Sarah's Top 8 Netflix for 2008

8. Juno
At this point I think everyone on Earth has seen Juno, so I probably don't need to discuss it. It was a cute, funny movie and I loved it.

7. Back to the Future trilogy
Okay, I know that Back to the Future came out when I was really little, and my brother and I probably watched it once a week for most of our early childhood. But I hadn't seen it in years until it arrived at my house. And unlike many movies of my youth, it was just as great now as it was then. Although I don't remember Michael J. Fox as being quite so short, he's still pretty awesome!

6. Enchanted
I love Disney movies and I'm not afraid to admit it, so I thought the idea of a live action movie in the Disney cartoon style was a pretty good idea. Turns out I was right! This was adorable, but then again, I love musicals, so it might not be as enjoyable to others as it was for me...

5. Idiocracy
This was a random movie that Netflix recommended for me, and when I saw Luke Wilson in it, I figured I'd watch it. Not a perfect movie by any means, but I laughed at the premise of stupid people procreating like rabbits, while smart people were putting off the miracle of childbirth because the timing wasn't right, or other reasons. So in the distant future, the world is full of dumb people because of natural selection, and an average person from our time becomes the smartest person on Earth. Kind of horrific, but look around you and it seems pretty plausible!

4. Gracie
I'll admit that Gracie didn't turn out as I was expecting. I was waiting for a feel-good soccer movie, like Bend it Like Beckham. I didn't anticipate a movie about a girl who wanted to play soccer on the boys' team, and the resistance that she faced. But I was born a few years after Title IX made it illegal not to give a girl a chance at the boys' team if there was no girls' team for her to play on. I cried a bit during the movie. Well, actually the crying started fairly close to the beginning, but I won't spill any secrets!

3. Penelope
Penelope stars Christina Ricci as a girl cursed with the nose of a pig, who believes she needs to find true love to have the curse broken. Christina Ricci was so cute that I had a hard time believing that people would be so repulsed by her, but I loved the movie anyway. It had that fairy tale feeling to it, almost as if it could be a cartoon, and it was beautifully made. And because of this movie, I'm developing a little crush on James McAvoy, which means I may have to rethink my dislike of Becoming Jane, where I thought he was too short to play Jane Austen's inspiration!

2. The Corpse Bride
This was one of my "Halloween" movies, which are required to involve something like skeletons, ghosts, or ghouls, but not be scary, as I hate having my sleeping patterns disturbed by illogical thoughts that I'm going to be hacked to death with a chain saw, or locked in a basement by a crazy serial killer. (I have a pretty active imagination that requires little stimulation, so a full-out scary movie could ruin my nights for weeks!) Anyhow, this movie was absolutely awesome, and now is on my list of favorite movies of all time. Despite the fact that Tim Burton himself is a little scary...

1. Bride & Prejudice
I love movies about India, because their culture is so beautiful, and I love anything about Jane Austen, because she's basically just awesome all around. So a retelling of Pride & Prejudice set in modern times in India is about as awesome a movie as you could make, especially since the director was responsible for Bend it Like Beckham, which remains one of my favorite movies ever. Elizabeth Bennet becomes a super smart Indian girl who meets her Mr. Darcy, a super rich American. Pretty much everyone in the book is there in one form or another, and it's really quite wonderful. Unless you hate Bollywood-type movies, or Jane Austen. But how could you?

Sarah's Top 8 Books for 2008

These are not what I think are the best books published in 2008, because a) I haven't read all the books published in 2008, and b) some of these weren't published this year. These are merely my favorite books that I read this past year:

8. Change of Heart, Jodi Picoult
This is Jodi Picoult's latest about a prisoner on death row who believes he was condemned for a reason. The twist was so obvious that I won't name the movie that it reminded me of, but you'll see what I'm talking about when you read it. Still, one of the better books I read this year!

7. Love & Louis XIV, Antonia Fraser
For anyone considering this book: it's not a novel, but more like a research compilation about all the women who affected the life of Louis XIV. I loved it, but I'm also a nerd...

6. Me & Emma, Elizabeth Flock
Me & Emma has to be one of the sadder books I read this year, but I couldn't put it down, and ended up rereading it to make sure what I thought happened had really happened!

5. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Gregory Maguire
I don't normally like this author's writing (I think I'm prejudiced toward male authors writing what I classify as 'female fiction', but I really liked this retelling of Cinderella.

4. Airframe, Michael Crichton
Michael Crichton is one of my favorite authors, and sadly passed away this year. This book is a thriller, and also taught me a little about the airline industry. Maybe more than I needed to know!

