Women's Month 2014: Banning Bossy, Finding Role Models, and Shaping Our Future

By now you've probably heard about the Ban Bossy campaign, an effort launched this month co-sponsored by the Girl Scouts of America and LeanIn.org. The campaign is an attempt to subvert the ways we as a society regard young females who show an interest in leadership. 'Bossy' in and of itself isn't a negative word, though; the problem lies in how it's used. Bossy has come to serve as a stand-in for words much worse, a seemingly innocuous pejorative that in fact discourages and intimidates girls who might otherwise speak up. It's one of the myriad tiny ways we instruct young women to be seen and not heard, to be submissive and gentle rather than brave and outspoken. And it has to stop.

Naturally, there's been a bit of pushback against the campaign by those who would continue to adhere to the status quo, casting Ban Bossy as an overreaction or exaggeration on the part of women. The prevalent argument among men, however, smacks simultaneously of laziness and ignorance--something along the lines of 'oh what, now there's another word we can't use? Where does it stop?!'

Here's the thing about that, though:  thinking twice about the words you use before you use them is literally the least you can do in the fight for gender equality. No, you're not being oppressed when we ask you to consider that maybe conditioning little girls to view themselves in such a negative light isn't the most positive way to introduce them into grown-up society, especially when that society will graduate into referring to these same little girls as "bitches" and "cunts" when they attempt to take on leadership roles as adults.

If you're really adamant that dropping one word in a singular context from your vocabulary is too darn difficult, fear not. There are other minute changes you can and should make in the way you speak, the way you interact with other humans and the way you see the world that can make things better for women, which will ultimately make things better for everyone. These are little ways that sexism has become ingrained in our society, and the only way we'll ever dispose of them is by policing ourselves first. And don't go thinking this is simply a list of tips for men--ladies can be equally and occasionally guiltier of committing these crimes against the female gender.

1. To quote the fabulous Tina Fey: "...stop calling each other sluts and whores. It just makes it okay for guys to call you sluts and whores." Now, while Tina and I may differ on this premise of it ever being "okay" for men to call women these names, the larger point is that we need to seriously reconsider the language we use when we talk or even think about women. I challenge you, as I've challenged myself, to take a tally of the number of times you mentally call a woman who has vaguely slighted you (or who is simply wearing an irritated expression) a 'bitch.' Count how many times you make a split-second decision that some girl is a 'slut' simply because she dresses less conservatively than you do. Ask yourself, and answer honestly, if you've ever shamed another female about her body, her assertive personality, or her sexual activities. If you're like me, you haven't been perfect on this front. You've transgressed perhaps more times than you'd like to admit. But awareness is the first step. Ask yourself why you jump to using these words, and try to justify why they're necessary (spoiler alert: they're not). It'll take awhile, but eventually these words won't be the first ones that spring to mind, and if they aren't in your thoughts, they won't be on your lips.

2.  In a similar vein, think about how frequently we as a culture choose to insult others, but most especially women, based on their appearances rather than on the situation at hand. If I hear one more criticism of Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama that discusses their clothing or hair rather than their accomplishments, I will scream. I'm appalled to say that I've literally (and more than once) heard arguments settled with the words "yeah, but (s)he's fat" as an explanation for not respecting someone. No, women are not the only targets of these types of attacks (the endless onslaught of Chris Christie fat jokes also springs to mind here), but it cannot be denied that when the person being discussed or criticized is a woman, people are much quicker to go to the appearance-based insults well. Stop being surprised that Melissa McCarthy is funny despite her full figure, that Sarah Jessica Parker is wildly successful despite her "horsey" face, that Lady Gaga is talented despite dressing unconventionally, and instead appreciate the work they do. Just because someone's appearance doesn't fit your narrow frame of beauty doesn't make them ugly, and it has nothing to do with their ability to excel in their field.

