Here’s the best of what I’ve read, watched and listened to in 2016.
Books
- “Razor Girl”, Carl Hiaasen – OMG, laugh out loud funny as Hiaasen chronicles the latest band of Florida crazies and their schemes.
- “Before the Fall”, Noah Hawley– This is the best book I read this year. Crazy mystery about a private plane crash off Martha’s Vineyard. Read this book.
- “The Travelers”, Chris Pavone – Somewhat a return to form for the author of the breakout hit “Expats”. Pavone returns with a tale about a travel writer who gets caught up in international intrigue where all is not (as you would expect with Pavone’s thrillers) what is seems.
- “City on Fire”, Garth Risk Hallberg – Big, complex, multiple character book with intertwined stories set in NYC from late 1976 to summer of 1977.
- “Home”, Harlan Coben – One of my favorites series with two of the great main characters in Myron Bolitor and his sidekick Win. If you haven’t read this series it is worth going back to the start with 1995’s “Deal Breaker”.
Movies/TV – I am way behind on new television and movies… but of what I did get to these were my favorites:
- The Crown (Netflix) – I wrote about this one recently. Clare Foy plays the young Queen Elizabeth in this four season Netflix series. A bit of methadone for those dealing with Downton Abby withdrawal.
- Soundbreaking: Stories From The Cutting Edge of Recorded Music (PBS) – All you music lovers out there find the reruns of this eight-part PBS special on the recording of popular music over the past 50 years.
- Madame Secretary (CBS) – Losing a little steam in its third season but still very watchable and Tea Leoni holds it all together.
- Arrival – The one movie on this list (as I said I am way behind). Amy Adams stars as a linguist dealing with one of the alien ships that have “arrived” in various parts of the world. It’s a story about communication and the concept of time. I didn’t really completely understand what was going on but I enjoyed it all the same.
- Good Behavior (TNT) – Michelle Dockery goes 180 degrees from Lady Mary on Downton Abbey to play an ex-con, meth addict who becomes partners, not willingly, with a professional assassin.
- The Americans (FX)– I just finished the third season and this is one of the best shows of the modern television era. Makes you think about your neighbors.
Music
Albums – I listen to a fair amount of new music but to be honest not much sticks in terms of wanting to hear the whole album again. Here’s the few that made the grade in 2016:
- Kasami Washington, “The Epic” – Is it ever. Sax player Washington emerges fully formed with this three-record jazz/funk extravaganza. I picked up the vinyl at Spinster Records in Dallas earlier this year.
- Lydia Loveless, “Real” – Third full length LP from Loveless. At first I thought she had filed off her rough edges a bit too much and was veering off into Taylor Swift land. But not to worry, upon further listens, and a recent show in NYC, she’s as scrappy and rocking as ever.
- Car Seat Headrest, “Teens In Denial” – These guys are on all of the best of lists so I thought I give them a try. The lead singer sounds a lot like Ray Davies of The Kinks (at least to me). Good solid record. They have a lot of this album on YouTube if you want to check them out.
- Dinosaur Jr., “A Glimpse of What You’re Not” – J Mascis at his guitar shredding best, 20 years on with the original lineup.
Songs – I also keep a list of memorable songs from artists I’ve tried in the last year:
- Kings of Leon, “Waste A Moment” – Classic late-period KOL arena-style tune.
- John Fullbright, “When You’re Here” – A sappy love song but a good one.
- Datura4 , “Out With The Tide” – This Australian band is a crazy mix of styles from this one that opens the record to others that sound like ZZ Top, Aerosmith and on it goes. This song has a bit of a T. Rex vibe.
- The Record Company , “Off The Ground” – This is a band to watch. This swampy, tune with its slithering slide guitar sounds more like a seasoned roadhouse blues band than a first album from a bunch of young guys from LA.
Happy New Year!