The best of 2006

Books of the Year
1. “The Emperor’s Children” by Claire Messaud - Forget the backlash, and just go read it.
2. “Special Topics in Calamity Physics” by Marisha Pessl - Not as good as everyone said, but still highly entertaining and clever.
3. “A Family Daughter” by Maile Meloy - I have a new favorite author. This book is so awesome that I cannot believe I ever disliked her short stories in The New Yorker. It is funny, sad and sexy. Go read it now!
4. “Heat” by Bill Buford - If you like food, you will like this book.
5. The Whole World Over” by Julia Glass - This second novel by the NBA-winning Glass got little attention and kind of falls apart in the end. But the writing is beautiful, the characters are deeply felt, and I really loved it.

Books I haven’t read yet but would probably be on my list if I had not just gotten them for Christmas or had not had to return them to the library
1. “The Echo Maker” by Richard Powers - I started this, and it was recalled from the library. So far, so good ... that is to say, a lot more awesome than “Galatea 2.0,” which I enjoyed but thought was overrated. Is it worth the National Book Award? Time will tell.
2. “The Night Watch” by Sarah Waters - Wow, what a change of pace from the sublime Waters! Shortlisted for the Booker, it tells a deeply affecting story backwards. I can’t wait until I can get it again from the library so I can find out what happens.
3. “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game” by Michael Lewis - This book was excerpted in the NYT Magazine and made me cheer and cry. I can’t wait to read the whole book.
4. “The View from Castle Rock” by Alice Munro - There’s no way this is not going to be great.

Worst book of the year, even though I haven’t read it
1. “The Lay of the Land” by Richards Ford - I HATE HATE HATE Frank Bascombe. “Independence Day” is one of the most insufferable novels I have ever had the displeasure to read. (I read it on a bet from B. that I couldn’t get through it in a week. As if!) Who cares about some middle-aged white guy having yet another stupid middle-aged crisis? Tedious, unpleasant and incredibly overrated.

Dinner of the year
1. My 29th birthday at St. John’s
2. Union Square Cafe in December
3. Chez Panisse in May
4. WD-50 last Christmas Eve just before the start of 2006
5. A few trips to 5 & 10
6. A lot more trips to St. John’s and the Meeting Place
7. Sotto Sotto (three times)
8. Kyma
9. Sally's, always the best pizza in the whole wide world
10. Pura Vida

Clothes of the year
1. BCBG bubble skirt that I have worn non-stop all month
2. My sister’s black skirt that I took over after she left for Africa
3. Strapless brown dress that I stole from my mom
4. Blue Velvet dress I got at Anthropologie for my birthday
5. Juicy trench coat

Things I finally decided to like in 2006 that I had previously rejected
1. Juicy Couture
2. The Killers
3. Death Cab for Cutie
4. “24”
5. “Veronica Mars”

Things I tried to like in 2006 but still can’t stand
1. Pickles
2. Bright Eyes
3. The Tennessee Vols (ok, I never really tried to like them, but living here, it’s hard to not get immersed in the media coverage)

Best fashion trends
1. Bubble skirts
2. Big bags

Worst fashion trends
1. Skinny jeans
2. Leggings
3. Skinny jeans tucked into boots

Best album
1. Phoenix - “It’s Never Been Like This Before” (easily my album of the year)
2. Ghostface Killah - “Fishscale”
3. Justin Timberlake - “FutureSex/LoveSounds”

Best song
1. “When You Were Young” - The Killers
2. “Crazy” - Gnarls Barkley
3. “Stuck Between Stations” - The Hold Steady (yeah, yeah, I know, but after Ben played it about 8,000 times I finally started liking this song - verdict is still out on the band)

Most disappointing album
1. Gnarls Barkley - “St. Elsewhere”