(no subject)
This is a list of everything that I love enough to mention it, in no particular order. I have divided everything into different categories, including music, tv, film, books and several others. The quote "Sapienta saber boni", to me, includes a lot more than just love. I think love also includes admiration, fascination and infatuation.
The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
I think this album is a perfect example of elegant in its simplicity. The lyrics are beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. The combination of brilliant writing and performance makes for some serious magic that I could listen to every day.
Brandi Carlile - Live At Benaroya Hall With The Seattle Symphony
I can't think of very many of today's artists that have as much power as Brandi. I already loved all the studio albums before this came out, but it takes true talent and artistry to bring something extra to a song when performing it live. The fact that, for this show, she was backed by the entire Seattle Symphony orchestra added another dimension and the final result was more than I ever dared to wish for.
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals is probably my favorite band right now. They modernized rock 'n roll and I can't wait to see what else they'll come up with. While their earlier records are not as 'polished' for radio as this one, this is the record that put them on the map and gave them the attention they deserve.
The Infamous Stringdusters - Things That Fly
These guys are one of the best bluegrass/acoustic bands out there today. Unfortunately, bluegrass has a stigma of being old and rusty, while instead is probably one of the most lively genres out there. It can be, anyway. I love how this isn't necessarily strictly bluegrass, but effortlessly crosses over into other genres I'm picky about bluegrass albums and bands but there is nothing I don't love about this album.
NEEDTOBREATHE - The Outsiders
I'm not a Christian. I'm not even sure I believe there is a god. And while NEEDTOBREATHE is originally a Christian band, I still love their music, even if the majority is about something that I can't relate to. I like them because, besides being extremely talented musicians and writers, they write lyrics that can be interpreted in different ways.
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
I love unlikely combinations, and this is probably perfect example of that. The four Grammy awards they won were well deserved. I have a hard time classifying this album into a genre, and it took me a while to get used to it. However, it grew on me, and now I can't imagine my iTunes library without it.
Alison Krauss & Union Station - New Favorite
Besides contains my all time favorite song by Alison Krauss & Union Station, this is also my favorite album as a whole. This is the album that introduced me to bluegrass and I will never not be thankful for that. It made such a profound impact on me that I can even remember the first time I heard it.
Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
This is my ultimate "rainy day" album. Amazing songwriter and equally amazing musicianship. It's touching without being cheesy and emotional while still maintaining a certain subtlety.
Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
I was so excited to finally find a band, from Europe, no less, that used banjo and still appealed to a huge audience over there. I love their beautifully haunting lyrics and at the same time that energy that I always try to find in music.
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
Neko's voice has an almost eerie appeal to me. I had a hard time picking between this record and Middle Cyclone, but I went with this one because this one somehow speaks to me more than Middle Cyclone does. It's a little haunting, a little dark and yet still full of hope and beauty.
Ingrid Michaelson - Be Ok
This is my go-to album when I need something light and fluffy, without being shallow. It's everything I wish I could be. I love the simple elegance and how she cleverly shows such a wide range of emotions through her songs.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
I've always had a soft spot for drag queens and cross dressing in general. I love how they defy what is considered normal. It's unexpected, unlikely. Rocky Horror is probably the best, and most famous example of that. I hope they'll never remake it, the original is timeless and shouldn't be touched.
The Wizard Of Oz
The Wizard of Oz was the first movie I ever watched and could understand without subtitles. The movie has a very one sided story, but you'll only really notice that if you've read other stories such as Wicked by Gregory McGuire. I love how it's part black & white and part color. It's funny how they tried to 'cover up' the technological development by changing it as soon as Dorothy lands in Oz. It's such a timeless movie and I hope it will stay iconic for a very long time.
Hollywoodland
I fell asleep when I watched this movie for the first time. I was watching it with my mom, and she made me sit down and watch the entire thing again, and I'm glad she did because now it's one of my favorite movies. I love Old Hollywood and while this was certainly a good movie for that, my favorite things about it are the cinematography and most of all the coloring.