3. 19 Minutes, Jodi Picoult
Probably the saddest book on my list, I was completely sympathetic towards the criminal and found myself hating the victims of a school shooting. One of my favorite Jodi Picoult books, because I think it might enlighten people and help change attitudes towards bullying in schools...

2. Mademoiselle Boleyn, Robin Maxwell
I've always liked Anne Boleyn best of Henry's wives, and never understood why she was so hated. So when a book came out from her point of view, I naturally had to read it. Awesome!

1. The Tenth Circle, Jodi Picoult
This is my favorite Jodi Picoult book of all time. I couldn't stop reading it, and unlike many legal thrillers, I didn't see the end coming a mile away. If anyone ever reads one of my favorites, this should be first choice!

Did you miss us?

So it's been kind of a long time since I last blogged. Almost two months. 53 days, according to TimeandDate.com. Or 4,579,200 seconds. In other words, I totally suck! But on the bright side, really not much has happened here since November. But to catch you up, here goes:

In early November, not one, but BOTH of my computers crashed. Now, my desktop is over 3 years old, so I wasn't too upset about that, besides being highly annoyed that someone smart enough to create a virus that could ruin my computer was actually wasting their time creating a virus instead of doing something productive like finding a cure for cancer. But whatever. People are time wasters (I'll admit to it!) and I wanted a new desktop anyway.

It was the strange downfall of my six-month-old Dell laptop that was mildly confusing. You see, I was merely watching The Hills Aftershow online because my DVR for some reason didn't record, and right as I was about to hear what Heidi's sister really thought of Heidi and Spencer's faux elopement in Mexico, my computer just died. I almost cried. I also almost threw the computer against the wall. I mean, Heidi and Spencer had ELOPED and my computer couldn't even wait until the end of the show to crash? WTF?

But I persevered, and fixed my laptop and found an awesome new desktop! Yay!!!

It's just so beautiful...*tear*...

My other notable November event was hosting Thanksgiving at my house. By hosting I mean that my mother came and cleaned my house the week before, and then she and my grandmother came down the night before, cooked everything, and then I set the table. It was exhausting.

December involved decorating my house for Christmas and shoveling a lot of snow. Fortunately my mother helped with the decorating. I couldn't find anyone willing to help with the snow. Of course, I didn't offer to pay. That usually brings Ross and Luke to my house in a matter of minutes!

My Christmas Pharmacy Village...I'm such a nerd!

Henry spent a great deal of the month batting at low-hanging Christmas ornaments...

Note the absence of Christmas lights...this photo was taken after Emma ingested a 6 foot extension cord...and yes, it was plugged in at the time...

Sadly, I have no pictures of Ruthie to share. She refused to sit by the Christmas tree, and although caught on more than one occasion sleeping in the Christmas Pharmacy Village Square, I was unable to find my camera to preserve those precious moments. Maybe next year...

Sarah's Top 8 TV Shows for 2008

8. Project Runway
Project Runway is definitely on a downward spiral...this season sucked so bad, it was demoted to my last spot!

7. Animal Cops: Houston
Sure it's sad, but I love when the abusers get arrested and I tear up when the animals get new, happy homes...

6. Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
I'm a little afraid of Jeff Conway, but otherwise this show is mesmerizing...

5. Pushing Daisies
Almost like a cartoon, it was so bright, and colorful, and fantastic...of course, I loved it so much that it got canceled...

4. The Hills
Pretty clothes (that they wear, not design), pretty people (Brody Jenner, anyone?), pretty city (LA)...and of course, DRAMA!!!

3. Criminal Minds
I'll admit, I watched in the beginning because of Shemar Moore being so hot and all, but it really is an awesome show, especially if you have a fascination with psychiatry (okay, and maybe serial killers!)

2. Dancing with the Stars
I love sparkly clothes, high heels, and dancing. How could this not be on my list? Lance didn't win, but I'll still be watching next year...unless Cloris comes back. Then I'll just kill myself instead...

1. The Office
I have loved this show since the first episode, and it just keeps getting better. Jim and Pam engaged, Michael finding a soul mate (even if he lost her), and Dwight and Angela having a secret affair. Seriously, how can this show get any better? And with my future husband John Krasinski starring, how could it ever not be in my number one spot? Please, NBC, don't cancel my favorite show!!!

Sarah's Top 8 Songs for 2008

8. Disturbia, Rihanna
7. Fall for You, Secondhand Seranade
6. Famous, Puddle of Mudd
5. Love Song, Sara Bareilles
4. Let It Rock, Kevin Rudolph feat. Lil Wayne
3. Circus, Britney Spears
2. Addicted, Saving Abel
1. Fake It, Seether