3.  Quick, think of someone whom you believe encompasses an "empowered female role model" in current popular culture. Did someone like Katniss Everdeen or Arya Stark spring to mind? How about Leslie Knope, or Liz Lemon?  Katy Perry? Ke$ha? How about Honey Boo-Boo, or the Kardashians? What if I told you every single one of these answers is the right one, and that there are infinite others you could've given that would have been just as correct? It's true--empowerment is one of those qualities that never looks identical on any two people. All of these fabulous ladies are brave, intelligent, ballsy, and kind; the difference lies simply in how they meet those criteria. The picture of an empowered woman comes in myriad forms (even ones you may not recognize at first) and is as ever-changing as our modern culture. We need to stop pigeonholing the idea of female role models into rigid parameters that can't ever be re-negotiated. Katniss is allowed to fall in love and still be badass; Ke$ha is allowed to sing party songs and still be intelligent; Kim Kardashian is allowed to be US Weekly's favorite subject while simultaneously being one of the more charitable celebs in Hollywood. These women are all to be admired, and I'd be willing to bet that they've all been referred to as "bossy" (or worse) at least once.

I could continue this list for days, cataloging all the baby steps we can take to make things better for women. I could tell you that in the grand scheme of things, banning 'bossy' is something that stands to reap a huge benefit at the cost of almost zero effort on our parts. The Ban Bossy campaign, like most feminist campaigns in this vein, isn't asking you for much at all:  they're simply asking you to think before you speak. And that's something we could all stand to do more often.

We Were Here: a novel by Andrea Augustinas (that's me!)

I wrote a book and it's available NOW in the Amazon Kindle store!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HSTBBZ4

Read about it here:
www.wewereherenovel.tumblr.com

Movie Review: Catching Fire

First let's clear up one thing:  I did not cry during this film.  Okay, I didn't cry a lot.  Okay fine, I at least didn't cry quite as much as the young woman behind me, who from the sound of things was in tears from beginning to end.  I'm not sure even she understood why she was having this reaction, but I can say that I don't blame her a bit.

That's just the kind of movie Catching Fire is--it takes your emotions and tugs them up through your throat, wraps them around your neck, and then asks you to try and breathe through the choke-hold.  This review is itself being delayed for several hours after my initial viewing because I needed that time to process everything I thought about during and after this film, and to figure out how to best put it into words.

With a new director at the helm, Catching Fire could easily have felt choppy or jarringly desperate to stand out from its predecessor (think Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), but it just didn't.  Francis Lawrence understands the importance of maintaining and escalating the unique tone of the first movie, and his vision is executed beautifully onscreen without feeling like too sharp a departure from the universe established for us in The Hunger Games.  Improvements were made in the few places they were needed, and while a few tidbits from the book were omitted, the film was admirably and almost completely true to its source material.  The few instances where creative license is taken with scenes or characters feel organic and fit smoothly into the existing plot, and I find myself hard-pressed to think of one that ought to have been changed.

If memory serves I said this about the first film, but it feels doubly true now:  looking at the directors, the screenwriters, the performers, I can't find a weak link in the bunch.  It's almost as though they've all conspired to turn in some of the best work of their careers in the name of making this movie a success.  I fully expected Jennifer Lawrence to be brilliant, as she so reliably is.  What I didn't expect was for Jena Malone and Sam Claflin to so skillfully embody their fan-favorite characters.  What I didn't expect was for Phillip Seymour-Hoffman to portray an intriguing new gamemaker with a cleverness I haven't seen since Alan Rickman humanized Severus Snape on the big screen.  I didn't expect (though I hoped) that Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth would overcome the heartthrob status assigned to them and bring better performances than anticipated, showing that though neither of them will ever outshine J-Law, they are at least entitled to play on the same field.  Further praise goes deservedly to Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, and Donald Sutherland for preventing their characters from becoming caricatures, and for bringing some of the most punch-in-the-gut emotional moments of the film.

When I initially read the book series back in late 2010, devouring all three within a week's time, I viewed Catching Fire as a hinge, a bridge between the initial horrors of The Hunger Games and the roaring conclusion of Mockingjay.  Seeing the film, however, helped me appreciate the tight narrative it is in its own right.  Catching Fire provides the most character development of the three novels, and the film fully rises to that task.  One can seen the tone, as well as Katniss herself, travel from fear to anger to violence, inciting the revolution that will make or break the districts of Panem.  Francis Lawrence has depicted it just about flawlessly, and the intensity of the film's proverbial call to action makes the audience want to join the rebellion themselves, or at the very least set some shit on fire.

As with many great films, there are a number of little things that really enhance the experience, making the film stand out not just as good, but great.  Catching Fire incorporates the musical score from the previous film, using familiar refrains as callbacks to critical events which unfolded in The Hunger Games.  It is also careful to re-establish certain visual elements as important, so that we feel re-immersed in Katniss' world rather than like we're being introduced to something brand new.  The pacing is fairly remarkable as well-- this film approaches the 2.5 hour mark, and yet it feels smooth and free of those restless moments in which most viewers might feel tempted to check the time.