Unfaithful
I guess this movie is pretty explicit, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have awesome character development. Diane Lane's Oscar nomination was well deserved and I can't help but still be a little disappointed she didn't win.
Harry Potter 1-7.2
Harry Potter took up a good ten years of my life. Initially, I wasn't interested in seeing the first movie when it came out, but a friend convinced me and I haven't looked back since. I love how they recreated the magical world from the books into the movies as best as they could. I don't agree with all the choices they made, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
The Lord Of The Rings trilogy
I really tried to read the book, but I gave up. This is the only movie I've ever watched that has a lot of horses in it where I didn't cringe over technical "horse stuff". It's very well done. I even used to reenact the scene where Arwen gets chased by The Nine until she gets to the river (I had a big white horse).
The X Files
The X Files taught me things about life, friendship, and even love. Watching the entire series is a journey, and I wish I could still experience it for the first time. I'll never get tired of rewatching this show.
The West Wing
Every time I watch this show, I wish all the characters were real people. Although if that were the case I'd never get anything done because I would be watching C-SPAN all day. It lost some of its wit after Sorkin left, but I've never found another show that can make me laugh and cry at the same time.
Star Trek: Voyager
This show has gotten me through math classes, funerals, and even boring summer jobs. If I just imagined I was off exploring space somewhere on a star ship, everything would be alright.
How I Met Your Mother
This is by far the funniest comedy on TV right now. You can really tell the lead actors have a lot of fun shooting and it has so many things that I relate to.
The Good Wife
Before this show came out, I couldn't remember the last time I was this excited about a new show, and it's only gotten better since. I'm not a huge fan of procedurals if there isn't an ongoing arc, which is why I love this show. Add some great characters and writing and food for my love for legal dramas and I'm happy.
The Practice
There has never been a show that messed with my head like this show. Especially in the later seasons, I had to mental prepare myself every time I watched an episode because it felt like being thrown off a cliff over and over again in a weirdly awesome way. It's too bad only the first two seasons were ever released on DVD because it's such a great show. I'd spend a small fortune to own it.
My Name Is Asher Lev - Chaim Potok
This is such an incredible story. It follows Asher Lev, Hasidic Jew and incredibly talented painter, throughout his life in post WW II Brooklyn and eventually Europe, as he has to choose between his love for art and his love for his family and God.
Bossypants - Tina Fey
Best/funniest memoir ever. It gives geeks like me hope for the future.
The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
As with many books turned into movies, the books were actually better than the movies, but that's okay. I love how everything ties together throughout all seven stories in this timeless and classic series. I have yet to read the last two, but I definitely will once I have time.
Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling
After finishing the very last Harry Potter book I really thought I'd never read a book again (not true, obviously) because nothing could be as compelling and exceptional of a series as this. J.K. Rowling has created an entire universe that is believable and magical at the same time.
To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
I know this is one of those books that just about everybody had to read in school, but I didn't read it until probably about a year ago and I get why it's so famous. It's such a great story about right and wrong, and I get why it won all the awards it did.
High Fidelity - Nick Hornby
This is one of the funniest books I've ever read, but I don't think it's intentionally funny. It's the story of a guy who starts analyzing his top five break ups in an attempt to prove that his ex, who just left him, had nothing on these girls.
Wicked - Gregory Maguire
This is the prequel to The Wizard of Oz, which I personally like better. It tells the story of Elphaba, who eventual becomes The Wicked Witch of the West. It also gives a lot of background information on other characters, and why they are who they are.
De Tweeling (The Twins - Tessa De Loo
This is the I actually enjoyed reading in high school. It tells the story of two twin sisters who get separated during WWII after their parents die. One grows up in a wealthy German family, while the other is forced to live on the brink of poverty in The Netherlands, which at the time was under German control.
Millau Bridge, France
This is the tallest bridge in the world. I love it because you can drive above the clouds. I always imagine I'm running through the clouds every time I'm on a plane, so this is probably the closest I could ever get to really doing that.