Television
Biggest… save?
When Charlie Sheen’s life went down the tubes in gigantic ways over the last two years, it looked like bad news for his show “Two and a Half Men”. However, in May, CBS announced that Ashton Kutcher would be joining the show to fill the spot. Since the season nine premiere in September, reviews have been mixed on how the transition is going and where the show is headed. Having killed off Sheen’s character, it looks like the current situation is as good as it’s going to get.
Most Frightening
In the short time since it premiered in October, “American Horror Story” has taken fans of all kinds by storm. It is sexy, psychotic and, most of all, scary. FX has already renewed the show for a second season that promises to continue to cause viewers to lose sleep.
Movies
Saddest good-bye
This summer, the world watched as the journey of its favorite boy wizard came to an end. When “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” premiered in July, it was destined to break records and hearts. While fans who grew up with the series sat together with a younger generation in theaters worldwide, all said good-bye with heavy hearts to this old friend
Greatest superheroes and zeros
Everyone wanted to be a hero this year. There were the prequels to next year’s “Avengers”, “Thor” and “Captain America”. Another winner was “X-men: First Class”. These movies had fans of both series buzzing with excitement. On the other side, there was the “Green Lantern” adaptation that left many disappointed. Just goes to show that the secret formula to hero success isn’t so easy to follow.
Music
Most original mood music
Two albums came out this year that would simultaneously break your heart and mend all woes. Bon Iver’s self-titled sophomore CD and Mumford and Sons’ “Sigh No More” both bring original and soothing sounds to a time where plenty of music is getting fast, louder and more chaotic.
Craziest internet sensation
In March, the music industry and the internet were rocked by the travesty that was Rebecca Black’s “Friday.” The music video went viral days after premiering on YouTube and created a buzz all over the mainstream media. Needless to say, Rebecca had quite a year after she finally decided which seat to take.
Books
Funniest read with heart
When considering which books to read in between our hectic schedules, an actress’s memoir is not amongst the top picks. But Tina Fey’s “Bossypants” is not your average picture-filled, ghost-written garbage that Hollywood turns out. It is one of the most genuinely hilarious and inspiring books that has come around in quite some time.
Most anticipated
It’s been fifteen years since “A Game of Thrones”, the first book in George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, was released. This year, in addition to being turned into a hit HBO television series, the fifth book in the epic series hit shelves. While Martin takes his time finishing the last two books, now is the perfect time to catch up on both the books and the show. It will be well worth the time Martin is taking to perfect them.