It is also worth noting just how well this film serves as the middle piece of the puzzle:  it hearkens back to The Hunger Games without tediously recapping, and it foreshadows what is to come without forgetting itself as a standalone plot.  The final scenes do feel ever so slightly rushed (one of my few complaints about the film) but in them we get a very clear preview of what to expect in Mockingjay, which rumor has it will be split into two parts.  Questions of staggering significance lay on the table unanswered, and Katniss herself is in a state of visible turmoil, both anxious and afraid but also enraged and thirsting for revenge.  Moviegoers will leave the theater feeling similarly, and eagerly awaiting the final installment.

Is Steubenville the New Norm? Questions We Should Be Asking

In a 24-hour news cycle, stories big and small eventually get swept under the rug.  This should not be one of them.   The issue of rape in our country goes hand in hand with our culture of violence, and needs to be discussed, analyzed, and most importantly, changed.  This particular case raises a few very important questions, ones that ought to finally get the attention they demand.


1.  Why do none of these young people seem to understand the definition of rape?

The fact that so few of the people involved in this case and its coverage seem to understand what rape is or isn't is appalling (especially given that many of those people are adults).  Most notably frustrating, though, are the soundbites from the young men involved, young men whom it would seem have been failed by the adult role models in their lives as well as their own moral compasses.  One student who took video of the assault on his phone indicated that he "didn't know it was rape" at the time, while one of the rapists issued an apology in court, not for his assault on the girl, but for the fact that they'd recorded and circulated the video footage.

Let me provide some clarity, a sort of SparkNotes definition of rape, if you will.  These are all things that have been said elsewhere and often, but apparently the point still has not been made.

-An intoxicated person cannot consent to sex.
-A drugged person cannot consent to sex.
-An unconscious person cannot consent to sex.
-A person who is being coerced (physically or otherwise) cannot consent to sex.
-A person who is, for any other of a spectrum of reasons, unable to give an enthusiastic 'yes' has not consented to sex.

Act without that enthusiastic 'yes,' and you are committing rape.  Bottom line.

The fact that just about no one in the case seems to comprehend this has inspired me to try and recall my own education, and whether it included any guidance on rape and sexual assault amid the calls for condom usage and obligatory photos of every STD imaginable.  To be honest, I don't remember learning anything about rape (except, offensively, different methods for "preventing" myself from getting assaulted).  That's part of the problem too-- girls these days are trained to believe that rape is inevitable and that it is incumbent upon them to protect themselves.  And often that's the entire conversation.

There's probably no one person or even one group of people to blame for these boys' actions (they acted of their own free wills, after all), but the whole case begs the question of where we are missing out on opportunities to teach our young people what is and isn't acceptable to do to another human being.  Maybe we've just been assuming that those are things that go without saying, guided by common sense, but the evidence is stacking up that we're wrong about that.

2.  Why has victim blaming become the norm in cases like this, something everyone seems to accept as inevitable?

Teenage girls are sending death threats to the victim.  Death threats, to the girl who has already not only been physically assaulted, but had her character dragged through the mud during her pursuit of justice.  And do you want to know the worst part?  She knew this would happen.   Several sources have quoted the victim as being initially reluctant to come forward, believing that everyone would blame her and direct their anger her way.  What kind of awful world to we live in where a person who has had something taken from her in such a brutal way fears the people who should be supporting her in her fight to punish those responsible?

A staggering number of rape cases go unreported every year, every week, every day, because victims are afraid of a culture that will blame them for a crime that was committed against them.  This case has proven yet again that such a fear is, tragically, completely warranted.  It brings to mind the recent case of a young woman in India who was brutally raped aboard a moving bus.  The issue of rape and victim-blaming in that culture was brought up frequently, and time and again I read people's insistence that such a thing could never happen in America.  These people are part of a willfully blind majority in this country.  Wake up, folks:  it's already happening here.  It's happening where you live, where you sleep, to your children.  And it needs to stop.

3.  How are we not more disturbed at the details of this case?

I don't know if you've ever been to a party, but if you haven't, I can tell you that they're usually crowded.  As in, full of people, all of whom have the potential to become witnesses to any events that should transpire.  How in the world could a house full of young people, inebriated as they may have been, fail to notice something so awful happening right in front of them?  Further, is it really the case that not one of them felt inclined to speak up, to say or do something (anything) to try and stop it?

