20080117
The following is the Christmas loot that accumulated in the Danish household this year. Good times are being had by all.
Guitar Hero III
This was among the top wishes I held nearly and truly to my heart. A wish fulfilled, one might be tempted to say. So far, the song choices are awesome. We've unlocked all the two-player songs and I'm almost to the end of the one-player songs. My favourites so far are "Black Magic Woman" by Santana and "My Name Is Jonas" by Weezer (essentially the song is just a big fiesta of hammer-ons and pull-offs). I can't say I'm overjoyed at the battle mode, but since you only have to play a couple times, I can give it a pass. I'm also sad that they made my rocker of choice, Judy Nails, into a slutty ol' slut-slut. *sigh* Price of fame, I guess.
Ticket to Ride
Has not actually arrived yet. We're having so much fun with Railroad Tycoon that entertaining another rails games almost sound decadent, but my motto is that you can never have too many games that don't suck - and from all accounts, Ticket to Ride does not suck.
Risk 2210 A.D.*
I have never played Risk in my life. I've seen the board once. I've imagined it was a far less complicated version of Axis & Allies, which I have played. Apparently in this future-Risk, you can launch attacks from the moon. I don't know if that is rad or not, but I'll say it is and spare you the opportunity to dash my hopes. I won this gift in the office gift exchange.
5000-piece puzzle (Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Tower of Babel)
and
5000-piece puzzle (Giovanni Paolo Panini, Modern Rome)
It was only after opening these that 5000 pieces began to seem extravagant. Oh yeah, and after finding out that the puzzles can't actually fit on our dining room table (which seats eight). In any case, they should be rad when they are completed. In A.D. 2210, when bombs are falling from the moon.
Paprika
As I said when it came out last Sring/Summer/June, Paprika is, beyond any fashioning of doubt, worth seeing. It was easily the best animated anything to come out in 2007. People keep saying, "Ooh! Ratatouille!" Comparing Ratatouille to Paprika is like comparing a couple day-old donut holes to a sizzling, medium-rare New York strip nestled sweetly in the comforting presence of an Idaho baked potato. But yeah, I guess there are people who really can't get enough of their day-old donut holes.
Whisper of the Heart
I really have a hard time choosing my favourite Miyazaki film. Generally, I'm torn in four ways between this and Spirited Away and Porco Rosso and Princess Mononoke. Whisper of the Heart takes the lead maybe 29% of the time.
Matrix Revolutions
I'm one of those cinematic pariahs who actually enjoyed Matrix films past the first one, so rounding out the trilogy was a cool thing.
Love Actually
Actually, one of my favourite Christmas movies. I'm almost always in the mood for this one.
Mirrormask
As reviewed previously, Mirrormask was one of my favourite films seen last year. Even though it was only seen on dvd. I guess that's good though - because the gift was the dvd. I can't wait to indulge again in McKean's sumptuous imagery. Also note, this is the beginning of a long line of Neil Gaiman-related gifts this year.
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Told you.
I hadn't seen the movie, but it looked fun and whimsical. My only mistake was asking for a particular addition (I typically include ISBN numbers in my wishlists in order to be the utmost aid to friends and relatives) not knowing that it was a text-only addition and did not contain the gorgeous page-by-page illustrations of one Charles Vess. So far the book is engaging and fantastical and the Monk is reading it to me while we drive yon and hither.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
I'm about halfway through this and enjoying it. Gaiman really does exhibit a wonderful sort of imagination. I made the mistake last week of picking up the graphic novel adaptation of the story and promptly put it down as the artist made all the characters look clownish and silly. I really don't need those images invading my reading of the book.
Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jannson
Highly recommended by a certain Bean we know. The drawings are fun, though I can't yet vouch for the story - as the Monk has been monopolizing Moomintime.
Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman
and
The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish by Neil Gaiman
The Monk collects good children's stories, so these were a fun gift. Gaiman and McKean's kids stuff is filled with that kind of charming, wide-eyed sort of horror that brings kids back time and again. We saw The Wolves in the Walls last Spring in a store and, flipping through it, knew that it would some day have to be ours.
Mechademia, vol. 1
This has been an utterly fascinating read. Mechademia is an annual journal attempting to approach manga and anime from an academic perspective. I'm only three articles in but find the approach both a challenge and an interest. So far, there has been a lot of talk about Japanese "soft power" and the "de-odorization" of Japanese culture for international export. I was also surprised to read that in the last decade, the export of manga has surpassed the automotive industry to become Japan's leading export. The whole thing has been very enlightening so far.
If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland
This should be an interesting read. The book is highly regarded as an a tool for burgeoning authors; though from my glances through, it seems a bit heavy on the everyone-has-talent and you-can-do-it-if-you-try sentiment - which is just so clearly untrue. Still, I hope to find inspiration for perspiration within.
Mouse Guard, Fall 1152
Mouse Guard is a truly charming adventure and the art is gorgeous. I cannot wait until Winter 1152
The NIV Application Commentary: Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs by Ian Provain
This should be fun. I got it for the commentary on SoS (since I've never heard any teaching on the book that I'd consider worthwhile), but glancing through the section on Ecclesiastes makes it sound intriguing too. The author places the authorship of the book at a relatively late date, which gels with my own understanding that it was written post-exile, so that's nice; it's always hard to get into a commentary when the author's presuppositions about the text are vastly different from one's own.
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
"The Pulitzer Prize-winning Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is a series of interconnected essays which challenge the listener to contemplate the natural world beyond its commonplace surfaces." I have never read any Dillard, but it sounds interesting.
180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day by Billy Collins
and
The Trouble with Poetry: And Other Poems by Billy Collins
Despite having been read one or two worthwhile poems by Collins, these two collections were not gifts for me and I don't expect to benefit much from their presence in my house. But life is full of surprises. Like death. And ponies.
The Neil Gaiman Audio Collection
Gaiman himself reading several of his children's stories, including the two mentioned above as gifts as well as Coraline, which I reviewed last spring. Gaiman is a surprising reader and his choices (though not my own) work pretty well with his texts.
Eva Cassidy, Songbird
After listening through this disc, the Monk asked why it was that we didn't have more Eva Cassidy albums (before Christmas, we only had one, the glorious Time after Time). This is an obvious problem and bears much attention.
Yo Yo Ma, Simply Baroque
This is actually very pleasant stuff. I was playing Morrowind with this chugging through iTunes and Morrowind's music volume notched to naught. It was the perfect game experience. Except that the music no longer changes when I'm being attacked for behind. So I get surprised a lot now.
Momokawa Sake, Ruby
Yummay!
Lots of Chocolate
Ditto!
Silly Putty
Knitting set and instructional manual
Ditto!
A set of Christmasy butter knives
We already have butter knives and I don't really like having special utensils to match the holiday. Though some National High-Five Day sporks would be pretty fine additions to any household.
Various Giftcards and cash donations
Yummay!
*note: please don't blame me for the inappropriateness of having A.D. come after the date.
Labels: xmas
