of the Russian Revolution. Fascinating and very detailed account of the end of the Romanov dynasty.
Beloved by Toni Morrison - It had been on my e-reader for ages, and I'm glad I finally got round to reading it.
Americanah by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie - I've been reading Adichie since I was 16, and I was kind of annoyed by the American press insinuating that Beyonce plucked her out of obscurity and gave her accolades or whatever. Nevertheless, this is an incredible book that confronts all the race and immigration issues across three different continents that are going on today. Highly, highly recommend it, despite all the media hype.
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - While also a terrific historical account of the Iranian Revolution told in an original and gripping way, it's also a great coming-of-age story told from a female perspective that we barely ever get to see. Another HUGE recommendation, especially if you find it difficult to read about history (like I do).
And The Band Played On: Politics, People and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts - Another fascinating read, especially since I grew up during the 90's and cannot even imagine a world where AIDS was not a huge issue. I had no idea just how bad it was when the epidemic just broke out. And how terribly the Reagan administration handled it.
Favourite film of the year:
Again, not a lot of time to watch too many films. However, I did really love The Grand Budapest Hotel a lot. Snowpiercer was also a fun movie and I thought the criticisms were slightly exaggerated. Of course, I absolutely adored Captain America 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy was entertaining too (although overrated, IMO).
Which TV shows did you start watching in 2014?
Rectify, Bates Motel, Fargo, True Detective and Penny Dreadful. I completely fell in love with True Detective and Matthew McConaughey as Rust Cohle (I'm STILL stunned that he was capable of pulling off a performance like that) and Rectify is yet another southern gothic/crime drama that's just as absorbing. Bates Motel is a sort of guilty pleasure in a fun way, and it has great female characters in Norma Bates and Emma, plus eye candy like Nestor Carbonell. Same with Penny Dreadful, although it's worth a watch for Eva Green's performance alone. Bonus Timothy Dalton lending that extra gothic flair doesn't hurt either.
Which TV shows did you mean to get into but didn't in 2014? Why?
My Dad downloaded the first season of Deadwood for me, but work got crazy hectic from August onwards and I just never found the time or head space to watch it. Same with The Americans (which is next on my to-watch list) and Season 4 of The Walking Dead. And I wanted to wait until How to Get Away With Murder finished so I could marathon the season. Another reason I didn't watch many shows is because I've found reading to be far more relaxing lately, as staring at a screen stresses me out so much these days.
Which TV shows do you intend on checking out in 2015?
I honestly have no idea. I know I'll definitely keep up with the shows mentioned above and hopefully start watching some of the shows I didn't manage to watch this year. Apparently Jennifer Carpenter has a new show coming out called Stanistan which, despite its WTF title, I'll have to check out because Jennifer!!!!!
Your favorite TV show of the year?
Hands down True Detective. I thought Mad Men had an amazing run this year as well, and I'll be so sad when it comes to an end. Despite its flaws, it's still definitely one of the best shows that there ever was on TV, imo.
The most missed of your old fandoms?
The LOST fandom! The show itself ended in such a disappointing way, but I've yet to encounter another fandom that was so fun and engaging. One fandom I definitely did not miss though is Harry Potter's. All the announcements that JK Rowling has been making this year just reminded me of how crazy all the fans are *cough* Harmonians *cough*
*no disrespect to anyone on my flist who ships Harry/Hermione
Your favourite book of the year
I read quite a few amazing books this year so it's impossible to narrow them down to just one:
Nicholas & Alexandra by Robert K. Massie - Historical account of the last days of the Russian royalty and the beginnings of the Russian Revolution. Fascinating and very detailed account of the end of the Romanov dynasty.
Beloved by Toni Morrison - It had been on my e-reader for ages, and I'm glad I finally got round to reading it.
Americanah by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie - I've been reading Adichie since I was 16, and I was kind of annoyed by the American press insinuating that Beyonce plucked her out of obscurity and gave her accolades or whatever. Nevertheless, this is an incredible book that confronts all the race and immigration issues across three different continents that are going on today. Highly, highly recommend it, despite all the media hype.
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - While also a terrific historical account of the Iranian Revolution told in an original and gripping way, it's also a great coming-of-age story told from a female perspective that we barely ever get to see. Another HUGE recommendation, especially if you find it difficult to read about history (like I do).
And The Band Played On: Politics, People and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts - Another fascinating read, especially since I grew up during the 90's and cannot even imagine a world where AIDS was not a huge issue. I had no idea just how bad it was when the epidemic just broke out. And how terribly the Reagan administration handled it.
Favourite film of the year:
Again, not a lot of time to watch too many films. However, I did really love The Grand Budapest Hotel a lot. Snowpiercer was also a fun movie and I thought the criticisms were slightly exaggerated. Of course, I absolutely adored Captain America 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy was entertaining too (although overrated, IMO).