I can all but guarantee you that this sort of behavior is not restricted to Steubenville, Ohio.  It's even possible that this is one of the tamer cases, that there are young people out there simply letting this sort of behavior become the norm.  And if that doesn't make you angry, sick, ashamed, or all of the above then congratulations, you are part of the problem.

Even more appalling is the fact that several of the victim's female friends did speak up, testifying against her in court.  They said she was drunk, that she'd had a crush on one of her rapists prior to the incident, and that she was a dishonest person.  Just so we're all clear, absolutely NONE of those things justifies what these young men did to her, even if they were 100% true.  I have been wracking my brains trying to think of a more heinous violation of female solidarity, and gosh darn it, I'm coming up blank.

4.  Sympathizing with rapists is an outrage.  Their lives are ruined?  How about the girl they assaulted?

A reporter at CNN (we'll get to that) lamented the fact that the two rapists (and notice, interestingly, how she never referred to them as such) are going to be placed on the registry of sex offenders for the rest of their lives.  Uh, yes.  THAT'S HOW IT WORKS.  That's why the list of sex offenders exists in the first place, so that we can be aware of who among us has a tendency toward sexually violent or abusive behavior.  If Joe Pothead has to report his possession for narcotics charge on every job application for the rest of his life, then you're goddamn right I want these two individuals to have to acknowledge the crime they committed every fucking place they go.

Yes, maybe these young men's lives are, in fact, ruined.  But they're the ones that did the ruining, no one else.

5.  Why does no one at CNN or other news outlets seem to know better?

Back in my day, CNN was something of a respected media outlet, utilizing things like discretion, integrity, and ethical boundaries.  It would appear that this is no longer the case.  I'll refer you to this video of their coverage of the rapists' trial and let you experience your own outrage, because it truly is something that needs to be seen to be believed.

What grinds my gears about this is the fact that this isn't just a matter of one on-air reporter (or three, in this footage) spewing ignorant bilge; someone wrote the story, someone researched the details, someone is behind the camera...and so on.  Was there really no one on the entire CNN team who realized they were about to go live with a look at the poor, sad, mistreated RAPISTS and thought that maybe, just maybe, the piece could use a rewrite?

There's also the small fact that no less than 4 major media outlets aired the victim's name during their coverage of the trial, something which violates a policy utilized in sexual assault case's to protect the victim (I'd imagine that goes double for underage victims).  More than anything this careless error seems to prop up the notion that this wasn't a "real" rape; and perpetuate a culture in which we downplay all manner of sexual assault as well as the significant danger of taking this issue lightly.

2012: The Best and Worst

Here's some thoughts, sneaked in right under the wire here.  2012 had a lot of good things, but my hopes for 2013 are even higher.

Best Movies (in no particular order):

The Hunger Games
I had high hopes for this one from the day I first heard they were adapting the book into a film, and I was not disappointed.  The casting was spot on, the big moments shone the way they were intended, and director Gary Ross took things one intriguing step further by using the film to force us to question our own beliefs and practices.  Hopefully Catching Fire can continue the trend of success in 2013.

Argo
This is probably the most well-crafted movie I saw this year, and I think that everyone else should see it, at the very least so they can reassure themselves that Ben Affleck deserves the acclaim he's currently receiving.

Silver Linings Playbook
This movie is heart-wrenching, painfully real, and hysterically funny all at the same time.  Both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence give performances that are just plain fantastic (believe me, I was surprised about the former too), and the story is one that is incredibly poignant and accessible.  If I had to pick a personal favorite among these, this movie is most likely it.

The Amazing Spider-Man
This movie surprised me-- I expected it to be pretty good, having Marc Webb, Emma Stone, and Andrew Garfield (among others) on board, but I didn't expect it to be SO good.  

The Dark Knight Rises
I believe I have already expressed my full thoughts (probably to some excess) on this one.  But yes, a tremendous ending to a remarkable trilogy of films.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Another book adaptation that far surpassed my expectations.  Not only did it adhere to the spirit of the novel in all its teen angst glory, the casting turned out to be brilliant.  All three of the lead actors were superb, and it definitely added to the realism of an occasionally melodramatic story.

