2023 Best-Ofs

 

Well, I thought of doing several over-the-top literary stunts to announce the Best-Ofs, my favorite post of each and every year. But in retrospect, owing to the low-key, close-to-the-vest year I’ve had, I’ve decided to keep this post low-key and close-to-the-vest. A simple list detailing my favorite, not-so-favorite, and least favorite entertainment and experiential experiences of the year. For your benefit and my nostalgia.

 

On that note, without any further ado … the 2023 Best-Ofs!

 

[Wild Uncontained Applause]

 

[I couldn’t resist 😊]

 

Here goes:

 

 

Best Fiction: Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo, reviewed here.

   Runner-Up: The Bear and the Dragon, by Tom Clancy

   Best Re-Read: Watership Down, by Richard Adams

   I thoroughly enjoyed a re-entry into the Clancyverse (or is it the Ryanverse?). I immersed myself in this oeuvre from 1994 to 2002, and enjoyed every Clancy novel. A new experience for me back then, which I devoured.

   I also re-read lots of books, some going back to childhood and some for a third reading. Always a worthy activity, to re-read a meaningful, fruitful book.

 

Best Non-Fiction: The Mystical City of God, by Venerable Mary of Agreda

   Runner-Up: Einstein: His Life and Universe, by Walter Isaacson

   Wasn’t a big non-fiction year for me – only 7 of the 45 books I put away were of the non-fiction category. I hope to increase this in 2024.

 

Worst Read: Nexus, by Ramez Naam

   Basically a Netflix movie in print, with all the bad that that entails. Still, a page turner which I read to the end, though I wouldn’t recommend it or read other works by the author. Overly violent, overly vulgar (F-bombs on nearly every page; sometimes multiple F-bombs in a single sentence; often phrases such as “F-bomb. F-bomb. F-bomb.”), and containing my least-favorite trope, the Mary Sue girl boss (though the story explains her superpowers away convincingly).

 

Disappointing Read: The Wolfen, by Whitley Strieber

   I loved this book when I first read it, way, way, back in middle school. (Same with Jaws, which is a runner-up in this category.) Just didn’t hold up a second time around. Wanted it to be better, to correspond to my fond memories of my first encounter with the story.

 

Best Movie: Godzilla Minus One

   Runners-Up: Sisu, The Northman, The Black Phone, Uncut Gems

   Saw Godzilla Minus One in the theaters, twice, with both daughters on separate occasions. Would take my wife to see it a third time, still working on that. More than a monster movie; definitely more than the rubber-suit flicks of the 60s and 70s. Human drama, convincing characters, a phenomenal story and script. Puts modern-day Hollywood to complete shame. Well worth a viewing.

 

Disappointing Movie: Oppenheimer

   Would be better without the oppressive omnipresent background music and the final third completely cut out.

 

Worse Movie: Holes in the Sky

   A truly awful alien abduction faux documentary I watched over wings one Saturday afternoon. Not worth the investment in time for one-and-a-half moderately spooky scenes.

 

Best TV / Worse TV: Not really a TV year, as always. Best? Finishing Regular Show cartoon series with Patch. Worse? Jack Ryan Season 3, Boardwalk Empire for bad, predictable writing and casting, plus distasteful anachronisms in the latter.

 

Best YouTube channel: For dumb, adrenaline-pumping true crime – Predator Poachers with Alex/Gordon. For spiritual uplift, Aaron Kim’s channel really affected (and helped) me.

 

Best Podcast: The Barnhardt Podcast, hands down.

 

Song of the Year: Row Jimmy

   Never a big fan of the Grateful Dead, though my first girlfriend many, many years ago was and exposed me first to their music. But was searching early in the year for relaxing tunes I could do my work spreadsheets to, stuff I wasn’t familiar with, and this wound up my favorite song of the year.

 

Bucket List Accomplishments:

   Crime and Punishment

   Pericles, Prince of Tyre

   Titus Andronicus

 

Phases:

   Record Collecting (my collection now sits at 32 albums! Up from only 9 this time last year!)

   Twitter, joining and scrolling through

   Diving into classic literature (Dante, Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, Once and Future King, East of Eden, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Watership Down, Old Man and the Sea, Bridge at San Luis Rey, Wuthering Heights, Something Wicked This Way Comes, War of the Worlds, Les Misérables)

   Re-reads (nine of the 45 books I read cover-to-cover this year were re-reads – The Grayspace Beast, Jaws, The Once and Future King, Ultimate Security, Watership Down, The Wolfen, Floating Dragon, War of the Worlds, Something Wicked This Way Comes)

   Nostradamus

   Watching movies back in the theaters (Oppenheimer, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Godzilla Minus One)

   The Inadvertent Blog Hiatus, April to October (not a good phase)

  

Proudest Family Moments:

   Little One passing her driving test and obtaining her license.

   Patch working her third job, this time as a party balloon technician.

 

Though it seemed a workaday, unremarkable year, there was a wedding, a funeral, a wintry trip to Pennsylvania and a summer trip to Austin. I took on new duties at work over the summer and increased my value something-fold. Lifted the iron 52 times and walked 89 miles. Visited three different doctors several times covering various parts of my physiology and received a clean bill of health. Ate like a king on a cobbler’s salary.

 

All in all, a great year.

 

And without further ado, a bid you all, adieu.