Best of

Half-assed attempt at a best of list:

Music

Best song: No One Knows, Queens of the Stone Age. This song should be regulated as a mood elevator.

Best album: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips. Great cohesive collection of songs.

Best Bill-is-late-to-the-party "discovery": Low. Sure, they've been making records for 10 years, but they're new to me, and they are fabulous.

Best record label you should buy every release from: Constellation. The home of Godspeed You Black Emperor, Fly Pan Am, and Do Make Say Think.

Best gig of the year: Sigur Ros.

Other stuff that made me happy: The White Stripes, Sigur Ros, Mum and Eels.

Biggest disappointment: Moby's 18. Snore.

Movies & DVDs

Best Movie: Tie between The Two Towers and Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner.

Worst movie I paid to see: Reign of Fire.

Best DVD: Fellowship of the Ring.

Best TV Series on DVD: Tie between Buffy: The Vampire Slayer (Bring on Season 3!) and Mystery Science Theater 3000. High rewatch value for both.

Most annoying DVD Navigation: Simpsons Season 2 DVD. Please hit enter 4 times to spin the wheel before you can pick an episode? You can't skip it? That's just brilliant. (Otherwise, nice release. Commentary on every episode is great.)

Books

Best: Tie between Atonement by Ian McEwan and The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (yes, it's a 2001 book, but I read it this year.)

Best Bill-is-late-to-the-party "discovery": Neil Gaiman. Coraline, American Gods, Neverwhere, Sandman, etc. After years of being told I should read his stuff, I finally did, and I'm totally hooked. Read Coraline aloud to someone.

Best non-fiction: Fast-Food Nation - read this if you need convincing to eat less fast food. Also really enjoyed Guns, Germs and Steel.

Currently listening to: fly pan am - arcades-pamelor.