Pitch Perfect
This is the best cheesy movie I've seen in ages.  Not only does it have Anna Kendrick (and believe me, that alone lends it quite a bit of cred), it also has some elements to it that seem to have been forgotten in the movie industry's recent efforts aimed at teenagers.  It offers the things that appealed to me initially about Glee, except you know, the music is far more impressive and the plot lines make sense; it also features a protagonist who defies a lot of the unofficial "rules" that make adolescent leading ladies so unbearable to watch lately.  Written by Kay Cannon of 30 Rock and SNL, Pitch Perfect doesn't underestimate its audience and has some truly laugh out loud moments as well as a few that will give you goosebumps.

*Note:  I haven't seen Zero Dark Thirty yet, as it hasn't been released in my city, but I'm giving it a preemptive honorary spot on this list based on how good I'm anticipating it will be.

Best TV Shows:

Parks and Recreation
Season 5 has been heavily focused on character development, which I think is what may be underwhelming some viewers when compared with Season 4 and its exciting build to Leslie's election.  But that's something that I love about this show, and something that if you love these characters, is the kind of payoff you've been waiting for.  Tom's maturing and starting his own business; Ann is realizing that it's okay to be alone and get to know yourself; Ben and Leslie are settling into a relationship largely free of its early dramatics; April and Andy are finding their paths; even Ron is embarking upon what just might be a healthy relationship.  The gang in Pawnee is growing up, and I can't wait to see what's next. 

Game of Thrones
The show's second season lived up to escalating expectations, with penultimate episode "Blackwater" making a lasting impression as one of the more recent achievements in dramatic television, outshining what many films have been able to do with more generous resources.  And season three only promises more epic-ness to come.

Happy Endings
The most hilarious show that almost no one is watching (and ABC is making little effort to air).  Give this one a chance, and if it doesn't make you laugh out loud at least once, well, there might be something wrong with you.


Best New Shows:

The Mindy Project (FOX)


Go On (NBC)


Best TV Episodes:

How I Met Your Mother, "The Last Page"
This had one of the better head-fakes in HIMYM's history, and especially made up for the streak of lackluster episodes which preceded it.  I won't spoil the twist for those who haven't seen it, but it's pretty legendary.

Parks and Recreation, "Halloween Surprise"
BEN AND LESLIE ARE GETTING MARRIED.  Also, some other stuff happened.

Grey's Anatomy, "Remember the Time"
RIP Mark Sloan-- I didn't even like you that much, but this episode proved that Grey's still knows how to tug at the strings (and induce ugly-crying to boot), even after all these years.

New Girl, "Injured"
This was the episode that really brought me around on this show, because the showrunners seemed to have finally figured out the magic and potential of the ensemble rather than simply relying on the quirky cuteness of Zooey Deschanel ad infinitum.  Season 2 has continued that trend, and I think good things can be expected.

Favorite People*:

Jennifer Lawrence
We can disregard House at the End of the Street as a fluke and just continue drooling over how talented Ms. Lawrence is, right?  That's what I've been doing, anyway.  Not only did she emerge in popular media playing one of the most badass characters out there at the moment, but she also gave one of the best performances I've seen in years in Silver Linings Playbook, which will probably earn her a second Academy Award nomination (it's a crime if it doesn't).  Oh, and she's only 22 years old, so no need to feel bad about your own accomplishments or anything.

The Obamas
Yeah, Barack may not have gotten everything done that he wanted to do (fortunately he's got another 4 years to make it up to us), but Michelle and the girls more than made up for it by being their usual fabulous selves and providing America with more sorely-needed lady role models.

Jon Stewart
Nobody handles the increasingly dismal, frustrating, and sometimes terrifying developments in the news quite like Jon Stewart.  He's been perfecting his on-air persona for years, but it's the moments when his genuine concern for this floundering nation that truly set him apart.

Amy Poehler (always)
Do I even have to explain this one anymore?  She's hosting the Golden Globes on January 13th; watch that and maybe you'll begin to understand a fraction of what there is to love about this fabulous lady.

Maisie Williams
Well, I'm probably biased because she plays my absolute favorite character on Game of Thrones, but this girl is adorable, and pretty darn talented to boot.  Arya gets some even meatier stuff to work with during A Storm of Swords, so I for one am psyched to see what Williams will get to do come Season 3.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Dude was everywhere in 2012, and it looks like that's a trend that will be continuing in the new year.  No complaints here, especially if another team-up with Chris Nolan (and I'm not saying it HAS to be Batman related, but that'd be pretty cool...) is on the horizon.

