My Top 2013 Movies

My favorite movies seen in 2013 with descriptions in 10 words or less. In the approximate order in which I saw them.

1. Looper (2012) directed by Rian Johnson, stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt Bruce Willis
   Time travel, big themes, from a director I love. (my review here)
   
   
2. Searching for Sugar Man (2012 documentary) directed by Malik Bendjelloul
   An American musician, a South African legend, a mystery investigated. (my review here)
   
   
3. Bernie (2011) directed byRichard Linklater, stars: Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey, Shirley MacLaine
   A sweet funeral home manager, a possessive and grasping widow ... a true story. (my review here)
   
   
4. Argo (2012) directed by Ben Affleck, stars Ben Affleck and a big cast of "hey, it's that guy!" actors
   Smuggling six Americans out of the Iranian revolution ... a true story (my review here)
   
   
5. Erroll Garner: No One Can Hear You Read (2012 documentary)
   Erroll Garner's genius in improvising, communicating joy, and inspiring others through jazz. (My review here)
   
   
6. Of Gods and Men (2010 French: ‘Des hommes et des dieux’) Directed by Xavier Beauvois
   Trappist monks must decide whether to flee Algeria from terrorists or stay and serve God ... a true story (My review here; the A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast discussion here.)
   
   
7. 12 Angry Men (1957) directed by Sidney Lumet, starring: Henry Fonda
   A classic, "must see" for a reason. Simply wonderful. (My review here.)
   
   
8. Attack the Block  (2011) directed by Joe Cornish
   Solid alien invasion, monster movie set in British council block (a.k.a. "the projects). (my review here)
   
   
9. Gravity  (2013) directed by Alfonso Cuaron, stars Sandra Bullock, George Clooney
   An immersive emergency in outer space ponders gravity on several levels.
   
   
10. Muscle Shoals: The Movie  (2013 documentary) directed by Greg 'Freddy' Camalier
    A man who's lived the blues, the Swampers, shattered stereotypes ... and lots and lots of music. (My review here)

Top 2013 Audiobooks

My favorite audiobooks from 2013 with descriptions in 10 words or less. In the approximate order in which I heard them.

1. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
   Classic mystery with unexpectedly hilarious characters. Read by B.J. Harrison at The Classic Tales Podcast, my review here.
   
   
2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
   Listening to this much-beloved book gave it new depth (Read by Rob Inglis)
   
   
3. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
   I've never enjoyed the last book of the trilogy ... until now. (Read by Rob Inglis. My review of Return of the King here which reflects my experience listening to the entire trilogy.)
   
   
4. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
   Perfect noir listening for our vacation travels together. (Read by William Dufris' whose "fat man" has to be heard to be appreciated.) 
   
   
5. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
   Enchanting tour of Halloween history with boys on a mission. (Read by Bronson Pinchot.)
   
   
6. The Poison Belt by Arthur Conan Doyle
    The apocalypse in Victorian times told by a master storyteller (Read by Gildart Jackson. My review here)

Best (Print) Books of 2013

Top print books I read in 2013 with descriptions in 10 words or less. In the order I encountered them throughout the year. (Audio books will have a separate post.)

1. Take Five with Pope Benedict by Mike Aquilina and Kris Stubna
   Wonderful daily resource that refocused me on what really matters. (My review here.)
   
   
2. Watch series by Sergei Lukyanenko
   Only Russian novels I've ever enjoyed. (Good Story podcast discussion. My reviews here: Night Watch, Day Watch, Twilight Watch, Last Watch)
   
   
3. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
   Fantasy, adventure, romance wrapped in theological science fiction.  (my review here)
   
   
4. King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village by Peggilene Bartels
   The subhead says it all. I've read it twice. (review here)
   
   
5. The Woodcutter by Kate Danley
   A new, yet familiar, fairy story where true love conquers all. (review here)
   
   
6. Galactic Pot-Healer by Philip K. Dick
   Lovecraftian elder god gathers team to benefit mankind. (SFFaudio discussion here. My review here)
   
   
7. Save Send Delete by Danusha Goska
   Catholic and atheist debate faith in emails. Unputdownable. (my review here)
   
   
8. Middlemarch by George Eliot
   Marriage seen through the lens of "What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult to each other?" (my review here)
   
   
9. The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters
   Why investigate a murder if the world is ending? (my review here)
   
   
10. Countdown City by Ben H. Winters (sequel to The Last Policeman)
    Still asking questions in the face of the apocalypse  (review here)
    
    
11. Kirinyaga by Mike Resnick
    Can utopia be created by one man? Also African folktales.  (review/discussion at A Good Story is Hard to Find)
    
    
12. Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
    A contender with Bleak House as my favorite Dickens novel.  (excerpts and comments at Goodreads)

Yep. I cheated on just a few for that 10 word limit, most notably Middlemarch. Had to happen. Be sure to go through and read the reviews of anything that looks interesting. I promise there are a few in there that surprised me by winding up on this list.

ALL THE 2013 BOOKS
Here's my year in books according to Goodreads, where I may not have always written a review but I did keep pretty accurate track of what I read.