Thursday Thirteen #35

All over these here interwebs folks are wrapping up 2007 with all sorts of year end lists. I'm no follower, but I figure as far as year end lists go, Thursday Thirteen is as good a time as any to host one, don't you think?

I give to you 13 of my picks for the best of 2007:

1. Best "New Release" Movie: This wasn't a tough one because I actually did not see all that many movies that were released this year. I decided to go with a movie I actually saw in the theatre and hands down, the best movie I saw in a theater this year was Knocked Up. I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting, but this was one of the funniest movies I have seen in years, I laughed until I cried. I highly recommend it, if you haven't seen it yet.

A close second for best of 2007 for me, for completely different reasons was a movie I just saw about a week ago on HBO, and that was Alpha Dog.

This movie was definitely not funny. It was gritty, it was sad, it was depressing and haunting. But it was extremely well done, powerful, and very well acted. With big name actors such as Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone, and an extensive list of lesser known actors (the type of actors that you go "I know that guy, I've seen him somewhere"), the movie packed a punch. And even Justin Timberlake held his own, making it obvious that there is nothing that man can't do.

2. Best CD: This one was a bit tougher, because I didn't buy very many cd's this year, and every time I'd think of one to pick for this list, I'd realize it was actually released in 2006. But then a few days ago I bought the new Lifehouse CD "Who We Are". Lifehouse is definitely my favorite group out there, I own all of their cd's and can honestly tell you that there isn't a single song of theirs that I don't like. And this remains true with their new cd. So I'm giving it my number one spot for the year.

An honorary mention goes to Kelly Clarkson's release. I know she received a lot of grief for it, but I actually thought it was pretty damn good.

3. Best Book: Even tougher, I tend to have an extensive "to be read" pile at home, so I don't read a whole lot of "new releases". So, we'll just go with the one I'm sure was a 2007 release:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. After all, weren't we all waiting on pins and needles for this release? It was bittersweet to read this book, and say goodbye to Harry Potter, but it was rewarding to reach the end of his journey with him, after all those years invested at Hogwarts.

4. Best Audio book: I'm going to go with "Forever in Blue" by Ann Brashares which was the final book in the "Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants" series. I know these books were written for teenage girls, but they were just a feel good series to read, and I really enjoyed this conclusion. There's a teenage girl inside all of us grown up women, and that girl enjoyed this book immensely.

5. Best Song: Ah, so many songs to choose from. 2007 was a great year in music, so many great songs with catchy tunes, touching lyrics and memorable hooks. Where to go with this? I could go with Timbaland and "The Way I Are", the song that made me want to dance, or maybe One Republic's "Apologize", the song I first heard on "So You Think You Can Dance", during one of my favorite dance routines of the season, and then couldn't turn on the radio without hearing it. I could chose Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry", the song in which she chose to show us she can actually "SING", or even Maroon 5's "Makes Me Wonder", the song that turned me into a Maroon 5 fan...what to choose?

I can't help it, I have to choose Bon Jovi's "(You want to) Make a Memory"

It's classic Bon Jovi, and it is one of those songs that I can hear over and over again. I love this song.

6. Best Television Show: There were a lot of new t.v. shows this year that I got hooked on, and a few returning shows that I couldn't get enough of, but there was only one show that I would catch myself saying several times while watching it "I love this show". And that show is Heroes.

I couldn't get enough of this show, and can't wait until it comes back. Let's hope the writer's strike doesn't make us have to wait too long!

7. Best Concert: I didn't actually go to any live concerts this year, so I'm sort of cheating with this one, however, I did get to watch the Justin Timberlake concert on HBO, and that boy can sure put on a show. I'll give this one to him. I became a JT fan this year, and this concert certainly had something to do with it.

8. Best Musical/Theatre Production: I did, however, get to see "Grease" on Broadway. What a great production that was! With Sandy and Danny being cast on the reality show "Grease, You're the One that I Want" which was one of my guilty pleasures on t.v. this year, it was fun to be able to see them carry out the performances they won in the show.

9. Speaking of reality shows, my pick for Best Reality Show this year goes to "So You Think You Can Dance". The talent on this season of the show was unbelievable, and it was a thrill to watch each week.

Here again is my favorite routine from this season:

10. One more television related pick - Best Documentary: The Planet Earth Series. Did anyone watch these? They were beautiful, fascinating and informative. I think everyone should watch these.

11. Best Gadget: My pick for favorite gadget this year? My new cell phone, the Fusic by LG, because this thing does it all. It's a phone, a camera, a gps, an mp3 player, web surfing tool, and it even washes the dishes. Well, okay, it doesn't wash the dishes, but it does everything else.

12. Best Toy: my favorite toy this year? It's my little secret that I haven't told you all about yet. About a month ago I inherited my brother's old Playstation 2, no, not so I could play video games, because let's face it, I don't have time for video games, but so that I could have my own in-home gym. What in the world am I talking about, you ask? I bought myself Dance Dance Revolution, and if you have played it, you KNOW what a workout it is. If you haven't? You simply must.

Check out this kid and how crazy good he is:

13. Best Post: Time for a little shameless self-promotion, my pick for my best post this year here on Candid Karina? That's a tough one, picking a "best", so I'm sort of cheating here...I'm going to refer you to THIS POST, where I...uh...refered you to some of my favorite posts. (I know, totally cheating).

And there you have it, my year end list. Happy Thursday everyone.