The IKEA Monkey
Not a person, I know, but have you seen this little guy?  If there's anything I love more than animals dressed as humans (and fashionable humans at that) and shopping for affordable furniture, I do not know what it is.

Biggest Disappointments:

The Casual Vacancy

The Apocalypse

The 2012 Emmy Awards (the award recipients, not the broadcast itself, though that wasn't great either)

People I'm Sick of Hearing About:

Taylor Swift

One Direction/Justin Bieber/any of their female counterparts

Donald Trump

Tom Cruise

Just...no.


Biggest (Positive) Surprises:

Positive Female Role Models (in media especially)
Katniss Everdeen.  Arya Stark.  Princess Merida.  Michelle Obama.  Gabby Douglas.  Hilary Clinton.  The list could go on, but suffice it to say that ladies rocked in 2012, and I'm fairly certain there's no end in sight.

The Rise of Folk 
I actually read a magazine article recently that reference the door that had been opened for bands like the Lumineers and Of Monsters and Men in the "post-Mumford" era.  If that's not an indicator of where the trends are headed, I don't know what is.

Saturday Night Live (without all-stars Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg)
Here's the little secret about this season of SNL that no one's talking about:  it's actually been pretty great, all things considered.  The old favorites are delivering their usual brilliance, and new faces like Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong have me persuaded that things in Studio 8H are not as bleak as previously anticipated.

100 Books: The Journey

I promise I'll get to talking about the books themselves, but first kindly indulge some personal reflection.  For me 2012 was a year of learning.  I learned that being a real, live "grown up" is both wonderful and terrifying (the latter more often, particularly when you're unemployed, which I was for the first quarter of the year).  I learned (or rather, re-learned) that I have some truly remarkable people in my corner, in multiple cities, no less.  And I learned once again that stories really are the thing that means more to me than almost anything else in my life.

Don't get me wrong--the wonderful people and the comforts I'm fortunate enough to have are important too, but I've always loved stories, and they've been there for me every step of the way, through thick and thin.  In a way that's what my goal of reading 100 in a year was about:  I wanted to immerse myself in other worlds and in the minds of characters completely different from myself, and see if stories were still everything I thought they were by year's end.  And you know what?  They were all that and more.  Those places, fictional and otherwise, gave me somewhere to go when I was feeling down or lost, somewhere I could dream and think and just be.  And those characters, even the ones with whom it seemed, on the surface, that I had absolutely nothing in common?  I found tiny links of understanding, a million little ways I could relate to each and every one of them; reasons to root for them, and commiserate with them, and learn from them.

I received a lot of uninvited commentary on my plan to read 100 books, mostly a lot of arguing about quantity vs. quality, and here at just about the end of December I've finally sussed out my response:  for me the quantity is an essential part of the quality.  Not only was I more likely to find things to love with a wider field of stories and voices, but it also added variety and diversity and color to a life that occasionally becomes bogged down in the boredom of my routine.  That's without mentioning too the impact reading so many stories and experiencing so many writing styles has had on my own writing--I definitely feel more certain than ever that I can one day be a part of the canon from which all of these stories came.

What else did I learn, specifically?  I learned that in a year without any new Harry Potter-related projects, there was still magic to be found elsewhere.  Lev Grossman, George RR Martin, and Gail Carson Levine continue to work magic with their stories, and fill a need so many of us have for a little bit of wizardry in our lives.  I also learned that maybe once you've dabbled in the fantastical world of magic, Muggle realism is a more difficult realm to transition into than it seems (sorry, Jo).

I learned that history, whether reimagined grimly (Roth), dramatized (Bolt), or weaved with fiction to create harrowing adventures (Hollick) or stories of people in a different time who just aren't that different from us (McCann), still serve as one of the best foundations for a truly poignant tale.

I re-discovered the merits of literature for young people done right by authors like John Green and Suzanne Collins, as well as the fact that not all red-hot trends are deserving of the acclaim they receive (looking at you, E.L. James, and you too, Elizabeth Gilbert).

I traveled countless miles without ever leaving my home.  I went around the world with the likes of Salman Rushdie and Paulo Coehlo, and even visited Kenya alongside the President himself.  I slipped some educational non-fiction books into the mix, learning the secrets of how we socialize from David Brooks, how the global economy collapsed in on itself from Matt Taibbi, but most importantly all the ins and outs of shows like Saturday Night Life and Late Night with Conan O'Brien from the people involved.

I fit many obligatory classics in there too, from Shakespeare to Bradbury to Forster to Wharton back to Shakespeare again, and suffice it to say, they hold up just like you'd expect.

With so many diverse works enjoyed over such a compact span of time, it would be impossible to pick a single (or even a single dozen) favorites.  I recommend experiencing many of these books for a variety of reasons, though there are a few obvious exceptions (trust me, no one else on the planet needs to read Fifty Shades of Grey).  More than that, though, I recommend making your own list for 2013, compiling all those stories you've been meaning to read for ages, and making a commitment to really doing it this time.  It might be tough, but I guarantee it'll be worth it, because it will open up your world in ways you can't even begin to understand.  And if you can't think of anything to read, you know at least one person with a whole host of recommendations.

(It's me, by the way.)

For those wondering (and I saved this till the end in case you weren't), the following is the list of each book I read during 2012.  Those marked with an asterisk are the ones I most particularly recommend.


1.  The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

2       Game of Thrones and Philosophy by William Irwin

3.     The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie

4.       Watership Down by Richard Adams

5.      The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

6.       The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta*

7.      The Lord of the Flies by William Golding

8.      The Plot Against America by Phillip Roth*

9.      The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon

10.  The Romantics by Pankaj Mishra

11.  American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

12.  Watchmen by Alan Moore

13.  Reasons to Live by Amy Hempel

14.  Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

15.  Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury*

16.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins*

17.  Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

18.  Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

19.  The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

20.  Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard

21.  A Passage to India by EM Forster

22.  The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

23.  A Room with a View by EM Forster

24.  Damned by Chuck Palahniuk

25.  The War for Late Night by Bill Carter

26.  The Paris Wife by Paula Mclain

27.  The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obrecht

28.  The Social Animal by David Brooks*

29.  Room:  A Novel by Emma Donoghue

30.  A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin*

31.  A Clash of Kings by George RR Martin

32.  A Storm of Swords by George RR Martin

33.  A Feast for Crows by George RR Martin

34.  A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin

35.  Crossers by Phillip Caputo

36.  In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez*

37.  Pawnee:  Greatest Town in America by Leslie Knope

38.  The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo*

39.  On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

40.  One Second After by William Forstchen

41.  Bright’s Passage by Josh Ritter

42.  Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

43.  The Art of War by Sun Tzu

44.  Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

45.  The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

46.  The Grief of Others by Leah Cohen

47.  Talk Talk by TC Boyle

48.  Skippy Dies by Paul Murray

49.  Live from New York:  An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live

50.  Griftopia by Matt Taibbi*

51.  I Am the Chosen King by Helen Hollick*

52.  The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

53.  The Hypnotist by MJ Rose

54.  Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann*

55.  The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

56.  Seriously, I’m Kidding by Ellen Degeneres

57.  A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt*

58.  Fugitives and Refugees by Chuck Palahniuk

59.  Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk

60.  Death in the Afternoon by Ernest Hemingway

61.  I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak*

62.  It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini*

63.  Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

64.  The Seagull by Anton Chekhov

65.  Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire*

66.  Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

67.  The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

68.  A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

69.  The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald

70.  Spring Awakening (play) by Frank Wedekind

71.  Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama

72.  Othello by William Shakespeare

73.  Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare

74.  Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise

75.  Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

76.  Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

77.  50 Shades of Grey by EL James

78.  Paper Towns by John Green

79.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green*

80.  Onward by Howard Schultz

81.  The Magicians by Lev Grossman*

82.  The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling

83.  Zoe Letting Go by Nora Price*

84.  Alanna: the First Adventurer by Tamora Pierce

85.  In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce

86.  The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce

87.  Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce

88.  Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz

89.  The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

90.  Looking for Alaska by John Green*

91.  An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

92.  Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

93.  Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie*

94.  I Won’t Learn from You by Herbert R. Kohl

95.  World War Z by Max Brooks*

96.  Rabbit, Run by John Updike

97.  One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper*

98.  The Funny Thing Is… by Ellen Degeneres

99.  Henry and June by Anais Nin

100.          Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Schteynart